Siskel & Ebert Poltergeist III (1988) Review

Review

[@James-Ram]

"A 100 times I heard the name Carol Anne! Carol Anne! Carol Anne!" Hahahaha! I loved it when Siskel went off on a film he didn't like

[@SirHatchporch]

"I hope they got free tickets." "I hope they didn't." LOL

[@kaejae24]

one of the best siskel one liners

[@blendedbananas]

That was excellent.

[@augustandjune]

"Carol Anne" was said about 123 times.

[@MikeGilroyMusic]

Just by Tangina right? Haha

[@Dim4323]

A hunder times they shout Carol anne carole anne carole anne. Also how many times they shoulr bruce or patricia

[@michaelmyers3709]

It’s actually more, 141 apparently

[@Nathan-gd7xq]

Me and my friend Bob played a drinking game. Every time someone said "Carol-Anne" we took a drink. R.I.P. Bob.

[@ganglabesh]

Lol.

[@michaelmyers3709]

It’s apparently said 141 times

[@bobthebear1246]

Then how did YOU live? 🤔

[@DanielSelk]

I caught the Carol-Anne thing too! I was like "How many times are they going to call out to her in this thing??" =P

[@ThePoreproductions]

Daniel Selk Well, look on the bright side. When the remake of the 1st poltergeist comes out next month, the audience probably won't hear the name "Carol Anne" at all!

[@augustandjune]

Daniel Selk I actually sat down and counted the Carol Annes. Pre-credits, the movie is 94:03. In that time, Carol Anne's name was mentioned no less than 123 times. It was probably said more, but the audio was a little muffled in places. Now you know...I have no life. lol

[@JosephRGrych]

Just add that sound clip of Liz Taylor yelling back, "Whaddya want!?" from Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

[@teepop4199]

All of the online clips of this review cut out Roger's comment about Gene's suggestion that a joke should be in the movie where someone just cries out "Carol!" Rogers says that it wouldn't have been that great of a joke either. Hysterical! I love how these two would try not to let the other get the last word. This is still one of my favorite reviews of theirs. You can FEEL the energy between them as they tear apart this movie. :-)

[@TripperGetem]

"I hope they got free tickets" "I hope they didn't" 😂😂😂

[@linkbiff1054]

Nothing better than hearing Gene and Roger trash a movie. RIP.

[@michaelmyers3709]

Did they ever do anything else

[@linkbiff1054]

@@michaelmyers3709 Half the time they praised a movie. A lot of times when they didn’t like something they were usually gentle. But tearing up a film like they did here didn’t happen a whole lot. When they did, it was awesome.

[@Dim4323]

Cause of too many charecters shouting CAROLE ANN

[@rickytrottier5505]

​@@michaelmyers3709There were plenty of films they praised. Particularly Hoop Dreams.

[@allieelectra23]

I loved the movie . I was way ahead of it's time for 1988 . Could have had a better ending but it's understandable because of Heather's death .

[@joel8583]

True that, Heather.

[@CelestialWoodway]

You have bad taste.

[@sha11235]

She died after the film wrapped, if I'm not mistaken.

[@ilovebrandnewcarpets]

Yikes. It was complete trash.

[@pferreira1983]

@@ilovebrandnewcarpets It has good things about it.

[@Mst3kfan1994]

Gene's little joke at the end is one of my favorite moments from this show.

[@andrewrabon]

"Carol Anne! Carol Anne!" "Kagome!" "Inuyasha!"

[@Dim4323]

DONKEY!

[@1andonlyzara]

The scene where Zelda Rubinstein is trying to coax Carol Anne out through the window, she says Carol Anne's name in every single sentence, often more than once. Sometimes even the sentence is just "Carol Anne?" I think the screenwriter just loved the name Carol Anne that he put it at least five times in ever scene!

[@sha11235]

Carole Anne! Carole Anne! I might've been funny in the theater and gone, "Stella!"

[@Nathan-gd7xq]

I would have said "Martha!" and hopefully someone else would have replied with "Why did you say that name?"

[@jollycryptofficial223]

What's the girls name in this movie again?

[@natalieps2387]

Her real name is heather orourke

[@TopFlightSecurity415]

i thought the third one was better than the second , scared me a lot more.....but the constant carol- ann did get on my nervs

[@Clay3613]

PREACH! Shame that production problems and Heather's death altered the original intentions.

[@gor9027]

Ebert and Siskel roasting this movie and the screenwriters making college student level mistakes with their screenplay is awesome.

