Poltergeist has been haunting ’80s children — 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 solid members from the unique movie and its two sequels.
These solid members embody 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 severe 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 quite a bit concerning 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 imagine within the paranormal to some extent, however I do not assume 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 assume they’re interconnected.”
That stated, as a fixture on the horror conference scene, Robins is aware of that the “Poltergeist Curse” is likely one of the 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 imagine that if you happen to’ve heard concerning 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 an awesome film. I like to have a look at the optimistic aspect of even the darkest factor.”
Robins can be joyful to dispel one other delusion that is lengthy surrounded Poltergeist: that Spielberg truly directed the movie fairly 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 main artistic voice. However Robins insists that Hooper was all the time calling the pictures, no 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 informed me the place to face, the place the digicam needs to 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 films whereas we had been taking pictures,” he remembers. “I introduced them in for Steven to see, and he stated, ‘Wow! I’ve a present for you Oliver.'” That reward turned out to be an upgraded movie digicam with all kinds of bells and whistles. “You might do something with it: wind it again, double exposures, taking pictures sound. So I acquired to know Steven in a special capability as an aspiring younger filmmaker.”
To have a good time 40 years of Poltergeist, we spoke with Robins about among the movie’s basic scares, and his personal real-life shut encounters with the paranormal.
It is all the time wild to me to assume that Poltergeist and E.T. got here out inside per week of one another again in 1982. Each films 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 really was the Spielberg summer time. It sounds a bit of smug, however we knew that Poltergeist was gonna be unbelievable. Even after we had been taking pictures it, they had been already speaking about sequels as a result of we had been having such a good time. We simply needed to remain collectively, and it was so unhappy after 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’ll do and ad-lib all these traces.” So half of these traces within the scene — like the place I name her a barf bag and he or she calls me a doggy bag — had been simply us being children. We forgot the crew was there! [Laughs]
You hadn’t been in a number of 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 and so they 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 truly how I discovered to learn! And that is the primary time I discovered the film was scary in any respect.
What did you assume as you had been studying all these scary moments on the web page?
I used to be amazed by it, and I did not understand how 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 sport each day. He would say, “OK, now we have 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 tips and is a superb 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 informed 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 Nineteen Seventies and there was this one room that also had crimson velvet partitions left over from the 1860s when it had been a whorehouse proper after the Civil Conflict. That room was darkish and scary, and I all the time used to assume that I may hear individuals strolling up the steps at night time. My mother would say, “No, that is simply the home settling.” However to today, I imagine I heard individuals strolling up the steps. So I channeled these emotions [into Poltergeist], desirous about these ghosts and feeling like there is not any one there to guard me.
Did you could have another paranormal experiences in that home?
No, I by no means actually noticed something — it was simply that gut-wrenching feeling. I do do not forget that I had a bit of 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]
A number of years in the past, I went to this [haunted] sanitarium in Kentucky with a few actors [from other horror movies]. We had been all considering, “That is type of a joke,” however we ended up seeing issues that we won’t perceive to today — like we noticed issues darting from door to door. So it’s important to hold an open thoughts. I believe science will finally clarify every thing that we name the paranormal, however there are actually issues we do not get on this world.
You talked about the tree scene earlier — how was that stunt achieved?
Nicely, that concerned two weeks of being lined in molasses and being hit with sugar glass and rain! Individuals have to grasp that there wasn’t CGI again then, so all the results had been sensible. Principally, that they had three or 4 totally different bushes: one which seemed actually huge, one other one for the arms and one other one to swallow me. That was a heavy responsibility particular impact. I used to be standing on a platform and Tobe stated, “We have to simulate you getting eaten, so you must draw back such as you’re struggling to get away from the tree.”
