Poltergeist

It's way too early in 2010 to be writing obituaries for cool horror people--particularly after the way 2009's tail end hit us with three big losses in a row--but I'm back with some sad news.

Zelda Rubinstein, best known to genre fans as the diminutive psychic Tangina in Tobe Hooper's Poltergeist and its two subsequent sequels, passed away yesterday in Los Angeles after a lengthy bout with various health issues. She was 76 years old.

Instantly recognizable thanks to her tiny stature (she was only 4'3" tall) and distinctive voice, Rubinstein became a cult icon after her appearance in Hooper's 1982 film. Unlike other cult celebrities, Rubinstein used her fame to move beyond horror, appearing on numerous television shows, including an extended run on Picket Fences, and doing voicework for children's cartoons.

Zelda returned to the genre later in her career, appearing in fan-favorite film Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon and serving as the narrator for numerous episodes of The Scariest Places on Earth.

We here at Horror Squad would like to pass along our condolences to Zelda's friends and family. She will be missed.

Remakes of classic horror films are a divisive subject among horror fans. While some consider them nothing more than a harmless nuisance, others are far more passionate in their vitriol for what some claim to be the desecration of classic films. While I personally don't like the idea of a remakes -- only because the time and money could be better spent making original films -- their existence is merely a blip on my radar.

Those with the opposing viewpoint, however, might be happy to learn that Arrow in the Head reported that MGM has delayed the remake of the classic Tobe Hooper-directed Poltergeist until the less-than-specific date of 2011. This changes the original November 24th, 2010 date reported in August. The cause for the delay is unknown.

In the case of this remake, I can understand why people would be upset. The original Poltergeist, released in 1982, is a phenomenal and terrifying film, and was nominated for three academy awards to boot. Not much can be added to the film to improve upon it, but we'll just have to wait and see as more news gets released.

The remake will be directed by Vadim Perelman, who directed 2003's The House of Sand and Fog, and penned by Juliet Snowden and Stiles White, the scribes behind Knowing and Boogeyman. No one has been cast to star, but I have my money on Nic Cage as the father and Dakota Fanning as Carol Anne. Wouldn't that be swell?

We asked, and you delivered. After counting more than 100,000 votes, we can reveal the winners of our super-duper, stunningly creative Ultimate Fan Polls! (Cue drum roll.) May I have the envelopes, please?

Winners of The Ultimate Horror Movie Fan Poll:

1. What is the best horror movie franchise of all time? Nightmare on Elm Street.
2. Which horror movie classic deserves a reboot? Poltergeist (narrowly edging The Shining).
3. Who is the best all-time scream queen? Jamie Lee Curtis (with a decisive 51% of the vote).
4. Who is your favorite slasher of all time? Freddy Krueger.
5. Who would you like to see take a turn as a scream queen? Megan Fox (ahem).

Winners of The Ultimate Sci-Fi Fan Poll:

1. What is the best sci-fi movie franchise of all time? Star Wars (decisively).
2. What is the best sci-fi film of 2009 so far? Star Trek (with 69% of the vote; no robots for you).
3. What is your most anticipated upcoming sci-fi film? District 9 (beating out Avatar).
4. Who is the all-time best sci-fi action heroine? Ripley (Alien).
5. What is the greatest all-time sci-fi creature/alien? Alien (Alien). (Sorry, Chewbacca.)

Big thanks to everybody who voted. You can view all the nominees and the breakdown of votes at Horror Squad and Sci-Fi Squad. In addition, Reuters has a nice story on the poll results. I'm glad to see Jamie Lee Curtis recognized for her multiple roles, but a bit startled that the Star Wars franchise still holds sway. Any big surprises for you? Outrage? Joy?