Spielberg doesn't excite me right now.

[ak]

One part of my mind says that I should be. Excited, that is.

Spielberg - One of the most experienced directors working today, with such an untouchable record of films, hopping from genre to genre with a degree of ease, yet he's lost my captivation and I really don't know if I can directly explain why.

I once liked A.I, but now I can't stand the thought of sticking it in my dvd player. Minority Report was decent but didn't get me excited at all. Catch Me If You Can was fairly ordinary, as was The Terminal. All of which is not quite what I expect from Spielberg.


He was once an event director. And here lies the problem - Perhaps my expectation of the man is way beyond what he feels he should deliver.
His skill is way beyond just event films, but saying that, even in my mind, his recent efforts have only been "good".

Jurassic Park blew me away like no film has before or since, and Schindler's List was a masterpiece which was mind-blowing. Even Saving Private Ryan took me on a journey as something I'd never truly experienced.

Now, it sadly seems Spielberg has become rather 'run of the mill'.

I would truly be far more excited by a new Tarantino film, or a new David Fincher film than I would of Spielberg.

Above all of this, The War of the Worlds sounds very exciting as it's Spielberg back on blockbuster territory (where he is truly at home). Popcorn entertainment surely won't get better than that....until - Indy 4?

His legacy is of course undoubted. His catalogue of films, unmatched. The upcoming inclusion of said alien invasion film, and said archeology adventure sounds like Spielberg is coming back into the light, but at the moment, I'm not too impressed. And that's sad...

[Cyd V]

I agree, he has just raised the bar to high for himself to be taking on mediocre scripts. Maybe he thought they where great projects, who knows, fact is they weren't, so hopefully he gets his shit together with Indy 4...

[docholiday_13]

Well I really liked Minority Report but wasn't too hot on Catch Me If You Can. I have no desire to see The Terminal at all and A.I was too inconsistent to rank up with his classic's.

Cyd is right. He made so many outstanding flicks in his prime that now his later movies (which to be fair, are still pretty dang good) fail to register that same reaction.

But he IS still Steven Spielberg. I'm confident he'll churn out another bitchtastic movie soon.

[Shockwave]

Ill cut him some slack considering hes the greatest talent in the industry today.(in my opinion)

..HOWEVER, i am glad to see SS return to his roots, ill be as giddy to see "War of the Worlds" as i was to see JP!:)

..and wasnt he going to lend a hand in the Transformers movie, or was that just rumors?:confused:

[Heavenley]

Well , I kinda agree with you in that he has failed to excite me within the last few years, but STILL the man is a genius, and I've liked most of his movies, I am very excited about WAR OF THE WORLDS.....with Spielberg creating this, it's going to be great IMO. He will always be my all-time fave director.

[Mad Maggot]

I'm one of those few people (if not the only one) who prefers the man's recent works to his classic ones. I've never been too crazy about Indiana Jones, E.T., Jurassic Park and Schindler's List, in fact, I could never understand what all the fuss was about. However, Saving Private Ryan, A.I., Minority Report and the great Catch Me If You Can made me love the man.

I see many Schmoes not really liking CMIYC, but I think it's the best Spielberg film to this day with outstanding performances from Chrissie Walken, Tommy Hanks and Leo DiCaprio. True entertainment.

I can't say I'm too happy about adapting War of the Worlds and Cruise getting zillions of dollars for it (call me, Tom!), but I'll see it anyway just because it comes from Steven.

[Thes]

I do agree he's been running a little hot and cold lately, but even his mediocre stuff is highly entertaining and/or visually stunning. While I didn't like AI as such, I was impressed with the way it looked. Still, I don't think his later works have come anywhere near the brilliance of his earlier stuff - he is, after all, responsible for creating the summer blockbuster when he chose to release Jaws in the US summer. When you look at his CV, some of the most iconic and benchmark films are Spielberg films. Perhaps, as someone said earlier, he has made our expectations of his work so high it's hard for him to satisfy us all.

[Hannibal21]

Spielberg has always been brilliant, and I personally think he's still brilliant. I thought his only stinkers were Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Lost World, and Hook (ugh!), and aside from overblown sentimentality in some of his movies, I love the his work in general.

I've been a fan ever since having a magical experience the critically acclaimed E.T., and since then I have been in love with the man's work. The 'classics, such as Jaws and Raiders were childhood favorites, The Color Purple is his most underrated film, Jurassic Park was grand entertainment, and the brilliance Schindler's List simply can't be topped by any of his movies IMO.

