PTA vs. The World

[TheVoiceOfNick]

Ok, so PTA is definetly one of our favorite directors, but how do you think he compares to other directors?  Better in some ways but worse in others?  He's great, but does he have what it takes to go against the likes of Scorsese, Spielberg, Tarantino, Kubrick, etc.?  Before posting something like "they're different, you can't compare the two", think about it for a minute, and post what you feel is different... i'm sure there will be some that will find similarities as well.

Ok, i'll start...

Since its no fair to compare PTA to Robert Altman, since i'm convinced that they are both one and the same, I think that PTA has lots of similarities to Spielberg.  For one, they both like to touch on emotional connections between people.  Sure, PTA's movies usually gross around 30 million while Spielberg's gross around 300 million, they still have similar themes... families broken apart and left to deal in the aftermath (Elliot's mom is divorced, the family is left to cope without a father in the house... Frank Mackey's dad leaves while he is left to care for his mom while she dies).  Although Spielberg likes to play up the special effects, his stories are really about the characters, just like in a PTA movie, sans the special effects (well, not counting the frogs).

[ono]

Ok, so PTA is definetly one of our favorite directors, but how do you think he compares to other directors?  Better in some ways but worse in others?  He's great, but does he have what it takes to go against the likes of Scorsese, Spielberg, Tarantino, Kubrick, etc.?  Before posting something like "they're different, you can't compare the two", think about it for a minute, and post what you feel is different... i'm sure there will be some that will find similarities as well.

Re: Magnolia, PTA is Altman + Heart.

Re: Boogie Nights and Hard Eight, PTA is Scorsese + Heart.

Re: Punch-Drunk Love, PTA is Kubrick + Godard + Tati + Heart (and sure, what the hell, maybe a little Fellini, too, for good measure).

Basically, I love PTA's film so much because of that big beating heart, that soul, that emotion, that beats out of each film's chest.  His films are not timid, and they're not ironic, and that's what's so great about them.

Spielberg wishes he was a tenth of the filmmaker PTA is.

PTA and Tarantino, well, they're like two different sides of the proverbial film geek.  But Tarantino is a cocky ass, and that gets annoying after a while.  I love how humble PTA is, though who knows if that's just an act.

As far as Kubrick goes, there is no other.  Kubrick is the best filmmaker of all time, and at this pace, PTA is well on track to match the master.

[cowboykurtis]

Spielberg wishes he was a tenth of the filmmaker PTA is.

this quote lowers my opinion of you.

[Pubrick]

pta is good.

but like, if he read this, he'd say.. "please may i hav my nuts back".

i think he's as tired of analysing himself as a lot of us are. deify him if u like, i got over this 3 years ago.

who am i kidding, if i HAD to do a guy, i'd do johnny depp.. but i'd be thinking of pta.

[cine]

Spielberg wishes he was a tenth of the filmmaker PTA is.

this quote lowers my opinion of you.

Unfortunately I must agree with this.

[ono]

Okay, then enlighten me.  No wait, don't, I've been part of this argument before, and I never really learn anything new.  But I never knew so many people had any sort of high opinion of me, and that opinion could be lowered by expressing my distaste for certain people who are detrimental to the art of filmmaking.  I doubt I'd get such a knee-jerk reaction for expressing my dislike of Larry Clark, but then again, perhaps my reaction is a knee-jerk one to the rah-rah patriotism (well, only for Saving Private Ryan -- yuck) and Peter Pan syndrome, and happy-ever-after endings pervading Spielberg's films.  Basically, pretty much anything godardian says on this matter, I agree with.

[cine]

expressing my distaste for certain people who are detrimental to the art of filmmaking.  

When I read this, I think of George Lucas. NOT Steven Spielberg.

Just one man's opinion, folks.

[Pubrick]

When I read this, I think of George Lucas. NOT Steven Spielberg.

Just one man's opinion, folks.

make that one and a half.

[Gamblour.]

who am i kidding, if i HAD to do a guy, i'd do johnny depp.. but i'd be thinking of pta.

Haha...found a new signature.

And I really respect Spielberg, I mean the guy's gotten so good at making movies, he's a man who's perfected his craft. Mind you, this doesn't mean he's the best or most artistic, but he does know what he's doing and he's proved it over and over again. He's made some of the best horror, sci-fi, adventure, war movies out there. He likes to entertain people, what's wrong with that? It's not like he's not making Bad Boys over and over again for the money.

I hope for the day when PTA makes a movie that I don't like, it'll prove that he's human.

[SHAFTR]

i hate when people beatup on Spielberg...often because he ushered in the blockbuster.  Well, truth is coppola (godfather) is just as guilty.

People have a hard time accepting that popular art and high art can be the same thing.

[Chest Rockwell]

How can you not have respect for the Big S? Granted, I'd never be caught saying he's my favorite director by any means, but you have to have respect. He's made some bona fide classics, no doubt. Sure, a lot of his movies are drivel by my standards, but hell, he's still out there making some entertaining fucking drivel.

[NEON MERCURY]

PTA is good ..but not as good as Jared Leto.....

[SoNowThen]

Spielberg wishes he was a tenth of the filmmaker PTA is.

EXACTLY!!!!!!!

[Pubrick]

Haha...found a new signature.

at last, Slobh's reign of terror is over.

[Alethia]

Spielberg wishes he was a tenth of the filmmaker PTA is.

when did he tell you this???