Poltergeist (2014)

So, I finally sat down to revisit the 2014 remake of Poltergeist, and man, where do I even begin? You know how it is when you go into a remake hoping they captured that lightning in a bottle from the original, but instead, you just get this polished, high-budget version that feels like it’s missing its soul? It’s such a trip! Don't get me wrong, the visuals are slick—like, really slick—but does a shiny new coat of paint actually make the scares hit harder? I honestly don't think so. I was thinking about what some people have said online, and it reminds me of a Rotten Tomatoes Quote I saw recently about how modern horror often trades atmosphere for jump scares, and honestly, isn't that exactly what happened here? It feels like they took Steven Spielberg's DNA and tried to run it through a Hollywood machine to make it "modern," but in doing so, they lost that eerie, suburban dread that made the original so iconic. Is it still scary if you can see the CGI coming from a mile away? Probably not! I mean, the performances were fine, I guess? But they lacked that raw, frantic energy you need when your house is literally trying to eat your family. It felt a bit too choreographed, a bit too "safe." And let's be real, when you're dealing with a property this legendary, you can't just lean on nostalgia and expect us to forget that the heart of the story has been swapped out for special effects. Has anyone else felt this way, or am I just being a total nostalgic snob? I really wanted to love it, I truly did, but it just left me feeling kind of empty.

Rotten Tomatoes

Can you believe they’re actually doing this? A total remake of that classic 80s horror flick, and get this—they’re bringing the hauntings right back to the big screen! Isn't it wild how these stories just never stay buried? I mean, honestly, who doesn't love a good nostalgia trip, even if it involves being terrified out of your mind? It feels like we've seen a million reboots lately, but there's just something about those old-school scares that hits differently, don't you think? I'm seriously curious to see if they can actually capture that same creepy vibe or if it's just going to be another hollow attempt at recreating the magic. What do you guys think—are we ready for another round of jump scares, or have we had our fill of ghosts for one lifetime?

Regis: Gil Kenan ("Monster House" and "City of Ember")

Can you even believe they're actually doing it? A big-budget remake of the legendary horror flick *Poltergeist* is officially hitting theaters next year! I mean, seriously, are we really ready to see a modern spin on such a massive classic? It’s going to be wild seeing how they try to recreate that spooky atmosphere for a whole new generation. What do you guys think—is this going to be a total masterpiece or just another cash grab?

Horror junkies, you guys are absolutely going to lose your minds when you hear this news! Get ready to hear that iconic, spine-chilling line one more time—"They're heeere"! Production on the new Poltergeist remake is officially kicking off this fall, and I am seriously vibrating with excitement!

So, I was just thinking back to the original Poltergeist from way back in '82, and man, what a classic! It was written by that powerhouse trio of Steven Spielberg, Michael Graves, and Mark Victor, which basically guarantees it's going to be good, right? And can we talk about the cast for a second? You had Joe Bet Williams and Craig Nelson leading the charge, and honestly, they just nailed it!

So, picture this: your typical American family moves into a new place, thinking they’ve finally found the perfect spot, only to realize the house is actually "occupied" by some seriously creepy, mysterious entities? It gets even wilder because these beings end up forming this super strange, unsettling bond with their daughter. Can you even imagine the sheer terror of realizing your new home isn't as empty as it looks?

So, after that first movie hit the screens, they actually went ahead and dropped two sequels in '86 and '88! Can you believe it? And honestly, looking back at the accolades, the film ended up snagging three Oscar nominations—we're talking Best Sound Editing, Visual Effects, and Original Score. Pretty impressive, right?

So, get this—Jill Kinan is actually set to direct the new version of Monster House, which is honestly such a cool move! And word on the street is that Rosemary DeWitt has already been tapped to play the mom. Can you even imagine how awesome that’s going to look?

Source

They’re just overflowing with "creativity," apparently, churning out remake after remake.
It’s almost like they don't care that the pool of total idiots actually willing to sit through these rehashes is shrinking by the day.
Take *Evil Dead*, for example. It’s such a cliché. I remember being on a production crew of about 300 people, and in the first 20 minutes of filming, there were barely 20 souls left on set—mostly women who didn't even bother showing up to work.

No... 🙂

Honestly, I’d love to see some kind of federal law passed that just bans remakes of the classics altogether.

And don't even get me started on the music industry—they do the exact same thing there.

But this? This right here is genuinely crossing a line. It’s gone way too far.

🙂 🙂

And now, if someone dares to tell me that Hollywood hasn't completely lost its mind—well, why even bother with all these endless remakes? ...I suppose it’s because there will always be enough fools out there willing to watch them and line the pockets of these exploiters who clearly have zero respect for human intelligence...

Honestly, we should probably just start some kind of international movement—like a massive club or something—for people who are totally over this remake culture. You know, a group dedicated to dodging every single remake out there and intentionally staying far away from theaters or streaming them, just purely out of respect for the original films.

I’m actually pretty stoked about this remake.

