Poltergeist III (1988)

Director:

Gary Sherman

Writers:

Gary Sherman (writer)
Brian Taggert (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

10 June 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

He's found her.

Plot:

Carol Anne is staying with her aunt in a highrise building, and the supernatural forces that have haunted her previously follow her there.

Plot Keywords:

Building | Supernatural | Good Versus Evil | Psychologist | Surrealism

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

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 (as Kip Wentz)
Richard Fire	...	Dr. Seaton
Nathan Davis	...	Reverend Henry Kane
Roger May	...	Burt
Paul Graham	...	Martin Moyer
Meg Weldon	...	Sandy
Stacy Gilchrist	...	Melissa
Joey Garfield	...	Jeff
Christian Murphy	...	Dusty (as Chris Murphy)
Roy Hytower	...	Nathan
Meg Thalken	...	Deborah
Dean Tokuno	...	Takamitsu
Catherine Gatz	...	Marcie Moyer
Paty Lombard	...	Helen Moyer
E.J. Murray	...	Mary
Sherry Narens	...	Mrs. Seaton
Phil Locker	...	Bill
Maureen Steindler	...	Old Woman
Alan Wilder	...	Observer
Brent Shaphren	...	Observer
Mindy Bell	...	Observer
Conrad Allan	...	Young Boy
Maureen Mueller	...	Gallery Woman
John Rusk	...	Gallery Man
Sam Sanders	...	Security Guard
Laurie V. Logan	...	Elevator Woman
Jerry Birn	...	Elevator Man
Jane Alderman	...	Scott's Mother
Mary Hogan	...	Extra
Lynn Koppel	...	Extra
Laura Koppel	...	Extra
Mark Zweigler	...	Extra
Chris Montana	...	Extra
Wendy Wolfman	...	Extra
Harold Taulbee	...	Extra
Christy Davis	...	Extra
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Corey Burton	...	Reverend Henry Kane (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Gary Sherman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Steve Feke		uncredited
Gary Sherman		writer
Brian Taggert		writer

Produced by
Barry Bernardi	....	producer
Gary Sherman	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Joe Renzetti

Cinematography by
Alex Nepomniaschy

Film Editing by
Ross Albert

Casting by
Jane Alderman
Shelley Andreas

Production Design by
Paul Eads

Art Direction by
W. Steven Graham

Set Decoration by
Linda Lee Sutton

Costume Design by
Tom McKinley

Makeup Department
John Caglione Jr.	....	special makeup designer
Doug Drexler	....	special makeup designer
Stephan Dupuis	....	key special makeup artist
Kevin Haney	....	key special makeup artist
Frances A. Kolar	....	makeup artist
Mark Shostrom	....	special makeup effects artist: lifecasts
Dick Smith	....	special makeup consultant
Jerry Turnage	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Edward Ledding	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Davies	....	first assistant director
Janet G. Knutsen	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Terry Baughman	....	construction coordinator
William Dambra	....	property master
Robert E. Knight	....	signwriter
James F. Orendorff	....	construction coordinator
Mindy Roffman	....	assistant to the art director

Sound Department
Ron Bartlett	....	sound editor
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	supervising sound effects editor
Avram D. Gold	....	supervising dialogue editor
Grover B. Helsley	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gregg Landaker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert J. Litt	....	sound re-recording mixer
Oscar Mitt	....	sound
Richard Shorr	....	sound effects editor
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Glenn Williams	....	production sound mixer
David E. Stone	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Calvin Joe Acord	....	special effects coordinator
Tim Moran	....	special effects foreman
Richard Stutsman	....	special effects foreman
John Dods	....	mechanical effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Gary Sherman	....	special visual effects designer

Stunts
Danny Costa	....	stunts
Kerrie Cullen	....	stunts
Jadie David	....	stunts
Corey Michael Eubanks	....	stunts (as Corey Eubanks)
Tracy Keehn-Dashnaw	....	stunts (as Tracy Keehn)
Hubie Kerns Jr.	....	stunts (as Hubie Kerns)
Rick Le Fevour	....	stunts
Ben Scott	....	stunt coordinator (as Ben R. Scott)
Ben Scott	....	stunts (as Ben R. Scott)
John-Clay Scott	....	stunts
Hubie Kerns Jr.	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Paolo Cascio	....	additional second assistant camera
Maggie Fox	....	second assistant camera
Larry Gianneschi III	....	additional camera operator
George Kohut	....	camera operator
Peter Kuttner	....	first assistant camera
Daniel A. Miller	....	dolly grip
Mike Moyer	....	chief lighting technician

