#poltergeist 2015

[superheroesandspies]

Sam Rockwell in Poltergeist (2015)

[dontaskmeluv]

So I watched Poltergeist 2015 last night...

It's very watchable but decidedly average and a definitely not-needed remake.

However, one of my biggest takeaways was how underused Sam Rockwell is in it (and a lot of the cast tbh). I mean, you have one of the best actors around in your movie and you give him so little to play with???

There is one bit where he does give a flash of the brilliance though...

There's a scene where his cards keep getting declined and just look at the shame and embarrassment playing out on his face here:

Eventually, the sale goes through and he gets back in the car with another silent bit of perfect characterisation:

Without saying anything, he lays this guy bare. The frustration, the emasculation of struggling to look after his family, the public shame, all of it, right there, on his face and in his body.

The lesson here is that even in an average movie, Rockwell will still give 110% because he seemingly can't help but act his little socks off in everything. So if you're lucky enough to have him use every ounce you can.

[fanofspooky]

It knows what scares you…

[clapperboardtalk]

POLTERGEIST (2015)

Poltergeist (2015): A Reboot That Haunted the Wrong Neighborhood

Title:** Poltergeist (2015) (They really thought we needed another one?)

Genre:** Spooky with a side of PG-13 (More jump scares than existential dread)

⏳ Runtime: 1h 22m (Just enough time to grab popcorn before hiding under the blanket)

Made in: The U-S-of-A (Land of haunted Suburbia and Hollywood reboots) ** Year:** 2015 (The year remakes were basically a five-course meal)

** Simple Plot:** Family buys a fixer-upper with a side of angry spirits, things get weirder than finding Legos in the dryer, youngest daughter becomes the ultimate ghost magnet. Cue the CGI galore.

** Cinematography:** Slick and polished, like a haunted mansion featured in Architectural Digest. But lacks the raw, unsettling charm of the original's practical effects. Think less "bone-chilling stop-motion skeletons" and more "jump scares edited on iMovie."

** Memorable Scene:** The "swimming pool surprise" where tentacles make a splash (pun intended). Bonus points to Kennedi Clements (Maddie) for holding her breath like a champ! (Maybe chlorine just wasn't her thing?)

** Overall Review:** This remake is like the watered-down version of the 1982 masterpiece. No new spine-tingling twists, just a reheated plate of nostalgia that left me longing for Tangina's legendary barbecue. Feels like they built a haunted house out of Pinterest boards and forgot the actual scares.

⭐ Rating: 2 out of 5 stars. Passable for a lazy Saturday afternoon when even Netflix is asleep, but don't expect to be haunted by its brilliance. You'll be reaching for the remote faster than Carol Anne grabbing that clown doll.

** Fun Fact:** Did you know Kennedi Clements is basically Aquawoman? While filming the pool scene, she held her breath for over a minute! Now that's dedication (or maybe just a strong aversion to poolside gossip).

[bluerosesdiary]

poltergeist (2015) dir. gil kenan

watched: 06/07/2023

my rating: 5/10

#78 movie watched in 2023

"A family whose suburban home is haunted by evil forces must come together to rescue their youngest daughter after the apparitions take her captive." via. IMDb

[horresco]

Poltergeist (2015)

Plot

Due to financial issues the Bowen family is forced to move into a new home. Even before they get to unpack all of their boxes the youngest daughter Madison is already talking to things that aren't there, her older brother Griffin is terrified of the clown dolls that appeared in his attic room and the oldest daughter Kendra can't get her dang smartphone to work! Let's hope there's nothing paranormal going on.

Opinion

First of all it's utterly hilarious how the whole family keeps complaining about how bad the new neighbourhood and their shitty terrible new house are when they are living in a goddamn suburban mansion but that's unrelated to the plot i guess.

If you thought the original movie started going crazy fast you have seen nothing because this movie goes from normal to "oh damn this is the most haunted house ever" in no time. I'm not a huuuuuge fan of the original but this remake lacks any amount of charme that it had. While i was kinda on board at first the "scares" get so unbelievably over the top so fast that i would almost call this an action movie instead of a horror movie. Anything subtle is blasted to shit, we get to see little Madison run through the CGI corpseghost world and it looks like a playstation game. Incredible how hard they fumbled this and the finale reminded me at "The Nun", a movie i hated and that has a similar issue of thinking everything screaming at your face all at once is scary. It's not, it's annoying! Wasted opportunity to remake a movie that is fairly dated but iconic.

