The original Poltergeist is like a family comedy from the early eighties, only with a haunted house and a tree that eats people. The movie opens with a friendly neighborhood scene and quickly moves into the classic “Hey is my kid having conversations with dead people?” stuff. The effects are like the apparitions in Ghost Busters, mixed with the Claymation from Beetle Juice.

The movie really picks up the pace towards the end keeping you interested with several intense scenes in a row mixed with comic relief. The characters are genuine. The kids act like realistic annoying kids, the parents have jobs and if you’re a Zelda Rubinstein fan, you won’t be disappointed she plays a great role as the expert in removing spirits from houses. The movie ends with a bang and then leaves you laughing with a light hearted happy ending. Poltergeist is a great movie to watch if you like classic, haunting style or goofy scary movies.

The remake of Poltergeist has the same cheesy jokes, scary clown and the tree that eats people as the original. The movie follows the same plot line with subtle changes making it just different enough to keep you from getting bored. The scary factor was definitely amped up this time around with updated special effects, but what really built up the tension was the camera angels that were used.

The monsters were similar to those in Silent Hill and the scenes with the electronics reminded me of White Noise. The poltergeists were more aggressive than before and the reasoning for what is happening is explained more than the first movie which I liked. The kitchen scene from the first movie was taken out completely and that made me a little sad, but the attack of furry woodland creatures made up for it. The use of modern technology like iPhones and high tech kids toys made it more relatable.

The main characters were great though I’m not sure anyone can really out do Zelda Rubinstein. Again things heat up quickly from the start, but really build up towards the end. The ending is totally different, but leaves you laughing just like the original. Overall the remake of the Poltergeist was tastefully done this version is scarier and slightly darker than the first, but just as great as the original.