Poltergeist II/Poltergeist III | 
| Directors: Brian Gibson, Gary Sherman
Actors: Heather O'rourke, Tom Skerritt, Jobeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Nancy Allen
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy Used: $5.09
You Save: $9.89 (66%)
New (37) Used (30) Collectible (2) from $5.09
Rating:  43 reviews
Sales Rank: 11285
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, Dvd, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 189 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.6
MPN: 1004879
ISBN: 079285747X
UPC: 027616888983
EAN: 9780792857471
ASIN: B00009PY4G
Theatrical Release Date: June 10, 1988
Release Date: August 26, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
As sequels go, Poltergeist II has the advantage of retaining most of the original film's cast (although the absence of the actress Dominique Dunne, a murder victim, is not explained). It's still not enough to turn this dreary outing into a passable horror movie. The terrorized Freeling family has moved from their haunted house, but the bothersome ghosties are not finished with them yet. The lame scares include a sequence built around Craig T. Nelson swallowing a demon worm from a tequila bottle and then regurgitating it. Far more frightening is the wizened face of theater legend Julian Beck, who appears as a foreboding old guy with bad news for the Freelings: "Yer all gonna die!" Poltergeist III recruits only blond cherub Heather O'Rourke (who died before the film's release) and dwarf psychic Zelda Rubinstein from the first movies. The action has shifted to a Chicago high-rise, where little Carol Anne's otherworldly gift is being studied (Tom Skerritt and Nancy Allen play the uncle and aunt she boards with). Director Gary Sherman tries to get some ideas going with mirror images, but the bargain-basement atmosphere and the limited special effects undercut the movie at every turn. --Robert Horton
Product Description
Poltergeist II: The OthersideThey're back! The restless spirits of the unburied have followed the Freeling family to their new home. Academy Award Nominations: Best Visual Effects.Poltergeist IIISet in a Chicago high-rise where Carol Anne is relentlessly sought by the evil Reverend Kane. The courageous psychic returns to combat Kane.System Requirements:Poltergeist II: The Otherside: Starring: Craig T. Nelson Heather O'Rourke Zelda Rubinstein JoBeth Williams Directed By: Brian Gibson Poltergeist III: Starring: Tom Skerritt Nancy Allen Heather O'Rourke Zelda Rubinstein Directed By: Gary Sherman Copyright 2003 MGM Studios.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: PG-13 UPC: 027616888983 Manufacturer No: 1004879
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| Customer Reviews: Read 38 more reviews...
Poltergeist 2, plus a really cool drink coaster! May 26, 2009
M. Ryan Fairbanks (Cleveland, Ohio)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Poltergeist was one tough act to follow, but in 1986 they decided to go for it and make Poltergeist 2: The Other Side. As you could guess, it's not quite in the same league as the orginal, but it is surprisingly good for what it is.
The Freeling family is now residing with Diane's mother in a peaceful little suburban home and recovering from the supernatural phenomena that took place at their home in Cuesta Verde. Life is slowly returning back to normal until grandma's death triggers the spirits once again, this time in the form of the creepy Reverand Kane, the leader of a religious cult that he led to death with his false predictions of the apocolypse. With the help of a Native American medecine man and Tangina Baron, the Freeling's struggle to keep the family together and defeat the spirits.
Poltergeist 2 has a lot of good things going for it, namely the return of the original cast, minus Dominique Dunn of course. A lot of the slightly dysfunctional, but tight knit suburban family feel that made the original so great carries over into this sequel. Will Sampson is also fantastic as Taylor the medicine man, and Julian Beck is amazing in the role of Reverand Kane which he delivers with unparalleled creepiness. Once again, the chemistry of the cast is what makes this stand out.
However Poltergeist 2 differs from the original in that the comedy is largely replaced with a much darker and more sinister mood with a modest increase in the gross out special effects. There are quite a few memorable scenes during the bulk of the movie including zombies, a braces attack, and a mutant tequila worm. Unfortunately all this great build up goes to waste due to the ultra lame ending, where it looks as if they simply told the special effects crew to go crazy. The shorter run time also causes Poltergeist 2 to lack the epic feel that the original had. Overall an above average sequel that's certainly worth a look, just don't expect anything as great as the original. I'd generously give it *** 1/2 stars.
As for Poltergeist 3, it's a movie so bad that the only way they could possibly sell it is to package it along with part two.
Carol Anne now lives with her aunt and uncle in a Chicago high rise, but Kane has somehow returned and is able to cross over into our dimension via mirrors...Or something. Movies such as this often contain a few plot holes that we, the horror audience, simply have to overlook. But it's a rarity when literally nothing about the story can be explained at all, and Poltergeist 3 achieves just that. There's no point in rambling on about it any longer, simply let it be known that the events of this movie don't make a lick of sense whatsoever, nor do they try.
