20 Greatest Ever Horror Movie Icons

18. Reverend Henry Kane – Poltergeist 2 (1986)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Julian Beck, the actor who played the Reverend Henry Kane in Poltergeist 2, died during the making of the film, but he managed to leave behind a seminal horror icon.
Kane is a deceased, insane spirit who is found in an underground cave. He is after Carol Anne in order to poach her soul. In a chilling scene, he tries to get to the little girl through her toy phone. The family flee the home but are approached by a Shaman called Taylor who tells them that Preacher Kane will find them wherever they go. And indeed he shows up in human form and tries unsuccessfully to get into the home.
Kane was a preacher and he had millennial beliefs about the world ending. He led his followers into the cave. The time of the apocalypse came and went, and Kane left his followers to die in the cave. Due to his villainy, Kane became an evil spirit in death. He attacks the family as a giant worm like creature with tentacles.
Henry Kane is a fascinating character, a man of God who turned into pure evil. His physical appearance is demonic and creepy. Because Julian Beck died during filming, the producers of Poltergeist 2 approached H. R. Giger to create the ‘Beast’ to replace the mortal form of Preacher Kane. It is a disgusting monster to be sure, but not as evil or scary as Preacher Kane in human form.