Poltergeist III (1988)

Carol Anne is staying with her aunt in a highrise building, and the supernatural forces that have haunted her previously follow her there.

Director:

Gary Sherman

Writers:

Gary Sherman, Brian Taggert,

Stars:

Tom Skerritt, Nancy Allen, Heather O'Rourke

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Skerritt	...	Bruce Gardner
Nancy Allen	...	Patricia Wilson-Gardner
Heather O'Rourke	...	Carol Anne Freeling
Zelda Rubinstein	...	Tangina Barrons
Lara Flynn Boyle	...	Donna Gardner
Kipley Wentz	...	Scott (as Kip Wentz)
Richard Fire	...	Dr. Seaton
Nathan Davis	...	Reverend Henry Kane
Roger May	...	Burt
Paul Graham	...	Martin Moyer
Meg Weldon	...	Sandy
Stacy Gilchrist	...	Melissa
Joey Garfield	...	Jeff
Christian Murphy	...	Dusty (as Chris Murphy)
Roy Hytower	...	Nathan

Storyline

Carol Anne has been sent to live with her Aunt and Uncle in an effort to hide her from the clutches of the ghostly Reverend Kane, but he tracks her down and terrorises her in her relatives' appartment in a tall glass building. Will he finally achieve his target and capture Carol Anne again, or will Tangina be able, yet again, to thwart him?

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Plot Keywords:

building | uncle niece relationship | swimming pool | midget | skyscraper | 

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Taglines:

They're back... again.

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 June 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Poltergeist III: We're Back

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,500,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$14,114,488 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lara Flynn Boyle's film debut.

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Goofs

When Bruce and Patricia are shown in their room from outside the window, Bruce's black suit is laying on the end of the bed. Two shots later when they are shown from inside the room, Bruce goes to sit on the bed and the black suit is now laying in a different position on the bed.

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Quotes

Tangina: Outside, in.

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Crazy Credits

Towards the end of the credits a message reads This Film Is Dedicated To HEATHER O'ROURKE 1975-1988

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Connections

Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! Part 2 (2006)

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Soundtracks

"NIGHT RIDER"
Written by MICHAEL FORTE and BRUCE WEEDEN
Vocal by JAMES CARTER

User Reviews

A little flawed, but acceptable

"Poltergeist III" is easily the weakest of the series.

**SPOILERS**

Staying in Chicago with relatives Bruce, (Tom Skerritt) and Patricia Gardner, (Nancy Allen) and their daughter Donna, (Lara Flynn Boyle) Carol Anne Freeling, (Heather O'Rourke) is trying to start life over with a new family. Almost as soon as they get settled in with each other, strange phenomena begin affecting the family at different locations. They are misinterpreted by her school teachers as something wrong with her, and think she needs to be treated accordingly. Carol Anne was telling the truth, as Reverend Henry Kane, (Nathan Davis) tracks her down and uses his spirits to help him.

The Good News: A sequel to one of the greatest films ever made isn't a big challenge, and this one at least attempts some new ideas. The move into the urban area rather than the suburbs in part 1 or countryside in part 2 is more than welcome and allows for some traps that might be from an unknown source. That is the main source of scares in the film, when an unexpected action occurs from a familiar object. The most obvious is the appearance through the door. It's a striking scene that really leaps out of the screen, as does the gag in the garage. The series of hallway mirror gags are some of the most suspenseful ones in the entire series, and is quite imaginative and clever. The film really picks up once the spirits attack, as all sort of great scenes come up and the pace quickens. The last thirty minutes are undoubtedly the best of the film. This alone makes the film exciting and watchable.

The Bad News: Aside from those, there really wasn't a lot else going on. It just lags a lot in the beginning with needless and uncommonly grating exposition that is hard to get through. It's what really hurts the film, as it just makes the it a chore to sit through. The cheesiness of the film is also a hurting factor. With no real jump scares in it, it has to rely on it's moments to get the job done, but after that, there's really nothing to the film. It's a real shame, as this had a lot of potential, but with one cheesy, over-the-op scene after another just wears you out. The middle section is the most obvious example, as too much time is spent on the initial discovery of the haunted apartment. The teen antics on display are also a great distraction, feeling entirely out of place and in no real help to the film. It could've easily been taken out with no real damage done. There's several other small little scenes here and there that weren't all that great, but those can be dealt with on an individual basis.

The Final Verdict: This is a fun movie if that's what you're looking for, but it's cheesiness with no doubt ruin it for those looking for more of a serious time like the first one. It's worth a rental for fans to determine whether it's okay or not, but it's not without a little groaning moments along the way.

Rated PG-13: Violence, Language and children in jeopardy