Xixax Film Forum

Film Discussion => News and Theory => Topic started by: pete on May 08, 2004, 02:36:03 AM

Title: he makes the best chases (Spielberg)
Post by: pete on May 08, 2004, 02:36:03 AM
I'll have to say that the best parts of Spielberg's are often the chases.  Most of the action movies he makes don't really have that much gunfights or explosions, but a lot of chases--they can be chases with guns and fires, but they're not set pieces as they would be in a john woo or james cameron movie.

I think sometimes he films his chases like Buster Keaton would--show the chase, cut to somewhere else, some other character just sitting around in his own little world, doing his own thing, then cut to the main characters chasing right through his little world.  For example, in Minority Report, a family just sitting around the table, eating, all of a sudden, dudes with jetpacks crash through their dining room from below.

any other observations?
Title: Re: he makes the best chases (Spielberg)
Post by: cron on May 08, 2004, 03:29:01 AM
Quote from: pete

any other observations?

Yup, his last three movies are considered an unofficial trilogy called "Man on the Run"  , in a way, chase movies
Title: Re: he makes the best chases (Spielberg)
Post by: matt35mm on May 08, 2004, 09:36:43 AM
I guess that The Terminal will be a total break from that then--a Man on the... Stay.

I don't expect much in the way of chases in The Terminal.
Title: Re: he makes the best chases (Spielberg)
Post by: mutinyco on May 08, 2004, 10:27:32 AM
I don't know if it should be narrowed to just chases, but action/chases. For example, the extended sequence in Raiders starting after Indie and Marion escape from the snake pit. First you have the fight at the airplane, then they run off and Indie chases after the ark on horseback. That leads to the famous under the truck drag-along. The entire sequence is pretty amazing.
Title: Re: he makes the best chases (Spielberg)
Post by: pete on May 08, 2004, 10:47:37 AM
but that was my original point--the whole combination of action sequences are actually all part of a chase, in my opinion, as was always trying to run away somehow--from the big guy at the airfield, from the truck o' nazis.  the sense of urgency and danger does not come from indy's desire to take them out one by one, but indy's desire to run away (and find the ark).  you know what I'm saying?  it's different from a movie where the dueling is the setpiece.

Just to be a Jackie Chan police: in Indy 2 and 3 there were both stunts taken from Jackie's "Project A."
Title: Re: he makes the best chases (Spielberg)
Post by: Alethia on May 08, 2004, 04:40:25 PM
spielberg rules
Title: Re: he makes the best chases (Spielberg)
Post by: mutinyco on May 08, 2004, 06:11:06 PM
They say a feature debut tells you everything you need to know about a director. Depending whether you consider that to be Duel or The Sugarland Express, they're both chase films.
Title: Re: he makes the best chases (Spielberg)
Post by: Sal on May 08, 2004, 10:13:14 PM
Quote from: mutinycoThey say a feature debut tells you everything you need to know about a director. Depending whether you consider that to be Duel or The Sugarland Express, they're both chase films.

silly reductivism.
Title: Re: he makes the best chases (Spielberg)
Post by: Ravi on May 08, 2004, 10:26:47 PM
Quote from: matt35mm
I don't expect much in the way of chases in The Terminal.

You don't imagine there will be some chase sequence inside the airport?
Title: Re: he makes the best chases (Spielberg)
Post by: mutinyco on May 08, 2004, 10:49:53 PM
Quote from: Sal
Quote from: mutinycoThey say a feature debut tells you everything you need to know about a director. Depending whether you consider that to be Duel or The Sugarland Express, they're both chase films.

silly reductivism.

Possibly. But the point stands.
Title: Re: he makes the best chases (Spielberg)
Post by: El Duderino on May 08, 2004, 10:52:18 PM
Quote from: Ravi
Quote from: matt35mm
I don't expect much in the way of chases in The Terminal.

You don't imagine there will be some chase sequence inside the airport?

maybe he steals shit from a store and airport security chases him
Title: Re: he makes the best chases (Spielberg)
Post by: mutinyco on May 08, 2004, 11:03:37 PM
He's chasing liberty...
Title: Re: he makes the best chases (Spielberg)
Post by: reelistics07 on October 31, 2004, 10:47:29 PM
if your one of the most succesful hollywood directors you need chases. Theres just no money in a chase-less film
Title: Re: he makes the best chases (Spielberg)
Post by: AntiDumbFrogQuestion on November 07, 2004, 08:51:45 PM
even though Spielberg was the story-guy and not writer or director of Goonies, you still see alot of that 'breaking them out of their universe' thing at the beginning of the movie
Title: Re: he makes the best chases (Spielberg)
Post by: reelistics07 on November 08, 2004, 10:35:43 PM
what do you mean anti dumb...
is spielberg like an exceptable version of a pedophile?