Poltergeist II: The Other Side
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| Poltergeist II: The Other Side | |
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 Poltergeist II original theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Brian Gibson |
| Produced by | Michael Grais Mark Victor |
| Written by | Michael Grais Mark Victor |
| Starring | JoBeth Williams Craig T. Nelson Heather O'Rourke Oliver Robins |
| Music by | Jerry Goldsmith |
| Cinematography | Andrew Laszlo, ASC |
| Editing by | Thom Noble Bud S. Smith M. Scott Smith |
| Distributed by | MGM |
| Release date(s) | May 23, 1986 |
| Running time | 90 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ~ $19,000,000 |
| Preceded by | Poltergeist |
| Followed by | Poltergeist III |
| IMDb profile | |
Poltergeist II: The Other Side is a 1986 horror film sequel to Poltergeist. It features the return of the family seen in Poltergeist who have to once again fend off a spirit that is intent on harming their daughter, Carol-Anne.
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[edit] Plot
This sequel explains in much greater detail why Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke) was targeted in the first film. As it turns out, the Freelings' house in the first movie was built over a massive underground cavern that was the final resting place of a utopian cult that died there in the early 1800s. This cavern was below the graveyard that wasn't relocated in the first film. The cult was led by Reverend Henry Kane (Julian Beck), a power hungry zealot anxious to control the souls of his followers in both life and death.
Kane told his followers that the end of the world was coming, and they dutifully followed him into the cavern. However, the day he predicted it would all end came and went, but he never let his "flock" out of the cavern, and eventually, they all died. Since his death, Kane became the Beast, which absorbed the spirits of its followers.
The second film begins one year after the events of the first film, with the discovery of this cave by a ground crew, and its existence is revealed to Tangina Barron (Zelda Rubinstein), the psychic from the first film that "cleaned" the house that is now missing. She also tells Taylor (Will Sampson), an American Indian shaman whose connection to Kane is hinted at but never fully explained (when Kane comes to the Freelings' home and tries turning Steve against Taylor, Steve (Craig T. Nelson) acknowledges that Taylor is there by name, and Kane quietly laughs and says "So that's what he calls himself now"). After investigating the cave for himself, Taylor realizes Kane has located Carol Anne and goes to defend her.
The Freeling family have relocated to Phoenix, Arizona and now live in a house with Diane's (JoBeth Williams) mom, Jessica "Gramma Jess" Wilson (Geraldine Fitzgerald). Having lost his real estate license, Steve is reduced to selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door while filing repeated insurance claims to cover the missing home. Grandma Jess is highly clairvoyant, and reveals that Diane and Carol Anne are too. Luckily, Grandma Jess is powerful, and it is her life force that protects the family from Kane and the other spirits, as long as she remains alive.
Eventually, Grandma Jess dies from natural causes, but not before telling Diane one last time that she'll always "be there if you need me." With Grandma Jess out of the way, Kane now has a clear path to get to Carol Anne. Taylor shows up just as Kane begins his first assault on the home. Unable to get in through the television as the family has removed all television sets from the home, Kane's minions are forced to find another way in, this time through Carol Anne's toy phone. The attack fails, and the family gets out of the house fast. Taylor introduces himself and convinces them that running would be a waste of time since Kane would only find them again, and they return to the house, which Taylor has made safe for the time being.
Kane himself shows up at the home one day and demands to be let in, but Steve stands up to him with Carol Anne's help and refuses. Taylor congratulates him for resisting Kane, and then takes Steve out to the desert and gives him the power of smoke, an Indian spirit that can repel Kane. Tangina Barron shows up at the house and helps Diane to understand the history of Kane and how he became the Beast that is now stalking the family. Taylor warns the family that Kane is extremely clever, and will try to tear them apart.
One night, Steve lets his guard down and gets drunk, swallowing a tequila worm that is possessed by Kane. Kane temporarily possesses him and harasses his family. He attacks Diane, who cries out that she loves him. Kane cannot stand this display of love, and Steven vomits up the worm possessed by Kane, which grows into a huge monster. In this form Kane attacks Steve, who uses the smoke spirit to send him away. The Beast (Noble Craig) then decides on another assault, and this time, the family decides to confront the Beast on his own turf, the Other Side.
The Freelings return to Cuesta Verde, their neighborhood from the first movie, and upon entering the cavern below their former home, Kane immediately pulls Diane and Carol Anne over in to the Other Side, and Steve and Robbie (Oliver Robins) jump in after them through a fire Taylor has started.
In the Other Side, Diane, Steve and Robbie unite together but Kane grabs Carol Anne. Taylor gets a charmed Indian lance into Steve's hands, and Steve assaults the Beast/Kane with it. In the process, Carol Anne nearly crosses over into the afterlife, but Grandma Jess's spirit appears and returns her to the family. The Freelings then return safely to this side, and thank Taylor and Tangina.
[edit] Production
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The eldest daughter was supposed to be written as being away at college, however that scene never made it into the final theatrical version. In real life the actress who played her, Dominique Dunne, was murdered by her boyfriend shortly after the first film came out.
This film was made during the revival of 3-D film in the mid-1980s. Several scenes, such as the appearance of the Beast and the flying chainsaw were filmed to take advantage of the craze. Several scenes that appeared in press stills or promotional posters was cut from the finished film including Tangina confronting Kane when he tries to enter the house again after Diane finds out about his past and also Steve and Diane looking at a flying toaster during a breakfast scene.
Due to the passing of Julian Beck who played Kane during filming, the filmmakers enlisted the help of H R Giger to create the "Beast" version of the character to replace Beck's remaining scenes that was to be filmed. Giger created several designs but only two appeared, and didn't get much screen time in the final film. His designs are displayed on his official website.
This film has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA.
[edit] Box office
Poltergeist II: The Other Side proved to be a box office disappointment when compared to its predecessor. The film grossed $40,996,665[1] at the United States box office, making it the 20th highest grossing film of 1986.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Poltergeist II: The Other Side at the Internet Movie Database
- Noise and Talk - Philosophical essay about Poltergeist and television by Johannes Grenzfurthner of monochrom.
[edit] References
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