Steven Spielberg Directed ‘Poltergeist,’ Says the Film’s Assistant Cameraman

[Jay 37,364]

"Hooper was so nice and just happy to be there. He creatively had input. Steven developed the movie, and it was his to direct, except there was anticipation of a director’s strike, so he was ‘the producer’ but really he directed it in case there was going to be a strike and Tobe was cool with that. It wasn’t anything against Tobe. Every once in a while, he would actually leave the set and let Tobe do a few things just because. But really, Steven directed it.”

 

http://www.indiewire.com/2017/07/steven-spielberg-directed-poltergeist-tobe-hooper-1201855869/

[Bryant Burnette 654]

Seems certain that he directed at least some of it, but it seems certain that Hooper also directed at least some of it.

 

I think it plays like a Spielberg movie in every essential way; I always think of it as one of his movies, for sure. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,533]

Well, of course he did. We've known this for 35 years! 

[Jay 37,364]

14 hours ago, Richard said:

Well, if course he did. We've known this for 35 years! 

 

"if course"?

 

Sure, of course its old knowledge/rumor, the point is that this guy is going on record as saying it.  If you read the actual article, it contains more information that the headline.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,533]

Sorry, Jay, but it contains no more information than have already read, in various articles, and SS bios, throughout the years. It's nice to have it confirmed, though. My question is: why? Why not just let it lie, and enjoy a rollicking good film about motherlove, with some nice sidesweeps at TV culture, thrown in?

[Quintus 5,399]

6 minutes ago, Jay said:

 

"if course"?

 

Sure, of course its old knowledge/rumor, the point is that this guy is going on record as saying it.  If you read the actual article, in contains more information that the headline.

 

"in contains"?

[Fancyarcher 350]

Eh, I always assumed that it was a Spielberg / Hooper joint, it doesn't feel like a Spielberg film 100% of the way anyway, especially since there are a few darker moments that Spielberg usually wouldn't direct, especially back then. Spielberg himself didn't seem to care that he didn't get credit anyway.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,533]

That's because he couldn't. Union rules at the time prevented him from directing two films at once. If you study the film, you'll find it's stylistically more SS, than TH. It also marks a turning-point, where SS started to move away from strong male characters, to strong female characters.

[Fancyarcher 350]

24 minutes ago, Richard said:

That's because he couldn't. Union rules at the time prevented him from directing two films at once. If you study the film, you'll find it's stylistically more SS, than TH. It also marks a turning-point, where SS started to move away from strong male characters, to strong female characters.

 

I'm aware. I've seen Hopper's Cannon films, Eaten Alive, & The Funhouse though, so there are certain scenes that I actually believe Hopper directed. 

[Brundlefly 2,385]

35 minutes ago, Fancyarcher said:

Eh, I always assumed that it was a Spielberg / Hooper joint, it doesn't feel like a Spielberg film 100% of the way anyway, especially since there are a few darker moments that Spielberg usually wouldn't direct, especially back then.

It feels like 100% Spielberg. It's even one of his most spielbergian films. It's cool that he's one time collaborated with Jerry Goldsmith. I mean honestly is there any doubt it wasn't Spielberg? In my film collection the Poltergeist Blu-Ray has always been between E.T. and The Temple of Doom. The only place where it belongs to.

 

Nevermind, it's nice to have it confirmed.

[Fancyarcher 350]

7 minutes ago, Brundlefly said:

It feels like 100% Spielberg. It's even one of his most spielbergian films. It's cool that he's one time collaborated with Jerry Goldsmith. I mean honestly is there any doubt it wasn't Spielberg? In my film collection the Poltergeist Blu-Ray has always been between E.T. and The Temple of Doom. The only place where it belongs to.

 

Tthe stacking chair sequence definitely doesn't feel very "Spielbergian", along with some smaller scenes. In my estimation I'd say about 80% or so of the film feels like Spielberg may have made it, which is a lot mind you. It's definitely his film though, because he came up with the concept and story at least. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,533]

5 minutes ago, Fancyarcher said:

 

I'm aware. I've seen Hopper's Cannon films, Eaten Alive, & The Funhouse though, so there are certain scenes that I actually believe Hopper directed. 

 

It would be interesting to know exactly who directed what. The hands seen in the "ripping the face off" scene, are actually, SS's.

 

5 minutes ago, Brundlefly said:

 Poltergeist Blu-Ray has always been between E.T. and The Temple of Doom. The only place where it belongs to.

 

 

Actually, Seth, it should go before E.T., as it was released one week before it.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

34 minutes ago, Fancyarcher said:

Hooper joint

 

Hehehe

 

34 minutes ago, Fancyarcher said:

 there are a few darker moments that Spielberg usually wouldn't direct, especially back then. 

 

You mean scenes like these?

 

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,533]

Nice.

