Poltergeist II: The Other Side
Encyclopedia
Poltergeist II: The Other Side is a 1986 horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...

. A sequel to Poltergeist, it features the return of the original's family and once again sees a spirit trying to harm their daughter, Carol Anne. It received mixed reviews from critics (41% on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...

) and did not gross as much at the box office as its predecessor, but was still financially successful. It ended up making over $40 million against a $19 million (estimated) production budget and was nominated for the Academy Award for Visual Effects
Academy Award for Visual Effects
The Academy Award for Visual Effects is an Academy Award given for the best achievement in visual effects.-History of the award:The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first recognized the technical contributions of special effects to movies at its inaugural dinner in 1928, presenting a...

. The film was also nominated for a Razzie Award for Zelda Rubinstein
Zelda Rubinstein
Zelda Rubinstein was an American actress and human rights activist, best known as eccentric medium Tangina Barrons in the movie Poltergeist and its sequels, Poltergeist II: The Other Side , and Poltergeist III . Playing 'Ginny', she was a regular on David E...

 as Worst Supporting Actress. It was followed in 1988 by Poltergeist III
Poltergeist III
Poltergeist III is a 1988 American horror film. It is the third and final film of the Poltergeist film series...

.

Plot

This sequel offers an alternate explanation, with much greater detail, for the reason why Carol Anne was targeted in the first film. As it turns out, the Freelings' house in the first movie was also built over a massive underground cavern that was the final resting place of a religious cult that died there in the early 19th century. The cult was led by Reverend Henry Kane (Julian Beck
Julian Beck
Julian Beck was an American actor, director, poet, and painter.-Early life:Beck was born in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan in New York City, the son of Mabel Lucille , a teacher, and Irving Beck, a businessman. He briefly attended Yale University, but dropped out to pursue writing and...

), a power-hungry zealot anxious to control the souls of his followers and the graveyard inhabitants 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 starved to death. Because he was so evil, Kane became the Beast after his death, and absorbed the spirits of his followers to increase his strength.

One year after the events of the first film, Cuesta Verde, the Freelings' neighborhood from the first movie, is being evacuated and turned into an archeological paranormal dig, centered around the spot where the Freelings' home stood before it imploded into the netherworld. This excavation leads to the discovery of Kane's cave by a ground crew, and its existence is revealed to Tangina Barrons (Zelda Rubinstein
Zelda Rubinstein
Zelda Rubinstein was an American actress and human rights activist, best known as eccentric medium Tangina Barrons in the movie Poltergeist and its sequels, Poltergeist II: The Other Side , and Poltergeist III . Playing 'Ginny', she was a regular on David E...

), the psychic from the first film who failed to "clean" the house. She also tells a friend of hers, Taylor (Will Sampson
Will Sampson
Will Sampson was an American actor and artist.-Life and career:Sampson, a Native American Muscogee , was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Sampson's most notable roles were as "Chief Bromden" in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and as "Taylor the Medicine Man" in the horror film Poltergeist II...

), an American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 shaman whose connection to Kane is hinted at but never fully explained; when Kane comes to the Freelings' home and tries to gain entrance (the famous "Let...me...in!" sequence), Steven 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, Steven (Craig T. Nelson
Craig T. Nelson
Craig Theodore Nelson is an American actor. He is probably best known for his Emmy-winning roles as Hayden Fox on the TV series Coach, and as Steve Freeling in the 1982 film Poltergeist. He also starred in The Incredibles in 2004 as Mr...

), Diane (JoBeth Williams
JoBeth Williams
JoBeth Williams is an American film and television actress and director, and current President of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.-Early life:...

), Robbie (Oliver Robins
Oliver Robins
Oliver Robins is an American former child actor who is now a writer and director.His first film roles were in the 1982 TV movie Million Dollar Infield, and in the 1982 ABC TV movie Don't Go to Sleep as Kevin. He is best known for his role as Robbie Freeling in the 1982 movie Poltergeist and in its...

), and Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke
Heather O'Rourke
Heather O'Rourke was an American child actress who played Carol Anne Freeling in the Poltergeist film trilogy and made several television guest appearances...

