Poltergeist

Halloween has already brought a range of scary films on cable (or whatever you should call it). 

I remember seeing the very end of this classic movie, where the father puts the television outside the door.  Does that mean I saw the film itself? I don't remember anything else from the film. Who knows?

I watched parts of it recently and was impressed. JoBeth Williams as the mom had one of her best roles, providing a mix of emotions. Early on, she was amused by the poltergeist activity. 

Later, when her youngest daughter was taken, she was distraught. Near the end, she was full momma bear in protecting her kids. She was a bit of a naughty girl -- had a marijuana stash. Near the end we see her underwear when she finds out the house is still haunted. 

Stephanie Miller's "what's happening!!!" clip comes from this film. 

JoBeth Williams was in multiple well-known films around that time, including The Big Chill and Teachers. She continued to get work (her Wikipedia page has credits up to 2023) but less notable roles.

Zelda Rubenstein (the only person in all three films other than the youngest daughter) also had a supporting role in the television series Picket Fences. 

The older daughter (Dominque Dunne) was murdered soon after the release of the first film. Her father became a victim rights advocate. The youngest daughter died of natural causes before the third film came out.  The son played "Jimmy" in Airplane II.

And, no, the house was not clean!