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Posted on 10/8/25 at 10:41 pm to wareaglepete
quote:Actually, Hooper was always attached to direct - the original concept was his. He developed it with Spielberg. Spielberg was always only going to produce. And E.T. wasn't even an existing idea until a few months after the story treatment for Poltergeist was written between Hooper and Spielberg.
He wanted to direct but was doing ET at the same time and couldn’t do both. But it’s told he was over Hooper’s shoulder a lot.
quote:Sure, it's in the film in the form of the big set pieces with the giant monsters. But Spielberg's idea of tension is a lot more intricate and kinetic. Poltergeist lacks a little of that - even the "big monster" scenes are a little more flat and blunt. That's Hooper conceiving the film and even reducing the film down from the storyboards, which is a fascinating study. In the storyboards (done conjointly), there's all sorts of close-ups of hands and feet to emphasize the suspense. Hooper, instead, was all, "Let's just shoot it in a wide. It's less suspenseful, but more surreal that way."
His influence was all over that movie. You could feel it in certain scenes, including some of the skeletal horror parts. Also using the “idea” of fear to his advantage, similar to Jaws and T-Rex, setting up tension building.
Posted on 10/8/25 at 11:04 pm to Honest Tune
Growing up in the 70s, early 80s, those movies still look scary to me. 
Like the ending climax of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Like the fear is imprinted into my brain.
Like the ending climax of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Like the fear is imprinted into my brain. Posted on 10/9/25 at 12:49 am to Master of Sinanju
quote:
A great thing about revisiting movies from my childhood is finally noticing how hot the moms were.
Oh my God … amen
Especially as a 43 year old. They’re all so perfectly doable and I never knew it
This post was edited on 10/9/25 at 12:52 am
Posted on 10/9/25 at 2:57 am to habz007
I remember prepubescent me watching that scene when she laid on the bed after the shower and hoping so bad to see that T-shirt roll up.
Those panties
Those panties
Posted on 10/9/25 at 3:57 am to Honest Tune
Traumatized me as a kid and I still won't watch it now.
Posted on 10/9/25 at 7:55 am to Honest Tune
Watching this film at the age of 7 left me afraid of clowns, closets and static on TV for most of my youth.
To this day, seeing the movie poster gives me goosebumps.
That said, it is a really great movie. Zelda Rubenstein’s performance is legendary.
To this day, seeing the movie poster gives me goosebumps.
That said, it is a really great movie. Zelda Rubenstein’s performance is legendary.
Posted on 10/9/25 at 7:59 am to Honest Tune
quote:
Agreed. Added bonus for sure. Smoking reefer in her bed like a fox
Great 80's yuppie scene.
Dad is reading a book about Reagan while mom is rolling a j behind him.
This post was edited on 10/9/25 at 8:00 am
Posted on 10/9/25 at 7:59 am to Honest Tune
This probably did some major damage to me and other youngsters at the time. I was convinced that exact clown was under my bed for years.
Posted on 10/9/25 at 8:01 am to Ptsherm
quote:
Ptsherm
2 posts, four years apart, both about Steven Spielberg, and both clearing up misinformation about him.
How you doing, Steven Spielberg? Care to give us some insights and stories from your movie sets?
This post was edited on 10/10/25 at 11:20 am
Posted on 10/9/25 at 8:08 am to HoboDickCheese
quote:
Real human skeletons were used for a scene towards the end of the movie and the cast didn’t know that until after filming
They were cheaper than replicas.
quote:
The skeletons used in "Poltergeist" were obtained from a medical supply company, which provided them at a fraction of the cost of manufacturing high-quality plastic replicas. The revelation that the skeletons were real was a shock to JoBeth Williams, who was not informed about this until after the scene was filmed.
Horror.
Posted on 10/9/25 at 8:25 am to Alt26
quote:
Great 80's yuppie scene.
100%. I was born in 82 but that might as well have been the bedroom of a few of my friend’s parents… it seemed very familiar.
Posted on 10/9/25 at 8:27 am to Ptsherm
quote:
Sure, it's in the film in the form of the big set pieces with the giant monsters. But Spielberg's idea of tension is a lot more intricate and kinetic. Poltergeist lacks a little of that - even the "big monster" scenes are a little more flat and blunt. That's Hooper conceiving the film and even reducing the film down from the storyboards, which is a fascinating study. In the storyboards (done conjointly), there's all sorts of close-ups of hands and feet to emphasize the suspense. Hooper, instead, was all, "Let's just shoot it in a wide. It's less suspenseful, but more surreal that way."
Solid analysis!
Posted on 10/9/25 at 10:06 am to Honest Tune
Interestingly, the Poltergeist house was sold to an investor and they recently opened it up as a Airbnb type rental. Some vloggers on Youtube have stayed there and filmed it.
Posted on 10/9/25 at 10:14 am to SouthEasternKaiju
quote:
Think of all the notable movies of the time which took place in CA...
Short Circuit... among others.
Was Short Circuit supposed to be in CA? Haven't watched it in a long time, but I know it was filmed near Astoria, OR (same as the Goonies).
Posted on 10/9/25 at 10:36 am to DrrTiger
I think the general concept was that it was a military project tied to Silicon Valley.
Posted on 10/9/25 at 10:43 am to Salamander_Wilson
watching Poltergeist III as a kid had me terrified of parking garages for a while
Posted on 10/9/25 at 10:44 am to Honest Tune
Did you find the 'secret ghost' in the film?
Posted on 10/9/25 at 11:10 am to blueboy
quote:
Did you find the 'secret ghost' in the film?
Damn, now I’m intrigued… I didn’t…
Posted on 10/9/25 at 11:24 am to Ptsherm
quote:
Actually, Hooper was always attached to direct - the original concept was his.
That it was Hooper's original concept is a disagreement between he and Spielberg. Spielberg says the idea came about from what ET was originally going to be, Night Skies, about aliens and a family under siege and then he decided it should be ghosts instead and then Hooper brought his ideas on the subject into it.
Anyway, all that is left to history. Here is my fun thing to think about.
Do Poltergeist and ET take place in the same area at the same time? The neighborhoods look like similar LA suburban areas. Maybe the same neighborhood or close by neighborhoods. Both are in the fall. ET has the Halloween scenes and there is the scene in Poltergeist where the guys are watching a Rams game, so it is obviously fall.
Did the paranormal energy from the Poltergeist house attract ET's ship to land in that area and investigate? You never know. I like to think yes.
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