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Movies which were "ghost" directed

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Movies which were "ghost" directed

Old 05-28-17, 11:14 AM
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Movies which were "ghost" directed

Poltergeist is obviously the big one here. It was officially credited to Tobe Hooper but a majority of the actors have said that Spielberg was on set almost everyday and ran the show. Spielberg still credits Hooper and Hooper says it was his film but the cast says otherwise.

Tombstone is another one. Kurt Russell has said that he basically directed the picture after the original director was fired and that George P. Cosmatos(who received credit) basically just acted like an on site producer.

Any others come to mind?
Old 05-28-17, 11:15 AM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Return of the Jedi
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Old 05-28-17, 11:39 AM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Waterworld?
Old 05-28-17, 12:01 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Originally Posted by robin2099
Poltergeist is obviously the big one here. It was officially credited to Tobe Hooper but a majority of the actors have said that Spielberg was on set almost everyday and ran the show. Spielberg still credits Hooper and Hooper says it was his film but the cast says otherwise.
During this little making-of documentary, there are several moments of Spielberg directing technicians and crew members. It really looks like the movie is a representation of his vision, he just wasn't the one calling "Action" and "Cut" when the cameras were rolling.


I don't know if he did any ghost directing, but I read Paul Thomas Anderson was shadowing Robert Altman every day on the set of Prairie Home Companion should Altman be unable to continue.

Last edited by IBJoel; 01-13-20 at 09:05 AM.
Old 05-28-17, 12:06 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Originally Posted by robin2099
Poltergeist is obviously the big one here. It was officially credited to Tobe Hooper but a majority of the actors have said that Spielberg was on set almost everyday and ran the show. Spielberg still credits Hooper and Hooper says it was his film but the cast says otherwise.
Spielberg himself got the whole ball rolling on the "Hooper didn't direct Poltergeist story". While being interviewed, Spielberg was quoted as saying Hoopers wasn't "very hands-on" as a director, and that he, Spielberg, did a lot of the work. This got Spielberg an angry rebuke from the director's guild, and Spielberg had to publish a real kiss-ass, apology letter to Hooper.




It is also worth noting, that Spielberg later hired Hooper to direct and episode of Amazing Stories.
Old 05-28-17, 12:57 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Didn't Spielberg do a lot of directing for Goonies as well, to the point where he was basically a co-director with Donner?
Old 05-28-17, 01:05 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Supposedly Howard Hawks directed most (or a lot) of the original The Thing From Another World from 1951, although Christian Nyby was officially credited.
Old 05-28-17, 01:20 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Director Nancy Walker didn't get along with female lead Valerie Perrine on the set of Can't Stop the Music (1980), so all scenes involving Perrine were directed by the director of cinematography Bill Butler.
Which was about 50% of the movie.
Old 05-28-17, 02:02 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Originally Posted by JeremyM
Didn't Spielberg do a lot of directing for Goonies as well, to the point where he was basically a co-director with Donner?
To my knowledge he shot second unit and did some reshoots that were ultimately unused. I've seen an awful outtake where the group administers "the Goonie Oath". Spielberg is calling action. It's a lame scene.
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Old 05-28-17, 04:21 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Originally Posted by Ky-Fi
Supposedly Howard Hawks directed most (or a lot) of the original The Thing From Another World from 1951, although Christian Nyby was officially credited.
This is true. I went to a 50th anniversary screening and Robert Cornwaithe was there taking questions from audience. According to him, Hawks was on set every day and present for all filming. He would tell Nyby what to do and Nyby would then parrot it along to the actors and cameramen.
Old 05-28-17, 04:57 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Paul Thomas Anderson working on Prairie Home Companion.

I miss seeing new Robert Altman movies.
Old 05-28-17, 06:59 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

The Wizard of Oz

King Vidor, Richard Thorpe, George Cukor, Mervyn Leroy and Norman Taurog (uncredited)
Old 05-28-17, 07:49 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Poltergeist sure feels like an early 80s Spielberg movie.
Old 05-28-17, 10:17 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Paul Thomas Anderson was a huge, HUGE fan of Altman. I'm sure he assisted Altman when ever asked (and he definitely was the backup if Altman died), but there's no way he would butt in while his idol was directing.
Old 05-28-17, 11:11 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Originally Posted by inri222
The Wizard of Oz

King Vidor, Richard Thorpe, George Cukor, Mervyn Leroy and Norman Taurog (uncredited)
And the same year, with the same credited director, there's Gone with the Wind. Cukor and Sam Wood both directed large parts of the movie, and even the stuff Fleming was in charge of, Selznick was micromanaging him.
Old 05-28-17, 11:29 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Saul Bass revealed he directed the shower scene in Psycho.

Spoiler:


But everyone else involved in Psycho say he's a goddam liar.

Old 05-29-17, 12:19 AM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

The Terror (1963) was directed by Roger Corman. With additional directing credits going to Francis Ford Coppola, Jack Nicholson, Monte Hellman, Jack Hill, Dennis Jakob, Jack Hale.
Old 05-29-17, 07:50 AM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

BLACK MAGIC (1949) was credited to Gregory Ratoff, but it's widely believed that Orson Welles, who starred in the film as Cagliostro, directed a lot of it. And there are numerous scenes where you just think, "Welles must have done this."

HE WALKED BY NIGHT (1949) is credited to Alfred Werker, but it's widely believed Anthony Mann directed portions of it. It certainly looks and feels like an Anthony Mann film noir.

Sergio Leone has a couple of different credits on MY NAME IS NOBODY (1974) but the direction is credited to Tonino Valerii. I've seen other Valerii films and while I liked them, they don't play anything like the way NOBODY plays, so there's been some speculation that Leone had a hand in the direction. I don't know if that's ever been confirmed or debunked. Certainly, the Morricone score sounds as good as if it were for a Leone film.
Old 05-29-17, 04:29 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

I read once that any film that lists Mario Bava as Director of Photography he actually directed. Also he used several aliases and nobody is quite sure of everything he directed.
Old 05-30-17, 01:30 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Originally Posted by devilshalo
Waterworld?
Didn't Reynolds walk away at some point and leave Costner to clean up the mess?
Old 05-30-17, 03:37 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Originally Posted by Josh-da-man
Poltergeist sure feels like an early 80s Spielberg movie.
Yea, I personally like a lot of Tobe Hooper's work from that time frame but no way was he responsible for Poltergeist.
Old 05-30-17, 05:04 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Ethan Coen on several films before the DGA loosened their rules.

Not sure if Joss Whedon will be credited for Justice League.
Old 05-30-17, 05:25 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Originally Posted by Groucho
Not sure if Joss Whedon will be credited for Justice League.
Guarantee he won't be. In fact, at best he'll get a special thanks at the very end of the end credits.
Old 05-30-17, 07:40 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

While it's not exactly "ghost directing", a lot of Superman II was directed by Richard Donner , and after seeing the Richard Donner cut it is apparent a lot of his material was kept. Any scene with Gene Hackman is apparently the work of Donner in the theatrical version.

Regarding Joss Whedon on Justice League and just getting a special thanks in the credits, I recall reading that most of Jurassic Park's post production was actually overseen by George Lucas as Spielberg as deep into Schindler's List at the time. Hence the special thanks for him in the credits.
I also recall reading that The Invasion with Nicole Kidman was basically re-shot by James McTeague with close consultation by The Wachowskis. It's also pretty obvious that the Wachowskis had a lot more input on V For Vendetta aside from screenplay.
Old 05-31-17, 05:01 PM
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Re: Movies which were "ghost" directed

Hellraiser 4 ?

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