Review #1,407: 'Poltergeist III' (1988)

The promotion and subsequent release of Poltergeist III was overshadowed by the death of 12 year-old star and face of the franchise Heather O'Rourke, from cardiac arrest and septic shock brought on by a misdiagnosed intestinal stenosis. The studio, who understandably wanted to avoid any claims that they may be looking to take advantage of such a devastating tragedy, kept advertising to a minimum, although they had previously pressured director Gary Sherman into completing the film against his wishes. Poltergeist III was a critical and commercial flop, putting an end to the franchise that should have really stopped with Tobe Hooper's original. A lack of promotion cannot be blamed entirely though, as the rushed final edit is an incoherent mess with precious few links to the mythology established in the first two entries. They should have known they were in trouble when original stars JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson turned down the chance to return.

In an attempt to freshen up the series, the action is moved from a suburban home to a luxury skyscraper: A 100-story colossus complete with its own mall and art gallery. In charge of the tower is Bruce Gardner (Tom Skerritt), the new husband of Patricia (Nancy Allen) - the sister of JoBeth William's character. As well as having to adapt to newly married life, Pat is also having to deal with her daughter from a previous marriage, Donna (Lara Flynn Boyle), so the last thing she needs is the arrival of spooky Carol Anne (O'Rourke), who seems to bring trouble with her wherever she goes. I don't recall an explanation given for why the Freeling family would suddenly send the daughter they almost lost twice to an auntie they've never mentioned, but the script by Sherman and Brian Taggert isn't concerned with making too much sense. It's happy to simply drag out the franchise as far as it will go and ignore what made the previous films so popular with audiences. The Freelings always fought off the supernatural forces at play with their unbreakable family bond, but Poltergeist III sidesteps establishing this newly family unit in favour of lazy jump shocks.

The Gardner's don't seem particularly adept at taking care of a traumatised 12 year-old either, happily leaving her in the care of their irresponsible teenage daughter and enlisting her in a special school, where sceptical psychiatrist Dr. Seaton (Richard Fire) believes the spooky events experienced by Carol Anne and the people around her are brought on by some kind of mass hypnosis. This leaves plenty of time for Carol Anne to be harassed by Reverend Kane (Nathan Davis, replacing the late Julian Beck), who still wants her to lead them all into the light. The film quickly dissolves away into a series of set-pieces plucked at random from Cinema's Big Book of Characters in Peril, involving falling through ice and killer cars revving in the underground car park. Without the family bond so purposefully developed over the course of the last two films, these moments lack any dramatic weight. Sherman would prefer to have the characters yell each other's names repeatedly at the expense of actual dialogue, and in one case is happy to toss away one supporting character without any explanation at all. On the positive side, there are some fantastic 'in camera' effects deployed as the spirits use mirrors to communicate with the living world, and the presence of Zelda Rubinstein and Tom Skerritt's moustache is always a pleasure.


Directed by: Gary Sherman
Starring: Tom Skerritt, Nancy Allen, Heather O'Rourke, Zelda Rubinstein, Lara Flynn Boyle
Country: USA

Rating: **

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,238: 'Alien' (1979)

Before the stream of sequels, spin-offs, video games, board games, and it's own incredibly underwhelming origin story, and before this year's shameless yet occasionally entertaining rip-off Life, there was Ridley Scott's Alien, a masterclass in how to create an A-picture out of a B-list idea and budget. Even before that of course, there was Mario Bava's Planet of the Vampires, but Scott infuses his film with such elegance, sheer horror, and it's very own mythos (which would be tirelessly explored in the aforementioned extended multi-media universe), that to label the seminal sci-fi classic as plagiarism of Bava's interesting, if schlocky, 60's space opera would be preposterous (although it clearly draws inspiration). As a favourite of most children growing up in the 80's and 90's, Alien joins the likes of Jaws, Back to the Future, The Goonies and Close Encounters of the Third Kind as one of the untouchable genre classics.

The crew of the Nostronomo, a starship freighter owned by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation are awoken from hypersleep by an urgent message from the on-board computer, Mother. A signal has been detected coming from a nearby planetoid, and by the terms of their contract they are obligated to investigate. The crew are a rag-tag bunch of what can only be described as working-class space truckers; scruffy, chain-smoking, and constantly complaining about pay. Many of them, including Warrant Officer Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), object to the unnecessary risk, but Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt) overrules. Touching down on the dark, desolate planet, they quickly come across a crashed alien ship containing the dead body of a large, unknown species. Executive Officer Kane (John Hurt) probes further, eventually discovering what appears to be a nesting area. One of the eggs opens, and a spider-like creature attaches itself to his face, rendering him unresponsive but alive.

It's isn't difficult to work out how things unravel from this point. After the shock of the 'chestburster' scene (which I still recall seeing for the first time as a youngster), Alien follows the tradition of the slasher flick. But one of the many things that separates the film from the formulaic tedium of the slasher genre is the care Scott takes with showing you very little. The brief glimpses of the xenomorph, growing rapidly as the film progresses, are terrifying enough, but it's the long moments between the kills that makes Alien so engrossing. The design of the ship's interior is dark and dank, almost reptilian in appearance, purposely sculpted to make it seem that the creature could pop out of any corner of the screen, at any time. Our fears are confirmed in one particularly effective sequence involving the search for the ship's cat Jones, where what appears to be some harmless tubing in the background suddenly turns into an oozing, snarling face..

