Many good Hollywood films have problem with their legacy being marred by sequels that are pointless, uninspired and predictably inferior. Poltergeist, 1982 classic horror film directed by Tobe Hooper and produced by Steven Spielberg, suffered that fate, although its 1986 sequel Poltergeist II: The Other Side, directed by Brian Gibson, isn’t among the worst examples of that trend.
The plot begins roughly a year or so after the events of the original film and follows attempts of Freeling family – father Steven (played by Craig T. Nelson), his wife Diane (played by JoBeth Williams), young son Robbie (played by Oliver Robins) and daughter Carol Anne (played by Heather O’Rourke) – to move on from the traumatic events caused by haunting and ultimate destruction of their home. They now live in home of Diane’s mother Jess (played by Geraldine Fitzgerald) who, before dying of natural causes, informs Carol Anne that she is, like all female members of family, clairvoyant. In the meantime, Freelings’ former home is investigated by psychic Tangina Barrons (played by Zelda Robinson) who is joined by Taylor (played by Will Sampson), Native American shaman who concludes that the same evil spirits that haunted and terrorised Freelings there would continue to do so at other place. He visits Freelings and uses his knowledge to prepare Steven and the rest of the family for new showdown. Their new home is being stalked by Reverend Henry Kane (played by Julian Beck), sinister-looking person who shows great interest in Carol Ann.
Scriptwriters Michael Grais and Michael Victor, to their credit, try to justify this sequel by addressing what some saw as issues within the original – lack of proper closure and explanation what was going on with Freelings. In doing so, they went a little bit too far, almost “retconning” Freelings from average all-American middle class family into clairvoyants and spicing the plot with Native American mysticism and apocalyptic 19th Century Christian cults. Script is also very sloppy because it never bothers to explain absence of Dana, Freelings’ daughter who in the previous film had been played by Dominique Dunne, actress murdered by her boyfriend shortly after premiere (unlike novelisation, which gave plausible answer to this question in form of Dana attending college). Poltergeist II works on strictly technical level, with almost entire cast of the previous film repeating their roles and doing mostly solid job, although Zelda Robinson’s character at times seems annoying and unnecessary. Director Brian Gibson, on the other hand, can count on solid work of composer Jerry Goldsmith who wrote successful variation of his previous soundtrack. Special effects by Richard Edlund are also very good, while Swiss artist H. R. Giger (of Alien fame) provides some interesting but not particularly memorable corporeal manifestations of supernatural monstrosities.
Most of the original cast repeated their roles and they did solid job. Same can be said of Will Sampson, legendary Native American actor whose character, introduced to this film, provides some humour. But the most impressive performance belongs to Julian Beck, stage actor who in one of his rare film performances provides one of the creepiest villains in history of cinema. His near-skeletal image was in many ways result of mortal illness that would ultimately claim his life shortly after the end of principal photography. His death was followed by Sampson’s one year later after this film and O’Rourke’s in 1988, creating legend of “Poltergeist curse”. Although a solid and ultimately watchable film that tries to provide audience obligatory happy end, Poltergeist II might have too much off-screen baggage for some viewers to be properly enjoyed.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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