Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)

What makes it different from others?

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Whose idea was it to expand on Poltergeist? Why was this even made? The family has removed the T.V. that had the poltergeist in it so what's next? Well, there's no T.V. in this one, but another electronic, a phone. Interesting idea but executed averagely.I guess this could've a been a pretty good unwanted sequel if it hadn't fell short from the first one. The third one was forgettable, it was even worse and even more torturous to watch.The third act was predictable and much of the film was underdeveloped. I couldn't care less for the characters and Carol- Anne is now a bratty, whiny girl instead of the brave, sweet girl she used to be. The acting is painfully wooden, the directing was clumsy as was the script.Now, some of the effects were enjoyable, such as the light, which is a plus. But most of the film will just be forgotten quickly.

JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O'Rourke, Oliver Robbins, Will Sampson, Julian Beck and Zelda Rubinstein star in this 1986 horror sequel. In this entry, the Freelings, Diane (Williams), Steven (Nelson), Carol Anne (O'Rourke) and Robbie (Robbins) are once again terrorized by dark, supernatural forces. The late, Beck plays Reverend, Henry Kane, an evil spirit who is the cause of it all and is determined to have Carol Anne lead him into the light with his minions. The late, Sampson plays Taylor, a Native American, medicine man who helps the Freelings fight against him and Rubinstein also reprises her role as psychic, Tangina who is Taylor's friend. This is a good supernatural sequel with a good cast, neat effects & great score by Jerry Goldsmith as usual. I recommend this.

PoPoltergeist II is just as good as its predecessor.This time a preacher named Henry Kane starts to harass the Freelings and they must once again try to save themselves. Returning is Craig T. Nelson as Steve, JoBeth Williams as Diane, Heather O'Rourke as Carol Anne, Oliver Robins as Robbie, and Zelda Rubinstein as Tangina. New characters are Julian Beck as Kane, the evil preacher and Will Sampson as Taylor, who comes to help the Freelings. As the movie progresses, the Freelings soon discover the terrible link between Kane and the Beast.The acting is great. Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams give flawless performances, just like the last time. Julian Beck flawlessly gives Kane an air of creepiness. Heather O'Rourke gives another flawless performance of her own. Will Sampson does very good as Taylor.The special effects are perfect. They look just as amazing as what we saw in the original movie, albeit in a different way.The script is perfect. Mark Victor and Michael Grais expand on Poltergeist (1982) very well, providing a lot of insight into the original movie.Poltergeist II matches its predecessor because it still manages to capture the magic of the original.

Well, hadn't she been killed by her real ex-boyfriend, i'm sure that the big sister would have rejoiced this Freeling family again! Strangely, her absence is never explained in this sequel, nor the next one. In all cases, the best thing of this movie is again the incredible cast because the parents and the kids are really the best family ever made for screen. Then, i'm straightforward and i acknowledge that the movie hasn't the quality of « P1 ». The great difference is that « P1 » was about ordinary getting extraordinary while « P2 » is totally extraordinary : with the opening of a native exorcism, you can only expect ghosts afterward! The characters of reverend Kane, very creepy, and Taylor are a bit too Old West for me. Sometimes, i thought i was watching the episode « Showdown at Malibu Beach High » from Baywatch (SE3EP6). And notice that the pair would be the next two victims of the curse (read about the stunning anecdote of Nelson visiting his grave !). However, there are good scenes in the movie, especially when the father becomes infected. At this moment, i thought to « alien » and « Prometheus » and it was a surprise to discover on the credits that the monster was designed by Giger. If it's still difficult to understand the explanation about the light and why they need Carol Ann, what i will remember definitely about the movie is that Carol Ann said that she didn't want to grow up and that her last words to her dying Grandma was « i love you », the same she told her real mother at the end.