When you think about it, we never did see the basement ... : "Poltergeist"

Like a lot of thirtysomethings, I remember "Poltergeist" not only for the cute little blond girl who got sucked into the TV but also for the dead-on picture of suburban life -- goofy subdivision names, neighboring houses just a few feet away and cul-de-sacs galore. The first time I saw it -- at age 10 or 11, maybe -- it was pretty damn scary, especially the various terrors befalling the family's son, i.e. attacks by the tree outside his window, then the clown doll in his bedroom.

Seeing this movie again a few days ago, I was terrified for another reason. You see, now I'm a homeowner myself, and even though we're not in a brand-new subdivision with a questionable foundation -- more on that later -- there's nothing saying I won't stumble across a gateway to another dimension. And I'm pretty sure that's not covered by the home warranty.

As you may recall, "Poltergeist" is the story of an All-American family who suddenly experience strange phenomena in their house. It starts with moving objects, progresses to the cross-dimension kidnapping of the youngest kid, gets pretty messy with the rescue of that girl and climaxes with the house collapsing on itself thanks to all the ghosts and ghouls. Why, you ask? Let's all say it together ... "You left the bodies and you only moved the head stones! You only moved the head stones! Why? Why?"

That's right. Really, isn't that one of the greatest horror revelations in the last 25 years or so? The first time you watch this, there's absolutely no clue why the Freelings' house suddenly became haunted. Then the dad (Craig T. Nelson of "Turner and Hooch") and his boss are checking out the next phase of the subdivision, which happens to hold a cemetery ... which happens to have been moved a few years ago from where the Freelings' house now stands. Before you know it, coffins are popping up out of the ground, and the Freelings are off to the Holiday Inn.

While "Poltergeist" has a lost a little bit of punch after 20+ years -- for one, TV stations don't really go off the air anymore, rendering "snow" obsolete -- it's still a well-told story. Even knowing the plot, I enjoyed watching things escalate from amusing to frightening and disgusting. As the mom, JoBeth Williams ("Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot") was more of a cutie than I remembered, even if being covered in goo upon returning from "the other side" sure didn't do her any favors.