However in truth I needed to truly decrease myself down, so they may add all of the particular results. So I might decrease myself on the platform and scream, “It is consuming me!” Each shot took a number of time to do, and so they needed to make it very secure. I bear in mind when the tree’s arms had been coming into the room, the stunt coordinator, Glenn Randall, informed me: “Oliver, I need you to cowl your eyes, as a result of we need to shoot sugar glass at you.” I by no means acquired harm or something like that. I do do not forget that the arms as soon as got here via and knocked me up and about 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 if you happen to rush one thing or do not have the correct individuals on set, that is when errors occur and folks get harm 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 might discover our locations on set and so they’d have a stick, and would inform us to observe the stick as a result of that is the place her voice was. All of the voiceover and ghost results had been performed months later, so in each scene we’re actually performing towards nothing. I bear in mind asking Tobe, “What precisely am I screaming at?” And that is what Tobe informed me: “We do not know Oliver, however it’s the scariest factor you’ll be able to presumably consider.” [Laughs]
The “monster within the closet” scene is certainly one of 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 do not forget that the room truly rotated to the left, and the digicam was positioned beneath me. After which we had these wires that had been hooked up 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 via and an enormous wind blower that will blow our hair. I did not know what it was going to appear like 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 means. Was that every one rigorously choreographed?
Oh yeah, it was very choreographed. The bottom of the set would open up and so they’d pop a coffin via, so he needed to hit a selected mark. There have been so many issues you could possibly repair right this moment in post-production, however again then you definitely could not repair them and must re-shoot. At a minimal, we might do 12 takes on any given shot to ensure we had it. And I used to be truly 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 in a while 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 might 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 beloved being on set, however the labor union was like, “You gotta go house,” so that they needed to drag me off. In any other case I might have frolicked and watched that scene.
I believed you may need picked the face peeling second.
I truly was there for that one! Imagine it or not, these are Steven’s fingers. Tobe was directing him, saying, “OK Steven, your fingers should go right here.” So he was the actor and people are his fingers and he is truly tearing at his face. I believe it was Rick Baker who created that mould and the one had certainly one of them in order that they needed to get it proper.
I bear in mind Poltergeist II being even gnarlier than the unique film. Was that the plan — to have the flicks get scarier as they went alongside?
You understand, I wasn’t aware about that data. It was in all probability simply commerce. I used to be 14, and did not have one of the best working relationship with [director] Brian Gibson on that set. My understanding is that MGM was in monetary problem at that time, and needed to close down manufacturing, so he was beneath duress your entire time, which made it actually robust. 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 power or vibe as the primary one, and I believe that was past anybody’s management. We did not have that household component as a result of we had been beneath duress from all these exterior forces. As a filmmaker myself, it is exhausting to disregard these issues as a lot as you would possibly need to.
Was there ever any dialogue about you returning for Poltergeist III?
They by no means contacted me, so I did not actually learn about it. I in all probability would’ve performed it, however at that time, I needed to go to USC movie college so I used to be actually targeted on my research. If I had been informed that I needed to skip a biology last to deal with performing, I might have been like, “No, biology has to come back first.” [Laughs]
Heather’s demise was an enormous shock to everybody: Was it exhausting to lose her that means?
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 fallacious along with her. It was such a horrible tragedy, and I truthfully did not know find out how to take care of it. It was type 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 actually treasured.
You talked about that you just’re not essentially a believer within the paranormal, however do you’re feeling her presence once you rewatch the movie?
I do really feel her that she’s there, though that would simply be a part of my thoughts. She was such an awesome actress, and so sensible and precocious. I’ve labored with youngsters as a director since that point, and also you type of take with no consideration how superb she took to it. I’ve directed children that do not pay attention and might’t take path, however Heather was like a bit of grownup when she was on set. She was very particular, and that is why Steven and Tobe employed her for that function.
If you go to horror conventions now, what is the response you are all the time joyful to listen to from followers?
The factor that all the time sticks with me is when followers which are grown-ups like me carry their children and attempt to specific to them why this film is nice, and so they use me for that second. They’re making an attempt to share that second once 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 wish 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 considering once they noticed it, and now I get to listen to all these tales. The important thing factor is that the movie itself is an excellent film that clearly has endurance, as a result of we’re nonetheless speaking about it 40 years later.
Poltergeist is at present streaming on HBO Max
