Poltergeist III (1988)

   
Produced & Directed by: Gary Sherman

Written by:
Gary Sherman, Steve Feke & Brian Taggert

Starring:

Tom Skerritt .... Bruce Gardner
Nancy Allen .... Patricia Wilson-Gardner
Heather O'Rourke .... Carol Anne Freeling
Zelda Rubinstein .... Tangina Barrons
Lara Flynn Boyle .... Donna Gardner
Kipley Wentz .... Scott
Richard Fire .... Dr. Seaton
Nathan Davis .... Reverend Henry Kane

Release Date: Theatrical: June 10, 1988

 

 

Rating:

 

Carol Anne Freeling (Heather O'Rourke) is sent by her parents to Chicago to stay with her Aunt Patricia (Nancy Allen), Uncle Bruce (Tom Skerritt) and cousin Donna (Lara Flynn Boyle) at a highrise building to get special treatment from a psychiatrist named Doctor Seaton (Richard Fire) as he frightens her more than helping her which lead the head spirit Reverend Kane (Nathan Davis) to Carol Anne as he continues to haunt her as he lurks in every mirror in the building that she's living in.
Tangina Barrons (Zelda Rubinstein) senses that Kane has found her and blames Seaton for it as she is sucked into the other side and helps both Patricia and Bruce to try and rescue her since she has a necklace that is powerful. The only thing that will make Kane win this battle is if the family loses their love for one another out of fear.
They spot Carol Anne running in the hallway building but is it a trap caused by Kane in order to keep their niece? The two of them put themselves at risk to try and rescue her as Kane also has their daughter Donna. Patricia slwoly loses her faith with her family and grows more terrified from all of this.

 

A good beginning with a camera shot on a window building being washed with Carol Anne Freeling staring inside and then a good camera shot on a mysterious window washer looking back smiling and waving and then later on a nice shot on him dressed as Kane which looked slightly creepy.
There's good shots on the glass walkways with some cracks forming.
A nice shot on Patricia Wilson-Gardner looking up at her building with a suspicious glance.
We have some corny moments that involved a child acting like a brat in a van driving to school which also involved Carol Anne with some others too as it didn't seem to fit and was a little too comedically done.
We have a good moment with Carol Anne in a silent room screaming and freaking out and then a good instruction by Dr. Seaton helping her with a nice conversation with them together and him talking to her about her staring at the mirror wall all the time.
A nice shot on a mirror wall with a hand holding an object and Carol Anne screaming and running away and then Dr. Seaton staring at the reflection on the hand throwing the object at the mirror and the mirror shattering. This looked quite suspenseful.
During this time we also have a good shot on Tangina Barrons overly pouring some tea in a cup and then the camera looking up to her glaring in shock realising that Kane found the poor child and haunting her again.
There's a good discussion between Patricia and Bruce Gardner while getting ready for an outing as they look natural portraying a couple. There's a nice shot on the two walking down the building hall with a mirror reflection shot on Kane opening each room door to stare at them.
A good conversation between Donna Gardner and Carol Anne as it seems like a real friendship conversation.
A good shot on Donna walking in the hallway with the reflection shot once again on Kane suddenly closing the door each to the room he is at with a great shot on Carol Anne jumping and acting shocked then running to her room. This looked mildly spooky to watch.
There's a good shot on Carol Anne standing near a window looking frightened and then trying to walk near a mirror with the other side grabbing her up along with great shots on wind effects and other suspenseful moments.
We have a nice scene between Scott and Donna in the security room making a prank on their friends swimming in a pool after hours as it looked totally typical on teenagers pulling jokes on them.
We have a good shot on Carol Anne running in the building garage parking lot from the ghosts as well as a great shot on a monstrous hand trying to pull her in a puddle.
A good shot on both Scott and Donna trying to rescue Carol Anne from the puddle with the two of them falling in.
A nice shot on the pool freezing up and then a crack in the ice.
Both Patricia and Bruce struggling at a door trying to pull Carol Anne out with good effects on a force sucking them in. Then there's a good shot on Tangina watching and then touching her necklace suddenly pushing them away telling them that's not Carol Anne which was incredibly effective along with a good shot onthe fake Carol Anne showing an evil angry expression towards her.
There's a good shot looking up on Tangina staring at the puddle trying to talk to Carol Anne.
A nice shot on Donna crawling out of a burned body acting hysterical as well as a good shot on her screaming while lying on a bed and then having Patricia getting emotional and not handling any of this.
A good shot on Dr. Seaton looking at Carol Anne in an elevator and trying to open the elevator doors before they close. Then we have another good shot on the doors wide open with the elevator already gone and then having him being pushed in by Donna with her still evil expressions.
A good shot on both Donna and Scott making out looking evil with him tearing the side of her face and then walking away with an evil laughter.
Good shots on Bruce trying to chase after Carol Anne in the hallways.
A good shot on Tangina appearing from some water in a freezing room and handling Patricia and Bruce her necklace.
We have great shots on Patricia and Bruce running away from chasing vehicles in frost at the garage parking lot of the building.
They both do nicely acting full of life thinking that they fought the poltergeists.
Nice discussion between the two in an elevator and then he tells Patricia it wasn't Carol Anne's fault from what happened and a great suspenseful shot on a reflection of Kane screaming it is with the elevator pausing and then falling with them trying to struggle their balance.
The best moment was with Patricia crying and telling Carol Anne that her family loves her and so does she when this child says they don't which looked very powerfully emotional.
Bottom line is that this is a cheesier follow up as it doesn't work too well and nowhere as scary either. However, it does explain on why Kane and the poltergeists were fixated on Carol Anne and making a good ending to the whole terrorising as well. We have some teenagers partying and Carol Anne is older and trying to be more independent which works well along with some good cheesy effects but however the stroy was taken in a different direction by not showing Carol Anne's family which made the stroy very effective in the first place. It's a little tongue in cheek at times too which looked incredibly corny. We do have some touching moments and alot of topics about the other world and Kane trying to get there too which makes you think of your loved one's who passed on.

