“Poltergeist II: The Other Side” is the 1986 follow up to the overrated though beloved horror film.
I covered the original for the very first Movie Buff Halloween season. It was my debut attempt at shedding a lifelong fear of horror movies. Like its predecessor, “Poltergeist II” includes a litany of out of place special effects and a score that reflects fantasy in lieu of terror. Simply put, it’s a horror film that isn’t scary at all.
They’re Back
The family from the original film reprise their roles. The Freeling clan consists of parents Diane and Steve (JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson) and kids Carol Anne and Robbie (Heather O’Rourke and Oliver Robins). Zelda Rubinstein returns as peculiar psychic Tangina Barrons. Will Sampson of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” plays Taylor, a Native American who’s into spirits (ghostly not alcohol). Julian Beck plays the super creepy Reverend Henry Kane.
The Freeling family is still reeling from the events of the first movie four years prior when uh oh, spaghetti-ohs, the ghosts are back.
It’s an 80s movie to be fair. The look, sound, and effects are right at home in the decade. Like the OG, there are some creepy parts. Robbie’s iconic clown has been replaced by a chilling doll – jeeze don’t these kids learn? For the most part it’s a fantasy story masquerading as horror. Lots of flashbacks to the original film pad the 90 minute run time.
The Curse
We can’t have a “Poltergeist” review without discussing the Poltergeist Curse. Four actors from the first two movies died young – the most infamous being Heather O’Rourke who passed away at age 12 in 1988 whilst filming “Poltergeist III”.
The only member of the Freeling family not to return for the sequel was Dominique Dunne, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend a few months after the initial film was released.
“Poltergeist II” would be the last film for Will Sampson who died of a rare condition at age 53, one year after the movie. It would be the last film for Julian Beck as well, who died of cancer at age 60 before filming was finished. In this situation, reality is spookier than the movies themselves.
We are two weeks away from Two Months of Terror. I decided “Poltergeist II: The Other Side” isn’t worth saving for horror movie season. It is however watchable as a warmup.
