Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Poltergeist II: The Other Side Blu-ray Movie Review

"Why can't we get a TV, like everybody else?"

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson February 7, 2017

When we last saw the Freelings in Poltergeist (1982), the middle-class suburban family had fled the California community of Cuesta Verde for refuge at a Holiday Inn (with the TV thrown out). Poltergeist II: The Other Side catches up with the Freelings at least a year after the events of the first film. The family has relocated to the home of Gramma-Jess (Geraldine Fitzgerald), a widow who is the mother of Diane Freeling (Jobeth Williams). Diane's husband, Steve (Craig T. Nelson), is trying to jump-start a new career selling vacuum cleaners and is also struggling to settle a claim for the Freelings' old house with his insurance company, who states that the house is still "missing." The Freelings' children, Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke) and Robbie (Oliver Robins), are also adapting to their new environ and life without a television. On a bright and sunny day at the local mall, Carol Anne encounters the ghostly presence of the gaunt but chilling Rev. Henry Kane (Julian Beck), who attempts to charm the little girl. Kane later show up at Gramma-Jess's place and when denied entry, he delivers a cautionary message and an ultimatum. The shaman, Taylor (Will Sampson), also comes to the Freelings' new residence to help protect them from Kane's diabolical plans.

Kane: "You're all gonna die in there! All of you!"

Without Kane, Poltergeist II would have little reason to exist. Battling terminal stomach cancer while filming, Beck delivers a spellbinding performance as the old preacher that has justly drawn comparisons to Robert Mitchum's Harry Powell from The Night of the Hunter (1955). Will Sampson is also very good as the wise spiritual guide, Taylor. At the same time, though, he is merely an archetype and talisman to family patriarch Steve Freeling, who seeks to adopt the fighting spirit of an Indian warrior in order to conquer Kane. The backstory involving Kane, which dates back to the 1800s (and isn't really explored much), centers on a preacher leading his cult of followers against a band of Indians defending their land. It's a classic confrontation between The White Men versus The Natives. After twenty-odd minutes, most viewers will figure out where the story is headed. Director Brian Gibson also telegraphs scenes too much and the viewer is one step ahead of the action. For example, one can tell that the swirling clouds over the Freelings' house and the corpses reaching out to grab Diane are part of that character's dream.

Despite all these criticisms, Poltergeist II is a solid sequel to Tobe Hooper's 1982 classic. The original cast members reunited here work well together. One would have liked to see more screen time allotted for Zelda Rubinstein's psychic medium, Tangina Barrons, who inherited additional lines of dialogue from Beatrice Straight's Dr. Lesh, who does not appear in this film. Furthermore, the special effects courtesy of Boss Films are terrific and hold up well, including the unforgettable Vomit Creature.

Poltergeist II: The Other Side Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Collector's Edition of Poltergeist II: The Other Side arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Shout! Factory. Shout! advertises that this transfer emanates from a new 2K scan of the interpositive. The label presents the film in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 on this AVC-encoded BD- 50, with a total bitrate of 43.91 Mbps. This is not the same transfer that my colleague, Casey Broadwater, reviewed on the Fox Blu-ray of Poltergeist II back in 2011. Filmed in Panavision and processed in Metrocolor, the 1986 movie seems as if went through a photochemical bath with a splash of tan applied on the Fox disc. I toggled between many screenshots between the two editions and conducted additional research on their aesthetic presentations. The Fox has an amber-like tint that permeates the frame, which occludes other hues in cinematographer Andrew Laszlo's fine compositions. The Fox also looks a shade or two brighter next to Shout!'s version. With contrast boosted, faces can appear paler on the Fox. By contrast, skin tones look completely natural on the Shout! Colors also stand out as richer and more vibrant on Shout!'s transfer. (See Screenshot #s 6, 8, and 20.) In comparing both transfers, I discern that Shout! contains more information on all four sides. Shout! has an average bitrate of 34991 kbps, while Fox lags behind at 29984 kbps.

Shout! has divided the ninety-minute feature into a dozen scene selections.

Poltergeist II: The Other Side Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout! has included two options for the sound track of Poltergeist II: a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix of the film's original stereo (encoded at 2004 kbps) and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track (encoded at 4046 kbps). I concentrated mainly on the latter during my screening and can report that the master is in excellent condition, with a few limitations due to the recording done at the time. The fantastical scenes, which showcase the still- impressive special visual effects, give the surround channels quite a workout. The late great Jerry Goldsmith brought back "Carol Anne's Theme" but also added new themes for Taylor and Rev. Kane. The score is indeed thematically rich with both warm colors and atonal sounds. The 1980s were an extremely fruitful decade for the prolific composer, with Poltergeist II falling into an electronic period that also featured the Rambo films, Gremlins (1984), Hoosiers (1986), among several other genre films. Goldsmith's music is nicely spaced across all speakers. Dialogue is the only area that I thought could have been better amplified. I had a little trouble hearing a conversation between Steve and Diane in Gramma- Jess's house, for instance.

