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Poltergeist II: The Other Side

  • 19861986
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
5.6/10
27K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Heather O'Rourke in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
Trailer 1
Play trailer1:21
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Horror

The Freeling family have a new house, but their troubles with supernatural forces don't seem to be over.The Freeling family have a new house, but their troubles with supernatural forces don't seem to be over.The Freeling family have a new house, but their troubles with supernatural forces don't seem to be over.

IMDb RATING
5.6/10
27K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Brian Gibson
  • Writers
    • Mark Victor
    • Michael Grais
  • Stars
    • JoBeth Williams
    • Craig T. Nelson
    • Heather O'Rourke
Top credits
  • Director
    • Brian Gibson
  • Writers
    • Mark Victor
    • Michael Grais
  • Stars
    • JoBeth Williams
    • Craig T. Nelson
    • Heather O'Rourke
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 157User reviews
    • 88Critic reviews
    • 49Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 1 win & 5 nominations total

    Videos1

    Poltergeist II: The Other Side
    Trailer 1:21
    Poltergeist II: The Other Side

    Photos107

    Heather O'Rourke, JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, and Oliver Robins in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
    JoBeth Williams in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
    Heather O'Rourke, JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, and Oliver Robins in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
    JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
    Heather O'Rourke and Will Sampson in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
    JoBeth Williams and Zelda Rubinstein in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
    Julian Beck in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
    Heather O'Rourke, JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Oliver Robins, and Zelda Rubinstein in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
    Heather O'Rourke and Oliver Robins in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
    Heather O'Rourke in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
    Craig T. Nelson and Will Sampson in Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
    "Poltergeist II: The Other Side" Zelda Rubinstein

    Top cast

    Edit
    JoBeth Williams
    JoBeth Williams
    • Diane Freelingas Diane Freeling
    Craig T. Nelson
    Craig T. Nelson
    • Steve Freelingas Steve Freeling
    Heather O'Rourke
    Heather O'Rourke
    • Carol Anne Freelingas Carol Anne Freeling
    Oliver Robins
    Oliver Robins
    • Robbie Freelingas Robbie Freeling
    Zelda Rubinstein
    Zelda Rubinstein
    • Tangina Barronsas Tangina Barrons
    Will Sampson
    Will Sampson
    • Tayloras Taylor
    Julian Beck
    Julian Beck
    • Kaneas Kane
    Geraldine Fitzgerald
    Geraldine Fitzgerald
    • Gramma Jessas Gramma Jess
    John P. Whitecloud
    • Old Indianas Old Indian
    Noble Craig
    Noble Craig
    • Vomit Creatureas Vomit Creature
    Susan Peretz
    Susan Peretz
    • Daughteras Daughter
    Helen Boll
    • Motheras Mother
    Kelly Jean Peters
    Kelly Jean Peters
    • Young Jessas Young Jess
    Jaclyn Bernstein
    Jaclyn Bernstein
    • Young Dianeas Young Diane
    Robert Lesser
    Robert Lesser
    • Kane's Peopleas Kane's People
    Jamie Abbott
    • Kane's Peopleas Kane's People
    Ann Louise Bardach
    • Kane's Peopleas Kane's People
    Syd Beard
    • Kane's Peopleas Kane's People
    • Director
      • Brian Gibson
    • Writers
      • Mark Victor
      • Michael Grais
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    The Freeling family move in with Diane's mother in an effort to escape the trauma and aftermath of Carol Anne's abduction by the Beast. But the Beast is not to be put off so easily and appears in a ghostly apparition as the Reverend Kane, a religeous zealot responsible for the deaths of his many followers. His goal is simple - he wants the angelic Carol Anne; but the love of her family and the power of psychic Tangina once again unite, along with an elderly native American, to fight for her life. —Rhino <rhino@blueyonder.co.uk>
    • native american
    • alternate dimension
    • haunting
    • shamanism
    • spiritualism
    • 144 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Spectacular special effects and excellent ensemble acting.
    • Genre
      • Horror
    • Certificate
      • PG-13
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Heather O'Rourke was so afraid of Julian Beck (Reverend Kane) the first time she saw him that she burst into tears.
    • Goofs
      (at around 38 mins) When Kane walks up the lawn toward the house, it begins to rain. As Diane runs out to get Carol Anne, Diane's hair is already wet. Then moments later when she talks to Kane on the porch, her hair is dry. The next scene shows her walking into her bedroom, and her hair is damp again.
    • Quotes

      Carol Ann: They're back.