 

 

3 minutes ago, Fancyarcher said:

 

Disagree, for me the stacking chair sequence definitely doesn't feel very "Spielbergian", along with some smaller scenes. In my estimation I'd say about 80% or so of the film feels like Spielberg may have made it, which is a lot mind you. It's definitely his film though, because he came up with the concept and story at least. 

 

It's the themes that set it apart: suburbia, pop culture, strong family values. 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

He also wrote the bloody thing, so I'm at a loss as to what moments were "too dark" for him as a director, or how they were "not very Spielbergian".

[Fancyarcher 350]

4 minutes ago, Richard said:

 

It would be interesting to know exactly who directed what. The hands seen in the "ripping the face off" scene, are actually, SS's.

 

 

 

Actually, Seth, it should go before E.T., as it was released one week before it.

 

I can imagine that Hopper directed maybe 25% of the film, though I'm only making an assumption here. 

 

4 minutes ago, Sally Spectra said:

 

Hehehe

 

 

You mean scenes like these?

 

 

 

 

Of course I never doubted Spielberg's ability to direct super-dark sequences, that scene just feels much more "grittier'" and difference from your average Spielberg sequence like that, but hey you never know. 

 

2 minutes ago, Richard said:

It's the themes that set it apart: suburbia, pop culture, strong family values. 

 

Well, Spielberg also worked on the script and it was his idea anyway, so that's not really surprising. 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,533]

Again...TH was a dummy company. It's perfectly feasible that he wanted to stamp his signature on the piece, but was not allowed to.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

2 minutes ago, Richard said:

Actually, Seth, it should go before E.T., as it was released one week before it.

Oh, thank you. I don't know whether it's in front of or behind E.T., but in case it's at the wrong place I will correct that.

 

7 minutes ago, Fancyarcher said:

Tthe stacking chair sequence definitely doesn't feel very "Spielbergian", along with some smaller scenes. In my estimation I'd say about 80% or so of the film feels like Spielberg may have made it, which is a lot mind you. It's definitely his film though, because he came up with the concept and story at least. 

Then tell me what is Schindler's List?   10%?   Spielberg is very eclectic.   Very few are clearly Spielberg, but Poltergeist, E.T. and Jaws are very recognizable as his works.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

It's easy for some to fall for this myth that Spielberg was a juvenile-minded director pre-Schindler's List and would therefore recoil at directing anything "dark" so as not to upset the kiddies.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,533]

As far as I'm concerned, every film that says "Directed By Steven Spielberg" is definitely directed by Steven Spielberg. He wouldn't have it any other way.

 

Seth, whether POLTERGEIST was completed before, E T., I do not know, but it was released before E.T.

[Fancyarcher 350]

7 minutes ago, Richard said:

Again...TH was a dummy company. It's perfectly feasible that he wanted to stamp his signature on the piece, but was not allowed to.

 

Hopper was very difficult to work with back then, and he hated the Hollywood system. I can only imagine he agreed to take credit and add scenes because he assumed the film would be a big hit due to Spielberg's involvement. 

 

6 minutes ago, Brundlefly said:

Then tell me what is Schindler's List?   10%?   Spielberg is very eclectic.   Very few are clearly Spielberg, but Poltergeist, E.T. and Jaws are very recognizable as his works.

 

Yes Spielberg can "eccentric" in his style from time to time like any director (I'm a big fan of course), I'm just saying there are certain sequences that don't completely feel like his own. Mind you this is just what I think. 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

1 minute ago, Richard said:

As far as I'm concerned, every film that says "Directed By Steven Spielberg" is definitely directed by Steven Spielberg. He wouldn't have it any other way.

 

Wasn't George Lucas defacto director of post-production of Jurassic Park while Spielberg was working in Europe?

[Brundlefly 2,385]

3 minutes ago, Fancyarcher said:

I'm just saying there are certain sequences that don't completely feel like his own. Mind you this is just what I think. 

You mean the moment, when the mother is shocked by the chair tower, that plays completely without music?

[Fancyarcher 350]

5 minutes ago, Brundlefly said:

You mean the moment, when the mother is shocked by the chair tower, that plays completely without music?

 

Yes that comes to mind. I may have to rewatch the film though, it's been a while. 

[Quintus 5,399]

I honestly didn't realise this still hadn't been put to bed anyway. For me Poltergeist has always been a Spielberg film in everything but the big black font which appears in the glorious opening credits.

 

Still crazy to think that we got one of Williams' absolute finest and my favourite Goldsmith in the same year, with the same filmmaker.

[King Mark 3,631]

3 hours ago, Richard said:

Well, of course he did. We've known this for 35 years! 

  this. I've always known

 

This is the exact same situation  of John Williams saying he only wrote 40 minutes of new music for CoS when he actually wrote all of it

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

It's disjointed. Many scenes feel like they were indeed directed by Spielberg and other scenes have that Spielbergian feel, but don't feel as polished as what you'd expect from Spielberg of that era. I don't know.

