Poltergeist III (1988) Review
Poltergeist III (1988) Review
I recall being bitterly disappointed by Poltergeist III when I saw it at the cinema on its original release. Time, however, has been considerably kinder to this third instalment than it has to the frankly awful first sequel. On reflection, it really isn’t anywhere near as bad as I remember.
The film is arguably better known for the tragic death of its young star, Heather O’Rourke, than for any particular artistic merit. O’Rourke died in 1988 from cardiopulmonary arrest, and her death added further fuel to the rather silly mythology surrounding the so-called ‘Poltergeist Curse’.
By this point, there was already plenty of tragedy for those inclined to believe in such a thing. Dominique Dunne, who played Dana Freeling in the original Poltergeist, was murdered by her former boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney, while rehearsing for the television series V. Will Sampson, who appeared in Poltergeist II, died from complications following heart surgery in 1987. O’Rourke’s death the following year inevitably sent the ‘Curse’ narrative into overdrive.
It is a shame that marketing types have sometimes chosen such a macabre angle to sell what are, essentially, family-friendly horror thrill rides. The mythology surrounding the films has arguably overshadowed the movies themselves.
Back in the fictional world, Reverend Kane is still prowling around and continues to remind me strongly of the Tall Man from the Phantasm films. He has discovered where Carol Anne is hiding after a decidedly dubious hypnotist-cum-therapist gets her thinking about him again. Kane then begins his campaign of terror in Uncle Tom Skerritt’s high-rise apartment block, making particularly effective use of mirrors and ice-cold temperatures.
The film certainly has some atmosphere, although nothing on screen quite matches the horror of the hairstyles and fashions of the period.
Unfortunately, around two-thirds of the way through, Poltergeist III begins to flag and becomes increasingly silly. There are some reasonably convincing performances, but even the better actors struggle against some of the dialogue they have been given. By the final half-hour, the screenplay appears to consist largely of people shouting “Carol Anne” at one another. Repeatedly. And then repeatedly again. Apparently, her name is uttered an astonishing 118 times throughout the film.
Jerry Goldsmith’s score from the first two films is also sorely missed, reportedly as a result of budget cuts. Its absence leaves Poltergeist III lacking some of the musical identity and atmosphere that helped the earlier films.
Nevertheless, despite its shortcomings, the film plays reasonably well. It has some effective visual ideas, a few decent scares and enough atmosphere to make it perfectly watchable. It could have been a lot worse.
It could have been Poltergeist II (1986).
