Poltergeist III: Déclassé, Perhaps, but Great

No one ever told me that Poltergeist III is a great film — quite the opposite. Whenever the 1988 movie comes up (which rarely happens), it’s usually because someone wants to point out how Heather O’Rourke, who played little Carol Anne Freeling, died during its making, a tragic incident that contributed to the superstition that the Poltergeist franchise is cursed. Otherwise, the movie is maligned, the same way that Poltergeist II: The Other Side is maligned.

Well, I can’t really defend Poltergeist II, which is mostly a mediocre retread of the original 1982 classic, dignified only by Julian Beck’s performance as the evil Reverend Kane. But Poltergeist III, while exceedingly different from the first film, is a classic in its own right, and deserving of greater recognition.

Here’s why.

(But before we begin — be warned! This article discusses Poltergeist III in its entirety, which means that there will be spoilers. But come on: the movie is nearly thirty years old!)

Poltergeist III opens with Carol Anne living in Chicago, having been sent there by her parents, Steve and Diane, to stay with her Aunt Trish (Diane’s sister). Aunt Trish, who now prefers to go by Pat (her given name is Patricia), is newly married to Bruce Gardner, the manager of a luxury apartment building. (This building is played…