Sony Classical release Marc Streitenfeld's score to the remake of 1982's classic Poltergeist. The new movie contemporizes the classic tale about a family whose suburban home is haunted by evil forces. When the terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and hold the youngest daughter captive, the family must come together to rescue her before she disappears forever...

Marc Streitenfeld's score for Poltergeist was, for me, a huge disappointment. Jerry Goldsmith's music for the original film incorporated a memorable main theme that helped to put the audiences mind at rest that the film's family was just a normal family... in fact it could be your family. Carol Anne, the sweet, innocent young girl at the centre of the poltergeist activity, is just a normal child. And so Goldsmith cleverly brought this to the fore when composing.

Streitenfeld's take for the new score has not one single theme that is worthy of note. In brief it appears to be a collection of cliched horror cues. While this was no doubt a direction that the filmmakers wanted to go in, I did feel that this was a bit of a wasted opportunity. Part of why Goldsmith's music works so well, is the fact he's scoring from the point of view of both the family and, in tracks like 'The Light', trying to convey the sadness of the poor lost souls that are haunting the house. Streitenfeld just delivers a bland, by-the-number, low budget horror score.

'Reunited' offers a hint, but a very brief one at that, of the magic that Goldsmith captured with his score in the original movie. But otherwise there's nothing here of merit. Obviously it probably works well in the movie, but sounds flat and lifeless on its own merits.

3

Darren Rea