Hooper conceived the very concept for Poltergeist:

The thing about contracts has always been nonsense… Spielberg was already laying low as a producer on the film because he had this simultaneous deal to make E.T…. If he really wanted to direct Poltergeist, he could’ve, Poltergeist was being developed almost a year before E.T. was conceived.

Or, alternatively, getting kicked off the set unceremoniously because the cast sided with ahooper’s instincts:

Often debunked, but the attachment to the Spielberg brand and ignorance of the public legal battle over it in 1982 makes people think Hooper was passive when he was quite offended by the idea he didn’t direct it.

It also has a Hooper look and feel! Primary colors, raw emotions, atmospherics!

It seems to have been a case of “un-professional” retaliation by certain people on set who were dead set on Spielberg clout but found themselves witnessing the reality of it:

He co-directed more on THE GOONIES than POLTERGEIST, if you compare actor comments!

That’s a great scene only Carpenter can pull off. He is great at tonal control.

You gotta let indie filmmakers grow! With a Spielberg budget, Hooper had the stuff to pull some of that stuff out. Spielberg productions tend to inspire the “Spielberg” showmanship in any filmmaker. Here’s a George Miller “Spielberg oner” in his Spielberg-produced film:

As for “every” shot…

Movie moves way too slow for Spielberg, who is always throwing in a character plotzing, an ad libbed quip, or a zippy camera move every second! Hooper will spend over a minute on a single crane shot!:

Which just underlines how unfair the industry’s treatment of Hooper was leading up to POLTERGEIST’s release. He was the sacrificial goat before Spielberg realized his name was more detriment than advantage to his hirees.

Joe Dante and John Carpenter also never reclaimed the successes of their early 80’s, and Dante wasn’t even abandoned by Spielberg’s producing machinery. Careers are fickle.

Yeah. Plus, one can directly link the POLTERGEIST scandal to his inability to create another mainstream success. His being picked up by Canon Films isn’t exactly what he expected after POLTERGEIST (he says offers dried up), and they are essentially independents. Another thing to note:

But did you notice “Hooper High” at the ending???

Inb4: “That’s a reference to Hooper being skunk faded throughout production.” No! It’s a reference to him and Beatrice Straight being “so high school” and getting to “mean girl” Spielberg off the set!:

But Zimmer may be more like Hooper, in that Hooper really had to manage Spielberg from ruining the film, because Hooper actually had the vision that the cast trusted… so vice versa versa? Anyway, read the real anecdotes about Poltergeist, they’re interesting!:

I’m glad we’re all on the same page. 😆 That anonymous crew member (sadly, it is anonymous, though an actor has essentially told the same story without all the colorful parts) is so kind to make the story all about Spielberg in the end lol.

Sean Astin! I think from an autobio?

Spielberg co-directed more of THE GOONIES, and it’s hard to co-direct when a director is telling you to rewrite your script constantly because it wasn’t fitting his own vision of the film! More stories of the set are coming out!

Credit where it’s due… maybe you don’t like Poltergeist as much as you think… it’s pretty nonsensical (Hooper helped write the script), unevenly paced, and inattentive to characterization…

Re: Poltergeist…

A Poltergeist react is like a hairline pull of a trigger through no one’s fault but the way the dice have fallen on Spielberg being favored over Hooper. Glad to hear you’ve heard of Hooper (few have)!

The Poltergeist family would have been more like a family of 1941 characters if Spielberg had his way…

Tobe Hooper was the best conduit for scary Spielberg which is why Stranger Things S1 is superior to Super 8.

But it’s clear Hooper actually saved Poltergeist:

contributed to his later failed career…