When Hollywood isn’t busy with spin-offs, sequels and prequels, reboots and remakes are all the rage these days. The latest to fall prey to the Hollywood recycling machine is Tobe Hooper’s 1982 classic horror film POLTERGEIST. The remake, directed by MONSTER HOUSE’s Gil Kenan and produced by Sam Raimi, stars Sam Rockwell and Rosemarie DeWitt as a couple whose family is plagued by a malevolent spirit when they move into a new house. You can view the trailer below:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u2KUpPNIf4

Amidst a sea of haunted house films that have been made since the original POLTERGEIST, the remake doesn’t exactly stand out. From what we can tell from the trailer, the more serious vibe of the film is a departure from the entertaining campiness that made the original unique. This is surprising, given Raimi’s involvement with the film. With his DRAG ME TO HELL a somewhat delightful return to the 80s horror campiness some of us are quite fond of, it sets the expectation that Raimi hasn’t lost his sense of humor. However, judging from the solemn atmosphere of the remake, it seems the filmmakers adopted a different approach.

At the same time, the remake doesn’t seem to be updating anything in the original story beyond flashy special effects and the poltergeist’s graduation to terrorizing people through smartphones instead of just TV screens. If you had no knowledge of the original Tobe Hooper film, the remake looks rather ho-hum and pedestrian. If you were a fan of the classic film, the remake seems unnecessary and disappointing.

What do you guys think? Are you looking forward to this remake or do you have reservations? Sound off below!