Poltergeist has been haunting ’80s youngsters — and their descendants — for 40 years. However the 1982 blockbuster, directed by Tobe Hooper and produced by Steven Spielberg, has been haunted itself by the so-called “Poltergeist Curse,” an city legend that is taken root for the reason that deaths of 4 forged members from the unique movie and its two sequels.
These forged members embrace two members of the Freeling household, the suburban clan headed up by Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams, whose house is invaded by indignant spirits. 5 months after the movie’s launch, Dominique Dunne — who performed the eldest Freeling daughter, Dana — was murdered by an ex-boyfriend. And in 1988, her youthful onscreen sibling and Poltergeist’s literal poster baby, Heather O’Rourke, handed away at age 12 following a critical case of intestinal stenosis. (The opposite oft-cited curse victims are Julian Beck and Will Sampson, each of whom appeared within the 1986 sequel, Poltergeist II: The Different Aspect.)
Because the final Freeling sibling standing, Oliver Robins — who performed center baby, Robbie — has naturally thought rather a lot in regards to the “Poltergeist Curse,” and the way it ties into the legacy of the haunted home franchise. “I hope there is not a curse, as a result of I am nonetheless round,” the kid actor-turned-filmmaker tells Yahoo Leisure.
“I do consider within the paranormal to a point, however I do not suppose there is a curse as a result of these deaths will be defined,” Robins continues. “You had these tragedies occur, however they had been going to occur whether or not [the actors] had been within the film or not. Like with Heather, she had a medical situation for which she wasn’t handled. So I do not suppose they’re interconnected.”
That stated, as a fixture on the horror conference scene, Robins is aware of that the “Poltergeist Curse” is without doubt one of the explanation why the film nonetheless attracts new viewers who would possibly in any other case skip it in favor of newer frightfests. “I actually consider that when you’ve heard in regards to the curse and it will get you to see the movie, you are not going to be on the sting of your seat due to curses — it is as a result of it is a fantastic film. I like to take a look at the constructive aspect of even the darkest factor.”
Robins can be comfortable to dispel one other fantasy that is lengthy surrounded Poltergeist: that Spielberg really directed the movie quite than Hooper. The E.T. director did co-write the screenplay and was an lively presence on set, to the purpose the place some crew members have credited him as being its major inventive voice. However Robins insists that Hooper was all the time calling the photographs, not less than when he was on-camera.
“Tobe directed me in all my scenes,” he says of The Texas Chainsaw Bloodbath auteur, who died in 2017. “Steven was there each day and wrote the unique screenplay, so it was from his coronary heart. Tobe was following Steven’s imaginative and prescient and if individuals say it is a Spielberg film, that is as a result of we’re following a script by Steven Spielberg. However on the finish of the day, Tobe advised me the place to face, the place the digital camera must be positioned and every thing else. So he actually was the director.”
Robins does credit score Spielberg with recognizing and inspiring his youthful curiosity in filmmaking, although. “I used to make these Tremendous-8 motion pictures whereas we had been capturing,” he recollects. “I introduced them in for Steven to see, and he stated, ‘Wow! I’ve a present for you Oliver.'” That present turned out to be an upgraded movie digital camera with all types of bells and whistles. “You possibly can do something with it: wind it again, double exposures, capturing sound. So I bought to know Steven in a distinct capability as an aspiring younger filmmaker.”
To rejoice 40 years of Poltergeist, we spoke with Robins about a few of the movie’s basic scares, and his personal real-life shut encounters with the paranormal.
It is all the time wild to me to suppose that Poltergeist and E.T. got here out inside every week of one another again in 1982. Each motion pictures are nice style items, however they’re additionally actually relatable portraits of households. You even have your individual “penis breath” second the place you and Heather are buying and selling insults on the eating desk!
Yeah, that actually was the Spielberg summer season. It sounds somewhat conceited, however we knew that Poltergeist was gonna be unbelievable. Even once we had been capturing it, they had been already speaking about sequels as a result of we had been having such a good time. We simply wished to remain collectively, and it was so unhappy once we ended manufacturing on the primary one. What’s so fascinating about that scene with Heather is that Tobe was like, “Simply be a child. Do what you’d do and ad-lib all these strains.” So half of these strains within the scene — like the place I name her a barf bag and she or he calls me a doggy bag — had been simply us being youngsters. We forgot the crew was there! [Laughs]
You hadn’t been in numerous movies prior to creating Poltergeist. Did they inform you off the highest how scary the film was going to get?
