But then there are sequels that actually hold up in a lot of ways to what was originally produced. Some exceed expectations while others meet them, but no matter what, the audiences are left feeling like they’ve gotten a bigger piece of the greater story.
Such is the case with Poltergeist II: The Other Side, the 1986 sequel to the Steven Spielberg-produced, Tobe Hooper-directed smash hit of 1982. And while many don’t hold it in as high of an esteem, I personally really enjoy the movie, which goes into some rather twisted directions.
Directed by Brian Gibson, the movie continues the story of the Freeling Family after their terrifying supernatural ordeal in Cuesta Verde, CA. Unable to maintain his real estate license and forced to sell vacuum cleaners door-to-door, Steve takes the family to live with Diane’s mother in Arizona. Their constant struggles with the insurance company, who argue that their previous home wasn’t destroyed but is instead “missing”, has left them in a financial pickle.
As their insurance woes continue, Diane’s mother suddenly passes away one night, an event that Carol Anne seems to have known about before anyone else, especially when she talks to her grandmother’s spirit on a toy phone mere moments after giving her a farewell kiss.
This loss sets off a storm of events that bring the evil spirits from the first film back after the Freeling’s, even though they are hundreds of miles away from the origin. But “The Beast”, who takes the physical form of Reverend Henry Kane, isn’t done trying to get Carol Anne and will do anything it takes to take hold of her soul.
Something of interest with Poltergeist II is that it expands upon the Indian burial ground concept that the first film was thought to have. The reality is that Poltergeist never mentioned the graves being part of an Indian burial ground. This was simply a myth that gained widespread traction, so much so that the sequel embraced the idea, turning it into something nearly as eerie.
The expanded storyline is that Reverend Kane convinced a large group of people that the Judgment Day was fast approaching, so he took them all into an underground cavern, where they all perished a slow, lingering death due to dehydration, starvation, and exhaustion. His evilness was so great and persistent that it turned him into a monster after his death, one that was capable of hosting “The Beast”, a force that, “…comes in many forms.”
The only connection to Native Americans that the film offers is in the form of Taylor (Will Sampson), a shamanistic character who protects and aides the Freeling’s through these difficult times. But that’s really about it. Even a casually mentioned Native American massacre has nothing to do with the overall story. It’s just…there.
If you haven’t seen Poltergeist II, you’re missing out on Reverend Henry Kane, who is, in my opinion, one of the creepiest villains in horror history. His little jingle, “God is in his holy temple…” is turned into a horrifying chant used in the soundtrack itself, as though those poor souls who died for Kane’s misguided beliefs are still bound by his creed.
Then, when Kane appears in his “true form”, the stumpy demonic vomit creature that was designed by H.R. Giger, it’s both horrifying and, as a horror fan, truly exciting and eye-grabbing.
Both Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams play their roles with enthusiasm and gusto while Heather O’Rourke (who tragically died after the release of Poltergeist III) is just as innocent and doe-eyed as she was in the original, making the assault against her all the more distressing. Alas, Domnique Dunne, who played Dana in the first film, wasn’t able to reprise her role as she was killed the same year the original came out.
Overall, Poltergeist II: The Other Side is a really solid sequel that delivers scares, great characters, and interesting ways to expand the story. You’ll just have to suffer through a quintessentially hokey 80’s ending. Floating through heavenly mist to defeat the evil because you have familial strength? Really?
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