NoirFan

You'd rank E.T. above Jaws or Close Encounters of the Third Kind? I'd rather watch Duel or Sugarland Express before E.T. any day of the week. I do,however, own E.T., though I am not really sure why. Also, saying Spielberg is one of the top-five directors EVER is pretty ridiculous.

Brack

It's one of the best feel-good movies of all time.

Drop

It's his opinion and many others. I wouldn't argue with it. I think he's shown incredible growth in the past 15 years. He's really matured into an artist. His first films, while very enjoyable, are masterpieces of entertainment not of intellect. That is not a bad thing, most directors wish they could do that. But Schindler's List was the obvious big change in his filmmaking. He's really managed to take extreme chances, making a film like Munich, which is difficult and offers no answers, in the same year as War of the Worlds, which is still somewhat dark for a blockbuster popcorn film.

Not to mention A.I. which may be his most challenging film, and some might say his best. It is a deceptive film, part fairytale, drama, and adventure, with a seemingly happy ending. He explores the themes very well, and ultimately leaves it up to the audience to find out what it means. The fact that Kubrick wanted Spielberg to direct the film says plenty about his stature.

maingon

I still think its great and still packs a punch

chris_sc77

I would argue that a lot of Spielberg's early films are overrated but i think that the films he has made in the past 10 years are an incredible set of films. (Minority Peport, Munich, The Terminal, Catch Me If You Can, A.I., Lost World, Saving Private Ryan, etc.) Possibly the best run of any filmmaker ever.

Brack

I'm just hoping he doesn't mess up Indiana Jones.

JP5683

I hadn't seen it on TV in awhile, but it was on ABC Family like 3 or 4 times 2 weekends ago....

I'd like to get another copy of the novelization (I lost it long ago)...

Anyone ever read the book sequel, E.T. : The Book of the Green Planet? Great read...

wendersfan

It's crap, but then again, most of Spielberg's movies are crap. Despite what Spielberg thinks, my "inner child" isn't an imbecile.

nateman

I tend to agree that artistically, Spielberg’s current films are better. However, his earlier works like E.T., Poltergeist, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws, etc… have more of a “memorable” quality.

Films like Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan are absolutely incredible films. I really never liked Catch Me If You Can… but it’s not a badly made film; I just didn’t care for it.

PopcornTreeCt

The thing about Spielberg which I can't stand, is that he goes out and attempts to make serious films that are dumbed down while other filmmakers do the same thing in a much superior way and receive no credit for it.

Schindler's List

FinkPish

[QUOTE=PopcornTreeCt]The thing about Spielberg which I can't stand, is that he goes out and attempts to make serious films that are dumbed down while other filmmakers do the same thing in a much superior way and receive no credit for it.

Schindler's List

lizard

You're not alone; I haven't seen it either. It seemed like a kid's movie when it came out and I was an adult with no kids, so I had no interest then or now. My sense of those who love the movie is that most of them first saw it as kids or with kids.

Seeing the list of Spielberg movies mentioned above makes me realize that I have seen fewer than half of his movies; not my cup of tea I guess. Of those I have seen, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Duel, and Back to the Future, I very much enjoyed at the time. Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Temple of Doom I disliked. (Kate Capshaw screaming for two hours? Not fun. I greatly preferred Karen Allen's "Marion".) While I respect Schindler's List as a remarkable work, I wouldn't want to see it again. Jurassic Park, Minority Report, and Catch Me if You Can were ok.

Edit: Back to the Future doesn't count I guess. Spielberg produced it but wasn't the Director according to IMDb. Spielberg also directed Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which I very much enjoyed, and Hook which I thought was ok. The list of movies and TV that Spielberg directed (should anyone care to rank them):
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000229/#director

Brack

Why compare Saving Private Ryan to The Thin Red Line? Besides being released within the same year, they don't have anything in common.

FinkPish

Spielberg didn't direct Back to the Future, he just produced it.

ceeece

If Indy gets messed up it won't be Spielberg's fault.

Brack

who then, David Koepp? George Lucas?

ceeece

I was thinking Lucas.

Brack

Lucas is fine when he comes up with the "story." He's just a crappy script writer. Why he didn't get someone to write the newer Star Wars trilogy is beyond me.

lizard

Yes, I caught that and edited my post.

rennervision

How overrated is it?

Well since it's one of the greatest movies ever made, I would say "very little."

And anyone who isn't moved by John Williams' score in the final scene must have a heart of stone.

Sean O'Hara

Just limiting myself to better directors who worked in Hollywood:

Ford
Hitchcock
Kubrick
Welles
Lang
Hawks
Sturges (Preston)
Preminger
Wilder
Wyler
Minnelli
Coppola (Francis Ford)
Coppola (Sophia)
Gilliam
Jarmusch
Curtiz

Expanding to include the rest of the world, he wouldn't make the top 25.

Sean O'Hara

Does vomiting count as "moved"? Because having music tell me how I should feel during a scene doesn't move me in any other way.

Brack

Sorry you don't like music in movies.

CharlieK

Sophia Coppola? Really? You just put that in there to be mean. You can't really think that.

And Kubrick hadn't worked in Hollywood for decades, but that just nitpicking on my part.

NoirFan

I'd add:

Altman
Scorsese
Nichols
Sirk
Capra
Fuller
Kazan
Ray