Poltergeist 2 was undoubtedly a few notches lower than the original, but Poltergeist 3 is like a made for television sequel. Heather O' Rourke and Zelda Rubinstein are the only returning cast members this time around, so automatically you can write off any of the great cast interaction of the previous films. It's more or less a assembly of unlikable characters running around a labyrinth or mirrors screaming the name Carol Anne for 90 minutes. A completely unremarkable movie that doubles as one of the worst sequels of all time for any genre. I'd give it * 1/2 stars.
Overall that would bring the average of this set to about 3 stars, but since you're technically getting two movies for for the price of one, it deserves a fourth for value. Poltergeist 2 is definietly worth the price for hardcore fans of the original.
 2 In 1 Sucks February 26, 2009
M. D. Lambert
I hate when movie companies put two movies on one cd. I hated the sequel to Poltergeist, but I actually liked the third one. So in order for me to get Poltergeist 3 on dvd, I have to get the movie I didn't like just to see the movie I want. Ugh!
 Poltergeist III is a waste of filmspace December 30, 2008
K. Duncan (Austintown, OH USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Why couldn't they have made the double feature consist of Poltergeist I & II? It seems the only way to get Poltergeist II without having to pay some scalper upwards of $30 is to buy this double feature, then you get Poltergeist III which is a complete waste of film. -kd5-
 CAROL ANNE? CAROL ANNE? CAROL ANNNNNE?!!!!!!! October 31, 2008
wally gator (USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Heeeeelp! I had never seen any of the Poltergeist movies until about a week ago, when a friend of mine persuaded me to check out the original, and I found that I really enjoyed it, and am suprised that I'd never seen. I figured it to be another overhyped eighties horro-BORE fest. But I really liked it, and when this chicky told me that she liked number two even better, I checked it out.
I got this set, which comes with both the second and third helpings. After reading reviews here, I was unsure I even wanted to watch them. Mainly because what I really liked about the first was the quality of the characters. As movies two and three have different writers and directors then the first, I was sure I would be dissapointed. However, the cast is pretty much fully intact in Poltergeist II, sans the oldest daughter, due to the fact that the actress was murdered in real life (-and fifty other cursed legends from behind the scenes-) but her character was rarely involved in the first movie anyway, so it's easy to just brush her out of the picture, and the rest are just as likeable this time around, and only slightly less convincing. The ghost takes a central form here, which changes the story alot... as an evil preacher from the early 19th century, who is caught between life and death, and has wanted the soul of one Carol Anne, ever since he fell out the portal. The actor who potrays him in is good enough to build the movie around, very creepy... so the fact that the story has changed, is alright. It works as a solid backdrop to the original story, even if a bit contrived. The indian character is the same guy from One Flew Over The Cukoos nest too, which is cool. I was pleasantly suprised with this bit also... the last scene is really cheesy, but it doesn't take away from the story, and the ghosts and imagery are still very well done, though not quite on par with Steven Speilbergs work in the original.
Now, as for three, I have to say, I don't think it's half as bad as every one else claims it is. I am picky about horror movies, and the eighties produced alot of lame and sorry excuses for such. In that vein Poltergeist III is pretty much a teen-scream late eighties horror flick. Highly evident in the terrible late eighties fashion. But, in that sense, it's actually still alot more sophisticated than most teen-scream eighties flicks. The story has zero to with the other two, really, but it does bring back Carol Anne (she died shortly after this was released, again with the curse...) This time she lives with her aunt in Chicago, and goes to a school for gifted and disturbed children. The entire movie takes place basically inside this high rise building, and creates this "behind the mirror" world, which is where Carol Anne is trapped this time around. Carol Annes teacher is played by a real A*hole, who blames even the most extreme paranormal activity on her. You are meant not to like him, but he's really very obnoxious, and luckily he gets dropped down an elevator shaft in the middle of the movie. Some of the dialougue is awful, for instance: the ghosts are disguised as Carol Annes cousin and boyfriend in one scene, and they walk away chuckling "they actually thought we were them." duh. But, still this movie held my attention ok. It has a lot of parts that are fun to make fun of, as well as some cheesy ghosts, and, by the number of times they say "Carol Anne!" in the movie, you could make an excellent Halloween drinking game to go along with it. I say, every time a human says "Carol Anne" you take one drink, and every time an evil spirit says "Carol Anne" you take two. Trust me, they say it a LOT! Anyway, that should merit the purchase of this bit for eight bucks. I enjoyed both titles that are included here, and I should hope to buy the first as well, since, obviously, it's the best of the three.
Poltergeist II/Poltergeist III August 7, 2008
kurt johnson
Great nice to both moives togeter for the same price Poltergeist II/Poltergeist III ,is going to get you, so get you popcorn and drink and sit back beware you never know.................
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