One of his recent movies I've been indifferent about for a long while, and that's A.I., but it really grew on me BIG TIME with more viewings. I love it now. Whereas Minority Repoty, CMIYC, and The Terminal are all very good films. Although by no means my favorite of his work, they can all confirm how much I love the man.

[Ted Pikul]

& I thought Dawson Leary had a jones for Spielberg;)

[Korny]

I've really enjoyed everything that Spielbergio has given us in the last few years. Minority Report was diffrent and fresh for me and AI was well directed.

Catch me If you can was enjoyable (I was at the UK Premiere and sat 10 feet away from Hanks, Spielberg and DFi Caprio as they presented the film:))

The Termial was sloppy though, i didn't care about the characters, and the film overal just fell flat. It was also half an hour too long.

But hey i think The Terminal was a filler film for him and he's going to give us something special with War of the worlds
:D

[Haddonfield]

To be fair with A.I., he did it for his long time friend. and I happen to love the movie but can see how it fits in with his recent string of non life changing flicks they guy is known for.

[APzombie]

Too add, he is recently pushing out about film a year (two films in 2002). All of his films are great in my opinion, but I think the lack of the 'event feeling' is because were used to a new spielberg film coming out around every corner. In comparison, it seems like more of an event when great directors, like Kubrick and Tarantino, come out with their next film because theirs are few and far between. I don't have the mind set of every Spielberg film to be the next big event...

To me, Spielberg works like an artist; he crafts large ambitious paintings (Schindler's List, JP), and then he sketches a few things (The Terminal). It doesn't mean that he wanted The Terminal to be the next Schindler's List, it is just a different kind of film.

[Bullet Tooth Tony]

He doesnt have to prove anything to me he is just making fun breezy films that he wants to make. He'll be back to event film making soon enough.

Shit, he could be like Terrance Malick and make one shitty film every 30 years! :D

[Ted Pikul]

That he could.

Especially seeing as The Thin Red Line is a better film than Saving Private Ryan.

[Jerk Shapiro]

I thought Minority Report was great...scores better than A.I. But I think I need to see A.I again.

As for Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal...meh.

[Korny]

Originally posted by Ted Pikul
That he could.

Especially seeing as The Thin Red Line is a better film than Saving Private Ryan.

haha good one

[Bullet Tooth Tony]

Originally posted by Ted Pikul
That he could.

Especially seeing as The Thin Red Line is a better film than Saving Private Ryan.

Oh c'mon why do people rave about this man? BTW they maybe about the same subject matter but they are two totally different movies.

[Ted Pikul]

They certainly are.

The Thin Red Line is a masterpiece.

Saving Private Ryan could have been a masterpiece but unfortunately Spielberg is still a juvenile film maker at heart .

Which is fine when it comes to popcorn entertainment (of which he is the undoubted master) but when it comes to serious film making he always falls short.

[ak]

Originally posted by Ted Pikul
...which is fine when it comes to popcorn entertainment (of which he is the undoubted master) but when it comes to serious film making he always falls short.

I see some degree of truth in your point, but to this day I still find it difficult to believe the same Steven Spielberg who brought us Indian Jones and E.T actually directed Schindler's List. It is unfathomable.

Schindler's List is a deadly serious film. Dark, depressing but also hopeful in some ways. There is no gloss to this film at all.



*It's also interesting to note that Spielberg managed the amazing task of releasing both List and Jurassic Park in the same year. He was actually working on both at the same time at one point. Overseeing post production on JP while filming the darkest material of his life.
Two polar opposites within the same year....what a thought.

[Korny]

Originally posted by Ted Pikul
Saving Private Ryan could have been a masterpiece but unfortunately Spielberg is still a juvenile film maker at heart .

Which is fine when it comes to popcorn entertainment (of which he is the undoubted master) but when it comes to serious film making he always falls short.

I don't disagree with you but in light of popcorn entertainment, Steve has bought us some of the most famous and memerable films of all time, let alone bringing new light into cinema (e.g. JP)

[Shockwave]

*It's also interesting to note that Spielberg managed the amazing task of releasing both List and Jurassic Park in the same year.

Nother example of just how much ass this guy can kick.:cool:

[ak]

....yes, now that is exciting film-making!

[The Heart Collector]

I think the problem here is that Spielberg just isn't working with material worthy of him. and by that, I'm referring to CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and THE TERMINAL. While AI and Minority Report weren't as stunning as some of his other works, they're at least projects with some ambition. On the other hand, these new "light flicks" he's making are just that, light and passable.