[@5eurocups2005]

They said her name 121 times

[@gspendlove]

With his VERY FIRST SENTENCE, Ebert kicks this movie's ass up around its ears!

[@MrDeliriaframe]

3:17 haha Ebert made me laugh when he said that.

[@UniteForgetLeftRight]

This movie creeped me the fuck out when I first saw it. But I did get tired of hearing Carol Anne all the time.

[@rockie0708]

The first movie was fantastic. The Henry Kane scenes in number 2 was great. Then all down hill.

[@jimsuniverse4954]

The John Hancock Center is easily the best thing about this movie.

[@SaintMartins]

Anyone else come here immediatley after watching "Minty's :10 things you didn't know about Poltergiest 3" video to see this Siskel & Ebert review in full ? Carol ANNN !!!!!!

Ebert's opening statements are downright insulting. The issue of nobody noticing the supernatural occurrences could be explained away with the ghosts projecting specifically to the main characters. The Warrens loved that excuse to blow off inconstancies in paranormal stories, so why can't we use it in fiction? It's depressing how many fantastic special effects are employed in this movie but get completely ignored because of observations like that about the script. The movie is obviously not a masterpiece, but there's a lot of really good shit in it.

[@DahliaLegacy]

My favorite is the mirror one when she grabs onto herself. @.@ I don't know, I loved it, still do. With these movies there's a certain amount of suspension of disbelief and cheese. Maybe it's because I'm a horror movie fan, but it's so refreshing they aren't slut shamming people, or having one guy go after a group of teens with a bladed weapon of some kind. Like you have to take the wins where you can get them, and although it does have campy to it, it's a win to me.

[@hieloluna]

This was the equivalent of no script. The proverbial name calling, which did nothing but use up running time to compensate for little to no lines in a near empty script. The random horror scenes that had no rhyme or reason other then to fill the massive void of the empty script. You will notice a lot of horror movies go this route. What does that tell you?

[@thesimplisticseth]

Ebert is hilarious!

[@elheadkickio]

Another thing they didn't mention is that the music sounded like it was done on a casio, which really undercut any potentially scary moments.

[@Krokodilius]

this is the only one of these 3 movies that scares me... oh god why am i watching this at night..

[@joel8583]

Bored perhaps?

[@janiedoe1542]

If SISKEL and Ebert was still alive, I wonder what they would think about the New Poltergeist Movie and Jurassic World and Tremors 5 too?.

[@sha11235]

+Janie Doe Jurassic World they might've liked.

[@crazedmartinez]

sha11235 no way they barely liked the first jurrasic park and that was way better

[@joel8583]

True that. Im absolutely certain they would have hated the hell out the Poltergeist remake. I couldn't get through past 20 minutes of that garbage.

[@Patrick19833]

I doubt they would have reviewed Tremors 5 if they were alive. It was a direct to video release. They hardly review Direct To Video and Made For TV movies. They did not even review Tremors 2 Aftershocks when they were alive!

[@Patrick19833]

@@crazedmartinez I dunno because Roger Ebert liked Jurassic Park III.

[@jameskennedy4377]

I always think of this review whenever I see that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is on. Siskel and Ebert would have had a great time counting how many times the characters shout "Ox!" in that movie.

[@THEremiXFACTOR]

Or 'Jonesy!'

[@jameskennedy4377]

Good point.

[@Patrick19833]

Too bad neither will be alive to review the remake.

[@kdohertygizbur]

Maybe their lucky they couldn't It stunk

[@mmmfloorpie]

This is the only Siskel and Ebert review where I ever got the impression that they rehearsed their dialogue... And that was when Roger says "I hope they got free tickets" and Gene says "I hope they didn't".

[@HumanBeanbag]

I caught that too.

[@TheEarlymtv]

I thought it was scary...

[@thomascurran4527]

It's a great movie

[@gonjafarma89]

Not as scary as it should've been and as an experience myself, plus researcher, I know that spirits, ESPECIALLY with power and anger of that magnitude would NOT go quietly. Not to mention the fact that it was established that they refuse to go into the light. But I'm not gonna review it, I just felt I should say something.

[@PJVids83]

If you actually see this movie, you might wonder if the Dr. Seaton character was a stand-in for Gene Siskel.

[@jimmyfaustjr6413]

this movie was hilarious 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@GiantBoarMonster]

CAROL-ANN!!!!

