It’s been a very Steven Spielberg-heavy week here at JoBlo, but that’s what happens whenever the legendary filmmaker releases a new movie. Few directors have ever commanded the kind of attention Spielberg does, with each new project feeling like a genuine cinematic event. His latest film, Disclosure Day, has sparked a somewhat divided reaction among critics and audiences. While I was a little cooler on it, our own Mike Conway was a big fan. Regardless of where you fall on the movie itself, the box office numbers suggest that Spielberg’s drawing power remains remarkably strong.
In many ways, Spielberg can be credited as the architect of the modern blockbuster. While he emerged around the same time as the celebrated “New Hollywood” generation of filmmakers in the 1970s, his path was very different. Rather than attending film school alongside contemporaries like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola, Spielberg famously broke into the industry through television, directing episodes for Universal before making the leap to features. We recently took a deep dive into those early years and the TV work that helped shape his style.
Of course, everything changed with Jaws in 1975. While Hollywood had seen major hits before, Jaws helped redefine what a blockbuster could be. Along with Star Wars two years later, it ushered in a new era of event filmmaking that continues to shape the industry to this day.
What’s most remarkable is that Jaws was only the beginning. Spielberg followed it with an astonishing run that includes Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, and countless other classics.
Yesterday, I shared my personal ranking of Spielberg’s ten best films. Today, it’s your turn. What do you think is Steven Spielberg’s greatest movie? I struggled to choose between Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark, ultimately giving the edge to Indy’s first adventure. Cast your vote below and let us know where you stand!
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