The acting is not too bad. Nancy Allen (Patricia Wilson-Gardner) of course does her job well as a nice but hard to understand aunt in the film as it's good to see her play that type of character since I remember her nasty character in Carrie. She showed alot of terrific emotions to her part in the film.
Heather O'Rourke
(Carol Anne Freeling) does well as she is believable as an outgoing kid showing that she is older and wiser than before. She does very well in a scene by convincing her fellow actress to go to her boyfriend's party as she will be fine on her own as she sounds very outgoing and mature the way she said it. It was so sad she died before the release of this film.
Zelda Rubinstein
(Tangina Barrons) this time stole the film with her performance as she seemed very strong with her character in the film showing no fear to the poltergeists. Shows off great expressions with a chilling type of voice when she talks about the doorway to the room is angry and evil. Does well by trying to talk to Carol Anne through the mirror reflection.
Lara Flynn Boyle
(Donna Gardner) does well as a typical older teenager with a good heart and does a great job portraying an evil spirit too with her screaming and evil actions.
Kipley Wentz
(Scott) had the right looks as the typical teenage boy next door that the girls fall for and pulls off his character not too badly. He does well trying to charm his onscreen girlfriend by getting some beer for their party. A good tense reaction on him acting quivery after getting out of a deadly situation.
Richard Fire
(Dr. Seaton) played a great arrogant doctor in the film as you don't want to have to deal with in your everyday life. He makes his part very clear about that.
Nathan Davis
(Reverend Henry Kane) played the part this time since the other actor sadly passed away as he looked cheesily creepy but had a good strong voice but it was mainly due to sound effects too.
We have a supporting child actress Catherine Gatz (Marcie Moyer) as a bratty little girl which gets in the way with the story as she seems very annoying and tongue in cheek.

Donna crawls out of a burnt corpse with goo around her.
The side of Donna's face is torn off.
Kane's head is chopped off.

We have some descent piano playing for the opening credits of the film. There's also some cheesy synthesizer music in the film as it shows very little effect to the story involved.

Carol Anne: [after missing her ride] Great! I don't have to go to that creepy school today!

Tangina: My God! HE FOUND HER!

Tangina: [on the phone] Dr Seaton? Kane found Carol Anne, and it's all your fault.

Donna Gardner: [inside the security office] Wanna see panic?
[over the intercom while watching her friends swim in the pool]
Donna Gardner: This is the police! We have you surrounded! Please come out with your hands up and your pants down!
Scott: [on the intercom] Hello, this is your camp director. Jeff, quit pissing in the pool.

Kane: Carol Anne, don't afraid! We won't harm you, we love you. You're are only angel, who can lead us into the light. We would never hurt you, NEVER! Don't run away from me. We need you Carol Anne, LEAD US INTO THE LIGHT!

Donna Gardner: CAROL ANNE, CAROL ANNE, CAROL ANNE!

Tangina: THAT'S NOT CAROL ANNE!

Tangina: I'm one of your brother-in-laws, weirder psychics. SHH!

Bruce Gardner: Carol Anne! Carol Anne! Carol Anne!
Pat Gardner: Bruce! Bruce! Bruce!

Pat Gardner: [after Bruce gets sucked into the window void outside the building, Carol Anne shows up to warn Pat off]
[shouts]
Pat Gardner: Carol Anne!
Carol Anne: [sadly] Go away, Pat! He doesn't want them, he only wants me! You don't love me, you don't want me here. My parents don't love me either. They sent me away. Kane loves me, Kane wants me!
[holds out her hand]
Carol Anne: Give me Tangina's necklace and you can have Bruce and Donna back. They're your family. I'll go with Kane.
Pat Gardner: [voice quivering] Your mom and dad do love you! They love you very much! And I love you too. It's hard for me to show it sometimes but I do love you!
Carol Anne: [doesn't believe her] No, save your family! They're the ones who mean something to you, not me!
Pat Gardner: [with tears in her eyes] That's not true! You are part of my family! You and Donna are like my children! I love you, Carol Anne and I'll do anything to prove that! You've got to believe me!
Carol Anne: [angrily] No! Go away!
Pat Gardner: [sobbing] Carol Anne!
Carol Anne: [with Kane's voice and face] Go away!
[Pat jumps back in shock and the spirit masquerading as Carol Anne disappears into the void]

Tangina: Kane! Give her back her family. You don't need them. You don't need Carol Anne! I can lead you into the light. I have the KNOWLEDGE... and the POWER!