Steven Spielberg's Greatest Film

[MattBackHome]

Can someone change my vote from Jurassic Park to Raiders of the Lost Ark please?

I love both, but had temporarily forgotten about the bit where Indy uses the Staff of Ra to find the snake-filled Well of Souls (in this film which is definitely not for kids) and have changed my mind. Are we allowed to vote for Raiders?

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Best you miss it TB. If you have that expectation , that is what you will find. I think you are right, it will be sentimental, but the source material , the book and then the stage show were sentimental , so its not a shocker that Spielberg's War Horse is going to be sentimental is it ?. Sentimental to me is NOT a bad thing, if done well. Infact it is a good thing. As to whether it will be " overrated sentimental tosh ", I am sure you will find that to be the case as you have decided that already so would not go into the cinema with an open mind and heart. Best to save your money mate.

Mate as soon as I saw on the trailers an unbridled horse rushing through the trenches and spending most of its time without a rider I knew it wasn't for me. It's too much like an equine version of Rin Tin Tin.

I agree sentimental can be a very good thing, but a bit of realism doesn't go astray to add to the spectacle.

Simpson and his Donkey would have made for a far superior story line and movie imo as it is real life.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Ok, we've all had a bit of a laugh ( at my expense ). I still believe the poll was rigged, come on, you know who you are but I am happy for the poll to carry on and appreciate feedback for my research as to people's views. I apologise to hans ( but he started it ! ), its been fun on a boring dull January day and I appreciate I should have just left it and not reacted to it, but hey, when have I ever done that ?

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Mate as soon as I saw on the trailers an unbridled horse rushing through the trenches and spending most of its time without a rider I knew it wasn't for me. It's too much like an equine version of Rin Tin Tin.

I agree sentimental can be a very good thing, but a bit of realism doesn't go astray to add to the spectacle.

Simpson and his Donkey would have made for a far superior story line and movie imo as it is real life.

Fair enough.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Ok, we've all had a bit of a laugh ( at my expense ). I still believe the poll was rigged, come on, you know who you are but I am happy for the poll to carry on and appreciate feedback for my research as to people's views. I apologise to hans ( but he started it ! ), its been fun on a boring dull January day and I appreciate I should have just left it and not reacted to it, but hey, when have I ever done that ?

How in God's name did I 'start' it?

You declared a result, with the film in first/second place left off. I simply asked why!

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

How in God's name did I 'start' it?

You declared a result, with the film in first/second place left off. I simply asked why!

Not really what you said, they way you said it, anyway, lets move on.

 

[Joey Deacon's Disco Suit]

Ok, we've all had a bit of a laugh ( at my expense ). I still believe the poll was rigged, come on, you know who you are but I am happy for the poll to carry on and appreciate feedback for my research as to people's views. I apologise to hans ( but he started it ! ), its been fun on a boring dull January day and I appreciate I should have just left it and not reacted to it, but hey, when have I ever done that ?

No mate. We haven't had a laugh. Well, I'm certainly not smiling at being told my views don't count because it doesn't fit with your views.

I asked some genuine questions there. What part of the production studio in all those flashy big budget CGI films did Spielberg play in it? Why is a good old-fashioned kiddie's film deemed worthy of inclusion yet his most complex and also most difficult film to make ignored? Do you really believe Raiders of the Lost Ark wasn't a children's film?

Schindler's List - have you ever taken a step back from that film and considered that you are being spoon fed what emotions to feel throughout the entire film. Take that red coat for instance. Was that necessary as part of the film? We know that girl was being led to her death, we can see the clothes piled high in huge bundles. It does not need to be signposted that the two events are linked. And the use of a little girl rather than a fit man was also deliberately used to play even more with our emotions.

And Raiders of the Lost Ark - have you considered the claims of racism in those films?* Esp the portrayal of non-Americans/Europeans.

Have you even the slightest idea about Spielberg?


*by racism, I mean stereotyping and the way the characters are either cowardly, prone to mob-mentality or have oh-so-funny ways

 

[Bars Mar]

I Haven't Been On A Here For A While, But I'm Unsurprised There's More Bullying Of Garth. Some Things Don't Change. Of That List I Would Go For Saving Private Ryan As I Like Matt Damon In It.

Surprised There's No Mention Of The Shawshank Redemption Though. That's a Brilliant Film

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

No mate. We haven't had a laugh. Well, I'm certainly not smiling at being told my views don't count because it doesn't fit with your views.

I asked some genuine questions there. What part of the production studio in all those flashy big budget CGI films did Spielberg play in it? Why is a good old-fashioned kiddie's film deemed worthy of inclusion yet his most complex and also most difficult film to make ignored? Do you really believe Raiders of the Lost Ark wasn't a children's film?

