What are your 3 favorite Spielberg films? (1 Viewer)

[Joe:C]

If I have to pick only 3....

Jaws
E.T.
Raiders

Although the list could change from time to time.

War of the Worlds (I may be the only person who likes this movie from what I've read)

You're not the only one who likes this movie.

 

[Sam Davatchi]

Too many to narrow down but I'm gonna say AI as I know no one else will.

I add Always.

 

[Doug Ennis]

My three favorite are:

1. Minority Report
2. Jurassic Park
3. Catch Me If You Can

His three best, IMO:

1. Minority Report
2. Empire of the Sun
3. Munich

 

[JonZ]

In no order...
Jaws
Saving Private Ryan
Schinders List

 

[Radioman970]

In this order. Although it's nearly a 3-way tie!

1. ET. This film changed my life. [SIZE= smaller]{long, drawn out, sickeningly gushing story deleted for the good of the forum. ed)[/SIZE]
2. JAWS. Probably my favorite monster movie of all time. The behind the scenes stuff is the stuff of movie making legend. Way to go Mr. S! And Duel was a fantastic warm up to this.
3. A.I. Especially love the part many hate, that last part. Some flaws, perhaps I'd recast the couples biological child, rework the opening scenes, but nothing fatal. Law is especially excellent, alongside Osment and "Teddy", as "Gigolo Joe". Also, the mother character was very important and I felt it was played just right by an very good actress. If I hadn't seen JAWS first this would probably be #2.

 

[Radioman970]

Originally Posted by Joe:C /forum/thread/292125/what-are-your-3-favorite-spielberg-films#post_3600489

I'll back you guys up if there's a fight over our like of WotW.

I'm saying it's really fun and I'm proud of it! It does tend to coast after that spectacular scene near the beginning. The scene in the ferry is the other strong point. It's a shame they couldn't keep the momentum going. And the final ending rightfully annoys many. I got used to it after a few viewings.

 

[Adam_S]

1. Empire of the Sun - the greatest film ever made
2. A.I. - greatest sci-fi film ever made. A devastatingly cold and haunting look at humanity.
3. Jaws - not really a horror movie, but if it were a horror movie it would be the greatest horror movie ever made. as it is, it's the best film you'll ever see in a theatre with an audience--at least its the greatest theatrical experience I've ever had in my life.

 

[TravisR]

Originally Posted by Adam_S

3. Jaws - ...as it is, it's the best film you'll ever see in a theatre with an audience--at least its the greatest theatrical experience I've ever had in my life.

I have to agree with that. I saw Jaws a few years in a theater and I couldn't believe how well the crowd responded to it. I've seen it so many times that I can nearly recite the entire movie so I've become kind of 'numb' to the suspense or the laughs but it was great seeing it with a crowd that was really into it and seeing how well the movie still works after 30 years.

 

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark
2. Jurassic Park
3. Saving Private Ryan

That's in order of how often I watch them, and they're easily my three faves, and I wholeheartedly agree with Sam Davatchi:
Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Davatchi

I always thought that "what Spielberg movies you didn't like?" would be a better question! Someone should start a thread about it.

And refer everyone to the separate thread where he's done exactly that.

 

Originally Posted by Adam_S

3. Jaws - as it is, it's the best film you'll ever see in a theatre with an audience--at least its the greatest theatrical experience I've ever had in my life.

This is really good to hear, by the way. I love hearing things like this. I remember I was surprised how well Blue Velvet played to a full house. The things you miss when you're out of the generation.

 

[Jason Charlton]

So hard to pick just three...

Jaws - one of my all-time favorites, and a great example of how different a filmmaker Spielberg was early in his career compared to now.

Schindler's List - Although for me it marked the beginning of Spielberg's tendencey to unabashedly toy with the audience's emotions at the end of his dramatic movies, it was a very well told story and demonstrated his mastery of the craft of filmmaking.

Raiders of the Lost Ark - Just a ton of fun. Great characters, impressive action, and PRACTICAL stunts.

 

[Patrick H.]

It's a tall order to narrow it down to three films, since it was Spielberg who sparked my love of movies as a kid and later my fascination with filmmaking as a teenager. But, today, and in no particular order:

Jaws - This is a master class in how to take a potential piece of genre entertainment and turn it into an all-time great movie. Whether by accident, necessity or design, every decision that went into this film was right. Chief among these for me, above the truly great photography, performances, dialogue, music, etc., was their refusal (even with all the horrific difficulties) to back down from shooting it on location. The open ocean is a tangible presence in this film, and a huge factor in its effectiveness. Indeed, Spielberg's later blockbusters are all more technical in their execution, and after a few viewings you can spot the joints in their construction (which doesn't make the good ones any less enjoyable, mind you). 'Jaws', though, still feels organic, and it's not surprising it has held up so well in people's memories...it's one of those rare films that seems better every time I see it.

