The Legend Of Is Zelda

Oh Zelda! How much do I love thee? Quint at AICN got to interview Zelda Rubinstein (Look!!! <--- It's Zelda with Bai Ling! My heart has stopped!) and it's a delightful read - you can hear her every answer in that oh-so distinctive voice of hers and it just made me giddy reading it. The best part I'll transcribe below, though, because Zelda answers some geek-shit that's been rumored for ages:

"Quint: There’s one thing that I’m really curious about. Being an Austinite I’ve run into Tobe Hooper and I’ve talked to him at length about his work on POLTERGEIST and I brought up the big rumor that Spielberg came in to direct it and kind of took over. Tobe was very adamant that he directed the film.

Zelda Rubinstein: 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. Tobe set up the shots and Steven made the adjustments.

You’re not going to hear that from Tobe Hooper, you’ll hear it from Zelda, because that was my honest to God experience. I’m not a fan of Tobe Hooper.

Quint: You’re not?

Zelda Rubinstein: No, I’m not, because I feel he allowed… I don’t know how to say this… he allowed some unacceptable chemical agents into his work.

I felt that immediately. I felt that when I first interviewed for the job. Steven was there, Tobe was there, two casting people from MGM were there and I felt at that time Tobe was only partially there."

Hmm. So Tobe was high and not doing his duties and that's the story, eh? Course this is just six days of shooting that Zelda was there for and seeing as how her scenes were the meatiest parts of the film I guess it makes sense for Spielberg to have been there, too. But still, looking at Mr. Hooper's track-record since Poltergeist, it's hard not to believe that there was a lot of Spielberg "tinkering" going down on it.
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