Brendan Morrow
Contributor
So when we found out there was going to be a remake of Poltergeist the question became, what kind of remake would this be?
The original Poltergeist, directed by Tobe Hooper and produced by Steven Spielberg, is a brilliant little horror movie. It’s scary as hell, but it’s definitely a product of its time, opening on the national anthem playing on television before the station shuts down for the night. That’s something that would definitely leave kids today scratching their heads.
The subtext of the film is very much about technophobia, tapping into a fear of television that was terrifying in the 1980s but isn’t quite as relatable today.
The new Poltergeist, directed by Gil Kenan, attempts to take the classic and update it for modern times, incorporating new technology and fears for a new generation. As far as remakes go, it actually isn’t bad, falling somewhere in between Nightmare on Elm Street and Evil Dead. It surely can’t compare to the Tobe Hooper version, though.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at what Kenan did by examining 10 key differences between the 1982 film and the 2015 one.
10. Everything Happens Way Quicker
The movie is extremely patient, and that’s part of what makes it so effective.
The remake isn’t quite as patient because neither are we as an audience. In this version, the sequence involving the clown doll happens about halfway through the film, before Maddy is taken into the spirit world. In the original, this sequence happens after Carol Anne has been rescued and after we think everyone’s safe. There, the moment is saved for the end, but the remake would rather space out the scares a bit more and get to the moment with the clown earlier.
So which is better? Overall, the original is more effective at building a sense of dread. We keep seeing the clown and keep waiting for it to do something, and then finally at the very end it strikes. On the positive side, the new version is not as slow and often tedious as the original, but that arguably makes the last act less effective because there isn’t as much of a buildup.
9. The Kids Are More Involved
In the remake, the kids are far more involved than the parents, and when the first set of major events happen, the parents aren’t even home.
The equivalent scene to the furniture moving sequence instead happens to the son, Griffin, and in this version, the mother doesn’t really experience anything paranormal until Maddy is taken. Instead, the parents pretty much think the kids are just imagining things until they see it for themselves later on. And while in the original version it’s Diane who goes into the spirit world to rescue Carol Anne, in this version it’s the son.
This change honestly doesn’t matter too much, and actually it arguably makes things a bit scarier in the remake especially for younger viewers. It’s so scary and frustrating to just want the parents to believe the kids but knowing that they’re going to be ignored until it’s too late. That is admittedly kind of a cliche of the genre, but it’s not a bad change to give the remake a new perspective.
8. More Screens
In 2015, television isn’t quite as prominent in our lives anymore, or at least it isn’t the only important screen in our homes. To update the story for modern audiences, the remake makes use of a larger variety of screens including tablets and smartphones. There’s a sequence where the oldest daughter, Kendra, experiences some strange interference on her iPhone, and another where the mom’s tablet is acting weird.
This change is a pretty wise move, adapting the spirit of the original but having it make sense for modern times. The original relied on static and white noise, while this one relies more on technical glitches.
It definitely wouldn’t be as scary for audiences today to have everything confined to the television sets, and having the spirit being able to also move through phones, tablets, and really anything with electricity, is a nice little update.
7. More Of The Spirit World
In the remake, we actually see inside the other realm by the use of a drone. The son, Griffin, has a drone with a camera attached to it, and in the last act, that drone is sent inside the portal so we can see everything. What does it look like inside? Well, it basically looks like a pretty dimly lit version of the house, but with creepy spirits and skeletons everywhere constantly reaching out to grab the characters. Also, while in the original we really only ever hear Carol Anne, in this version, we get glimpses of her shadow running around the house, and in one scene, the spirit tricks the father into thinking he sees Maddy hiding in the closet.
On the one hand, it’s sometimes better to leave things to our imagination, but on the other hand, what’s the point of doing a remake if everything’s going to be kept exactly the same? This new take on the spirit world is creepy and interesting, and definitely helps keep this remake feeling fresh and not just like a bland copy of the original.
6. The Clown
One of the most iconic scenes of the original film takes place towards the end when a clown doll becomes possessed and attacks the son. It’s kind of minimalist in that we don’t really see the clown moving around a whole lot. Robbie looks under the bed, and when he comes back up, the clown is right behind him.