[@stevetrano4840]

She still played a great roll..not that' bad as they put it but most movie s could never beat the first.....🙏🌷💖

[@shannamartinez9494]

CarolAnne!

[@JoeyArmstrong2800]

I can't watch any of these movies without thinking of Heather O'Rourke. Whatever merits they have is just lost on me. A total bummer experience.

[@flatcapman]

has it crossed their brains Kaine displaced the building once he gotten his link and also none of the other people are affected???

[@anthem47]

It is a bad movie, but I kind of like the mirrors and reflections theme and the practical effects using them, I'd like to see another (better) movie take a crack at that.

[@TrekBeatTK]

There’s some really good mirror effects work at play. A shame there’s not enough movie to hang them on.

[@ReverendBenzo]

I wonder if this movie said "Carol Anne" more times than Tom's Cruise's Oblivion said "Jack".

[@SheenaJackson39]

I like this movie a lot. It's way better than the first and second Poltergeist. But... that's just me!

[@JM_-ix7yh]

great review

[@daverossi5436]

See 'Mirrors' with Kiefer Sutherland. Excellent premise. Not perfect, there are some flaws but it's really well done.

[@cherylandrews8323]

I think this film always have tbh I not one for horror movies but I love this film and Chucky etc ps rest in peace heather such a fantastic actor and God bless her family

[@janiedoe1542]

I'm still wondering what they thought about the 2015 Poltergeist movie, Jurassic World, Tremors 5, The Peanuts Movie, Home, etc. etc.

[@crazedmartinez]

Janie Doe they are both dead .

[@stephenkissane4268]

Some scenes are effective in this one

[@BluegrassFilmsKY]

They said Carol Anne 100 times? Wow this film would make a great drinking game!

[@anthem47]

Oh nice, thanks I'll check it out. I really like Kiefer Sutherland too, so I'm sold!

[@figment1988]

I feel sorry for anyone foolish enough to make a drinking game out of this movie.

[@michaeljoyce6766]

Poltergeist 3 is bad but I'll still take it over the remake anyday

[@danieldalton6544]

Yes, it was a dreadful sequel and in general an awful movie. A shame that had to be Heather O'Rourke's last film. A better director, script, composer, visual effects team and budget could've yielded better results. Cheap cash in (I believe was originally intended for Showtime network) released to theaters to capitalize on O'Rourke's untimely death. On the list of worst sequels and movies ever, joining the ranks of Jaws the Revenge and Superman IV: The Quest For Peace.

[@TheJameslehr]

This BALCONY is NOW CLOSED. And sadly from now on. Ebert will be missed. & I believe HEATHER O'ROURKE had died shortly before the movie was released. & This thing with the repetitious name-calling..... usually it's the other way around. You don't get to hear the names mentioned.

[@Patrick19833]

Did they ever review the second movie?

[@NovaFeedback1979]

In print they did.

[@blendedbananas]

"Carol..."

[@dazzybabe]

2 seconds in to Poltergeist II.

[@natalieps2387]

I love best their funny reactions to bad films. This one red Sonya & Leonard part 6 are hysterical. Anyone else can name so hysterical movie reviews ?

[@BurninJester]

why all the dislikes?

[@ZafriusRasnake]

The poltergeist curse? Cat got your tough, Ebert?

[@Foebane72]

I just saw this movie on Netflix, and aside from some nice creepy mirror effects, it really is a stinker.

[@lowbudgetboy12]

2 seconds into the pre-production of Poltergiest 2

[@UniteForgetLeftRight]

it scared me pretty good when i was a kid

[@hithr3000]

I never really noticed until just now what condescending personalities they both have.

[@ZarahLean]

@weirdscience85 Thanks and much love

[@whyyyyou]

The movie is lousy but I enjoyed the ending where Kane and the medium go into the light. That's all Kane really wanted; he was tired of being a scary earthbound ghost and just wanted to be at peace. So he finally gets his eternal rest, and the lame Poltergeist sequels mercifully come to an end. What a relief!

[@josephlabel5211]

Until Kane laughs in the last shot for a cheap shot of a thrilling ending. But yeah.

[@Anarchist86ed]

The good old days...

[@barbedheart]

"Wouldn't have been a great joke either"

[@chriskimmel7736]

The little girl died before the movie came out

[@lowbudgetboy12]

when did the franchise that started out haunting and scary start to suck?

[@027220]

I hope they didn't either 'cause they could ask for their money back.

