Horrorfest 2022 Presents: Poltergeist III (1988, Gary Sherman)

Even though I feel that Poltergeist III is similar in quality to the second one, I did agree with the movie trying to be more creepy and sinister in the same way the original movie operated. It doesn’t completely work, yet there are some good moments I enjoyed and the movie does have a pretty good cast. I’m not surprised that most of the original cast did not come back for the third one, and they explain this away by saying that the Freelings sent young Carol Anne to live with her relatives in Chicago. It’s very sad that Heather O’Rourke passed away shortly before the movie was released, and the movie was dedicated to her memory. This lead to people arguing the series was cursed, which I think is kind of silly. Bad things happen to people whether they make horror movies or not. Anyways Tom Skerritt and Nancy Allen play her uncle and aunt, while Lara Flynn Boyle is their daughter in one of her earlier roles.

There is a neat pool scene that I liked, and the finale is pretty intense to me since I really dislike heights. Zelda Rubinstein pops up back again of course, and there is your typical doctor who thinks none of what is happening is real, and of course pays the price for his disbelief. That character could have been dumped and the movie would have operated just fine without him. The skyscraper setting is quite good, however unfortunately Sherman and company are unable to fully exploit that premise to create a better movie. Too bad since Sherman’s earlier movies are much better than this one. However as noted with the second movie, if you are willing to check out the series you could do worse or better with other franchises, and they’ll probably pop up back on Tubi again soon. I can admire a movie for trying I guess.

Horrorfest 2020 Presents: The Devil’s Rain (1975, Robert Fuest)

While scrolling through Tubi tonight I came across a movie that I have wanted to see for years ever since Roger Ebert gave it a really bad review. That movie is The Devil’s Rain, a piece of 1970s B-movie hilariously so bad it’s fun goodness that only the few will appreciate. Most wisely think it stinks, yet I am not one of those people. This is a film that could have only been made during the 1970s satanic film craze that swept through Hollywood after the success of The Exorcist and The Omen. Both are much better films than this one, however I liked The Devil’s Rain.

This movie has a pretty good cast, perhaps too good for a silly 1970s movie that William Shatner made to pay his bills after Star Trek ended. He’s actually really good in this even though he is not the hero of the movie. That would be Tom Skerritt, who heroically battles the forces of darkness led by the legendary Ernest Borgnine, who knows what kind of movie this is and chews scenery like no one else can. I laughed at some of his lines and thought others were actually neat.

Ida Lupino, Eddie Albert, and Keenan Wynn round out the rest of the cast and even John Travolta makes an appearance, although I’m not sure I spotted him so it was pretty brief. Can I really give a movie like The Devil’s Rain a favorable rating? Sure I can, as I have liked even worse movies than this one. Sometimes having a guilty pleasure is a good thing. As for what the movie’s title means, I have no idea but it sure is cool. Don’t get caught in the devil’s rain or you’ll catch your death! Or a cold. Maybe Guns ‘n’ Roses will make a song and a music video inspired by it later on. You never know.