[excelsior9173]

another double feature tonight to make up for missing yesterday!

round one is poltergeist, the 2015 remake.

this one is fun because right off the bat my sibling’s name is in it lol

also- “they’re coming” sooooo good. fucking love when children are creepy it’s always more unsettling than adults

[thatmivy]

Spends half an hour in Blender just so I can watch him jump down the last few steps on loop

[haveyouseenthishorrormovie]

SUMMARY: A family whose suburban home is haunted by evil forces must come together to rescue their youngest daughter after the apparitions take her captive.

[sanctaignorantia]

Some Luke Brandon Field cuts from American Poltergeist (2015).

[tomwambsgans]

poltergeist (2015) nicholas braun + enfield haunting mattmac.... imagine

[autistickaitovocaloid]

You ever watch a movie and immediately tell you're not going to like it at all.

[thebutcher-5]

Poltergeist (2015)

Benvenuti o bentornati sul nostro blog. Nello scorso articolo abbiamo deciso di concentrarci su un’opera molto particolare, un’opera diretta da un regista che in breve tempo ha dimostrato di essere molto capace e talentuoso, parlo di Robert Eggers e del suo The Northman. La storia parla di Amleth, un giovane principe che un giorno assiste alla morte di suo padre. Ciò che è peggio è che il padre…

[milfjagger]

horror recs 2024

categories are a little broad but take from it what you will. personal favs are in bold and a * next to the name means this movie genuinely scared me

serial killers/stalkers/home invasion the black phone (2021) the invisible man (2020) hannibal (series; 2013-2015) maniac (2012) american psycho (2000) the silence of the lambs (1991) opera (1987) tourist trap (1979) halloween (1978) deep red (1975) black christmas (1974) the texas chain saw massacre (1974) peeping tom (1960)

ghosts/hauntings talk to me (2022) the haunting of hill house (series; 2018) i am the pretty thing that lives in the house (2016) under the shadow (2016) crimson peak (2015) mama (2013) the orphanage (2007) lake mungo (2008)* dark water (2005) the ring (2002) the others (2001) the devil's backbone (2001) ring (1998)* candyman (1992) poltergeist (1982) the haunting (1963) the innocents (1961)

vampires interview with the vampire (series; 2022- ) midnight mass (series; 2021) let the right one in (2008) bram stoker's dracula (1992) near dark (1987) the lost boys (1987) fright night (1985) dracula (1958) nosferatu (1922)

werewolves dog soldiers (2002) ginger snaps (2000) & ginger snaps 2 (2004) the howling (1981) an american werewolf in london (1981)

demons/witches longlegs (2024)* smile (2022)* incantation (2022)* hereditary (2018)* suspiria (2018) veronica (2017)* terrified (2017)* pyewacket (2017)* the autopsy of jane doe (2016) the exorcist (series; 2016-2018) the blackcoat's daughter (2015) the witch (2015)* evil dead (2013) the exorcism of emily rose (2005) the blair witch project (1999) the craft (1996) hellraiser (1987) suspiria (1977) the exorcist (1973) the devil rides out (1968) rosemary's baby (1968) black sunday (1960)

survival horror yellowjackets (series; 2021 - ) the terror (series; 2017) rogue (2007) the descent (2005)* open water (2003)

sci-fi horror crimes of the future (2022) annihilation (2018)* the fly (1986) the thing (1982) alien (1979) & aliens (1986)

monster movies willow creek (2013)* troll hunter (2010) the host (2006) pumpkinhead (1988)

folk horror the ritual (2017)* wake wood (2009)* the hallow (2015) pet sematary (1989) the wicker man (1973) the blood on satan's claw (1971) night of the demon (1957)

fantasy/fairytale horror gretel and hansel (2020) red riding hood (2011) the juniper tree (1990) the company of wolves (1984) psychological horror (that doesn't fit better into another category) candyman (2021) the lighthouse (2019) us (2019) get out (2017) gerald's game (2017) a cure for wellness (2016) the invitation (2015) it follows (2014)* excision (2012) may (2002) frailty (2001) dead ringers (1988) gothic (1986) carrie (1976) cat people (1942)

indie/experimental (mileage may vary) enys men (2022) skinamarink (2022) bones and all (2022) men (2022) the house (2022) relic (2020)* saint maud (2019) mandy (2018) the wind (2018) raw (2016)

balls to the wall crazy/fun as hell evil dead rise (2023) fall of the house of usher (series; 2023) late night with the devil (2023) saw movies (2004-2023) the menu (2022) nope (2022) malignant (2021) escape room (2019) & escape room: tournament of champions (2021) run (2020) the chilling adventures of sabrina (series; 2018-2020) 31 (2016) the boy (2016) american mary (2012) repo! the genetic opera (2007) trick 'r' treat (2007) sweeney todd (2007) dead silence (2007) house of wax (2005) house of 1000 corpses (2003) final destination (2000) ravenous (1999) lair of the white worm (1988) brain damage (1988) the texas chainsaw massacre 2 (1986) re-animator (1985) & bride of re-animator (1990) evil dead movies (1981-1992) phantom of the paradise (1974)

