As a seasoned gamer with a penchant for uncovering hidden truths in the cinematic universe, I’ve always been fascinated by the intricate connections between films and their creators. The behind-the-scenes stories of iconic movies often reveal more than what meets the eye, and the tale of Steven Spielberg‘s haunting experience during the production of Duel, which eventually influenced a chilling scene in Poltergeist, is no exception.
Have you heard that the memorable mirror scene from Tobe Hooper’s movie Poltergeist was actually motivated by a chilling experience had by Steven Spielberg while making his first film, Duel?
The thrilling tale was shared with SYFY WIRE back in September by director Brad Silberling, who gained fame through the Spielberg-produced “Casper” movie (currently streaming on Peacock) from 1995. According to the legend, a young Spielberg encountered a truly terrifying ghost while staying at a modest motel in the Mojave Desert, where the filming of his 1971 made-for-TV movie took place.
One night, he was in the bathroom, staring at the mirror, and suddenly another face appeared, as Silberling recounted to us. This was an older, gruff-looking face that left him utterly terrified. This unexpected brush with the supernatural later inspired Spielberg for the chilling scene in Poltergeist where Dr. Marty Casey (Martin Caseslla) removes pieces of his own face.
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Silverling aimed to pay tribute to that specific scene in the movie ‘Casper’, with a comical twist. Instead of depicting Dr. James Harvey (Bill Pullman) ripping his flesh apart, which happens when he’s tormented by Casper’s mischievous uncles, his face would transform into likenesses of famous celebrities such as Clint Eastwood and Mel Gibson instead.
In simpler terms, “Steven was told by me, ‘But how are we going to manage this?’ recalled Silberling. To which he replied, ‘Don’t fret, I’ll sort it out. I’ll make some calls.’ Since he takes pride in his executive producer role, he wanted to bring the project to a successful conclusion. Later on set, he informed me, ‘Everything is fine now. Mel is on board, Clint too, we have Rodney Dangerfield and The Crypt Keeper.’
As a devoted admirer, let me share an intriguing detail about the film’s production: Clint Eastwood agreed to be part of it, but there was a significant condition – Steven Spielberg had to make a cameo appearance too. “He told me, ‘I’ve got to do this, but it will never make it into the final cut,'” Silberling explained. On the day of filming, everyone donned the identical Dr. Harvey sweaters. It was a truly memorable day on set. Mel and Clint were both present. Clint was particularly gracious because he had worked as a contract player at Universal in his younger years. So, he spent time there and seemed very nostalgic.
He went on to say: “Steven was the last one we worked with and it was fantastic. Not only did I have the opportunity to guide him, but it was quite enjoyable. And surprisingly, he was quite anxious, despite knowing it wouldn’t be used in the final cut. We went through a series of amusing events… Then, after wrapping up, he looked at me with concern, saying ‘This isn’t going in,’ to which I replied, ‘Don’t worry, we’re good.’ And indeed, that was quite an enjoyable experience.
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Additionally, they succeeded in contacting Dan Aykroyd, who momentarily reappeared as Ray Stantz from the Ghostbusters in the initial sequence where the main villains – Carrigan (Cathy Moriarty) and Dibs (Eric Idle) – endeavored to expel the house’s spectral inhabitants by enlisting various supernatural specialists.
Most of Steven’s valuable possessions were kept at Universal, but as Silberling clarified, he also maintained strong connections with other prominent studios such as Columbia, which holds both “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Ghostbusters”. He was well-regarded by them, and he had a long history with Dan Aykroyd dating back to 1941. Aykroyd arrived and was outstanding, while Dan stepped in, donned the suit, and delivered the performance.
Jason Reitman, Ivan Reitman’s son and a friend of Silberling’s, had no idea about the scene until much later when he decided to revive the horror-comedy franchise in 2021 with “Afterlife”. One day, without any explanation, he simply sent him the clip. Jason replied, “What is this?” To which Reitman told him about it, and he responded, “Oh, my word!” or “Oh, my God!”.
Did they consider a Stephen King cameo for 1995’s Casper?
As someone deeply immersed in the gaming world, I was curious if director Silberling had ever attempted to recruit that iconic New England native and legendary horror writer, Stephen King, for a cameo role. After all, Kat Harvey, played by Christina Ricci, casually mentions him at approximately the 18-minute mark in the movie.
In a candid admission, the filmmaker acknowledged, “Given more intelligence and additional time, we should have executed that scene.” Regarding the opening sequence in the travelogue, it was indeed filmed in Maine. I captured those shots during the autumn following the main production. Specifically, in the fall of ’94, I spent two days in Maine, filming various locations like Camden and Rockport. If only we’d been more astute, we would have planned to do that better.
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2024-10-04 21:01