Wednesday 27 May 2015

Week 21: Poltergeist

Director: Gil Kenan
Writers:  David Lindsay - Abaire (screenplay) Steven Spielberg (story)
Seen:     Thursday 21st May 2015
Venue:   IMC Galway
Snacks:  Blueberries and apple (healthy :))
Mood:    Bemused

poltergeist2015.jpg (696×350)


We have reviewed several really brilliant horror films in the blog so far so I must admit Poltergeist had a lot to live up to and I wasn’t expecting a great deal. It was lucky for me that I didn’t have high expectations because this film is a real flop.
This is a remake of the original Poltergeist (1982) directed by Tobe Hooper and I cannot  grasp why it was necessary to remake this film, more to the point I am not sure why there is a need for remakes at all? Prequels, sequels I get but a remake smacks a little of a director wanting to outdo another director which they RARELY do.
Anyway, onto the film. I for one found the acting almost laughable in some scenes, Sam Rockwell is miscast as the father figure he doesn’t even seem worried when his daughter is taken by the ‘lost ones’. The reactions from all are disingenuous, for example, I would imagine that when a child is yanked into the nether world they might be a bit shell shocked when they come out of it? The two child characters  involved Griffin (Kyle Catlett) and Madison Bowen (Kennedi Clements) are not at all freaked out, not even a little.
Compared to the brilliant (and ORIGINAL) ‘Unfriended’ and the super creepy ‘It Follows’ this fails miserably, the scares are cheap, the acting is not believable and the score (something which added extra depth to the original Poltergeist) is instantly forgettable.

There is one scene which I enjoyed and that was the end credits. If you go onto Youtube and watch the trailer all the ‘scares’ are in that and you wont have forked out €10 for the pleasure.

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