The clown sequence is also in the remake, but there are a few differences. For one, here the clown is one of many creepy dolls Griffin finds from a previous owner, whereas in the original, it’s the only one. But this time, the doll also moves around a lot more, jumping across the room straight at Griffin and attacking him. We see a lot of its movement, whereas in the original, much of that is unseen.
For the most part, the clown works well in the remake, and there’s a great addition of a pull string nose that adds a fantastic sense of dread as we follow the string across the floor. But seeing more of the doll does arguably make things a bit less scary. The doll moves around a little too much in this one, and while it mostly looks good as a special effect, sometimes it’s better to keep things in our imaginations.
5. More Skeletons
In this version, the parents find out about halfway through, and while in the original we only see the skeletons for one sequence, the remake makes heavy use of the skeleton imagery. We see the very human looking spirits throughout in place of the terrifying monster looking spirit towards the end of the original. There’s also an added scene where the oldest daughter’s foot is grabbed by a skeleton as the floor fills with this creepy black ooze.
In the original, the skeletons were just a quick scare towards the end, but here, they’re a major part of the film’s imagery.
Both versions are different, but both work. On the other hand, the monster we see in the original is cool and unique looking, and there really isn’t anything as unique in this version. The skeletons here are creepy, but how many times have we seen creepy skeletons in a horror film?
4. The Face Peeling Scene
One of the great scenes from the first Poltergeist was the face peeling sequence, where Steven hallucinates ripping the flesh off his own face before quickly snapping back into reality. It’s a shockingly gruesome scene, and the special effects look amazing and are still incredibly memorable today.
The team behind this remake perhaps realised they wouldn’t able to emulate that, so they go for something entirely different. Instead of skin peeling off, this time, the father hallucinates there being a bunch of worms crawling all over his face and blood coming from his eyes.
It’s commendable that they tried something new, but this just doesn’t work nearly as well. We also barely even get to see anything, with just a quick shot of his face from in the reflection of the faucet. The original really revelled in showing us the gory details, and that’s sadly missing here.
With this one, there’s no question that the remake doesn’t hold a candle to the original scene, to the point where they really shouldn’t have even bothered.
3. The Closet
In the original, Carol Anne is physically sucked into the portal. She tries to grab on to her bed but can’t hold on any longer, and she flies across the room from her bed into the closet. We don’t really see much else except for the glowing light coming from that part of the room.
The new version foreshadows Maddy’s closet quite a bit, with that being where she talks to the spirits early on in the movie. Here, though, she isn’t sucked into the portal. Instead, she willingly walks into the closet and is surrounded by spirits who eventually grab her and close the doors behind her.
Once again, we’re seeing more of the other side and more from the daughter’s perspective, whereas in the original, we don’t really see much other than a glowing white light.
This change makes sense, and the scene of Maddy being taken is actually far more creepy in this version.
2. Carrigan Burke
This one is kind of a superficial change, although what’s more significant is the role of these characters in the film. In the original, Tangina is really just there to explain things, but here, Carrigan takes a more active role in the plot.
SPOILER ALERT! At the end of the film, when it’s clear the spirits aren’t going to let the Bowen family leave, he realises he’s the only one who can stop things, and so he goes through the portal himself.
In the original, the family rescues Carol Anne, thinks they’re safe, but then things spiral out of control again, so they leave the house just before it implodes. In this version, they think they’re safe, things start going out of control again, so Carrigan takes action that allows them to leave.
1. They’re Here
Pretty much the exact same moment is repeated in this version, with Maddy looking back from the television and saying the same line, but unfortunately it just isn’t nearly as effective here. This time, the line is read in a pretty flat way. She isn’t saying it with glee; she’s just saying “they’re here” like it’s a fact. That’s a whole lot less creepy.
Overall, though, the Poltergeist remake might not be as effective as the original, but it at least tries to change things up and keep it fresh for modern audiences, and in that respect it definitely isn’t a total waste.
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