Review of Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986) by Eytan D — 17 May 2014

"Poltergeist" is the perfect haunted house movie that everyone tries and rarely succeeds to capture the essence of (excluding the awesome "Insidious" and "The Conjuring").

"Poltergeist II: The Other Side", of course, was an inevitable sequel, but that's not to say the movie is entirely bad. Despite an ending that's far too sweet (the first film's last act will have you shuddering), a severe continuity error (the lack of a significant family member is part of the film's reputedly sad curse), and the filmmakers' unnecessary need to motivate the ghosts, "Poltergeist II" has its merits: a still likeable family (JoBeth Williams, Craig T.

Nelson and Heather O'Rourke are still perfect), the wonderful return of Zelda Rubinstein as Tangina, Julian Beck's unsettling portrayal of a dead reverend, Jerry Goldsmith's still-strong music, great special effects, and some decent creep-out moments here and there.