Last year when New Line released a new Infinifilm edition of A Nightmare on Elm Street on DVD, they helped to promote the release by putting the movie back in theatres for two days. This year it looks like another classic horror flick is about to get a very brief theatrical re-release: Steven Spielberg and Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist! The movie was recently remastered in high-definition for its 25th Anniversary, and the restored version of the film will play in theatres across the U.S. for one night only on Thursday, October 4th at 7:30 pm. A 15 minute featurette on real-life hauntings will also be included. You can check the Fathom Events website to find the closest participating theatre near you.

I’ve said it many times before, but these theatrical re-releases of older films are a great thing. I only wish they could have more than a single screening on a Thursday night. Apparently cineplexes are not willing to have old flicks take up valuable screen space for the weekend when all the new releases are coming out. I still think with a little bit of marketing, you could get younger people interested in classic movies. Warner Home Video will release the Poltergeist 25th Anniversary Edition on DVD on October 9th, although inexplicably, the HD-DVD and Blu-ray versions of the release seem to have been cancelled… wasn’t that the point of creating a high-def transfer in the first place?

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