[bigred760]

I agree with you in that the fact that his movies haven't "thrilled" me as much as his past films. I really enjoyed A.I. and Minority Report, but Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal weren't all that (Leo Dicaprio just doesn't come across as a leading man to me, don't know what Hollywood sees in him - but that's another story). I am really looking forward to War of the Worlds.

There is not doubt he is a master, and his style of filmmaking is consistent and that is what I respect the most about him. He's my favorite director and probably will continue to be for a while.

[ak]

Catch Me If You Can, and The Terminal, seem very much like films 'offered' to Spielberg, instead of films he really wanted to make.

Whether this is the case or not, I do not know, this is just the feeling I get.

I say this because it appears to me he makes 'filler films' while he waits for the bigger ones to get going. i.e - Indy 4.

As far as I'm aware, War of the Worlds was more or less a fairly recent decision.

[JCPhoenix]

I personally think A.I. is one of the most severely...under-appreciated films in a long time. It's one of those films that in my mind will be remembered favorably upon in say, a decade. Yes, the last third of the movie keeps going on and on when you think it's about to end but the whole movie has this otherworldly feel to it that I can say is Kubrickan (though I've only seen a handful of Kubrick films). It's a truly odd piece of cinema and probably the most arty and unmainstream piece that Spielberg has done and I think that puts off a lot of people. I gave it an 8/10 when I first saw it and to be honest, after several viewings, it's at least 8/10, maybe more. I think it's flawed, but still more of a masterpiece than Minority Report has any right to be.

Personally, Spielberg earned even more respect from me after A.I. just simply because it was so different from anything he had done before.

I found Minority Report to be overall just a well-made film noir set in the future. I didn't find anything really remarkable about it from the mystery (which was very easy to figure out quite a bit before the reveal) to the style, etc...I mean, I liked the film (gave it 7/10) but nothing stood out as extraordinary in that film.

In the same way, Catch Me If You Can is a bit more low-key with the style, but that's perhaps because it's quite different from 95% of Spielberg's resume. It's meant to be light, fun entertainment, and it delivers beautifully, at least on the first viewing (it deteriorated a bit on repeat viewings but I still found it quite an enjoyable movie). For me, it's a superior movie to Minority Report again.

I haven't seen The Terminal, but from those three movies alone, I'd say that on anyone else's filmography, people would be saying, "Watch out for this guy, he's gonna go places." The problem stems from the high expectations people placed on Spielberg's movies after he delivered hit after hit and classic after classic. Between churning out more serious fare like Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan, he of course had his classic popcorn flicks.

And while I do agree that after those three movies, Spielberg's name on a movie doesn't excite me as much as say Fincher, or Burton, or Jonze, I can see that he's experimenting and trying different things after having already been vastly successful in his normal fare. And I'm glad for that - it'd be neat to see Spielberg evolve into an entirely different director with a new (set) style as we move into the middle of the decade.

The War of the Worlds project has me excited - but I don't really know why. It feels like Spielberg has certainly changed as a director over the last couple years - at the same time, I'm sure we can expect a movie that is more similar to his classics. But I'm most interested in seeing if his new styles and techniques will have any impact on War of the Worlds. To me, that's the most exciting thing, and it'd be better for War of the Worlds to be a mixture of all his styles, and a culmination of all his filmmaking experiences, from Jaws, to E.T., to Schindler's List, to Saving Private Ryan, to A.I., and yes, even to Catch Me If You Can than a carbon clone of his popcorn flicks.

[Bullet Tooth Tony]

Originally posted by Ted Pikul
They certainly are.

The Thin Red Line is a masterpiece.

Saving Private Ryan could have been a masterpiece but unfortunately Spielberg is still a juvenile film maker at heart .

Which is fine when it comes to popcorn entertainment (of which he is the undoubted master) but when it comes to serious film making he always falls short.

Maybe I'm worng and I'm not slating your views and opinions I respect them, its just that what I got out of "The Thin Red Line" is that the movie is more about the the erm whats the word I'm looking for? Poetic and image. Not a lot is said and I admit the cinematography is great but...I just prefered Saving Private Ryan and I know the movie has its flaws but to me I enjoyed it more.

But thats just My Two Cents. :cool:

[Ted Pikul]

I think you've summed up The Thin Red Line perfectly.

It's a poetic film from start to finish.