), has relocated to Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

 and now live in a house with Diane's mother, Jessica "Grandma Jess" Wilson (Geraldine Fitzgerald
Geraldine Fitzgerald
Geraldine Fitzgerald, Lady Lindsay-Hogg was an Irish-American actress and a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame.-Early life:...

). 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 believes she is highly clairvoyant, and claims that Diane and Carol Anne are too. Luckily, Grandma Jess is a powerful clairvoyant, and her life force protects the family from Kane and other spirits who would do them harm.

Eventually, Grandma Jess dies from natural causes, but not before telling Diane one last time that she'll always "be there" if she needs her. 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 in human form, and demands to be let in, but Steven stands up to him 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 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, Steven lets his guard down and gets drunk, swallowing a Mezcal worm
Mezcal worm
A mezcal worm is an insect larva found in some types of mezcal produced in Oaxaca, Mexico. The larva is usually either a gusano rojo or a chinicuil , the caterpillar of the Hypopta agavis moth.-History:...

 that is possessed by Kane, who temporarily possesses him. He attacks and tries to rape 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, tentacled monstrosity. In this form Kane attacks Steven from the ceiling, but Steven uses the smoke spirit to send him away. The Beast 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 and upon entering the cavern below their former home, Kane immediately pulls Diane and Carol Anne over into the Other Side, and Steven and Robbie jump in after them through a fire Taylor has started.

On the Other Side, Diane, Steven, Robbie, and Carol Anne unite together but Kane, now in the form of a horrific monster, grabs Carol Anne. Taylor gets a charmed Indian lance into Steven's hands, and Steven successfully stabs Kane with it, defeating the monster and causing him to fall into the afterlife, finally crossing over into hell and crossing over all of the spirits he has trapped over the years. In the process, Carol Anne nearly crosses over into the afterlife as well, but Grandma Jess' spirit appears and returns her to the family, keeping her earlier promise to always be there for them. The Freelings then return safely to this side, and thank Taylor and Tangina.

Cast

  • JoBeth Williams
    JoBeth Williams
    JoBeth Williams is an American film and television actress and director, and current President of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.-Early life:...

     as Diane Freeling
  • Craig T. Nelson
    Craig T. Nelson
    Craig Theodore Nelson is an American actor. He is probably best known for his Emmy-winning roles as Hayden Fox on the TV series Coach, and as Steve Freeling in the 1982 film Poltergeist. He also starred in The Incredibles in 2004 as Mr...

     as Steve Freeling
  • Heather O'Rourke
    Heather O'Rourke
    Heather O'Rourke was an American child actress who played Carol Anne Freeling in the Poltergeist film trilogy and made several television guest appearances...

     as Carol Anne Freeling
  • Oliver Robins
    Oliver Robins
    Oliver Robins is an American former child actor who is now a writer and director.His first film roles were in the 1982 TV movie Million Dollar Infield, and in the 1982 ABC TV movie Don't Go to Sleep as Kevin. He is best known for his role as Robbie Freeling in the 1982 movie Poltergeist and in its...

     as Robbie Freeling
  • Zelda Rubenstein as Tangina Barrons
  • Will Sampson
    Will Sampson
    Will Sampson was an American actor and artist.-Life and career:Sampson, a Native American Muscogee , was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Sampson's most notable roles were as "Chief Bromden" in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and as "Taylor the Medicine Man" in the horror film Poltergeist II...

     as Taylor
  • Julian Beck
    Julian Beck
    Julian Beck was an American actor, director, poet, and painter.-Early life:Beck was born in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan in New York City, the son of Mabel Lucille , a teacher, and Irving Beck, a businessman. He briefly attended Yale University, but dropped out to pursue writing and...

     as Rev. Henry Kane
  • Geraldine Fitzgerald
    Geraldine Fitzgerald
    Geraldine Fitzgerald, Lady Lindsay-Hogg was an Irish-American actress and a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame.-Early life:...

     as Jessica Wilson

Production

Dana, 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 Dana, Dominique Dunne
Dominique Dunne
Dominique Ellen Dunne was an American actress.Dunne made appearances in several made for television movies, television series, and films, and played a supporting role as the oldest daughter, Dana Freeling, in the 1982 film Poltergeist...

