It *knew* what scared you

Short version: There is a Poltergeist reboot coming out this year. The trailer just came out. I am not very pleased.

I've already talked about how much I dislike the Nightmare on Elm Street reboot, and how I was underwhelmed by The Evil Dead re-sequel-boot. This is another in the long line of horror reboot/cash grabs that may have good intentions but fail at their basic aim: scaring us.

Here's the original trailer and the reboot trailer, for comparison:

Not everything is awful here. So first, the changes I like:

• The family isn't well off, and the house is a fixer upper rather than a brand-new home in an up-and-coming suburb. In the 80s it made sense to have a upwardly-mobile, well off family in a growing area. With the current economy this will be a better match for the every man. Making people emotionally connect is crucial to making any movie work, and the Freelings were very relatable in the original. I'm glad to see they understand this was one of the reasons why. 
• The effects look better in some scenes. I liked the brief shot of the tree and Robbie 2.0 especially.
• The casting of Sam Rockwell as Steven Freeling 2.0. He's a fine actor, and I enjoy his performance every time I see him.

And Nite-Owl can't do all these roles.

The things I take issue with:

• Showing the clown moving. The clown was a pivotal scare of the original. They spent the entire movie setting it up. And even though we knew it would be waiting on top of the bed, it was still terrifying. They've eliminated the suspense. So many trailers show too much, and this one is no exception. The design of the clown is fine, but the original still works better for me.

Plus the doll malfunctioned and almost killed the child actor. THERE'S a convincing performance!

• The re-naming of all the main characters. A minor point, but this isn't like Evil Dead where it was an original(ish) story, with new(ish) characters. These characters are clearly Steven, Robbie, Diane, Dana, and Carol-Anne Freeling. Is it really so much better to hear screams of "MADDIE!" rather than "CAROL-ANNE!"? The only major cast change that would necessitate a name change seems to be...
• Getting rid of Tangina Baron and replacing her with a man. Maybe this was done to avoid similarity to Insidious's Elise. But it's still annoying. Let there be more than two important women in this movie!
• The many, many, many jump scares. This is a problem with modern horror movies in general, but seeing them attached to a property I hold so close to my heart hurts. It's the same thing that ruined A Nightmare on Elm Street 2010 for me. And the marketing. And the writing. And the plot. And the effects. And the acting.

Aside from a trying-his-hardest performance by Jackie Earle Haley.

The international trailer has a better feel, and less jump scares (still too many, but less). I'm willing to give this film a shot, but I'm skeptical it can be a worthy remake. If it's a passable movie, that'll be something.