Basically, we all know the story, so there are very few surprises as you might well imagine. Though they may send in the clowns, we already know just what to expect in this haunted house flick. For my money, when it comes to this sub-genre of horror films, give me House on Haunted Hill, please! And not the remake, kindly.
The acting feels oddly detached in this Poltergeist remake as if the players were merely going through their paces. I also found the CGI effects sloppy and unnecessary. Jared Harris is an interesting choice as the exorcist. No midget psychic this time around, but a rather intense British actor best known here for his work on Mad Men. Another nice change was having Carol Ann (the daughter in the film, not the assistant from Mommie Dearest) voluntarily walk into the light, seemingly a critique of tv's seduction over children.
Some of the new f/x sequences are just plain gross, like the whiskey and maggots scene. In fact, the film feels largely gratuitous in every way. At 90 minutes, Poltergeist seemed much longer to me, unfortunately.
I expect this film to be another that's fast-tracked to video. Be on the look-out. Produced by Sam (The Evil Dead) Raimi, asleep at the wheel, apparently.
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