6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The Freeling family settles into a new home following the annihilation of their former residence by terrifying visitors from the netherworld. But the spirits of the dead are still hell-bent on luring the family's clairvoyant daughter Carol Anne to "the other side"!
Starring: JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O'Rourke, Oliver Robins, Zelda RubinsteinHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 28% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
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!"
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.
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 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.
1986
1986
Fox Halloween Faceplate
1986
Collector's Edition
1986
Collector's Edition
1988
1982
2018
Extended Cut
2015
2015
1983
2013
Unrated
2017
Haunted
2014
2015
2016
Quella villa accanto al cimitero
1981
2013
2012
2019
Unrated Director's Cut
2009
Collector's Edition
2003
2019
2010
Collector's Edition
2001