(Spielberg) in person

Started by mutinyco, June 12, 2003, 08:54:44 AM

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mutinyco

Hey, all, I got to see Spielberg in person last fall at Lincoln Center. I wrote about it. If anybody's interested go to:

http://www.movienavigator.org/spielberg.htm
"I believe in this, and it's been tested by research: he who fucks nuns will later join the church."

-St. Joe

ono

Interesting.  I disagree very much, but it's still a good read.

You nailed Scorsese (I like the guy, but he's only made one picture of real consequence: Taxi Driver), but Spielberg is incredibly overrated I mean simply not that great a filmmaker.  He has yet to do anything of substance.  E.T. was great, yes, but he neutered it, and my opinions of it, with that bullshit CG.  Schindler's List was his "gimmeOscarplease!" pic; I was assigned to watch it for a history class when it aired (uncut) on NBC, and I was thoroughly bored and unaffected (except for knowing I never wanted to see it again).  (And note how convenient it is that when something is "historical" the FCC won't bat an eye or edit it, but when it's artistic or otherwise controversial the FCC is all on the film's back, butchering it for "cleanliness".  But that's beside the point.)  Saving Private Ryan was one of the worst films I've ever seen.  Seriously.  That's not hyperbole.  Minority Report was his most promising film yet, but it reeked of L.A. Confidential, a superior film, and its ending was terrible; a total cop-out.

I liked your comments on Kubrick, though.  You're right - he did ace everyone with Eyes Wide Shut.  I can't wait until everyone else realizes how great a film that was.  It takes time, though, as with all his other pictures.

But Coppola?  C'mon.  Apocalypse Now wasn't that great.  Oddly, I found the ending to be the best part, unlike most people.  The Godfather was decent, but that was because of the acting, and not anything Coppola did.  The Godfather: Part II was overblown and sprawling, and could have easily been split into two better movies.  And, besides The Conversation (which I haven't seen yet), he hasn't done anything noteworthy since.

xerxes

i'm not going to say anything about your comments on spielberg because i partially agree with you. but he is a great technical director, but his films are sometimes very overrated.

ok, but i will comment on your coppola ranting. the godfather was decent??? the acting was amazing, yes, but it also has one of the best stories put to film. yes, the godfather II could have easily been split into two seperate movies, but would that have made it better??? ok, i'm just gonna stop now...

anyway, nothing wrong with someone's opinion, just had to get some stuff off of my chest.

modage

yeah he should have just said "IT STINKS!"
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

SoNowThen

mutinyco, I got to the part about you saying Raging Bull was inferior, then I stopped. I'm sorry, but you are evil. Of the purest kind. From the deepest bowels of hell. As Rose would say "you deserve to die alone for what you've done".

Just wanted to get my opinion out. I will disrupt this thread no more.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

Redlum

Come on they're all good. Damn, what it would be to be a kid again watching Spielberg's movies. Funny thing is (as far as I know) all these directors have a great deal of respect for each other, and probably enjoy each others movies.

Also, 'over hyped' and 'over-rated' are cop-out explanations. The song remains the same and so does the film.
\"I wanted to make a film for kids, something that would present them with a kind of elementary morality. Because nowadays nobody bothers to tell those kids, \'Hey, this is right and this is wrong\'.\"
  -  George Lucas

modage

i agree. saying things are "over hyped" is overrated anyways.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

mutinyco

I stand by everything I wrote. Know why you're upset, cause nobody else has ever had the balls to print it. In my opinion, there have been very few genuine 4-star films ever made. I think under this perception, Martin Scorsese is a classic 2 1/2 star filmmaker. One day I'm going to reedit Taxi Driver to prove this.

And yes, Coppola was, Kubrick aside, the greatest filmmaker of the 1970s. Just think: 3 screenplay Oscar wins (Patton, Godfather, Godfather II), 2 Best Pictures that he directed (Godfather, Godfather II -- not including Patton, which he just wrote), 1 Best Director (Godfather II), 4 straight Best Picture nominations as director (Godfather, Godfather II, The Conversation, Apocalypse Now), 2 subsequent Best Director nominations (Godfather, Apocalypse Now), plus he produced American Graffiti which was a Best Picture nominee, plus he won 2 Palme d'Ors at Cannes. He had the greatest career inside 10 years! On top of that, Sight and Sound voted The Godfather #3 of all time, and then voted Apocalypse Now the greatest film of the past 25 years. Period. End of argument.

Of all the generally accepted greatest filmmakers, Martin Scorsese is the only one that never really impressed me. I've never stuck any of his films in my DVD player or VCR and felt the need to repeatedly watch them. Read what I wrote with calm, then watch his films again and you'll see what I'm talking about.
"I believe in this, and it's been tested by research: he who fucks nuns will later join the church."

-St. Joe

Ghostboy

I read it calmly, but I still feel the urge to watch Last Temptation Of Christ, Raging Bull, After Hours, and of course Taxi Driver, just like I always do! I just can't get enough. I just can't get enough. (cue catchy Depeche Mode song NOW).

mutinyco

Ghosty, the only one of those films I like is After Hours. That and Goodfellas were the only ones where it all came together.
"I believe in this, and it's been tested by research: he who fucks nuns will later join the church."

-St. Joe

Ghostboy

Goodfellas, curiously, is the only one I don't feel like popping in at the drop of a hat. It's brilliant, to be sure, but it's not my favorite.

mutinyco

Watching Scorsese's older films I used to joke that I could still see the grease pencil marks on them.
"I believe in this, and it's been tested by research: he who fucks nuns will later join the church."

-St. Joe

SoNowThen

What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you on crack? Is this a fucking joke? If so, it's working perfectly, because you've successfully enraged me. I can put up with so much disagreeing with my opinion on this board, but THIS is the line. I can see the fucking grease pencil marks on your posts, you ass. How did you find a PTA message board? Why are you here? Read calmly and watch again, and I'll see what you're talking about? Why don't YOU fucking watch again, because YOU obviously missed something. Man.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

mutinyco

So, Mr. Now Then,

Since I'm such a crackhead, why don't you make the case. And without cursing. Just why do you think M.S. is such a good filmmaker. I have yet to find anybody who could make a serious case without resorting to: VISUALS...HE MOVES HIS CAMERA A LOT...HE LIKES VIOLENCE...
"I believe in this, and it's been tested by research: he who fucks nuns will later join the church."

-St. Joe

SoNowThen

Yeah, okay. I would love to go on and on about MS. Should I do it in PM, though? Do you want me to name a movie specifically, or do his whole career?

I think the man is the single greatest director. Ever. He is my personal hero. I deify him. I am shocked that a "lover of film" doesn't like St Martin.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.