Close Encounters - As a kid, I just LOVED this movie. I had a healthy respect for 'E.T.', but this one blew it away as far as I was concerned. This was the first of Spielberg's really effects-reliant films, but as nobody had quite nailed down all the processes involved, there's a lovely experimental/improvisational quality to the visuals. The combination of this imagery and the sublime music from John Williams gives the finale the feeling of a dream you don't want to wake up from (I remember watching just the third act repeatedly when I was younger). Growing up in a musical family, the notion that music would be the common medium of communication between us and other worlds was both powerful and quite logical to me. Spielberg and Williams both lucked out with each other on this project. And as for the director's present-day regret that the film's protagonist abandons his family, I've never quite seen it that way...his family abandons him.

Empire of the Sun - This is one of those movies that few remember now, but will increase in stature the more people delve into Spielberg's whole filmography (perhaps like what's happened with Hitchcock and 'Vertigo'). Many seemed rather blindsided by 'Schindler's List' in 1993, but this film pointed the way to that one, while both incorporating and subverting the childlike sense of wonder that had defined many Spielberg films prior. It also tells a fascinating story from a little-known theater of WWII, and is loaded with interesting characters who are perfectly cast (this is my favorite John Malkovich role). The heart of the film, however, is the superb performance by a young Christian Bale, in as nuanced and complex a part as any adult actor could manage. If you'd seen this film, it was unsurprising to see him re-emerge as a big star later in life, and his work is also the strongest testament to Spielberg's ability to direct young performers.

In any discussion of Spielberg, though, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the impact 'Jurassic Park' had on me as a teenager. While I can't quite put it at the top of the list anymore, I have yet to be more astounded or excited by anything I've seen in a movie than the first time a dinosaur appeared on-screen. While the story and characters don't exactly stand up to the likes of 'Jaws' or 'Raiders', the stars of the show are those dinosaurs, and they are triumphs of the threshold where technology catches up with imagination. These days, CGI is so accepted by audiences that I think filmmakers don't hesitate to throw it at them even if it doesn't really look real. Back then, though, they used it exactly where it would work best, made it look great, then filled in the gaps with practical methods. As a result, those dinosaurs were THERE - they moved with real weight and behaved with true personality - and I became endlessly fascinated with how this wonder was accomplished. That fascination spread to the filmmaking process in general, and it's been a part of my daily life ever since.

 

[Jason Charlton]

Originally Posted by Patrick H.

In any discussion of Spielberg, though, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the impact 'Jurassic Park' had on me as a teenager. While I can't quite put it at the top of the list anymore, I have yet to be more astounded or excited by anything I've seen in a movie than the first time a dinosaur appeared on-screen.

Well said. Having read the novel prior to seeing the movie, there were aspects of the story (like the first encounter with the T-Rex) that I was certain couldn't be accomplished. Boy, was I wrong. I think that was the last time a summer "event" movie actually EXCEEDED my expectations.

 

[Scott!]

Very tough to narrow it to three but mine would be:

1. Jaws
2. Jurassic Park
3. Saving Private Ryan

 

[ChristopherG]

I am pleased to see that there are other AI aficionados here........Radioman, Adam S, and Sam D....respect!

I am also a fan of "Always" and "War of The Worlds"....

 

[Simon Massey]

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark - have to go with this one as may favourite. Even though i never saw it at the cinema I remember watching it on video when I was 7. The original Star Wars Trilogy and the Indiana Jones films - what a time to be a kid when these films were coming out.

2. Artificial Intelligence - as far as Im concerned this is one of Spielbergs best films. Although the Flesh Fair sequence is the weakest part and out of keeping with the rest of the film, the rest is stunning.

3. Schindler's List - not a lot I can say that hasnt already been said.

 

[Sam Favate]

Originally Posted by Patrick H.
In any discussion of Spielberg, though, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the impact 'Jurassic Park' had on me as a teenager. While I can't quite put it at the top of the list anymore, I have yet to be more astounded or excited by anything I've seen in a movie than the first time a dinosaur appeared on-screen.

Good point. Audiences collectively had the look that Speilberg's characters often get (that gaping mouth, the stare at something wonderous) when JP first came out. It was the best of reasons for going to the movies: To see something we'd never seen before.

 

[Brett_M]

1. Jaws
2. CEOTTK
3. Schindler's List

 

[Hicks]

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark
I still remember seeing this in the theater when I was a kid. Thinking back now it may not have been the best choice for a five year old, but hey what's done is done. Needless to say it's one of my favorite films of all time and I've pretty much memorized every line and scene from it. The last time I watched it I was struck by how outstanding John Williams' score is and how it really adds another layer of depth to the film.

2. E.T.
When this came out I saw it something like 5 times in the theater, I remember laughing hysterically at the part when E.T. makes their bikes fly. Probably one of my best memories of seeing a movie ever. The part when he "dies" and the flowers wilt can still make me tear up a bit to this day.

3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Another one I've seen countless times. The way Spielberg conveys the wonder and excitement of making contact and communicating with aliens couldn't have been done better by anyone else in my opinion. I really like how in the end even the government/military officials are clearly moved by the experience at Devil's Tower. This movie really is a product of a more innocent time.

Honorable mention: Saving Private Ryan
While I find the storyline to be a bit contrived, it stands tall as an amazing technical achievement in terms of realistically portraying combat.

 

[JediFonger]

-indy (all 4, i cheated
-Saving Private Ryan
-Jurassic Pahk.