 

Ask dad!

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

1 hour ago, Evil-Lyn said:

It's disjointed. Many scenes feel like they were indeed directed by Spielberg and other scenes have that Spielbergian feel, but don't feel as polished as what you'd expect from Spielberg of that era. I don't know.

 

Ask dad!

 

You mean like that awkward cut between the scene where Steven and Diane are talking in the kitchen to when they're making arses of themselves at their neighbour Bens's front door? No way Spielberg and Kahn would let that one slip through the editorial filter! Tobe Hooper probably snuck into the editing room one night while everyone was away and started vandalising the workstation.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Williams only scored 40 minutes, the rest was done by Ross!

[publicist 4,643]

Only using leftovers from 'Star Trek TMP', of course.

[crumbs 14,317]

He seemingly directed the film by proxy, which is probably why it lacks that Spielbergian technical finesse of his other films from the era.

 

I'm sure it would've been more polished if he envisioned the film as his own from start to finish.

[publicist 4,643]

I do not find this movie remotely interesting enough to warrant all this brouhaha. 

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

You don't think it's kinda punk?

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

It's cursed.

[publicist 4,643]

The first 20 minutes are fun but once the rollercoaster starts it gets boring fast. As Goldsmith showcase it works great, of course ('The Light'!)

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I agree about the boringness. I used to fast-forward once the paranormal people showed up to the scene where Diane is in bed being assaulted by a ghoul. That fucking tape was all screwed up. I really hate steak because every Saturday night my grandfather would cook the driest most awful steak in existence and I'd have to douse it in ketchup just to swallow it down. So I really couldn't stand the scene of the guy making steak. Ripping his face off didn't freak me out, it was the steak exploding.

[publicist 4,643]

Super medium steaks are a heinous evil for sure.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Anyone else ventured into some of those Poltergeist fan groups on Facebook? To my utter horror, they're mostly occupied by middle aged women who have an unhealthy fixation on Heather O'Rourke. I don't know what motivates them, I guess it's because she's dead and her image as a child is sort of 'immortalised' and they can't get over her.

[A24 4,336]

3 hours ago, Evil-Lyn said:

It's disjointed. Many scenes feel like they were indeed directed by Spielberg and other scenes have that Spielbergian feel, but don't feel as polished as what you'd expect from Spielberg of that era. I don't know.

 

 

Oh, so it's like My Name Is Nobody?

[publicist 4,643]

It's like that only with a Bruno Nicolai score.

[Quintus 5,399]

3 hours ago, Sally Spectra said:

 

You mean like that awkward cut between the scene where Steven and Diane are talking in the kitchen to when they're making arses of themselves at their neighbour Bens's front door? No way Spielberg and Kahn would let that one slip through the editorial filter! Tobe Hooper probably snuck into the editing room one night while everyone was away and started vandalising the workstation.

 

I like that part. I don't think it's out of the ordinary for Spielberg at all.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,533]

Agreed.

It's a little like the cut in ROTLA, from Salah singing Gilbert and Sullivan, to the ship. It's perfect "let's move the story on, in the quickest way possible" 

Spielberg/Kahn.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

It cuts like a bored kid channel flicking or hitting the next chapter button on a DVD.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,533]

Exactly! TV culture.

[Quintus 5,399]

If Justin had never mentioned it I'd never have given it a second thought. It's a tight edit.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

7 hours ago, Evil-Lyn said:

It's disjointed. Many scenes feel like they were indeed directed by Spielberg and other scenes have that Spielbergian feel, but don't feel as polished as what you'd expect from Spielberg of that era. I don't know.

 

Ask dad!

Temple of Doom is more surprising as a Spielberg work of that era. It's darker than Poltergeist. It's incredibly brutal, but overshadowed by comedic effects. It's the most violent Spielberg movie, apart from Saving Private Ryan and Munich. Considerably less typical.

 

 

[crumbs 14,317]

TOD is probably his best comedy too.

 

His attempts at comedy have fallen off a cliff since, probably, Jurassic Park. KOTCS was wretchedly unfunny with its cringeworthy attempts at comedy; a big change from how natural it felt when injected into his earlier works (like TOD and TLC). I put that down to the Koepp factor though -- a thoroughly mediocre dialogue and comedy writer -- and the lack of a quality ghostwriter like Tom Stoppard doing a polish.

 

His attempts at straight-up comedy have been miserable.

[Jay 37,364]

14 hours ago, Richard said:

It also marks a turning-point, where SS started to move away from strong male characters, to strong female characters.

 

Whaaaat?

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Just now, Jay said:

 

Whaaaat?

 

He'll probably try to argue that Willie in TOD was a "strong female character."   And I will just stare in puzzlement.

[Quintus 5,399]

It's just Richard being Richard.