Critical Analysis: Steven Spielberg • Page 3

Haha I haven't thought about We're Back! Since I was ten years old! Did Spielberg produce this?

And I agree on Catch Me If You Can. One of my favorite Hanks films and probably my favorite Leo.

 

First off, why does Spielberg get so much credit for inspiring the modern blockbuster? When I look at most superhero movies and special effects-driven blockbusters there seems to be more Star Wars influence than anything. Spielberg's only actiony spectacle stuff before Jurassic Park was the Indy trilogy (a collaboration with Lucas) and maybe Hook. Most everything else he did was character-driven, first and foremost. Just because his movies aren't abstruse or try commenting on humanity in complicated and edgy ways doesn't make them lesser films than Taxi Driver or Badlands. You could make the argument that what makes movies special from books is the way images, music and movement are merged to make you feel something more intensely and viscerally than a book. It's about the feels, and Spielberg's optimism isn't any less artistic than, say, Kubrick's pessimism or Malick's soul-searching.

 

Woah, that takes me back. I watched the shit out of my VHS copy.

Also, this



Is a classic. Did anyone else read how it was originally intended to have no dialogue and was going to portray the dinosaurs more realistically?

 

There have been countless articles written about the ways in which Jaws changed studio strategy, but the Legacy portion of the Jaws Wikipedia page sums it up nicely.

Jaws (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Going forward, who do you guys want to do for these threads. I know I definitely want to do Stanley Kubrick, but was looking at maybe an actor next. Any thoughts?

 

Directors are far more interesting than actors.

 

I'd be down for an actor. I'm also down for a director.

 

Sam Rockwell or Edward Norton if we do actors

 

Interesting directors who are also interesting actors, like Vincent Gallo, has my vote.

 

I've never even heard of a single one of his films. I think we need to keep it a bit more mainstream in order to get more people involved.

 

Fair enough, but Buffalo 66 is so great though. Anyone who likes quirky, idiosyncratic dialogue and dysfunctional characters and offbeat romantic comedies like Punch Drunk Love might find something to like. Plus he starred in a Francis Ford Cappola movie that was arguably his best work since Dracula and was involved in one of the most famous feuds between critic and artist when he and Ebert were going at each other in the early 2000's. He's not really all that obscure, just so idiosyncratic in his career choices and overall personality that he doesn't fit into most mainstream movies I guess. Dude's got a magnetic, totally authentic screen presence though and makes any interview entertaining. Had he not gone off the rails with his movie after Buff66 and also kept his word about retiring from acting once he made enough money to live off of, he might've been more successful and ended up with a reputation of being like an American Klaus Kinski or something (only he's not a complete madman lol).

 

Mainstream directors only would be such a colossal bore. Vincent Gallo's films are in English, made recently, and very accessible.

 

ben affleck acts and directs....

to better response maybe spike jonze?

 

Ben Affleck would be so fun.

 

The BFG trailer that came out yesterday has me excited.

 

I like his use of oners. Also really enjoyed this:

 

I'm probably in a very small percentage whose favorite Spielberg movie is A.I.

 

It is definitely up there. One of the most misread films of the century.

 

I've been sifting through his work again to rank it on Letterboxd. Really wanting to re-visit it but also want to hold off for the final few I watch.

I still haven't seen Bridge of Spies. It's on Showtime so I'll watch that one soon. Then there are a few scattered movies (Always, 1941, Sugarland Express) that I still need to see.

 

AI is certainly one of his best. I think my favor still leans toward Minority Report though. Bridge of Spies to round out my top 3.

 

Catch Me If You Can was on cable today. That's an extremely watchable movie.

 

"Knock Knock."

 

You know the dude's a legend when I don't even know if movies as great as Minority Report would make a top 8 of his work.

Also double-take at the video posted above saying Michael Curtiz, Oscar winning director of Casablanca, is someone "you've never heard of". I knew his name within a few months of being a movie fan and I've seen 12 of his movies.