Poltergeist

Back in 1982, director Tobe Hooper teamed up with screenwriter Steven Spielberg to create an iconic supernatural thriller. Now, British director Gil Kenan delivers a creepy, contrived remake, updated with iPhones, iPads, GPS devices, and an ominous, high-def flat-screen TV. After Eric Bowen (Sam Rockwell) is laid off, he and his wife, Amy (Rosemarie DeWitt), move with their three children into a more affordable fixer-upper on the outskirts of the Illinois town where Amy went to college. Their 6-year-old daughter, Madison (Kennedi Clements), is enthusiastic, quickly making some new, invisible friends —“the lost people”—whom she converses with through her closet and the flickering TV. But ‘fraidy cat middle child Griffin (Kyle Catlett) is uneasy in his attic bedroom, and teenage Kendra (Saxon Sharbino) is unhappy about being separated from her school pals. When Eric and Amy learn from neighbors about their house's spooky paranormal past, the pair rush home, only to discover that Maddy has disappeared, leaving Griffin and Kendra traumatized. Seeking help, they consult parapsychologist Dr. Claire Powell (Jane Adams). After thermal monitoring equipment and a drone camera are set up, reality-TV ghost-hunter Carrigan Burke (Jared Harris) concludes that Maddy has been abducted by vengeful spirits—poltergeists—who are holding her captive in a shadowy, sinister netherworld. Unfortunately, the striking individual personality traits of the characters from the original did not carry over to this bland update. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include an alternate ending (2 min.), a gallery, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are two versions of the film and bonus UltraViolet and digital copies. Bottom line: a disappointing extras package for a disappointing remake.] (S. Granger)