, was murdered by her boyfriend shortly after the first film came out.

This film was at one point intended to be filmed in 3-D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...

. (The 3-D revival of the early eighties came to a close in early 1984.) Several scenes, such as the appearance of the Beast and the flying chainsaw were filmed to take advantage of the process.

Several scenes that appeared in press stills or promotional posters were 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.

Because Julian Beck
Julian Beck
Julian Beck was an American actor, director, poet, and painter.-Early life:Beck was born in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan in New York City, the son of Mabel Lucille , a teacher, and Irving Beck, a businessman. He briefly attended Yale University, but dropped out to pursue writing and...

, who played Kane, died during filming, the filmmakers enlisted the help of H R Giger, who created the "Beast" version of Kane to replace Beck's remaining scenes. Giger created several designs but only two appeared, receiving limited screen time in the final cut of the film. Giger's designs are displayed on his official website. Many of Kane's lines were looped in post-production by noted voice actor Corey Burton
Corey Burton
Corey Burton is an American voice actor, perhaps best known as Count Dooku, Ziro the Hutt and Cad Bane in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Brainiac in the DC animated universe and Spike Witwicky and Shockwave in the Transformers universe...

.

This film and its successor were rated PG-13 by the MPAA. The original was rated PG, as there was no PG-13 rating at the time (the rating was created in 1984, largely in response to movies like the first Poltergeist; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the second feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise. The plot features James T...

, Gremlins
Gremlins
Gremlins is a 1984 American horror comedy film directed by Joe Dante, released by Warner Bros. The film is about a young man who receives a strange creature—called a Mogwai—as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. It was followed by a sequel,...

 and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a 1984 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the second film in the Indiana Jones franchise and prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark . After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone...

 were other films that led to the PG-13 being instituted).

Soundtrack

Jerry Goldsmith
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....

, who had written the soundtrack to the first Poltergeist film, returned to compose and conduct a score to Poltergeist II: The Other Side. Though "Carol Anne's Theme" returns from the first film's soundtrack, the score for Poltergeist II: The Other Side consisted of mostly new material blending traditional orchestral elements with new electronic sounds. The soundtrack has been released three times; through Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums as well as newer releases by artists no longer under a contract...

 in 1986, Intrada Records
Intrada Records
Intrada Records is an American record company based in Oakland, California. Intrada Records is an American record company based in Oakland, California. Intrada Records is an American record company based in Oakland, California...

 in 1993, and a deluxe edition by Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums as well as newer releases by artists no longer under a contract...

 in 2003.

Box office

Although it was financially successful, Poltergeist II: The Other Side proved to be a box office disappointment when compared to its predecessor. Nevertheless, the film still grossed a respectable $40,996,665 at the United States box office.

Novelization

Poltergeist II: The Other Side by James Kahn
James Kahn
James Kahn is an American medical specialist and writer, best known for his novelization of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Born in Chicago on December 30, 1947, Kahn received a degree in medical studies from the University of Chicago. His post-graduate training, specializing in Emergency...

. On the cover it also has Carol Anne's catch phrase "They're back" and under the title it says "The Freeling family's struggle with spirits begins again..." The copyright is 1986 by Ballantine Books, New York. It was based on the motion picture written by Michael Grais and Mark Victor. The characters from the first film are all in the book except for Dana Freeling. However, the character Dana is mentioned and her absence is explained as having moved as far East as she could after what had happened in Questa Verde and is attending college. The book also includes new characters as well and is no longer in print.

External links

  • Noise and Talk - Philosophical essay about Poltergeist and television by Johannes Grenzfurthner
    Johannes Grenzfurthner
    Johannes Grenzfurthner is an Austrian artist, writer, curator, director.He has published numerous books, essays and articles on contemporary art, science and philosophy....

     of monochrom
    Monochrom
    monochrom is an international art-technology-philosophy group, founded in 1993. Its offices are located at Museumsquartier/Vienna ....

    .
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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