[.ca] Poltergeist: 2/3

Review:
Poltergeist has scared me since I was a small child, and Poltergeist II is definitely as good as the original, if not better. I'll admit that the ending is kind of cheesy and has poor special effects (i.e. the whole family floating around in some weird disco-lighted other dimension) but overall the movie is awesome! Beck is very believable as the evil and insane Reverend Kane, and the by the end you really feel for the whole family who are just trying to live normal lives and never asked for any of this to happen to them. Poltergeist III on the other hand made me want to vomit. What was MGM thinking when they made this movie? How sad that it had to be this terrible piece of garbage that is dedicated to the memory of Heather O'Rourke. This movie seems very slapped together, almost like the producers wanted to get it done as fast as possible and didn't care what the end result looked like. From very, very, VERY poor acting on the part of ALL the actors, to horrible special effects which basically only consisted of flashing lights, fake snow and ice, and a fog machine, to barely any coherent plotlines, this movie is a big fat 0 out of 5 stars. It is cheesy (and not in the good cheesy horror movie kind of way) and boring and leaves the viewer with a sick feeling at the end not because the movie itself is scary and disturbing, but because they can't believe how bad Poltergeist III actually was! My advice...buy this DVD only because it has Poltergeist II on it. Remember...there aren't any evil spirits who would FORCE you to watch Poltergeist III. I don't think anyone or anything could be that crazy. : )

Reverend Kane is Awesome!!:
Reverend Kane was great in Poltergeist II. Poltergeist II was my favorite of the 3 and definitely one of the best of all time. If you have not seen it, you definitely need to buy this DVD... "God is in his holy temple...earthly thoughts are silent now..."-Reverend Kane.

