PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Ever have a fear of something? Where did this fear develop? Many of mine actually came from my fanatic love of horror movies as a child, especially the three Poltergeist movies. This June 10th marks the 30th anniversary of the third movie in the series, Poltergeist III, which released in 1988. So, in tribute to the final paranormal experience of Carol Anne and the Freeling family, let’s take a look back at what’s so memorable about the final Poltergeist movie.
Many childhood fears were created by the horror movies of the ’80s, but the Poltergeist franchise was quite successful in instigating so many of these. Let’s run down the list of anxieties that were created by watching the Poltergeist trilogy: clowns, braces, televisions, tequila, swimming pools, creepy old preachers, closets, trees, and puddles. It must be noted that Poltergeist III created the biggest terror of them all… the fear of mirrors.
Poltergeist III showed that mirrors could be used as a portal for the same evil that had been chasing Carol Anne in the previous two films. Using mirrors was quite a creative vehicle to strike fear in audiences. There are many terrifying scenes that stand out in Poltergeist III that are created by the use of mirrors, but there are three for me that are at the top this list.
The first one is the initial scene of the movie with Carol Anne sitting innocently on her bed in the bedroom of a luxury skyscraper. The walls and door to the left of her are covered in mirrors, and on her right is a wall of windows. A kind window washer waves to Carol Anne, and then proceeds down to clean his next pane of glass. The little girl looks down and sees the evil Kane, the creature who has tormented her throughout the franchise. Here it is revealed that she is surrounded by wickedness in a place where she is supposed to feel safe.
The next mirror-related scene is the one with Carol Anne at a counseling session with the psychiatrist at her school, Dr. Seaton. He has hypnotized the little girl to get her to talk about the evil presence that has been chasing her. While under hypnosis, she imagines herself looking at the two-way mirror behind Dr. Seaton. She warns, “If you talk about things, they happen.” Boy, was she right! The reflection shows a hand breaking through the desk to grab a coffee mug, which it throws at the mirror, shattering it.
The best is always saved for last. The most terrifying scene of Poltergeist III takes place when Tangina, Bruce, and Patricia go back to the apartment building to help Carol Anne escape the horror that has trapped her in the mirrors. They see her in the mirror holding her Speak and Spell, but are unable to help her as the evil is quickly approaching. Suddenly, the evil Carol Anne reaches out from the glass to touch Tangina, who instantly transforms into a petrified corpse and falls to the floor. As if the horrific sight of a dead person lying on the floor wasn’t scary enough, the fright is amped up as a hand reaches from inside her head and suddenly, Carol Anne’s cousin, Donna, emerges.
This is a wonderful ending to the franchise that succeeded in striking fear in ’80s audiences and beyond. There are wonderful performances by Tom Skerritt, Zelda Rubinstein, and Laura Flynn Boyle, as well as a great final performance by Heather O’Rourke as Carol Anne, who passed away in 1988 before post-production of the film could be completed.
In honor of Poltergeist III celebrating its 30th anniversary, why not give it another viewing, but always remember to keep repeating to yourself. “It’s only a movie… it’s only a movie…” We are all adults now, so there is no need to be scared of mirrors anymore. Right?
