Poltergeist III

Although "Poltergeist II" wasn't a box office smash, MGM still decided to make another entry - possibly because then MGM was considered the last stop in Hollywood by producers wanting to make feature films (and still is to a degree), and MGM then *really* needed the money (and still does to a degree). The end results really look like a token effort made to make a quick buck. Despite the luxury high-rise setting, much of the movie looks somewhat impoverished. There are a few good special effects (I saw a TV program that revealed that many of them were actually all done on set, instead of being added to the movie after principle shooting), but there are some shabby effects as well (specifically the "ice" effects seen several times in the movie.) The script contains a number of unanswered questions, more if you haven't seen any of the previous movies. The cast (especially the male actors) all seem to be phoning it in, showing their feeling to the entire enterprise. MGM put this out on DVD with part II, probably because they thought (correctly) that no one would buy part III on its own.

If you want to see how many times someone can yell "Carol Anne!" in 90 minutes, I guess you'd be into this. I think they set a world record for how many times the main character's name is mentioned throughout the movie.

The plot is standard sequel stuff: Carol Anne, the little girl plagued by paranormal phenomena in the first two movies, now stays with her bitchy aunt and her husband and daughter in a huge Chicago high rise building. Unfortunately for everyone, some prick counselor at her new school has been putting her under hypnosis to deal with the events of her past (he believes she has the power to produce mass hallucinations and is a manipulative liar despite witnessing paranormal activity in her presence--smart man). This therapy apparently opens her up and leaves her vulnerable to Kane, the preacher that wants her to lead them to the other side. Kane shows up in mirrors and other reflective surfaces (like puddles) and uses them to attack.

I've never seen so many mirrors in one movie. Even Carol Anne's bedroom walls are just big mirrors (I guess she hasn't hit that self-conscious stage yet). The hallways are mirrored. The elevators--mirrored. The poor girl has to go to the parking garage just to get away from all of the damn mirrors and it still doesn't end well for her.

There is some mildly entertaining subplot involving Lara Flynn Boyle's character, Donna, and her love interest with really bad '80s hair sneaking their friends into the building's pool after-hours. If you enjoy watching bad '80s fashion, you'll love these guys.

Once Kane starts to attack, Tangina, the short lady with the grating voice, comes back to help Carol Anne and her new family.

The movie manages to be pretty creepy by utilizing its inspired location--the building is often genuinely menacing. The mirror effects make up for some pretty corny dialogue and the characters' tendency to yell "Carol Anne!" every other minute.

Could have been much better if the script was worked on, but as-is, it's just a formulaic sequel with some average acting. Entertaining enough for a watch if you're not expecting anything close to the original.

This is different from the first two in that it is set in a towerblock rather than single house, & Carol Anne is the only one of orignal family in it. This though is not a downside as tragic Heather O'Rourke is probably the best in it, though many of the other characters are not too bad, in particular her Aunt, Uncle & Cousin.

First half is good with build up of things happening, but once Carol Anne & others go missing it seem to lose its way, & the ending was quite abrupt, not really explaining anything.

I was also confused with Nancy Allen's character, the Aunt, who kept changing her opinion of poor Caral Anne. Early on she was kind, seeming to really like her, then when she disappeared seemd to think she was bad & not worth saving, then end part really loving her again. Wish she made her mind up.

All in all worth watching, even though not great, but certainly a big improvement from the second movie. Not sure why that ranks higher.

"Poltergeist III" has to be one of the strangest movies I have ever seen. It is very confusing, but it is one of those films that you need to know the ending. Okay, I'll just go over the things good and bad and ugly with the movie. First, the good aspects of the film: None. No, actually I can think of a couple. Some of the F/X were well-thought out and some of the mirror scenes were creative. Also, the acting of 12-year old Heather O'Rourke failed to disappoint as she seemed to become better as she got older. It is a shame to both Hollywood and her family & friends that she died. Now, the bad: Let's just do a list, shall we? The acting of the adults was bad, the plot was confusing, the ending seemed like it was just cut short, and it's hard to think of more other than the acting of Lara Flynn Boyle was absolutely pitiful I might add. I wonder why she isn't a big star...and the ugly- one word (or two): Marcie (ewwww.).

My rating: 4.8 out of 10. (But don't let that spoil the other two films- "Poltergeist" is amazing, and the sequel is at least respectable and well-acted.)

There are actually some good things about the maligned POLTERGEIST III including a capable director; a cool, ominous soundtrack; and a decent rudimentary story-line that makes the build-up... of the iconic little blonde girl Carol Anne now living in a glass-structured Chicago high-rise with her aunt and uncle... work for and against itself since, as the movie progresses into manic delirium, it's more of a letdown than a horrible experience from start to finish...

By the technically-important forty-five minute mark (the same time it takes KING KONG to reveal himself), a lot has happened, and it's somewhat interesting. Aunt and Uncle, who also work for the building they reside in, are at a downstairs party full of spooky-looking art pieces; the cute teenage daughter sneaked herself and her friends into the building's off-grounds swimming pool for a beer party; the late Heather O'Rourke's Carol Anne just started to get really scared of the impending ghosts... And that last example - important and inevitable as it is - is also the problem...

Imagine having difficult yet challenging obstacles to cross and climb to get across half a field to then merely/simply run like hell to the other side. POLTERGEIST III goes from intriguing and suspenseful to a redundant and annoying chase scene between the family and the ghosts, led by an ancient, white-haired Reverend Kane...

Which is even more blasphemous to the flawed yet entertaining POLTERGEIST II, by having another actor deliberately made-up to resemble the late great Julian Beck, than the new guy's voice shouting "We're Back!" to counter Carol Anne's legendary "We're Here" from the classic and timeless original. But there's another pro to this 80% con of a sequel's sequel: Heather O'Rourke, who died not long after production wrapped (that shows with overly puffy facial features) turns in a pretty great performance, having to mentally react to what she remembers as opposed to what's actually happening: the latter being more exciting to the viewer and easier for the actor: especially a really young child actor, who's often deliberately manipulated for a more effective performance...

This occurs at a school for "really smart" children, another initial location with wasted potential that includes a shrink-in-denial played by Richard Kind, wielding a novice style of contrived, atrocious delivery that makes bad horror movies so fun to bag on...

Whether that aspect was intentional or not, Kind's phony-kind Dr. Seaton is the real villain here, and even he's lost in the frenzied shuffle (along with a glorified cameo by the Columbo of ghost whisperers, Zelda Rubinstein's Tangina) where the otherwise talented VICE SQUAD and DEAD & BURIED director Gary Sherman is overcome within an ominous, neat-looking corner of purgatory that, with so much going on, he and the cast couldn't possibly paint their way out of.