“Poltergeist” is still sparking debate after all these years, and it’s not even because of its content, but rather what happened behind the camera.
The topic has been revived yet again by director Joseph Kahn (“Bodied,” “Ick”), who is primarily known for directing music videos for Taylor Swift, Eminem, and many others. Here’s the X thread that kickstarted the conversation:
I am a huge Spielberg nerd, and also a Tobe Hooper fan (especially Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2). So, knowing both styles in and out, I say this with full conviction and authority: Spielberg directed Poltergeist […] Anyone who doesn't think Spielberg directed it simply has no eye for cinema. No sense of editing or movement. It's night and day. It's like watching Michael Jordan wear a Tobe Hooper skin suit and do dunks from the free throw line. And no, people cannot suddenly emulate this style. If they could there would be a million Spielbergs. There is only one [..] And I'll add one very fucking obvious thing: Poltergeist is shot with Spielberg's LENSES. Spielberg controls actual T Stops and DEPTH OF FIELD like few directors do, certainly not Hooper.
Tobe Hooper (“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”) has always been credited as the director of “Poltergeist,” but tell me you don’t feel a Spielbergian vibe when you watch the film — of course you do. There have always been rumors, as well as accounts from cast and crew, that Spielberg did, in fact, direct the movie.
Kahn is right. “Poltergeist” strongly reflects Spielberg’s visual style, with its smooth tracking shots, precise blocking, and polished compositions. The film’s use of deep focus, controlled lighting, and child-centered framing feels consistent with his work on “E.T.” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” and less aligned with Hooper’s typically grittier, more .. abrasive aesthetic.
Yet there are still a few holdouts — people who don’t believe Spielberg took over and directed the film. Just look at the comments under Joseph Kahn’s posts. Some are still utterly convinced Spielberg simply allowed Hooper to make all of the decisive directorial choices.
The rumors truly began in the ‘80s when the L.A. Times interviewed Spielberg about “Poltergeist” and published this curious quote from him:
Tobe isn’t what you’d call a take-charge sort of guy. He’s just not a strong presence on a movie set. If a question was asked and an answer wasn’t immediately forthcoming, I’d jump up and say what we could do. Tobe would nod agreement, and that became the process of the collaboration.
The article sparked an investigation by the Directors Guild of America into Spielberg’s involvement as a potential director, but nothing came of it. Spielberg later apologized to Hooper in The Hollywood Reporter.
Zelda Rubinstein, who played the film’s creepy spiritual medium, once told Ain’t It Cool News:
I can tell you that Steven directed all six days I was there. I only worked six days on the film, and Steven was there.
The best proof we might ever have comes from the brother of the film’s director of photography, Matthew F. Leonetti, confirming that it was Spielberg — and who better to know than the DP, right? He has to work with the director on every shot and frame every scene.
Leonetti told Blumhouse there was never much doubt on set that Spielberg was the one truly calling the shots. He recalled walking onto the production for the first time and being blown away by Spielberg’s detailed storyboard setups and the intensely technical nature of the film. He even described a moment during the famous tree attack scene where Hooper stood on an apple box near the camera while Spielberg stood directly behind him, actively pointing and directing the action.
According to him, Spielberg occasionally stepped away to let Hooper handle scenes, but overall the production operated as Spielberg’s film in practice.
Hearing stories like that makes it tempting to revisit “Poltergeist” with fresh eyes — and maybe even consider whether it unofficially belongs in Spielberg’s filmography after all. My conclusion has always been the same: Spielberg and Hooper co-directed the film, but the former ultimately had the final say on the creative decisions.
I wouldn't call this film great — it stops short of that because of how neatly it resolves itself — but I'll give Rock his due here: this is much better than his previous directorial effort, "Top Five."