Honestly, I’ve always had a soft spot for remakes just because there's something cool about seeing the same story unfold with a fresh cast and modern tech, you know? Plus, at the end of the day, the original stays the original, so even if they totally butcher this one and it turns out to be a dud, it’s not gonna ruin the classic for me.

If they really wanted to blow my mind, though, wouldn't it have been awesome if they announced they were remaking the entire trilogy at once?

Heat (1995) is basically the only remake that actually nailed it and hit cult status—it was built off that same script Mann wrote before he did L. A. takedown
I’ll happily skip this one, but I am definitely down to check out The Conjuring soon—at least that promises something better

Look, it actually happens sometimes where a remake turns out to be way better than the original movie, right? Like, just look at "The Last House on the Left" from 2009—it’s honestly so much more intense and better made than the 1972 version.

I've always been a fan of Poltergeist, so I guess we'll see what they come up with!

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 🙂

Dabogda, they’ve finally been hit by that movie's curse...

There is zero chance I'm watching this, even if they pay me back in full after a fancy steak dinner at the Ritz ☕

Heather O'Rourke can never be remade 🙂

There is absolutely no way...

Man, why does everyone act like a remake is some kind of personal attack on the original? Like, what's the big deal? Honestly, just watch the thing—if it’s good, you had a blast, and if it sucks, you just move on with your life and forget it ever happened, right? It's really not that deep.

Take me, for example. I don't even count T3 as a real Terminator film; it was pretty bad, so I just officially kicked it out of the Terminator film series in my head. Same goes for that Nightmare series remake—I don't consider it part of the actual franchise because it just wasn't my thing. But hey, it doesn't bother me at all! I watched it, decided it didn't fit into the Nightmare series, and that was that. Simple as that.

For me, originality is the absolute bedrock of any good movie. Don't get me wrong—direction, acting, cinematography, all that jazz is obviously essential—but if the core concept is hollow, even the most polished directing won't save it from being a dud.

When it comes to remakes, I basically give the premise a zero out of ten right out of the gate. That’s why I can't stand them; it feels almost impossible for a remake to ever top the original. Sure, they might have better production value or look sharper on screen, but since the idea itself is just a recycled shadow of what came before, the whole experience feels cheapened. At least in my book, a lack of vision automatically tanks the entire rating.

cosmiclynx57 said:Honestly, I don't quite get why people treat remakes like some kind of personal attack on the original—as if they're actually going to ruin it. There’s really no reason to stress about it! Just watch the movie; if it’s good, great—you had a fun night. If it sucks, just forget it ever existed and move on. It's really that simple.

Personally, I don't really count T3 as a legitimate Terminator film—it’s just not good enough for me, so I've officially struck it from the Terminator film series. Similarly, I don't consider that Nightmare remake to be part of the actual series either; it missed the mark for me. That said, I don't mind that it was made—I watched it, decided it didn't belong in the Nightmare series, and left it at that.

There are just so many incredible movies out there that a person simply needs to see—it feels like we can never truly catch up. Honestly, wasting precious time on these endless remakes feels like nothing short of heresy toward cinema, both as a form of pure entertainment and as a legitimate art form.

Patrick Martin said:I'm absolutely not seeing this—not even if they pay for my dinner at the Four Seasons afterward.☕

Unless it stars Monica Bellucci, maybe.😁

It honestly feels like they’re just going to butcher the whole thing with some cheap, over-the-top CGI effects...

Benjamin Thompson66 said:It’s just that there are so many incredible movies out there you really need to see, and there’s never enough time! Honestly, wasting time on remakes feels like an absolute insult to cinema, both as entertainment and as actual art...

Man, I totally get that, I really do. That's why I find myself constantly digging through stuff made before the 1950s; no matter how much I watch, I always stumble upon some absolute hidden gem. But here's my thing—if I happen to fall in love with a classic, I just can't help myself from checking out its remake. It’s like this magnetic pull I can't fight, you know?

Anyway, we're kind of drifting off-topic here, so let's keep it together before the mods come in and start nuking our posts.

Benjamin Thompson66 said:🙂 🙂

And now someone try telling me that Hollywood hasn't gone down the drain... I mean, what's even the point of all these remakes? ...I guess it's just because there are still enough idiots out there willing to watch them and line the pockets of exploiters who prey on people's lack of intelligence...

Oh please, oh almighty prophet of movies and the entire film industry—go ahead and punish anyone who doesn't share your impeccable taste. 🙄

Seriously though, if they can make a buck off a remake, why wouldn't they?

Eric Patel7 said:Oh, please—spare us from the almighty prophet of cinema and the entire industry! Go ahead, punish anyone who dares to disagree with your "refined" taste. 🙄

I mean, seriously, why not just make a remake if there's actually a chance it could turn out well?

But honestly, why is everything being remade lately? Isn't it getting a bit stale and predictable by now? And look, it isn't even about personal taste... they keep remaking movies that I didn't even like to begin with—so what’s the point? To see how it would look with today's tech? Just watch the original and see how it holds up! You say, "if it could turn out well"... no, it's simpler than that: there just aren't any new ideas left. Hollywood screenwriting has been in a massive crisis for years now...