Saving Private Ryan has some poetic moments (the scene in the church, listening to Edith Piaf) but ultimately Spielberg's sentimentality sabotages the film (the hokey unnecessary bookends, the scene with Mrs Ryan).

Even Schindler's List is blighted with this affliction. The scene with the little girl in the red coat totally jars with the rest of the film & trivialises the subject matter in my view.

In many ways AI is Spielberg's most interesting film on a personal level.

I see it as him wrestling with his juvenile impulses via the avatar of Haley Joel Osment.

He wants to be a real boy IE. real film maker even though he knows it's an elusive dream probably just beyond his grasp.

[Strider]

Spielberg is a unbelievably brilliant filmmaker, and he always will be. And he still excites me with his work. Artificial Intelligence is, in my opinion, a severely underrated film, a masterpiece, and one of Spielberg's best. Minority Report was a solid futuristic film noir, but could have been even better if the film had ended differently.

His last two films, Catch Me If You Can and The Terminal were not great films, but they were solid films, and they both proved that Spielberg is willing to take risks, try different things, and that he is an incredibly versatile director. I believe he really wants to make these films, and he doesn't give a damn what anybody thinks. He will do whatever he wants.

I don't think Spielberg is losing his touch, he's just making films that he wants to make. That's all there is to it. I, for one, cannot wait until The War of the Worlds. This should mark Spielberg's return to his epic, classic popcorn films.

Strider

[beastieben21]

To me Spielberg has shown a very chameleon-like ability to morph and transform his talents to fit the project as of late. Let's face it, the man probably isn't going to have a run like he did from 75-82. Few directors EVER have. Granted, this is still the man who made Last Crusade, Always, and Hook, only to follow with JP and Schindlers List. Whether he's got a few masterpieces in the tank is yet to be seen, but I'm willing to bet he does. A.I. has moments of brilliance and his last three releases have been good to great in my book. To me, these little films he's doing make him an even more interesting director. He's working, he's putting things out there, like it or not, for different audiences. It'd be easy for a director like him to make a film every 4 years, and maybe for quality purposes it would be wise. But I respect his ability to take some risks.

[flowrchild]

Originally posted by ak
I would truly be far more excited by a new Tarantino film, or a new David Fincher film than I would of Spielberg.

I don't think that's really a fair comparison, since Spielberg has done way more movies than both of them combined. The higher the number of films you do, the higher the likelihood that some will be unsatisfying. That's just my opinion.

That being said, I think Spielberg is a fantastic director with an outstanding resume. How many directors have some of the best films ever made in almost every genre? I think he is a very impressive talent. However, I do agree his recent films are not as mind-blowing as his older ones. I've still enjoyed pretty much all of them, but the main difference to me is that he used to make great movies and now he makes good ones. But I have every faith he will come back with another masterpiece in due time.

[ak]

Originally posted by flowrchild
I don't think that's really a fair comparison, since Spielberg has done way more movies than both of them combined. The higher the number of films you do, the higher the likelihood that some will be unsatisfying. That's just my opinion.

Why is it not fair? I see nothing in my comments that are not fair. Just because it's Spielberg, doesn't mean I have to look forward to it.

This whole topic is about current Spielberg, not his entire catalogue. And since Spielberg doesn't excite me currently, I'd much rather see a new film from Tarantino.

As the old saying goes - You're only as good as your last piece of work. I'm not bashing Spielberg's recent films, they are merely okay.

[flowrchild]

Originally posted by ak
This whole topic is about current Spielberg, not his entire catalogue. And since Spielberg doesn't excite me currently, I'd much rather see a new film from Tarantino.

Sorry for using the words 'not fair', that's not entirely what I meant and I worded it incorrectly. I agree that I am more excited about new Tarantino movies than Spielberg ones lately. I kind of thought you were implying that Tarantino and Fincher made consistently better movies than Spielberg, which is what I disagreed with, since they have barely a few films total under their belt, in contrast to Spielberg's extensive resume. That's all I meant-- you can be excited for whoever's movies coming out that you want.

But I have to keep my faith in Spielberg's profound talent comeback :D

[Metallica4702]

Don't get me wrong on this, many of my favorite movies are Spielberg and Tarantinos, but something about Spielberg's movies has never sat well with me. He seems to draw out a plot or a scene for too long. He made it blatantly obvious in The Terminal and Catch Me If You Can, but I first noticed it in the Raptor scene from Jurassic Park. All that said, I love Jaws.