(I thought I had already started a thread about this, but either I didn't, or it's buried in another topic)
So - as a measure of historical accuracy, who actually directed Poltergeist? I've heard some people swear it was Spielberg who was the real director, because it was his idea, he was the producer, he was on set, and the film is more like other Spielberg films and nothing like Tobe Hopper films... and yet Spielberg himself has said it was Tobe Hooper, Tobe Hooper has said it's Tobe Hooper, and as far as I know no actors have said that anybody other than Hooper directed the film.
Considering all the folks we have here, what is the real consensus among fans and scholars? I think that the most likely scenarios are thus:
a) Tobe Hooper directed Poltergeist straight out
b) Tobe Hooper directed 95% to 99% of Poltergeist, and Spielberg did some second unit work which gives his fanboys enough "evidence" to try and claim Poltergeist as a Spielberg film
c) Tobe Hooper was forced (for some reason) into a co-direction situation where Spielberg took control of the film during production, and thus they could be seen as co-directors, and Spielberg allowed Hooper to save face by saying that Tobe was the director.
I have a feeling that, from what I know from reading about this before, that "B" is the most likely scenario, but that "C" is what Spielberg apologists believe to have happened (and who knows, maybe it happened). Does anybody have a good handle on what the press at the time reported as to the shooting of the film?
So - as a measure of historical accuracy, who actually directed Poltergeist? I've heard some people swear it was Spielberg who was the real director, because it was his idea, he was the producer, he was on set, and the film is more like other Spielberg films and nothing like Tobe Hopper films... and yet Spielberg himself has said it was Tobe Hooper, Tobe Hooper has said it's Tobe Hooper, and as far as I know no actors have said that anybody other than Hooper directed the film.
Considering all the folks we have here, what is the real consensus among fans and scholars? I think that the most likely scenarios are thus:
a) Tobe Hooper directed Poltergeist straight out
b) Tobe Hooper directed 95% to 99% of Poltergeist, and Spielberg did some second unit work which gives his fanboys enough "evidence" to try and claim Poltergeist as a Spielberg film
c) Tobe Hooper was forced (for some reason) into a co-direction situation where Spielberg took control of the film during production, and thus they could be seen as co-directors, and Spielberg allowed Hooper to save face by saying that Tobe was the director.
I have a feeling that, from what I know from reading about this before, that "B" is the most likely scenario, but that "C" is what Spielberg apologists believe to have happened (and who knows, maybe it happened). Does anybody have a good handle on what the press at the time reported as to the shooting of the film?
