MGM, 1986

starring: Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams, Heather O’Rourke and Julian Beck
directed by: Brian Gibson

the plot: After the Freelings’ daughter, Carol Anne (O’Rourke), was almost sucked into a supernatural vortex and their house was destroyed, Steve (Nelson) and Diane (Williams) decide to move the family in with Diane’s mother. But the spirits are still after Carol Anne, and this time they’ve taken the form of Rev. Henry Kane (Beck), an unhinged old preacher who has crossed over from the spirit realm and is hunting the young girl. As the ghosts close in on the house, the family gets help from Taylor (Will Sampson), a Native American shaman who offers to assist the Freelings against their spectral pursuers. But soon the spiritual assaults increase, and Diane divines Kane’s true intentions. A century before, Kane led a group of followers to their deaths in a cave under the Freelings’ former house. Now, Kane needs Carol Anne to help him and his deceased followers to move ahead in the afterlife. When Carol Anne and her mother are dragged into the spirit realm, Steve follows, and the family must fight their way out.

why it’s good: One of the few 1980s horror sequels that lives up to the standards of its predecessor, “Poltergeist II” is better than you’d think. Although the guiding hands of Stephen Speilberg and Tobe Hooper, who produced and directed the original, are absent, screenwriters Michael Grais and Mark Victor, authors of the first film, give “Poltergeist II” a mix of creepy ghosts and tender family moments. Julian Beck is delightfully sinister as the evil Rev. Kane, and all the actors, especially JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson, share great chemistry. There aren’t as many memorable sequences as the first film, but a handful—including a scene in which Carol Anne’s younger brother is attacked by his own braces—shine through, thanks to special effects by Richard Edlund, who also worked on “Ghost Busters,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and almost every other ’80s genre film. The best is a scene in which Craig T. Nelson downs a bottle of tequila, worm and all, and becomes possessed by Kane. After a few harrowing moments, he vomits up a giant writhing worm monster with a human face. If that doesn’t put you off the sauce, nothing will.

why you should own it: The first two “Poltergeist” films are definitely worth having in your home library, whether you’re a horror movie fan or not. MGM’s DVD of “Poltergeist II” comes packaged with “Poltergeist III,” a far inferior sequel.