[@UrielEternal]

How many people died from playin' in that series? What an erie concept?

[@ryana2684]

Carol....? LOL

[@027220]

They 'both' gave this thumbs down. 2:46 - :57

[@BluegrassFilmsKY]

I know what I'm doing on New Years Eve! :)

[@Dim4323]

STEVE STEVE STEVE

[@MichaelLeroi]

@SupaRileyBoy i laughed so hard at that!

[@Possi_ball]

That's not possible man, you'll be on the floor after 15 minutes.

[@pensacolian211]

I liked the movie then, and I still like it today. Those scenes with the mirrors, and that scene where the floor opens up scared me when I was a kid. I like 3 better than the first, but I've got to re-watch 2 again before I can say whether or not 3 is my favorite of the series. I just remember being really freaked out by the stuff with the mirrors though. I'd never seen anything like it, and it really messed with my head. I show the movie to my kid now, and he just kind of looks at me like I'm an idiot. He's 6 and doesn't think anything is scary though. If I'd seen half the stuff he has at that age I would have been traumatized for life.

[@LillyBunnyBoo]

Yeah, we get it, CAROL ANNE.

[@connorbrennan4233]

"Carol Ann" "Carol Ann" "Carol Ann" O.K. Saying the names too much is pretty stupid. Ebert makes the same point in his review of Hellraiser II.

[@crazedmartinez]

Connor Brennan they do it in titanic as well "jack " .... " rose". But no one noticed because it's a great movie

[@Dim4323]

CAROLE ANN CAROLE ANN BRUCE BRUCE BRUCE PATRICA!

[@boomvipers7253]

Hi Guys. I am a way cool super groovy hip Ebert fanboy in Bulgaria. This sexy man fills my lonely nights with his recs on old shows! How can people say he is ugly.....he looks better than me

[@noradosmith]

This was one of the worst films ever made, ever.

[@KramSacul]

Not even close.

[@charlesmorrison862]

Try the house on haunted hill.

[@eddiewilliams4532]

Unfriended was the worst movie ever made

[@joel8583]

Troll II sucked bad.

[@Dim4323]

John Doe you can make a game out of this where you have to shout CAROLE ANN CAROLE ANN CAROLE ANN

[@chipmichaels5197]

Too bad they didn't film this at Trump Tower. He could've played Satan.

[@Diamhea]

carol anne!

[@IamSnoogans]

Somewhere amidst the unnecessary first sequel.

[@KaijuKingGojira]

@ZarahLean dude how could you hate gene siskel and roger ebert there awesome thats like me saying i hate you because you do your job and do you only hate because that face book thing thats old man

[@Clay3613]

Talking about common sense when it comes to the supernatural? I suppose the Exorcist isn't real enough either!

[@sleepcrime]

The movie itself was utter shit but was still easier to sit through than their review of it.

[@BipolarBowler]

When you think of this movie it's easy to realize you've forgot about reality.

[@gspendlove]

Another thing about this stupid movie is the music. It's like they just let a couple of cats walk around and rest on a Yamaha or something. It's not even as good as Peter Bretter's music from _Crime Scene: Scene of the Crime_.

[@MrDragonranger]

Where was Jerry Goldsmith when you need him?

[@johnwihebrink4017]

This movie was boring and sad. The whole movie doesn't make any sense.

[@nemass26]

I guess it's not everyone's cup of tea.they could have done better in some parts more than others. But when you hear what the warns had to say about similar cases it has a feel of this is alot more mild than other documented stuff

[@Cytron1515]

This movie was shit. The worst of the 3. Poltergeist 1 is one of the scariest and best horror films ever. Poltergeist 2, thought not as good as the first did have its scary moments. But this was absolute shit.

[@ZafriusRasnake]

Well these days, you have to watch your mouth about talking crap. ahahahaha.

[@blackpeter70]

Oy...I actually feel stupider after watching this dross. The dialogue is asinine, and this is also Tom Skerritt's worst performance! Crud!

[@MovieFanatic25]

God did this movie suck

[@lordbaethan]

I've seen better movies and I've seen worse movies. 2 out of 5 for me

[@Maniac1607]

One of the worst sequels ever.

[@charliesarasyoutubeadventu7539]

This isn’t a review, it’s just spoilers.

[@cesiumbob7278]

Boy this movie along with Poltergeist II: The Other Side are just depressing, boring movies. They put me to sleep. The first Poltergeist film was fun but the others are simply dreadful.