Poltergeist
Reviews
Zevi Wolmark
It’s not the worst remake of all time, but it’s just ordinary. It’s bland, lifeless, vanilla, and feels like what the Lifetime Channel in America would do to a remake of the Tobe Spielberg classic haunting film. I think the only reason Gil Kenan was hired for this movie was because the movie is based around a monster house and he depicted a monster so well in his last film that the job only seemed like a no brainer. The problem is Kenan forgets to produce likable characters and interesting scares during the process of producing an evil possessed house. - _Zevi Wolmark_
Reno
> Would have been a better film if it was an original. Unnecessary to compare this with the original and I tried, but impossible to avoid it since it's an official remake. Everything, from the house to frame by frame, all the scenes looked the same, except the cast and it's set in the present world with the daily life's modern gadgets. If you had not seen the 80s film, then there's a little chance you might like it. Though it was not a serious horror movie, or a scary movie to consider, still quite enjoyable like a dark comedy in parts. But I recommend the old one. Really? Sam Rockwell? He did not fit in the role, just okay though. And the kids, did not impress me as like the original movie. The only upgrade in this new version was the technology, CRT monitors to LED kind of stuffs. I expected a major, at least a bit alteration in the story or the screenplay that sets in a different circumstances and the location. That could have been a lot better. Disappoints for those who loved the first version. However, that movie deserved to be remade, and I did not think it would end like this. Hoping for a better sequel, but I'm already feeling that would end in the hands of the second string cast and crew which could be a cheap horror-thrill. 5/10
talisencrw
I had huge reservations about watching this remake, which I felt was completely unnecessary. It wasn't as bad as I had anticipated, and that the bad reviews at the time gave me the impression I should fear or avoid watching it. The special effects were pretty good, and Sam Rockwell, Jared Harris and Jane Adams (how wonderful it was to see her again, after her exceptional work in 'Happiness'!) sold the film for me. I knew what to expect after liking, but not loving, director Gil Kenan's earlier animated 'Monster House', but I was intrigued how his energetic directing would transfer to live-action work. I think they could have made it more suspenseful and scary, but I'm not really sure that was their intention. I think they were going for a family experience with some thrills, chills and laughs...such as the recent 'Ghostbusters' remake was going for. If that was the case, then in that regard it was quite successful. I'm looking forward to re-watching this eventually with my 13-year-old son, horror-film aficionado, Julian, who like me adored the original. If I was to make the perfect 'Poltergeist' film, I would have taken the same exact Steven Spielberg script and simply updated the special effects. I think that would have been a more successful approach.
Per Gunnar Jonsson
The movie blurb is written by some 20th Century Fox representative. I would guess that the person in question has not even watched the original movie. “Legendary film makers”? What a load of bull! These people have not produced anything really worth watching and this movie certainly do not improve on that score. I mean, how dumb are these people from 20th Century Fox? I certainly hope the audience are not dumb enough to fall for this obvious lie. Judging from the, well deserved mediocre score on various review sites I guess they did not. Anyway, as for the movie. It is a bleak (cheap) shadow of the original. It has absolutely zero of the charm that the original movie had and, most importantly, none of the characters had anything of the charisma that the original characters had. The father is a total dumbass and an irresponsible at that. The mother could by just any Hollywood style housewife. When you finally think that something interesting would happen, that is when the ghost hunter enters the scene, it just falls flat again. He is just totally lacking in appeal. He is neither a bad ass nor is he mysterious or anything else that makes him worth watching. There are just so much things wrong with the story as well. How can this guy afford and get a one for a house when he apparently do not seem to have a job? He even manages to go for another house in the end after his original one apparently got shredded. How bloody dumb is the script writer? In the original it was a new neighbourhood which explained the “troubles”. In this one it is not which means that the script writer obviously had zero understanding of the original plot which brings us back to the same question again. What the f…? There are some half decent CGI scenes in this movie but the same can be said for a lot of things coming out of the movie industry nowadays (well with the exception of SyFy productions of course). I would say that as a TV-movie it would have been above average. As a remake of a classic it totally falls flat. I am happy that I watched it at home and did not spend time going to a theatre watching it.
r96sk
Lame horror. <em>'Poltergeist'</em> offers nothing. It may not be an absolutely awful watch, but there's nothing about this that's good unfortunately. The story is largely predictable and plain, none of the cast give anything close to a performance that's worth remembering. There aren't many, if any, scares either - not great for a film in this genre. As for the onscreen talent, it's slim pickings... not even Jared Harris' late appearance could save things. If I had to pick a standout, away from Harris, it would be Sam Rockwell. The two youngest kids, Kyle Catlett and Kennedi Clements, aren't terrible in fairness. Not one I'll be revisiting. Yawnful.
Movie Recommendation
Poltergeist1982-06-04The Freelings' suburban home becomes the center of paranormal activity that opens a portal to the 'other side'. With help, they must cross over to get their daughter back.More...
