Jeff and Brian continue their Horror Joy exploration of haunted houses by discussing the 1982 classic Poltergeist.

They ask whether the film functions as a conservative celebration of the nuclear family's resilience or a quasi-Marxist critique of capitalism, unbridled consumerism, and television's pernicious influence on youth.

They discuss the housing development's erasure of history by building over a cemetery without moving the bodies, highlight the implications of downward mobility during the Reagan era, and explore Douglas Keller's scholarship on the film deflecting attention from real-world suffering onto occult figures.

They emphasize the isolating nature of suburban homogeneity and consider the film's messy narrative and contested authorship between Steven Spielberg and Tobe Hooper.