Casting Department
Catherine Holzer-Ballowe	....	extras casting
Mark A. Ridge	....	extras casting
Barbara L. Roche	....	casting

Music Department
Ross Albert	....	music editor

Transportation Department
George DiLeonardi	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Stephen Andrzejewski	....	assistant location manager
Kathy Bond	....	production assistant
Thomas J. Busch	....	location manager
Mary J. Carlson	....	script supervisor
Maureen Cunningham	....	location manager
T. Daniel	....	choreographer
Lisa Hackett	....	production coordinator
John Iltis	....	unit publicist
Michael Kehoe	....	craft service: Los Angeles
Paul J. Memmi	....	translator
Marsha Zvonkin	....	assistant accountant
Steve Kraus	....	dailies projectionist (uncredited)
Kathy Kristich	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Heather O'Rourke	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1989) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1988) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Esselte Video (1988) (Finland) (video)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1994) (Finland) (TV)
• Vídeo Arte (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Poltergeist III: The Final Chapter (Australia)
Poltergeist III: We're Back (USA) (working title)
Duch III (Poland) [pl]
Fenómenos extraños III (Spain) [es]
I ekdikisi ton daimonon (Greece) [el]
Kötü ruh 3 (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Poltergeist 3 (Finland) [fi]
Poltergeist III (France) [fr]
Poltergeist III (Portugal) [pt]
Poltergeist III - Die dunkle Seite des Bösen (West Germany) [de]
Poltergeist III - O Capítulo Final (Brazil) [pt]
Poltergeist III: ci risiamo (Italy) [it]

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Germany:16 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | USA:PG-13 | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (edited for re-rating) | USA:PG (original rating) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

In this film alone, Carol Anne's name is spoken a total of 118 times.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Pat and Bruce are in the garage being chased by the cars covered in ice and snow, the cars pull out to face them and you can see that the windscreens on the cars have tiny spy holes for the drivers to see through but in the next shot when the cars are still and parked, the spy holes have been covered up.

Quotes:

Donna Gardner: And they thought I was her.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Killing Floor (2007)

Soundtrack:

JUNGLE MUSIC

A little flawed, but acceptable

"Poltergeist III" is easily the weakest of the series.

**SPOILERS**

Staying in Chicago with relatives Bruce, (Tom Skerritt) and Patricia Gardner, (Nancy Allen) and their daughter Donna, (Lara Flynn Boyle) Carol Anne Freeling, (Heather O'Rourke) is trying to start life over with a new family. Almost as soon as they get settled in with each other, strange phenomena begin affecting the family at different locations. They are misinterpreted by her school teachers as something wrong with her, and think she needs to be treated accordingly. Carol Anne was telling the truth, as Reverend Henry Kane, (Nathan Davis) tracks her down and uses his spirits to help him.

The Good News: A sequel to one of the greatest films ever made isn't a big challenge, and this one at least attempts some new ideas. The move into the urban area rather than the suburbs in part 1 or countryside in part 2 is more than welcome and allows for some traps that might be from an unknown source. That is the main source of scares in the film, when an unexpected action occurs from a familiar object. The most obvious is the appearance through the door. It's a striking scene that really leaps out of the screen, as does the gag in the garage. The series of hallway mirror gags are some of the most suspenseful ones in the entire series, and is quite imaginative and clever. The film really picks up once the spirits attack, as all sort of great scenes come up and the pace quickens. The last thirty minutes are undoubtedly the best of the film. This alone makes the film exciting and watchable.

The Bad News: Aside from those, there really wasn't a lot else going on. It just lags a lot in the beginning with needless and uncommonly grating exposition that is hard to get through. It's what really hurts the film, as it just makes the it a chore to sit through. The cheesiness of the film is also a hurting factor. With no real jump scares in it, it has to rely on it's moments to get the job done, but after that, there's really nothing to the film. It's a real shame, as this had a lot of potential, but with one cheesy, over-the-op scene after another just wears you out. The middle section is the most obvious example, as too much time is spent on the initial discovery of the haunted apartment. The teen antics on display are also a great distraction, feeling entirely out of place and in no real help to the film. It could've easily been taken out with no real damage done. There's several other small little scenes here and there that weren't all that great, but those can be dealt with on an individual basis.

The Final Verdict: This is a fun movie if that's what you're looking for, but it's cheesiness with no doubt ruin it for those looking for more of a serious time like the first one. It's worth a rental for fans to determine whether it's okay or not, but it's not without a little groaning moments along the way.

Rated PG-13: Violence, Language and children in jeopardy