10 Bad Horror Movies With AWESOME Effects
8. The Mirrors - Poltergeist III
The risible Poltergeist III is only remembered for two things - the fact that young star Heather O'Rourke tragically died mere months before its release, and director Gary Sherman's inspired use of practical mirror effects throughout the film.
Special effects co-ordinator Calvin Joe Acord made good on the movie's tightened budget - having just half the price tag of the second film - by relying primarily on practical effects.
Throughout the film, what we see happening in mirrors and reflections doesn't match up to what's transpiring in reality - characters move differently in their reflections, giving the entire movie an unsettlingly off-kilter vibe, no matter how bad it otherwise is.
The effect was achieved numerous ways as a given scene required, including seamless use of split-screen camera setups and motion-tracked matte paintings, but for most of the scenes Sherman and Acord used entirely in-camera room doubling.
Basically, the "reflection" is actually another set built to accurately resemble what should appear in the mirror, complete with actors hired to serve as doubles for the main cast members.
Even if you know how it's all done, though, it's a remarkable achievement and clearly deserved a stronger script to accompany its ingenuity.