I reviewed Poltergeist back when it was released and you may remember that I wasn’t the biggest fan of the film. Now, going into a remake, I do try to separate myself from the original as much as I can. This isn’t always the easiest of tasks, especially when the original is not only a classic, but a staple in the horror genre. This isn’t to say that remakes cannot surpass or even fall on even par with the original film. Poltergeist, however, did not do either of those things.
I have said in the past that I do like to give second chances to films that I gave poor reviews to. I do this because of Black Christmas. I saw the remake of Black Christmas in the theater and left furious. It was nothing like the original, for starters, and it was just ridiculous. Between the time I saw it and the time it was released on DVD, I had time to really think about it. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Black Christmas was its own film and deserved a second chance. Today it is one of my favorite horror remakes and I watch it every year at Christmas. So, you see, a second chance can really go a long way.
FOX was generous enough to allow me that second chance with Poltergeist. This time I am not watching it in 3-D, so there is less room for distraction and it is an extended cut with an alternate ending. This does allow for improvement on the film and a potentially better ending. That, of course, is only if these things improve on the film itself. They don’t, really.
Despite the extra scenes and alternate ending, the movie still falls kind of flat for me. I am never convinced that Griffin (Kyle Catlett) is actually frightened despite his claim that he is afraid of everything. Madison (Kennedi Clements), while cute, is really no competition for Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke) of the original and I still feel no connection between her and her mother, Amy (Rosemarie DeWitt).
But this is all stuff you have read from me before. Let’s assume you enjoyed the film, which I will not judge you for as I do not expect everyone to love or hate the same as I do, and take a look at what you will be getting when you buy the Blu-ray.
You do get the option of watching the Theatrical or Extended versions of the film. The extended does have a few new and longer scenes than you originally saw in the theater but you can always watch the theatrical if those scenes don’t float your boat.
In the Extras, you can watch the alternate ending but take it from me, the ending they used in the film was the better choice of the two.
There are two theatrical trailers, a still gallery and sneak peeks at a few upcoming films. I honestly would have loved to have seen a Making Of or maybe have had a commentary to listen to while watching the theatrical version, but neither of those seems to be in the cards.
As far as bonus features go, you really just have to rely on your love of the film alone when purchasing the Blu-ray but really, that should be enough.
Poltergeist is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD from FOX/MGM
========================================================================================================= Ann Hale is the horror editor for Pop-Break.com and a senior contributing writer, reviewing horror movies and television shows. Ann attended East Carolina University, majoring in English Literature. She is a collector of Halloween (the film) memorabilia and is a self-admitted opinionated horror nerd. You can follow her, her collection and her cat, Edward Kittyhands on Twitter and Instagram @Scarletjupiter
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