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Directors - Steven Spielberg (1 Viewer)

AlexCremers

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Really, last time I looked this thread is about Spielberg's movies. And I made a comment about Spielberg's sugar, just like the previous two posts before it. You were saying, Ernest?
 

AlexCremers

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That's the easy way out, just like your usual attempts to block every sentence in my posts. Say it, you just can't stand me because I disagree with you.
 

Shad R

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Kubrick is hit or miss with me. I LOVED DR. Strangelove and Clockwork Orange. Full Metal Jacket was OK. But I felt the Shining was over the top, and kind of stupid. Not creepy or scary at all. 2001, while I liked some of his visual style, just didn't do anything for me. It was kind of...dare I say it after all the arguments...boring. Don't get me started on Eyes Wide Shut...thank goodness I didn't plop down 9 bucks to see it in the theater, or I would have been pissed and wanted my money back.
Speilburg is the same. Jaws was awesome, so were the Iniana Jones movies and Jurassic Park. But those movies brought "fun" into the picture. I can't see a Stanley Kubrick movie being "fun", save for maybe Dr. Strangelove(which at the beginning was intended as a serious dark thriller). Those movies are just fun to watch. A.I on the other hand...not so fun. I personally felt it was a little boring. I hated that stupid teddy bear, and I couldn't beleive the ending! Talk about stretching it. I have a feeling that even if it was Kubrick directed, it would have been a miss for me.
ON the other hand, Saving Private Ryan isn't a "fun" film by any means, but it was emotional, serious and well made.
Come to think of it, AI and ET are the only two films of Spielburgs I haven't liked. I even liked Minority Report!
 

AlexCremers

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And I thought it was your speciality to see things that are under the surface. Well, if you cannot read simple me, how are you going to read a movie (wink)?
I think you are very sensitive about it, Ernest. Calling me a troll like that! So vulnerable are you. Truth is, I can also call you a troll. The way you constantly disconnect my every sentence to try and take down its value or meaning. I think that's a pretty low technique you're handling there, Ernest. Each sentence, each word MUST be dismantled ... or made futile in favor of your own personal take on the matter.
As you can see in the beginning of this thread, there are some things I like, and some things I don't like about Spielberg. I'm not being snide, in fact, the list in this thread shows that my cards are on the table. It's you who thinks I'm throwing with bombs. Bombs which are nothing more than an innocent opinion, which happens to be sometimes different than yours. Not everyone sees it your way, Ernest. If you can stand your own spouting, then you've to learn to deal with those that question it or have a different view about it.

------------
Alex Cremers
 

Dharmesh C

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I haven't seen A.I. since its release, I always remembered it as a sugar ending and thirty minutes too long. I need to go back and see this. :b
I'll probably have a different perspective.
 

GuruAskew

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Lucas may not have directed between 1977 and 1999 but he was extensively involved with many special effects films in one way or another, including "Radioland Murders" which was basically a CGI crash-course. You also can't forget that Industrial Light and Magic is a Lucas company. Lucas stayed on the cutting edge of special effects even when inactive as a director. Kubrick last used special effects extensively in 1968.
 

Joe Szott

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Thank goodness this thread exists. It's so hard for someone like Spielberg to get recognized in Hollywood! All hail the underdogs of film!

Hehe ... just lightening the mood for you gents.
 

Simon Massey

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Regarding AI, I can see how the TONE of the final sequence may put people off as being "sugary" but then, as has been pointed out this is supposed to be a fairy tale (a "mecha fairy tale"), and superficially its going to have a "happily ever after" ending. If you then come out of A.I. and dismiss it on the basis that Spielberg is being manipulative with his audience's emotions and trying to get them to cry, as some seem to have done, then you are doing the film a great disservice.

However, if you consider what is meant by the final sequence, it is definitely not sugary. Of course, if you still dont like it despite that, fair enough :).
 

AlexCremers

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There has been another big influence on Spielberg.


CE3K also retells the tale of 'The Wizard Of Oz'. Roy (Dorothy) searches for something that will give him meaning (he doesn't feel at home). The (Yellow Brick) road that he must follow leads to a place where he hopes to get "the answers" . He has to overcome several obstacles. The dangerous poppy field is now a field of sleeping cows. The wizard on the control panel is replaced by a keyboardist. But both gave a great sound and light show. In the end, Roy steps into an spaceship (hot air balloon) that will take him where he belongs, leaving his family (friends) behind, just like Dorothy.
Today Spielberg has a problem with Roy's motivation. He hasn't lost his family, he is the one leaving them.


A.I. also more than touches the story of 'The Wizard Of Oz' which Dr. Know, who lives in a spectacular city, clearly demonstrates. Wasn't Jude Law the Tin Man or the Scarecrow? BTW, Teddy the robot bear, the urban city streets and the spinners (flying cars) seem to be taken straight from 'Blade Runner'.


'E.T.' is also the retelling of 'The Wizard Of Oz' without the inclusion of the wizard character. This time Dorothy is an alien who has to follow his own Yellow Brick Road to get home ("E.T. phone home" vs. "There's no place like home"). All Dorothy wants is to go home but the Wicked Witch of the West wants her and her red slippers. All ET wants is to go home but the government wants E.T. and HIS red slippers (knowledge/power for personal gain). The complete goodbye scene from 'E.T.' is a direct copy of Dorothy saying goodbye to her friends in the Wizard of Oz. E.T. steps into a spaceship looking somewhat like the hot air balloon Dorothy climbs in.


'The Empire of the Sun': Jim is E.T., aka Roy, aka Dorothy. Like E.T., Jim has lost his family, meets colorful people and must overcome many obstacles to get home.


'Amistad': Main characters have lost their home and need to follow their Yellow Brick Road (court) to find it back again. Anthony Hopkins is the key to their ticket home. He is the Wizard.


'The Terminal': Tom Hanks lost his home and lives in a terminal (Munchkinland?) Does he wants to go home? (I don't remember)


------------
Alex Cremers
 

Greg_S_H

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Another side of Disney I understand heavily influenced Spielberg and Lucas were the Carl Barks comic books--Scrooge McDuck in particular. I wonder if there are any collections of his works out there, as I'd like to check it out.
 

AlexCremers

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Nov 29, 2004
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You bet ya (in case you decided to disable that ignore funtion you got on me).

Star Wars is also hugely influenced by 'The Wizard of Oz'.


One and the same story?

Both Spielberg and Lucas name 'The Wizard Of Oz' as a major influence on their work.
 

ZackR

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Jan 27, 2003
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Ernest,

Did you delete your posts or did someone else? There was some very good discussion here and I hate that all your input is gone.

Mods, if the posts were deleted for some other reason, then please remove my post. I am not trying to stir anything up. I was just wondering where all the posts went.

Edit: I now see they are all missing from the Close Encounters thread as well... Hopefully if there is a problem, it has been sorted now.
 

BrettB

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I think there used to be some posts in this thread discussing Disney's influence on Spielberg...

Moviefone has a nearly 17 minute video up called Steven Spielberg & Tom Cruise - Unscripted in which they interview each other using questions which have been emailed in. One of the questions for Spielberg is which of his favorite films from childhood would he like to remake. Here is part of his answer;

"Disney made many, many movies when I was a kid that I would never want to remake because those films were... were sacred. Sacred to all of us, especially sacred to my memories of them."

It's a very entertaining view. It's broken down into 6 pieces also, the above is from part 3.
 

Robert Crawford

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No administrator had anything to do with posts being edited or deleted in this thread nor the Close Encounters thread.








Crawdaddy
 

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