It was a script called Poltergeist, written by Steven Spielberg himself. When my agent told me about it, I wasn't interested - at least not initially. But then he mentioned Spielberg's involvement and I changed my mind after reading the story of a family torn apart by supernatural forces.
Spielberg had written the script as well, but was busy preparing for E.T., which meant Tobe Hooper took over directing duties. What surprised me about working with Hooper was his experience in horror films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. As someone who's not too fond of horror movies myself, I wasn't sure what to expect.
But what did surprise me was the amount of improvisation that went on during filming. Craig T Nelson, who played my character's husband, had been a stand-up comedian before joining the film. During one scene where we're smoking pot in the bedroom, he improvised an entire routine about his stomach. I have to admit, it was quite funny.
One memorable scene for me was when Diane (played by JoBeth Williams) falls into the pool and the camera follows her across the kitchen table, where she's suddenly surrounded by a stack of chairs that seem to be moving on their own. What I didn't know at the time was that these were real skeletons - not props.
The use of special effects in this scene is mind-boggling. The cameraman had to strap himself to the set and go round and round like he was on a ferris wheel, just to get the shot. And let me tell you, I was terrified one day when I realized that the wind effect created by huge fans could potentially electrocute us all.
But Spielberg's reassuring presence took my mind off things. He even waded into the pool up to his waist and said: "If you get electrocuted, it'll kill me too." That was a comforting thought.
The film also featured some impressive practical effects, like when Martin Casella (who played Dr Marty Casey) had to rip off his own face in one take. I was too nervous even for that. It took three hours to rig up my face with prosthetics full of stage blood, and it only took me a few takes to realize the makeup guy had put everything on the wrong side.
Interestingly, this film was not rated PG-13 at the time. The scene where Marty is lifted into the air and bitten by a ghost almost made it an R-rating, but Spielberg convinced the ratings board to stick with PG. And in the end, another scene of mine got cut due to some issues with the special effects.
What's remarkable about JoBeth Williams' performance was that Steven couldn't cut away from one particular scene where Diane senses her daughter trapped on the other side and says: "She went through my soul." It's a testament to JoBeth's talent as an actress that Spielberg just couldn't leave that scene out.
Spielberg had written the script as well, but was busy preparing for E.T., which meant Tobe Hooper took over directing duties. What surprised me about working with Hooper was his experience in horror films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. As someone who's not too fond of horror movies myself, I wasn't sure what to expect.
But what did surprise me was the amount of improvisation that went on during filming. Craig T Nelson, who played my character's husband, had been a stand-up comedian before joining the film. During one scene where we're smoking pot in the bedroom, he improvised an entire routine about his stomach. I have to admit, it was quite funny.
One memorable scene for me was when Diane (played by JoBeth Williams) falls into the pool and the camera follows her across the kitchen table, where she's suddenly surrounded by a stack of chairs that seem to be moving on their own. What I didn't know at the time was that these were real skeletons - not props.
The use of special effects in this scene is mind-boggling. The cameraman had to strap himself to the set and go round and round like he was on a ferris wheel, just to get the shot. And let me tell you, I was terrified one day when I realized that the wind effect created by huge fans could potentially electrocute us all.
But Spielberg's reassuring presence took my mind off things. He even waded into the pool up to his waist and said: "If you get electrocuted, it'll kill me too." That was a comforting thought.
The film also featured some impressive practical effects, like when Martin Casella (who played Dr Marty Casey) had to rip off his own face in one take. I was too nervous even for that. It took three hours to rig up my face with prosthetics full of stage blood, and it only took me a few takes to realize the makeup guy had put everything on the wrong side.
Interestingly, this film was not rated PG-13 at the time. The scene where Marty is lifted into the air and bitten by a ghost almost made it an R-rating, but Spielberg convinced the ratings board to stick with PG. And in the end, another scene of mine got cut due to some issues with the special effects.
What's remarkable about JoBeth Williams' performance was that Steven couldn't cut away from one particular scene where Diane senses her daughter trapped on the other side and says: "She went through my soul." It's a testament to JoBeth's talent as an actress that Spielberg just couldn't leave that scene out.
I mean, what was I saying? Oh yeah, Poltergeist! 
I think it's cool how Spielberg involved Tobe Hooper despite having other projects on his plate... wait, no, maybe he didn't have enough time for E.T. too? 
I'm pretty sure Hooper did take over directing duties, but then again, maybe Spielberg was the one who had to take a break from directing because of how busy he was with everything else... 
And yeah, the use of special effects is insane, but what if they didn't work out? 
Or was that just something we saw in the final cut? Hmm... 
I mean, can you believe it? This Poltergeist film was like nothing they'd ever seen before 
! I remember watching it as a kid and being so scared 
, but at the same time, it was mesmerizing to watch how well they incorporated all those crazy visuals into the story. Spielberg's direction really brought everything together 
. And Craig T. Nelson, man, he was hilarious in that stand-up comedy bit 
. But what really stood out to me was how much the actors trusted each other, like Spielberg did for them 
. I've seen interviews with JoBeth Williams and she's just as talented as you'd think 
.
Meanwhile, here's a chart showing the top-grossing films of that year: [insert chart with Poltergeist ranked #23, grossing $130 million]
Fun fact: The production budget for Poltergeist was around $19 million, which is roughly equivalent to $45 million adjusted for inflation! 
According to a survey conducted by the Internet Movie Database, it's ranked #2 on the list of scariest movie scores of all time! 
And can you believe the wind effect almost electrocuted us all? 
it sounds like they had to get all crazy with the special effects and stuff. like, who uses real skeletons on set? 
and changed everything for her. i'm still amazed by how much improvisation went into the filming, especially when craig t nelson started riffing during a scene about smoking pot 
it sounds like it was such a wild and terrifying experience, especially with all those crazy special effects 
?! also I'm dying over Craig T Nelson's stand-up routine that was just improvised on set 
! And the way they used special effects to make it look like the chairs were really moving... mind blown 
.