Definitely a mixed bag here, MGM:
I thought the original "Poltergeist" an amazing film full of great atmosphere, likeable characters, and nicely done frights. Remember the paranormal researcher pulling his face apart in the mirror? The crawling slab of steak loaded with maggots? The corpse filled pit in the backyard? The young son counting the seconds between booms of thunder and flashes of lightening? The original "Poltergeist" had thrills aplenty. And then it all fell apart. Hollywood, in its inimitably greedy style, promptly laid the groundwork for a sequel. Why not? The suits knew the dupes would line up at the box office like good little sheep, willing to shell out millions of dollars for what is essentially a rehash of the original effort. Well, "Poltergeist II" is better than your average sequel to a smash hit, but just barely. What will really feel like a stone in your shoe is the sequel to the sequel, the heap o' screeching metal and flaming wreckage that is "Poltergeist III." The final entry in the series is so bad, so utterly devoid of any of the elements that fueled the success of the original, that my DVD player loudly protested--with sounds I will not recreate here--my efforts to watch it. "Poltergeist II" reacquaints us with the hapless Freeling family several months after the nightmare depicted in the first film. Still homeless after watching their spacious, modern abode implode into thin air, Steve and Diane Freeling (Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams) along with their children Robby and Carol Anne (Oliver Robins and Heather O'Rourke), now live with Diane's mother Jess far from the tainted ghost and corpse filled suburbs. Steve now sells vacuum cleaners for a living instead of real estate, and the couple spends most of their time fighting with the insurance company over compensation for the disappearing house. Grandma Jess likes the idea of the family staying with her even as she notices Carol Anne's amazing clairvoyant powers. When Grams dies in her sleep, the nightmare begins anew as the poltergeists from the first movie track down Carol Anne. The spirits seek to find a way to the "light" (don't we all?), and won't rest until they get their way. Meanwhile, psychic investigator Tangina (Zelda Rubinstein) and an Indian shaman named Taylor (Will Sampson) investigate the site of the Freeling's destroyed home. It turns out that a religious zealot named Kane brought a bunch of followers out to California in the 19th century and promptly killed them in the name of utopian glory. It is the ghosts of Kane and his followers who seek the attentions of Carol Anne, with Kane himself turning up in the flesh to torment the Freelings. We should rightly classify "Poltergeist III" not as a horror film but as a disaster epic. On this outing, Carol Anne (once again played by the indomitable Heather O'Rourke) turns up in a Chicago high rise where she lives with her Uncle Bruce (Tom Skerritt), her Aunt Pat (Nancy Allen), and her obnoxious cousin Donna (Lara Flynn Boyle doing her best to look like Winona Ryder). Zelda Rubinstein reprises her role as the psychic Tangina for a third time. Sure enough, weird things start happening when a nerdy school counselor hypnotizes Carol Anne and opens a doorway through which the dauntless Kane returns. That's about all that happens in this schlockfest, although director Gary Sherman tricks up this installment with lots of dry ice and mirrors that provide little in the way of chills or thrills. "Poltergeist III" is a cheap, cheesy movie that deserves the obscurity in which it currently resides. Fans of the original movie will appreciate the reappearance of Craig Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Oliver Robins, and Heather O'Rourke in the second entry. I always thought some of the charm of the original came from the slightly bawdy antics and great chemistry of this cast. Nelson and Williams in particular have great presence onscreen, and truly do come off as a married couple just trying to raise their family in peace. Will Sampson's often humorous Taylor character is greatly appreciated, as is the downright sinister Julian Beck as the evil Reverend Kane. Beck's emaciated appearance and creepy accent do much to elevate this sequel from the realm of mediocrity. As for the spooky paranormal encounters, Nelson coughs up a mutated tequila worm, Robins battles his braces in the bathroom, and Williams shrieks her way through a couple more corpse scenes. Overall, "Poltergeist II" is good. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about "Poltergeist III." Nancy Allen and Tom Skerritt have the all the allure of speed bumps, Boyle grates as a giggling teenybopper airhead, O'Rourke is wooden as Carol Anne, and Rubinstein's hammy performance attains epic proportions. The effects are acceptable, but the dialogue is clumsy and the pacing slow. What really killed the movie for me were the late 1980's fashion styles seen throughout the film. Thanks (I think) to MGM for releasing these films in their praiseworthy double feature collection. As usual, the only extras for both films are a trailer and scene selection menu. The disc presents both films in widescreen formats with excellent picture transfers. I think it would have been nice to have a commentary track with the actors for the second film; I would have liked to hear Nelson and Williams talk about their roles. Two actresses associated with the "Poltergeist" franchise, Dominique Dunne and Heather O'Rourke, have since died. Dunne's boyfriend murdered her after the first film and O'Rourke died during surgery. If you have seen the first film, you will probably want to watch these two as well. Just exercise extreme caution with "Poltergeist III," a movie so bad it has caused extreme cranial trauma to those poor souls who watch it.

A likeable sequel:
Poltergeist II doesn't leave the viewer totally fulfilled in my opinion, but it leaves the viewer satisfied. I think any fan of the original movie needed to see the family once again after their first ordeal. Poltergeist II allows that reunion. It is done well enough that it is a likeable sequel, though not ultimately impressive. It is filled with the same lovable cast (with the exception of the oldest daughter, Dana) and the movie gives you reminders of the first (through various elements including a similar -- yet varieted soundtrack -- by Jerry Goldsmith). The whole indian theme of Poltergiest II is kind of suprising to me, yet they make sense of it (it is obviously rooted in Steven's boss's line in the first movie: "This is NOT ancient tribal buriel ground. It is just people."). Overall, the special effects were pretty good, considering the idea behind some of them were cheesy. Ultimately, I think the movie is worth it if you really are a major fan of the first. POLTERGEIST III -- This movie leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. Not only was it super cheesy and outright dumb, it just felt strange to me seeing the famous "Carol Anne" mixed in with a different cast in the setting of a skyscraper in Chicago. Overall, I remember feeling sad that Heather O'Rourke had died in real life, and this had to be her last movie. Put it this way: There is a good reason the movie is attached to Poltergiest II in one DVD package (nobody would buy the poorly-done third movie by itself). I think the III movie kind of taints the whole Poltergeist genre.

