i have never see the 1973 and old highly rat version . i be a nicholas cage fan ( by the way and fine acting a usual ) . this movie probably take all of five minute to hammer out the whole plot ( i can see it be do on a cocktail napkin at a dinner party ) and if you can not figure out the end of this drool in the first thirty minute you will probably find this movie entertain . this be and of late and the terrible rut that hollywood seem to have dug for itself with the horror or mystery or thriller genre and unable to give the audience enough credit and write a fresh and smart and and tantalize screenplay and they dish out some creepy music and throw in a couple of thing to make you jump a little and then send the final print off to your local theater . at least and it do not have the jiggling hand hold camera syndrome .