Shout! has supplied optional English SDH.

Poltergeist II: The Other Side Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• NEW Audio Commentary with Writer/Producer Michael Grais - Red Shirt Pictures' Michael Felsher moderates this feature- length commentary with co-writer Grias, which is only occasionally screen specific. Grais covers his background in film, his relationship with Steven Spielberg on Poltergeist, working with several of the actors on the sequel, and difficulties he had with Brian Gibson in post-production. There are about a handful of gaps but they are not lengthy. Felsher generally asks good questions but queries Grais with lots of close-ended questions that don't go very in-depth. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Audio Commentary with Poltergeist II Webmaster David Furtney - Poltergeist fan site editor Furtney delivers a fairly informative and dry commentary on how the scripts compare to the finished film. This has more lags than the first commentary but Furtney has done his homework. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Robbie's Return – An Interview with Oliver Robins (14:25, 1080p) - Robins was in junior high when he portrayed Robbie Freeling in Poltergeist II and addresses how the film became a nice respite from the bullying and teasing he endured in school. Robins looks back fondly at the sequel and discusses working with Heather O'Rourke and Brian Gibson. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW The Spirit World – An Interview with Special Effects Designers Richard Edlund, Steve Johnson and Screaming Mad George (22:09, 1080p) - extensive interviews with three members of the special effects team. They explain how they achieved the creature effects. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Ghosts of Giger – A Look at the Contributions of Artist H. R. Giger Featuring Rare Photos and Illustrations and an Interview with Giger's Friend and Agent Les Barany and Special Effects Designer Steve Johnson, Richard Edlund and Screaming Mad George (21:02, 1080p) - a tribute to the late H. R. Giger. Giger's collaborators discuss the f/x designer's paintings and voluminous drawings. In English, not subtitled.

• They're Back: The Making of Poltergeist II (6:16, 1080p) - an original production featurette MGM produced in 1986. Features interviews with executive producer Freddie Fields, writer/producer Mark Victor, visual effects producer Richard Edlund, special effects designer H. R. Giger, director Brian Gibson, writer/producer Michael Grais, and actor Jobeth Williams. Presented in 1.33:1. In English, not subtitled.

• Monster Shop (2:46, upconverted to 1080p) - behind-the-scenes on the set of Poltergeist II. This short featurette contains interview snippets with director Brian Gibson and special effects supervisor Richard Edlund. It also shows some conceptual art drawings and props for the creature effects. Basically an abridgment of the first featurette. Presented in 1.33:1. In English, not subtitled.

• Ghostmakers: The Magic of Poltergeist 2 (6:28, 1080p) - a 1985 featurette that contains interviews with Edlund, Gibson, Giger, creature design coordinator Steve Johnson, as well as actors Craig T. Nelson and Jobeth Williams. Shows how the effects were planned and shot (in 65mm!). Presented in 1.33:1. In English, not subtitled.

• Theatrical Trailer (1:23, 1080p) - MGM's original teaser trailer for Poltergeist II. In English and presented in 1:85:1 anamorphic widescreen.

• TV Spots (2:04, upconverted to 1080i) - four TV spots promoting Poltergeist II. Presented in 1.33:1 and appearing in decent shape.

• Still Galleries (6:12, 1080p) - a montage of over seventy behind-the-scenes photos, production stills, lobby cards, US and international posters, press kit material, and memorabilia from Poltergeist II. In color and black and white.

• Poltergeist II Shooting Script (10:17, 1080p) - captured images from the script pages of Poltergeist II. This is presented as a slide show so you will want to pause each page to be able to read the text in full. I wish that Shout! had included this fourth draft screenplay as a PDF but because it's copyrighted material, the scribes and MGM probably did not want open-access electronic files circulating around the Web.

Poltergeist II: The Other Side Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Poltergeist II: The Other Side holds up as a very enjoyable sequel to one of the eightes' most beloved sci-fi/horror films. Fans who own Fox's 2011 disc will definitely want to upgrade by picking up this features-laden Collector's Edition. Shout! Factory has also done a credible job in boasting a superior transfer from the film's interpositive. This is as close to a definitive package that fans of the series can hope for. Apparently, MGM did not loan out the reported fifteen-minutes (or more) worth of deleted scenes but descriptions of these can be found in the shooting script. Hopefully, Warner will release a special edition of Poltergeist (1982) with new bonus materials that best the studio's DigiBook edition. (Shout! has not gotten the rights to the first film.) Poltergeist II earns a SOLID RECOMMENDATION.