[steveharrington]

i love your taste in movies, do you have any recommendations for scary movies that are on streaming right now? i just moved and i'm planning to get a library card this weekend but until then i need something to tide me over :)

oh thank you!!! yes! this is just from taking a look around at some of the horror streaming guides i’ve seen online so hopefully these are accurate to which service they’re said to be on!

on netflix:

•train to busan (2016) is an all timer for me that i really think is just a masterpiece. even if you’re a little burned out on zombie media, i still say give train to busan a chance because it does zombies in a way that felt really refreshing and different. the characters in this movie are so well done and it makes me genuinely emotional every time i watch <3

•as above, so below (2014) is such a fun movie like omg….i simply was having the time of my life watching it. really leans into as many scares as it can possibly think of, doesn’t take itself or its subject matter too seriously, genuinely gives me sweaty palms sometimes with the claustrophobia of the paris catacombs. also has the rlly cute guy from cloverfield/super store who i have a big crush on

•some honorable mentions: zombieland (2009) is forever a comfort movie for me, scary stories to tell in the dark (2019) did a genuinely great job imo of adapting the book series, and pearl (2022) is just a great time

on HBO max:

•poltergeist (1982) is an underrated fav of mine <3 weirdly i think of it as like a family friendly horror movie? like i think you could sit down kids in front of poltergeist and they’d generally be okay, which i love and find so compelling in movies that genuinely are scary but also kinda work with younger viewers. feat. the iconic zelda rubinstein

•trick r treat (2007): THEEE halloween movie. its literally a movie ABOUT halloween and about the love of the holiday and the season. genuinely makes me feel so emotional about halloween and the beautiful lovely meaningful holiday it is for so many of us. just a fun campy time, everything ties together in such a clever way, and sam is a little baby. what more could you want?

•honorable mentions: of course the scream franchise (1-4) are classics and so worthy of rewatching, and i’ll recommend open water (2003) because to me it is absolutely terrifying and i find myself thinking about it very often

on hulu:

•the omen (1976) always hits for me. i love this movie and find it so effective in its horror. i LOVE a creepy kid. a bit of the omen trivia: in the final shot, damien wasn’t originally intended to be smiling. he was supposed to look dead ahead at the camera. but the actor was told to be serious and look stern, which made him giggle, so the smile at the end is genuine in that he was trying to suppress a laugh. they kept it because it came across so sinister and tonally perfect in the context of the movie :)

•sea fever (2020) listen no one EVER talks about this movie but i was blown away by it. ocean horror is one of my moms fav subgenres so if we can find a horror movie about the ocean you better believe we will be watching. i thought the concept of this movie and its monster (? if you can call it that) were so fresh and original. compared to its predecessors like leviathan or deep star six, i honestly think sea fever is more effective in its scares

•honorable mentions: hulu has so many good choices! alien (1979) and the fly (1986) are obviously beloved classics for a reason. also if you’re looking for a series, castle rock is near and dear to my heart and is very well done

on prime:

•hell house llc (2015) is another one of those classic Halloween movies to me like it truly is a love letter to the holiday…mwah. found footage is my fav subgenre and this movie does it very well. it has one of the most effective scares that truly took my breath away upon first watch and stuck with me ever since

•10 cloverfield lane (2016): ohhh the cloververse my beloved….i often speak highly of cloverfield (2008) because it’s one of my absolute favorite movies of all time, but i don’t as often talk about 10 cloverfield. not sure why tbh because i love it as well! holy FUCK john goodman is scary in this. it truly sets up a horrifying situation, does so much with a small limited environment, and again john goodman has me shakin in my boots. you don’t have to have seen cloverfield to watch this one! you can watch em out of order no problem

•honorable mentions: of course the thing (1982) is immaculate and gets me every single time. just getting reports right now that lisa frankenstein (2024) is already on prime, HIGHLY recommend, wish i could go back in time to the day i watched this in theaters alone in a new windbreaker i had just thrifted and felt so at peace

honorable streaming service mention: shudder is worth a subscription if you’re wanting to go all in on horror this halloween season. it’s got such a fun eclectic collection and amazing movies like late night with the devil (2024) and series like history of horror