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Poltergeist II: The Other Side [1986]

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Director:Brian Gibson
Writer:Mark Victor
Michael Grais
Composer:Jerry Goldsmith
Length:91 minutes
(1 hour 31 minutes)
MPAA Rating:PG-13
Suggested Event Use:Halloween
Sorting Category:Susp/Hor
IMDB Rating:5.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:41%
Amazon Rating:3.5/5 stars
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Classifications:
  • Suspense / Horror
  • Drama
  • Action
  • Puppets
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Synopsis: The spirits follow Carol Anne to her new home and continue to attempt to coax her into their extra dimensional realm.


Reaction: The first one's an ionstant classic, but this is a fine followup. The end gets a bit odd, but the movie as a whole works well enough.


Personal Rating: 7/10

Select Cast and Crew
Brian Gibson => Director
Mark Victor => Writer
Michael Grais => Writer
Jerry Goldsmith => Composer
Craig T. Nelson => Steve Freeling
Geraldine Fitzgerald => Gramma-Jess
Heather O'Rourke => Carol Anne Freeling
Helen Boll => Mother
Jaclyn-Rose Lester => Young Diane (as Jaclyn Bernstein)
JoBeth Williams => Diane Freeling (as Jobeth Williams)
John P. Whitecloud => Old Indian
Julian Beck => Kane
Kelly Jean Peters => Young Jess
Noble Craig => Vomit Creature
Oliver Robins => Robbie Freeling
Susan Peretz => Daughter
Will Sampson => Taylor
Zelda Rubinstein => Tangina Barrons

Random Trivia For This Title:

  • A poster of the film E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial can be seen in Carol Anne's bedroom. Drew Barrymore had auditioned for the role of Carol Anne in Poltergeist before landing the role of Gertie in E.T..
  • Unbeknownst to most of the cast and crew several of the cadavers were real skeletons. Upon learning of this, the crew demanded an exorcism be held on the set to ease the rising tensions, which happened soon after.
  • Craig T. Nelson comments on Will Sampson perhaps being an escapee from an asylum. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Sampson played an asylum inmate who escapes.
  • There is a supposed "Poltergeist Curse" surrounding the three films in the series. Actress Dominique Dunne was murdered by her boyfriend after finishing the first film. Actor Julian Beck died of stomach cancer after shooting the second film. Actress Heather O'Rourke died of a mystery case of intestinal stenosis shortly before completion of the third film. Also, many cast members' careers have suffered after appearing in the films.
  • The exorcism was performed by Will Sampson, who was a real-life shaman for "several different groups" before his death in 1987. Studio security was instructed to leave the set unlocked and unguarded so Sampson could return in the middle of the night to perform the exorcism.
  • Like the first film, there are no murders depicted, and no violent fatalities.
  • The subdivision where the family once lived is called Cuesta Verde, which translates to "It costs green [aka money]."