Now one of the most iconic monsters in cinema history, the xenomorph is a clever accumulation of our worst fears. A creature of pure survival, it serves only to prolong the existence of its species, whether it be to wipe out any possible threat, or using its victims as hosts for its offspring. James Cameron's admittedly excellent sequel threw more of them at the screen, and the subsequent films opted for CGI. But there is nothing scary about special effects, and Bolaji Badejo's performance inside the suit proves that practical effects can stand the test of time, and completely terrify when employed correctly. The alien isn't the only star of the show however, as Sigourney Weaver's badass survivor Ripley is one of the silver screen's most recognisable and much-loved heroines, in a role that could have been a simple 'last girl' routine in the hands of a lesser actor. She is backed up by a fantastic cast that also includes Veronica Cartwright, Ian Holm, Harry Dean Stanton and Yaphet Kotto, all making their archetype characters feel alive. But the real star is Scott who, having gone off the boil in recent years, reminds us of a time when he was capable of delivering pure cinematic magic.


Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto
Country: UK/USA

Rating: *****

Tom Gillespie

Review #805: 'The Dead Zone' (1983)

Throughout the 1980's and 90's, there seemed to be a Stephen King adaptation released every other week. Although his output is undeniably prolific, I've always found King's work, for the most part, formulaic and lacking originality, and many of the big screen adaptations fair far worse. There are exceptions, of course, namely genre classics Carrie (1976) and The Shining (1980). The great directors Brian De Palma and Stanley Kubrick managed to turn King's often plodding narrative into a gripping visual spectacle. Canadian auteur David Cronenberg does something similar with The Dead Zone, and although it lacks the greatness of the aforementioned masterpieces, it is a wonderfully made and solidly-acted film.

It follows Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken), a happy schoolteacher who is madly in love with girlfriend Sarah (Brooke Adams). After suffering a headache on a rollercoaster, he declines Sarah's invitation to stay the night and drives home. On his way, he has a car accident which leaves him in a coma. When he wakes up, he discovers he's lost 5 years of his life and Sarah is now married with a child. After touching a nurse's hand, he sees her daughter trapped in a burning house and warns her. It turns out the coma has left Johnny with the ability to see people's past, present and future, and also the power to change the future with foresight. News of his new gift spreads, and his abilities are called upon by local sheriff Bannerman (Tom Skerritt), who asks Johnny to assist in solving a series of murders.

That is only half of the plot. Characters seem to come and go and eventually the film switches focus to corrupt Senatorial candidate Greg Stillson (Martin Sheen). Cronenberg and screenwriter Jeffrey Boam do their best to streamline King's sprawling plot, but without a focused narrative, the film can sometimes be as sketchy as King's novel. But Walken is great, helping create a character to really care about, and the supporting actors just as good. Rather than offer lazy jump-shocks, Cronenberg is patient and careful to drum up an atmosphere which makes the supernatural themes feel oddly naturalistic. It's far from the Canadian's best, but The Dead Zone is finely made and greatly entertaining.


Directed by: David Cronenberg
Starring: Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerritt, Herbert Lom, Martin Sheen
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie

Review #552: 'Top Gun' (1986)

Following his shocking suicide earlier this year, director Tony Scott's legend was cemented, with actors and fellow directors flooding to pay tribute to the man that delivered the likes of The Last Boy Scout (1991) and Crimson Tide (1995). Personally, with the greatest respect, I feel his death has overshadowed what was a relatively average career, in which his finest achievement, the Tarantino-scripted True Romance (1993), was possibly his most low-octane film, given that he is most fondly remembered for his work in the action field. Therefore, it seemed the perfect time to re-visit his most popular film, Top Gun, the high-fiving homoerotica-fest that cemented the careers of both Scott and star Tom Cruise, a film that they are still, 26 years later, best remembered for.

With top fighter pilot Cougar (John Stockwell) losing his nerve during a dogfight and dropping out of the Air Force, hot-shot pilot Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell is offered the chance to join the Top Gun flight school. Fancying himself as the best of the best, Maverick, along with his RIO lieutenant Goose (Anthony Edwards), sets about establishing a name for himself with grand stunts and a cocky attitude, almost coming to blows with his fellow elite students, namely Iceman (Val Kilmer). He even finds time to romance instructor Charlie Blackwood (Kelly McGillis). But when a tragic accident occurs, Maverick must do a bit of soul-searching, and question his ability to live up to the legend of his father.

For a film that remains so immensely popular, Top Gun is shockingly bad. The almost unbearable swagger of the now slightly creepy Scientology dwarf Tom Cruise leads to many moments of teeth-grinding anger-inducement, with the much-imitated You've Got That Lovin' Feeling karaoke moment being simply embarrassing. But with most square-jawed, Reagan-era 1980's action films comes much hilarity, with the best-selling soundtrack proving to be the king of synthesised cheddar, and the near-constant homoeroticism questioning the era's view of a 'man's man'. The volleyball scene is especially jaw-dropping, with slow-motion arse-slapping and greased-up torso's aplenty, playing out like a pre-sex ritual by Cruise and Kilmer.

The film is real justification of Tony Scott's reputation as a great action director. The dogfight scenes are filmed beautifully, with rapid editing and spectacular framing generating real excitement between all the crud (especially impressive given the cost of flying these machines and the heavily-restricted time-frames in which the crew had to shoot within). Yet whenever the film is in danger of getting quite good, it delves into another cliche or shifts the focus back to the uninvolving romance between Maverick and Charlie, with scenes involving Maverick's inner-demon fighting especially causing the fists to clench. With a film having the ability to be so bad and rather good in equal measures, it's hard to really justify it's massive fan-base and endless imitations, yet it's also difficult to deny.


Directed by: Tony Scott
Starring: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt, Michael Ironside
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie