Well, hello there, kind folks. If you’re visiting this blog of mine, I presume that you have a certain interest in the cinema. As for me, even since my early childhood, I have had a deep love of everything related to movies and television. As far as I can remember, I have been more at ease in front of a screen than in the yard, outside, playing. It is a great way to travel, though other people’s stories, without having to foot any kind of steep bill. Over the years, I feel that movie-watching has even fuelled my own creativity.

All that being said, I welcome you in my Cinephile’s Nest. I hope you enjoy it here, feel free to come back at any time. Here you will find reviews of current movies and older ones. TV shows also. Some classics that have remained some of my favourites, some that have disappointed me. I will use a very basic star (*) system to grade them from 1 to 5 (5 being sliced bread level). Remember, these are just my tastes. I will try to explain in each review what I liked about these particular movies, without giving spoilers.

Il y aura aussi des critiques en français pour les films francophones, car j'aime également le cinéma dans ma langue maternelle. Avant d'apprendre l'anglais, plus jeune, je louais des tonnes de films traduits en français, surtout ceux de Bud Spencer et Terrence Hill. Ma mère a eu le choc de sa vie lorsqu'un jour, dans la boîte d'un de ces films, Deep Throat avait malencontreusement inséré. Une expérience formatrice pour le jeune cinéphile que je suis.

Bienvenue à tous, amusez-vous bien.

I welcome you all here, enjoy yourself.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Brian Gibson
Cast: JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O’Rourke
Running time: 91 minutes



After their home was destroyed by the poltergeist that haunted it, Steven and Diane Freeling took refuge at the house of Diane’s mother. Unfortunately, a change of scenery was not enough, and the evil spirits followed them to their new location. One year later, the malevolent spirits are coming back again for Carol Anne, and the Freelings will get the help of a psychic and a Native American shaman to fight them off.

The same main actors are back to play the members of the Freeling family, except for Dominique Dunne, who, sadly, was murdered by her boyfriend shortly after the first movie of the franchise came out. Zelda Rubinstein is also back, as the psychic Tangina Barrons.

Another unfortunate thing, though less dramatic this time, is that the actors were not given much to work with the second time around. The script was silly and cheesy, and totally uninteresting. The magic of the first film was gone. The quality of the material is reflected in the work of the actors, which was very uninspired and wooden.

The bright spot in this dim experience of a movie for me was Julian Beck’s performance as Reverend Henry Kane, the human form incarnation of the evil spirits coming after Carol Anne Freeling. He kind of reminded me of Robert Mitchum’s character in The Night of the Hunter, only even more sinister and evil.

It was also a nice touch to see Will Sampson, of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest fame, though his performance was nothing to write home about.

Overall, this sequel to the classic that is Poltergeist does not have much to offer. It is a major letdown.

Rating: ««


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