Poltergeist (2015)

I'm very conflicted on my review of this movie.

What is the hardest for me, is I absolutely love the original. Even to this day, 30 plus years later, I actually watch this movie at least once a year.

Even though by today's standards, in some scenes the special effects look a little sad in spots (namely the tornado scene), this movie in my opinion, holds up very well. A large part of that is the connection and chemistry of Steve and Diane (Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams). This was the aspect that I think ruined the remake. As soon as I saw Sam Rockwell was the dad, I knew the movie lost a lot of credibility. It's not to say Rockwell is a bad actor, well maybe that is what I'm saying, but what I'm really saying is Rockwell is no Nelson.

When I try to appreciate the 2015 version as a stand alone and doing zero comparisons between the two, I would still be disappointed in it. I think it was a smart move to make Rockwell's story line different. Instead of being the very dependable hot shot real estate seller that Nelson is, Rockwell is a recently unemployed John Deere employee. Their stress dynamic in the marriage is financial problems. There was no real stress dynamic between Nelson and Williams. Nelson's stress dynamic was a lot more low key in the 82 version. The only time you really got a glimpse was when he looked a little wounded when Tangina (the medium) told him that Carol Anne could only hear her mother's voice, which was actually an untruth. Not more than 15 minutes later, the only voice that was able to break Carol Anne free from the "beast" was Nelson's voice threatening to spank her as a way to motivate her through fear, to pull away from this otherworldly thing that was holding on to her.  In Poltergeist 2, there was a stress dynamic for Nelson's character because they had lost their home, was living with Diane's mom, he was unemployed and he did feel like more of a failure, so it was weird/interesting plot change they chose with Rockwell's version, which was more of the Steve Freeling in the sequel. They tried to give Rockwell the same dry, edgy humor of Nelson, but it felt flat to me.


The things I did like about the Poltergeist reboot was the imagery of what it was like for Carol Anne. This was something you can't see in the 1982 version. She's just in the TV and trapped in some extra dimension between her closet and a spot in their living room. We only hear her voice in the 82 version. In the 2015 version, you get a glimpse into what that space looks like. That was a nice touch.

All attempts of making any fear jerking response though in the reboot, didn't grab me. In the original we have the chairs that are balanced on the table like wooden acrobats, Carol Anne sliding across the floor of their kitchen and complaining of friction burn, the camera guy who watched a T-bone steak gut itself and then proceeded to peel his own face off in the bathroom, angelic creepy spirits coming down the staircase in slow motion, to that ever incredible scene of the hallway getting longer and longer the faster Diane runs, these are the badass visuals that you remember forever from the original. The reboot has some guy getting his arm grabbed through the wall and some black goo grabbing the oldest daughter when her parents are out of the house. Just not the same caliber at all. Very disappointing.

When I watch the original of which I did just a few months back, I still freaking tear up when Diane claims Carol Anne "passed through my soul," and the way Nelson looked panicked and tearful when Diane and Carol Anne came out of the ceiling, covered in pink slime and not breathing. There is an emotional tug. It feels real.

The only tears you'll shed in watching the reboot is when you realize how much you actually miss being a kid in the 80's.

The real star of the reboot--the squirrel. Hands down, the best acting in the entire film.

Bottom line is, you don't reboot ANYTHING written by Spielberg. Just don't.