White Settlers2014-09-05Young urban couple Ed and Sarah are set to begin a new life when they move from London into an isolated borders Scottish farmhouse. After falling in love with the 19th century Castle Farm and seeing its potential as a fixer-upper they are anxious to get started on the renovations. In bed on their first night Sarah thinks she can hear noises in the darkness but Ed is disbelieving saying it’s her imagination playing tricks. Persisting in her fear they are not alone in the house, she forces Ed to investigate. When he doesn’t return after a scarily long period, she goes downstairs to investigate only to be confronted by a welcoming committee of masked intruders. As she desperately searches for Ed, a terrifying game of cat and mouse ensues with the mysterious assailants. But what do they want and what horrors do they have planned for the two newcomers?More...
The Lazarus Effect2015-01-29Medical researcher Frank, his fiancee Zoe and their team have achieved the impossible: they have found a way to revive the dead. After a successful, but unsanctioned, experiment on a lifeless animal, they are ready to make their work public. However, when their dean learns what they've done, he shuts them down. Zoe is killed during an attempt to recreate the experiment, leading Frank to test the process on her. Zoe is revived -- but something evil is within her.More...
Insidious: Chapter 32015-05-28A twisted new tale of terror begins for a teenage girl and her family, and revealing more mysteries of the otherworldly realm, 'The Further'.More...
Ouija2014-10-24A group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board.More...
Preservation2014-08-22Three family members head deep into the woods for a hunting trip that doubles as a distraction from their troubles at home. When all of their gear is stolen, they turn on each other, but soon realize there are much more treacherous forces at work.More...
The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death2014-12-3040 years after the first haunting at Eel Marsh House, a group of children evacuated from WWII London arrive, awakening the house's darkest inhabitant.More...
Poltergeist II: The Other Side1986-05-23The Freeling family move in with Diane's mother in an effort to escape the trauma and aftermath of Carol Anne's abduction by the Beast. But the Beast is not to be put off so easily and appears in a ghostly apparition as the Reverend Kane, a religious zealot responsible for the deaths of his many followers. His goal is simple - he wants the angelic Carol Anne.More...
Unfriended2014-10-22While video chatting one night, six high school friends receive a Skype message from a classmate who killed herself exactly one year ago. At first they think it's a prank, but when the girl starts revealing the friends' darkest secrets, they realize they are dealing with something out of this world, something that wants them dead.More...
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension2015-10-21Using a special camera that can see spirits, a family must protect their daughter from an evil entity with a sinister plan.More...
Demonic2015-02-12A police officer and a psychologist investigate the deaths of five people who were killed while trying to summon ghosts.More...
The Possession2012-08-30A young girl buys an antique box at a yard sale, unaware that inside the collectible lives a malicious ancient spirit. The girl's father teams with his ex-wife to find a way to end the curse upon their child.More...
The Witch2016-02-19In 1630, a farmer relocates his family to a remote plot of land on the edge of a forest where strange, unsettling things happen. With suspicion and paranoia mounting, each family member's faith, loyalty and love are tested in shocking ways.More...
4 Moons2014-03-21Four interwoven stories about love and self-acceptance: An eleven year-old boy struggles to keep secret the attraction he feels towards his male cousin. Two former childhood friends reunite and start a relationship that gets complicated due to one of them’s fear of getting caught. A gay long lasting relationship is in jeopardy when a third man comes along. An old family man is obsessed with a young male prostitute and tries to raise the money to afford the experience.More...
The Diabolical2015-03-16When a single mother and her two young children are tormented by an increasingly strange and intense presence in their quiet suburban home, she turns to her scientist boyfriend to take on the violent forces that paranormal experts are too frightened to face.More...
Antboy2013-09-0712-year-old Pelle accidentally gets bitten by an ant and develops unimaginable superpowers. With help from his friend, comic book nerd Wilhelm, Pelle creates a secret identity as the superhero Antboy. Slowly things start to happen in the surburban community, and when a scary and crazy supervillain, Flea, enters the scene, Antboy must step up to the challenge. The first Danish superhero-movie. Based on the books by Kenneth Bøgh Andersen.More...
Queen of Earth2015-02-07Two women retreat to a lake house to get a break from the pressures of the outside world, only to realize how disconnected from each other they have become, allowing their suspicions to bleed into reality.More...
Malibu's Most Wanted2003-04-10A senator arranges for his son, a rich white kid who fancies himself black, to be kidnapped by a couple of black actors pretending to be murderers to try and shock him out of his plans to become a rapper.More...
Mercy2014-10-07A single mom and her two boys help take care of their grandmother with mystical powers.More...
Mr. Woodcock2007-09-14Taken aback by his mother's wedding announcement, a young man returns home in an effort to stop her from marrying his old high school gym teacher, a man who made high school hell for generations of students.More...
