Kritzerland Records is releasing a very special title by one of the most beloved soundtrack gurus of the century: a newly-expanded edition of Jerry Goldsmith's score to Poltergeist II: The Other Side.
Released in 1986, four years after the Tobe Hooper-directed/Steven Spielberg-produced original (neither were involved on this project), Poltergest II again finds the Freeling family - Steven (Craig T. Nelson), Diane (JoBeth Williams) and their children Robbie (Oliver Robbins) and Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke) - attacked by another evil being from the afterworld, with only psychic Tangina Barrons (Zelda Rubenstein) and her shaman friend Taylor (Will Sampson) able to aid the family.
Like its predecessor, Poltergeist II was surrounded by tragedy: Dominique Dunne, who played the Freeling's eldest daughter in the original, was murdered shortly after the original film's release in 1982, and Julian Beck, who played the evil Kane, died of stomach cancer during filming. (O'Rourke died before the release of Poltergeist III in 1988, leading many to believe, seriously or not, the franchise was cursed.) But while the sequel lacks the scares or focus of the original (much of Alien creator H.R. Giger's creature design was scrapped), Jerry Goldsmith turns in a typically great score for the film. Only repeating the original film's memorable theme for Carol Anne in places, Goldsmith brings new thematic material to the picture, blending both orchestral and synthesized elements into the final score. (He was by this point a master at this.)
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Kritzerland's specially-priced two-disc set includes all of the original film score (released by Varese Sarabande in 1986, expanded by Intrada in 1993 and expanded even more by Varese in an out-of-print deluxe edition in 2003) as well as several choice alternate tracks, including cues without choir, rare film versions and other goodies. At 1,500 copies, this one is sure to be a strong seller, so click here to order your copy. The full track list is after the jump.
Poltergeist II: The Other Side - An Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack (Kritzerland, 2013)
Disc 1: Film score
- The Power
- Things
- The Mall
- The Past
- Late Call
- The Dream
- Clouds/It’s No Use
- Take Care
- Butterflies
- The Visitor
- Wild Braces
- Leave Us Alone
- The Smoke
- The Drink
- The Worm/Out of the Ceiling
- Faces/Back to Cuesta Verde
- Reaching Out
- End Title (Carol Anne’s Theme)
Disc 2: Bonus material
- Wild Braces (Film Version)
- The Worm (Film Version)
- The Visitor (without choir)
- The Smoke (without choir)
- The Dream (Alternate)
- Late Call (with toy telephone sound effect)
- It’s No Use (Choir Track)
- Star Spangled Banner (Source)
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