Study Buddy (Explorer): House in classic horror film ‘Poltergeist’ goes up for sale
- This it the first time in 45 years that the property in California is for sale, and it is listed at US$1.2 million
- Each week, this page presents an interesting story that we have adjusted to be more accessible for all English learners
The “Poltergeist” house located in Simi Valley, California. Photo: TNS[1] The home where the classic horror movie Poltergeist was filmed is officially for sale. The property agent promises it is clean of any “ghostly antics”.
[2] Filming locations are always popular for movie fans. But this four-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom home in Simi Valley, in the US state of California, was a main character in the 1982 film. The house came to life and terrorised a family that moved in. In the Tobe Hooper-directed film, the household navigates ghosts, a child-snatching tree and hidden portals to a different dimension.
[3] Lauren Murdock, who holds the listing with Equity Union, promises there are no portals and no ghosts. Instead, she says, large windows give the home plenty of natural light. There is a built-in office space and four spacious upstairs bedrooms.
[4] She says this is the first time in 45 years that the home along Roxbury Street is for sale. The listing has already garnered plenty of attention. The 2,373-square-foot (220-square-metre) home was newly built when it first caught the eye of filmmakers, shares Murdock. The large lot made production easier for the crew with all their equipment.
[5] Murdock says the 16,000-square-foot lot could be the ideal spot for the new homeowners to build a pool house. They could even have an accessory dwelling unit for extra income or use the space for a recreational vehicle or a boat. The house is currently priced at about US$1.2 million.
[6] In the horror film, the backyard is excavated when the family builds a new pool. The dig reveals the home had been built atop a cemetery. Now, the backyard has a hot tub and a pool that, according to the listing, is “ideal for cooling off on hot California days”.
[7] But unlike in the movie, it was not built atop a cemetery. According to the listing, it is close to schools, parks, shops and dining locations. There are no inter-dimensional portals. Much of the house will still be familiar to fans of the movie, including the kitchen and family room, which were included in a few of the film’s most iconic scenes.
[8] Homes made famous in popular films can sometimes be tricky to sell, especially those in the horror genre. But Murdock says she quickly decided to lean into that theme with the Poltergeist house. “There’s going to be buyers that won’t want to buy it because they think it’s haunted,” she says. But others are drawn to being part of Hollywood history. “It’s better to tell everyone what it is and have fun playing with it.”
Source: Tribune News Agency, August 19
Questions
1. According to paragraph 1, the house does not have any …
A. damages.
B. owners.
C. ghosts.
D. property agents.
2. Who does the “main character” mentioned in paragraph 2 refer to?
___________________________________________________
3. How many kitchens does the house have according to paragraph 2?
A. one
B. two-and-a-half
C. four
D. information not given
4. List one positive feature of the house according to paragraph 3.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. What is the size of the “large lot” mentioned in paragraph 5?___________________________________________________
6. Based on paragraph 6, why was the house haunted in the film?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Decide whether the following statements based on paragraphs 6 and 7 are True, False or the information is Not Given. Fill in ONE circle only for each statement. (4 marks)
(i) The family room from the horror film is still in the house.
(ii) The horror film accurately reflects the current state of the house.
(iii) The house is a 10-minute walk from the nearest school.
(iv) There is a pool in the backyard.
8. Find a word in paragraph 8 that refers to “a place believed to be occupied by the spirits of the dead”.
_____________________________
9. In paragraph 8, why does Murdock think not everyone will be interested in buying the Poltergeist house?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Answers
1. C
2. the house
3. D
4. There are large windows that provide plenty of natural light. / There is a built-in office space. / There are four spacious upstairs bedrooms. (any one)
5. 16,000 square feet
6. because it was built atop a cemetery
7. (i) T; (ii) F; (iii) NG; (iv) T
8. haunted
9. Murdock thinks people might think it is haunted and be afraid to buy it.