No, they actually did not they usually saved every thing actually secret, too. Once we auditioned, we had some sides, however they did not inform us the story. I had bother studying to learn and my mother stated, “I am not going to learn the script to you. If you wish to study to learn, learn the screenplay for Poltergeist.” In order that’s really how I realized to learn! And that is the primary time I realized the film was scary in any respect.
What did you suppose as you had been studying all these scary moments on the web page?
I used to be amazed by it, and I did not know the way they had been gonna do it. [Producer] Frank Marshall was so nice on the set, and he made it really feel prefer it was gonna be a recreation each day. He would say, “OK, we’ve got this nice tree, and that is what you are gonna do.” I used to be a rough-and-tumble child, so for me it was like being at an amusement park. Lots of people do not know this, however within the last scene on the Vacation Inn, there is a signal that claims, “Welcome Dr. Fantasy & Buddies.” Frank’s nickname was Dr. Fantasy! He does magic methods and is a good magician himself.
Did that make it troublesome to behave scared throughout these scenes when in actuality it was a lot enjoyable for you?
I actually credit score JoBeth Williams, as a result of I had so little performing expertise and Tobe anticipated me to come back to set ready. I stated to her, “What do I do?” She talked me although these scenes, and advised me to faucet into one thing I used to be personally actually afraid of. Imagine it or not, I believed that I grew up in a haunted home. We lived on this townhouse on the Higher East Aspect of Manhattan within the Seventies and there was this one room that also had pink velvet partitions left over from the 1860s when it had been a whorehouse proper after the Civil Warfare. That room was darkish and scary, and I all the time used to suppose that I might hear individuals strolling up the steps at night time. My mother would say, “No, that is simply the home settling.” However to this present day, I consider I heard individuals strolling up the steps. So I channeled these emotions [into Poltergeist], excited about these ghosts and feeling like there is not any one there to guard me.
Did you’ve every other paranormal experiences in that home?
No, I by no means actually noticed something — it was simply that gut-wrenching feeling. I do keep in mind that I had somewhat playhouse in my room, and I all the time thought that somebody in that playhouse was ready for me! I would sit in my mattress and pull the covers up over my head. If there was a ghost there, I’ve to credit score it with my efficiency! [Laughs]
Just a few years in the past, I went to this [haunted] sanitarium in Kentucky with a few actors [from other horror movies]. We had been all pondering, “That is sort of a joke,” however we ended up seeing issues that we won’t perceive to this present day — like we noticed issues darting from door to door. So it’s a must to maintain an open thoughts. I feel science will ultimately clarify every thing that we name the paranormal, however there are definitely issues we do not get on this world.
You talked about the tree scene earlier — how was that stunt achieved?
Properly, that concerned two weeks of being coated in molasses and being hit with sugar glass and rain! Folks have to know that there wasn’t CGI again then, so the entire results had been sensible. Principally, they’d three or 4 totally different timber: one which regarded actually massive, one other one for the arms and one other one to swallow me. That was a heavy obligation particular impact. I used to be standing on a platform and Tobe stated, “We have to simulate you getting eaten, so you’ll want to draw back such as you’re struggling to get away from the tree.”
However in reality I needed to really decrease myself down, so they may add all of the particular results. So I’d decrease myself on the platform and scream, “It is consuming me!” Each shot took numerous time to do, they usually needed to make it very protected. I keep in mind when the tree’s arms had been coming into the room, the stunt coordinator, Glenn Randall, advised me: “Oliver, I would like you to cowl your eyes, as a result of we wish to shoot sugar glass at you.” I by no means bought damage or something like that. I do keep in mind that the arms as soon as got here by means of and knocked me up and doing as a result of they did not have them on the proper angle. However they had been extremely cautious. It simply goes to point out you that when you rush one thing or haven’t got the fitting individuals on set, that is when errors occur and folks get damage within the course of.
For the scene the place Heather’s voice is popping out of the tv and also you’re all looking for her, did they really play her voice on set?
No, we’d discover our locations on set they usually’d have a stick, and would inform us to comply with the stick as a result of that is the place her voice was. All of the voiceover and ghost results had been executed months later, so in each scene we’re actually performing in opposition to nothing. I keep in mind asking Tobe, “What precisely am I screaming at?” And that is what Tobe advised me: “We do not know Oliver, nevertheless it’s the scariest factor you may presumably consider.” [Laughs]
The “monster within the closet” scene is one in all my favorites. How troublesome was that to movie?
That scene was shot in what they known as “the Gimbal Room.” It was on the identical MGM stage the place they filmed all of Fred Astaire’s dances. I keep in mind that the room really rotated to the left, and the digital camera was positioned beneath me. After which we had these wires that had been connected to the wall, and we needed to act like we had been being sucked into the closet. We got varied eyelines for the place to look whereas we had been holding onto the bedposts. It was my understanding that they needed to blow up every body and have results artists paint out the wires. We did not see the creature’s esophagus in any respect. That was an optical phantasm that they put in later. In addition they had fish tanks that they mirrored the sunshine by means of and a giant wind blower that may blow our hair. I did not know what it was going to appear to be till I did ADR on the movie!