    • Crazy credits
      The opening credits take nearly five minutes to play out.
    • Alternate versions
      During post production, at least 15 minutes were cut from the film during the final editing stages, and some of the remaining scenes were re-arranged chronologically. Scenes rumored to be cut included: 1. A line mentioning "Dana," (the eldest daughter from the original film) being away at college. 2. A scene involving JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson and a floating toaster oven in their kitchen. 3. A scene in which the "Rev. Kane" appears at the house again and is confronted by "Tangina" right before she is about to leave after visiting "Diane" (Zelda Rubinstein was said to be very upset that this sequence was cut, as she felt it was one of her best scenes). 4. A longer "other side" sequence at the end featuring the family's battle with the Beast. 5. Longer versions of existing scenes featuring additional dialogue. Publicity stills from some of these scenes can be seen at: the fan site: http://www.poltergeistii.poltergeistiii.com/deleted.html
    • Connections
      Edited from Poltergeist (1982)
    • Soundtracks
      If I Fell
      (uncredited)

      Written by John Lennon (uncredited) and Paul McCartney (uncredited)

      [sung by Craig T. Nelson (uncredited) to JoBeth Williams]

    User reviews157

    Review
    Top review
    5/10
    Sometimes it's amusing, but mostly it's just lame.
    Here we have yet another belated, completely unnecessary sequel that only barely gets by. After their otherworldly encounters, the Freeling family has relocated and are now living with Dianes' (JoBeth Williams) mother (Geraldine Fitzgerald). They don't get much of a breather before supernatural forces again begin to plague them. And these forces still want to get their hands on little Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke). Diane, Steve (Craig T. Nelson), Carol Anne, and Robbie (Oliver Robins) this time receive assistance from a wise Indian (Will Sampson), while Tangina (Zelda Rubinstein) makes an encore appearance.

    Technically, "Poltergeist II: The Other Side" is reasonably well made. But it's so lazily conceived that it's very hard to care what happens here. Making things tolerable are a still very likable bunch of actors, but they have some pretty bad material to work with this time around. A lot of the dialogue is simply abysmal. Attempts at humor largely fall flat. Director Brian Gibson is no Steven Spielberg, or Tobe Hooper, and can't generate any suspense or excitement at all. The efforts of a very talented visual effects team (supervised by Richard Edlund) can only do so much to help. It's hard to believe this was written by the same guys who wrote the first film.

    This is not to say that this sequel is devoid of highlights. One pleasure is in watching the supremely creepy Julian Beck as a malevolent "reverend" who puts a human face, of sorts, on the antagonistic spirits. One ingenious moment involves Robbies' braces; the other is a sequence many people do enjoy about this sequel. That would be the "vomit creature" sequence. It turns out there are consequences for swallowing the worm at the bottle of a tequila bottle.

    The family is still worth rooting for; young O'Rourke is as adorable as before. It's just too bad they're stuck in such a blah story.

    H.R. Giger ("Alien", "Species") is credited with conceptual design.

    Sadly, the final film for both Beck and Sampson.

    Five out of 10.
    helpful•6
    3
    • Hey_Sweden
    • Apr 19, 2017

    FAQ9

    • What is 'Poltergeist II: The Other Side' about?
    • Is 'Poltergeist II' based on a book?
    • What is a "poltergeist"?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 23, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Poltergeist II
    • Filming locations
      • 1589 Homewood Dr., Altadena, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Freddie Fields Productions
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $19,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $40,996,665
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $12,357,190
      • May 26, 1986
    • Gross worldwide
      • $40,996,665
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 31 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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