"THEY'VE FOUND HER...":
After the success of the original 1982 blockbuster hit, "Poltergeist" (Directed and produced marvelously by Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg) Brian Gibson went on to direct the sequel which turned out to be just as good as the first film carrying some of the same special effects and similarities. "Poltergeist III" on the other hand was a decent entry, though not the best and sadly, Heather O' Rourke died before the films release. It's really a shame, because I'm sure she would've grown up to be very beautiful, considering her act is still adorable and she hasn't lost her touch at all. These two films which were released by MGM are on this special DOUBLE FEATURE disk and it is truly the best edition for anyone to complete the horrifying trilogy. Here's a complete description and details for both films: "POLTERGEIST II: The Other Side" (1986) RATING: **** Once again, the Freeling family faces the supernatural of their new home after their first one was destroyed in the original. An evil demon named Kane takes the form of a church preacher who's out to capture Carol-Anne in order to bring her back to 'the Other Side' and get rid of her family in the process. With the help of a new character, the Indian Taylor (performed excellently by Will Sampson) they must return to the ruins of their old home (an underground tomb) and defeat Kain in a climatic battle where only love and hope can keep them together. OVERALL: Almost as good as the original was! Zelda Rubinstein also returns in this one as the psychic, Tangina and is just as good as she was in the first. One of the main reasons I enjoyed this a lot was because of Julian Beck's wonderful and convincing performance as Kane. His image truly haunts you even after you watch him on the screen. The acting was also very well done by JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson and the storyline, while being a bit farfetched at times, was executed well. Fans of the first will especially enjoy this one. RATED: PG-13 for disturbing imagery, some scary moments, and mild language. "POLTERGEIST III" (1988) RATING: *** The third and final installment to the "Poltergeist" trilogy, where young Carol-Anne (Heather O' Rourke's last role) is shipped off to Chicago to spend the summer with her aunt (Nancy Allen) and uncle (Tom Skerrit) and also to be examined and tested on by professionals who are studying her "gift". Living on the top floor of a skyscraper, everything seems to have returned to normal for our heroine. However, the evil demon Kane (This time played by both Nathan Davis & Corey Burton) is ressurected from his hellish grave after Dr. Seaton (Richard Fire) revives Carol-Anne's long forgotten nightmarish past. From there, all hell breaks loose as the ghosts from the previous films plot to pull Carol-Anne back over to the other side yet again along with her cousin (Laura Flynn Boyle) and eliminate all who stand in their way. Now, it's up to her uncle Bruce & her aunt Patricia to take a scary journey through the many hidden corriders and passageways of this tall urban funhouse and rescue both their children before the supernatural takes over the ENTIRE skyscraper! If you thought the first two films were scary enough for them to take over a house, wait until you see them move to the big city! OVERALL: Not bad. Many people do not like this one as much, but I thought it was pretty good even though it's the weakest in the whole trilogy. I'm guessing the main reason it's not as popular is because of the REALLY cheesy special effects (which is still fun to watch) and the so-so acting. I wouldn't consider this as much of a high-budget (as was with the first two films) but low-budget flick that carries some of the B movie elements. I don't really understand why they couldn't have made the ghastly spirits effects or the objects moving on their own like they did in the prequels. I think Zelda Rubinstein who plays the role of Tangina saves the film and she still hasn't lost her touch to play her role. I know it's not the best, but it's still worth a watch to see the final chapter in the legacy come to an end and complete the trilogy. RATED: PG-13 for disturbing imagery, some scary moments, strong language, and a bit of blood and gore. To be honest, if I'd been directing this one, I would've given it an R rating because it's the most intense and crazy entry in the whole series! Both of these films are in their WIDESCREEN anamorphic formats and the Special Features include the original theatrical trailers. They make a good bundle to watch whenever you're bored and goes good with some soda (or beer) and popcorn! Again though as far as Special Features are, there could've been more. As I explained before, there are no BTS footage, let alone cast interviews or director commentaries. But don't let that keep you from buying these two great films for one low price! The picture quality is excellent and the sound is also excellent. BUY TODAY! I also reccomend the original (and still the BEST) "Poltergeist" on DVD. It is one of the best horror series ever made and Kane's villain rules up there with that of Jason Voorhees and Freddy Kruegar. Don't miss it!!