As you are operating out of the home after that scene, all these skeletons begin popping up in your method. Was that every one rigorously choreographed?
Oh yeah, it was very choreographed. The bottom of the set would open up they usually’d pop a coffin by means of, so he needed to hit a particular mark. There have been so many issues you possibly can repair immediately in post-production, however again you then could not repair them and must re-shoot. At a minimal, we’d do 12 takes on any given shot to verify we had it. And I used to be really scared throughout that sequence. When there is a coffin popping up in entrance of you, it would not take that a lot performing to be terrified! I requested the prop guys, “Are the skeletons actual?” They stated they had been, however I do not know in the event that they had been simply making an attempt to scare me. I do not know if that is true, however afterward I heard they did use actual skeletons. [Both Williams and some of the film’s crew members, have since said that several of the skeletons featured in that scene were real.]
What was your favourite scene that you just weren’t on set for?
I’d have appreciated to have seen JoBeth within the pool the place all of the skeletons are popping up out of the water. That was not in an precise yard, however on a soundstage, too. I cherished being on set, however the labor union was like, “You gotta go residence,” so that they needed to drag me off. In any other case I’d have frolicked and watched that scene.
I believed you might need picked the face peeling second.
I really was there for that one! Imagine it or not, these are Steven’s arms. Tobe was directing him, saying, “OK Steven, your arms must go right here.” So he was the actor and people are his arms and he is really tearing at his face. I feel it was Rick Baker who created that mould and the one had one in all them in order that they needed to get it proper.
I keep in mind Poltergeist II being even gnarlier than the unique film. Was that the plan — to have the films get scarier as they went alongside?
You realize, I wasn’t aware about that info. It was in all probability simply commerce. I used to be 14, and did not have the perfect working relationship with [director] Brian Gibson on that set. My understanding is that MGM was in monetary issue at that time, and wished to close down manufacturing, so he was beneath duress all the time, which made it actually powerful. And I used to be a precocious, obnoxious teenager with a thoughts of my very own, so I actually talked again to him. Poltergeist II did not actually have the identical vitality or vibe as the primary one, and I feel that was past anybody’s management. We did not have that household factor as a result of we had been beneath duress from all these exterior forces. As a filmmaker myself, it is arduous to disregard these issues as a lot as you would possibly wish to.
Was there ever any dialogue about you returning for Poltergeist III?
They by no means contacted me, so I did not actually find out about it. I in all probability would’ve executed it, however at that time, I wished to go to USC movie college so I used to be actually targeted on my research. If I had been advised that I needed to skip a biology last to concentrate on performing, I’d have been like, “No, biology has to come back first.” [Laughs]
Heather’s loss of life was a giant shock to everybody: Was it arduous to lose her that method?
It actually was. I hadn’t actually misplaced that many individuals in my life at that time, and I used to be so shut along with her. She was my buddy, and used to remain over at my home. I did not know something was improper along with her. It was such a horrible tragedy, and I actually did not know tips on how to take care of it. It was sort of a turning level in my life the place it made me get up to that actuality that life is finite and each day is really treasured.
You talked about that you just’re not essentially a believer within the paranormal, however do you’re feeling her presence if you rewatch the movie?
I do really feel her that she’s there, though that might simply be a part of my thoughts. She was such a fantastic actress, and so good and precocious. I’ve labored with kids as a director since that point, and also you sort of take with no consideration how wonderful she took to it. I’ve directed youngsters that do not hear and might’t take route, however Heather was like somewhat grownup when she was on set. She was very particular, and that is why Steven and Tobe employed her for that position.
Whenever you go to horror conventions now, what is the response you are all the time comfortable to listen to from followers?
The factor that all the time sticks with me is when followers which can be grown-ups like me convey their youngsters and attempt to specific to them why this film is nice, they usually use me for that second. They’re making an attempt to share that second after they had been 10-years-old watching Poltergeist with their very own 10-year-olds and when the children meet me, all of it comes alive. I prefer to be part of that, and I really like speaking about Poltergeist with followers. When the film got here out, I all the time puzzled what individuals the place pondering after they noticed it, and now I get to listen to all these tales. The important thing factor is that the movie itself is a superb film that clearly has endurance, as a result of we’re nonetheless speaking about it 40 years later.
Poltergeist is at the moment streaming on HBO Max