Similar Movies
The Grudge
2004-10-22An American nurse living and working in Tokyo is exposed to a mysterious supernatural curse, one that locks a person in a powerful rage before claiming their life and spreading to another victim.The Grudge 2
2006-10-12A young woman encounters a malevolent supernatural force while searching for her missing sister in Tokyo, a mean high school prank goes horribly wrong, and strange things begin happening in a Chicago apartment building.The Grudge 3
2009-05-12Jake Kimble, the sole survivor of the Chicago massacre, is killed while in solitary confinement. His doctor begins investigating the claims he made about a long-haired woman in white, as a mysterious Japanese woman arrives at his old apartment building to help them get rid of the curse.Body Snatchers
1993-06-09When Environmental Protection Agency inspector Steve Malone travels to a remote military base in order to check for toxic materials, he brings his family along for the ride. After arriving at the base, his teenage daughter Marti befriends Jean Platt, daughter of the base's commander, General Platt. When people at the base begin acting strangely, Marti becomes convinced that they are slowly being replaced by plant-like aliens.Resident Evil: Welcom...
2021-11-24Once the booming home of pharmaceutical giant Umbrella Corporation, Raccoon City is now a dying Midwestern town. The company’s exodus left the city a wasteland…with great evil brewing below the surface. When that evil is unleashed, the townspeople are forever…changed…and a small group of survivors must work together to uncover the truth behind Umbrella and make it through the night.The Invasion
2007-08-17Washington, D.C. psychologist Carol Bennell and her colleague Dr. Ben Driscoll are the only two people on Earth who are aware of an epidemic running rampant through the city. They discover an alien virus aboard a crashed space shuttle that transforms anyone who comes into contact with it into unfeeling drones while they sleep. Carol realizes her son holds the key to stopping the spread of the plague and she races to find him before it is too late.Night of Beasts
1990-01-01A couple with marital problems visits the wife's deceased father old dark house, soon some strange things starts to happen.The Fly
1986-08-15When Seth Brundle makes a huge scientific and technological breakthrough in teleportation, he decides to test it on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a common housefly manages to get inside the device and the two become one.The Ring Two
2005-03-10After the ordeal with Samara, Rachel and Aiden move to a rural town. But soon Rachel learns about the death of a girl in a similar fashion. To save Aiden, she must dig into Samara's past even further.The Eye
2002-05-09A blind concert violinist gets a cornea transplant allowing her to see again. However, she gets more than she bargained for when she realizes her new eye can see ghosts. She sets out to find the origins of the cornea and discover the fate of its former host.Buffy the Vampire Sla...
1992-07-24Blonde, bouncy Buffy is your typical high school cheerleader. But all that changes when a strange man informs her she's been chosen by fate to kill vampires.Poltergeist III
1988-06-10Carol Anne has been sent to live with her Aunt and Uncle in an effort to hide her from the clutches of the ghostly Reverend Kane, but he tracks her down and terrorises her in her relatives' appartment in a tall glass building. Will he finally achieve his target and capture Carol Anne again, or will Tangina be able, yet again, to thwart him?The Houses October Bu...
2017-09-22Recovering from the trauma of being kidnapped last Halloween by the Blue Skeleton - a group who take "extreme haunt" to another level - five friends decide they must face their fears in order to move on. Heading back out on the road to visit more haunted house attractions, signs of the Blue Skeleton start appearing again and a new terror begins.The Island of Dr. Mor...
1996-08-23A plane crash surviving attorney stumbles upon a mysterious island and is shocked to discover that a brilliant scientist and his lab assistant have found a way to combine human and animal DNA—with horrific results.The Texas Chainsaw Ma...
2003-05-21After picking up a traumatized young hitchhiker, five friends find themselves stalked and hunted by a chainsaw-wielding killer and his family of equally psychopathic killers.Thir13en Ghosts
2001-10-26Arthur and his two children inherit his uncle's estate: a glass house that serves as a prison to twelve ghosts. When the family, accompanied by a nanny and an attorney, enter the house they find themselves trapped inside an evil machine 'designed by the Devil and powered by the dead' to open the Eye of Hell. Aided by a ghost hunter and his rival, a ghost rights activist out to set the ghosts free, the group must do what they can to get out of the house alive.Carrie
2002-11-04An awkward, telekinetic teenage girl's lonely life is dominated by relentless bullying at school and an oppressive religious fanatic mother at home. When her tormentors pull a humiliating prank at the senior prom, she unleashes a horrifying chaos on everyone, leaving nothing but destruction in her wake.The Wolfman
2010-02-10Lawrence Talbot, an American man on a visit to Victorian London to make amends with his estranged father, gets bitten by a werewolf and, after a moonlight transformation, leaves him with a savage hunger for flesh.Black Christmas
2006-12-15As the residents of sorority house Pi Kappa Sigma prepare for the festive season, a stranger begins a series of obscene phone calls with dubious intentions...Ju-on: The Grudge 2
2003-08-15When the cast and crew of a paranormal TV reality program decide to shoot in the house of the original Saeki hauntings, a series of strange events unfold at the location.