Schindler's List - have you ever taken a step back from that film and considered that you are being spoon fed what emotions to feel throughout the entire film. Take that red coat for instance. Was that necessary as part of the film? We know that girl was being led to her death, we can see the clothes piled high in huge bundles. It does not need to be signposted that the two events are linked. And the use of a little girl rather than a fit man was also deliberately used to play even more with our emotions.

And Raiders of the Lost Ark - have you considered the claims of racism in those films? Esp the portrayal of non-Americans/Europeans.

Have you even the slightest idea about Spielberg?

Interesting points.

 

[Gritt23]

Duel was a funny film for me. I remember watching it when I was at Uni. It came on the telly one afternoon when I had a massive essay to do, and I couldn't drag myself away from the film. My housemate who was in the next bedroom, and had the same essay to do, and like me hadn't started it, was also transfixed by this film, we thought it was brilliant. Essay on hold until it was over.

Years later, having gone on about it to my wife for ages, I found it in a video store and bought it. Sat there in sheer disbelief that night as I watched one of the most dull, drab and uninspiring films ever. Just shows how brilliant ANY distraction from an essay can be.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

1. Hook 31
2. Schindler's List 27
3. Saving Private Ryan 20
4. Jaws 16
5. ET - The Extraterrestrial 9

As Hook may surprisingly take the NSC title I am interested why this film was his greatest from the people who voted for it ?

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Duel was a funny film for me. I remember watching it when I was at Uni. It came on the telly one afternoon when I had a massive essay to do, and I couldn't drag myself away from the film. My housemate who was in the next bedroom, and had the same essay to do, and like me hadn't started it, was also transfixed by this film, we thought it was brilliant. Essay on hold until it was over.

Years later, having gone on about it to my wife for ages, I found it in a video store and bought it. Sat there in sheer disbelief that night as I watched one of the most dull, drab and uninspiring films ever. Just shows how brilliant ANY distraction from an essay can be.

Strange you thought that it was dull and drab.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I Haven't Been On A Here For A While, But I'm Unsurprised There's More Bullying Of Garth. Some Things Don't Change. Of That List I Would Go For Saving Private Ryan As I Like Matt Damon In It.

Surprised There's No Mention Of The Shawshank Redemption Though. That's a Brilliant Film

Welcome back.

 

[Joey Deacon's Disco Suit]

Interesting points.

Well...respond to them then.

 

[Acker79]

I Haven't Been On A Here For A While, But I'm Unsurprised There's More Bullying Of Garth. Some Things Don't Change. Of That List I Would Go For Saving Private Ryan As I Like Matt Damon In It.

Surprised There's No Mention Of The Shawshank Redemption Though. That's a Brilliant Film

It is a brilliant film, but it was directed by Frank Darabont, not Steven Spielberg.

 

[Joey Deacon's Disco Suit]

As Hook may surprisingly take the NSC title I am interested why this film was his greatest from the people who voted for it ?

Eh? Am I invisible? Are you deliberately ignoring what I and others have said about the film? We have told you.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

1. Hook 31
2. Schindler's List 27
3. Saving Private Ryan 20
4. Jaws 16
5. ET - The Extraterrestrial 9

As Hook may surprisingly take the NSC title I am interested why this film was his greatest from the people who voted for it ?

I have given my reason already. It's more than a film about a man with a hook for a hand.

 

[Meade's Ball]

Jaws was by far and away his best and largely because of his refusal to talk about it nowadays. Terrible troubles in and around the filming forced him to be less or more than he is and therefore produced a brilliant film of suspense and humanity. There is a real tenderness in it and both script and acting must be highly applauded. If he had the effects he had today, the film would surely have been without the greater human feeling that seemed to add depth to a monster story.
Duel was good, because as again it was about the fear of the unseen and not of the enormous explosions or aliens his later funding allowed him to childishly play with.

He obviously knows the tools of his trade, but it's extremely rare that i'll sit through one of his juvenile adventures thanks to his inability to produce emotion instead of spectacle in his series of 12A's.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Eh? Am I invisible? Are you deliberately ignoring what I and others have said about the film? We have told you.

try and keep it civil mate, I am asking people as its an open forum and anyone is welcome to give me feedback, it has 31 votes after all.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I have given my reason already. It's more than a film about a man with a hook for a hand.

Fair enough HT, just seems a strange choice from all the films he did , to say , it was his greatest, but if thats what people think , its what they think. My other poll I am doing has Hook at 19th.