Incidentally in the first posts I never called Spielberg or Cameron masters, I called them genre-defining, but as I mentioned in my reply think with Spielberg master can apply yes. I called Tarantino a "grit master" and I stand by that statement. Really, name a more consistently gritty director?

technically he's a genius from the get-go (e.g., "duel"), thematically however he often picks up crap stuff that targets middle america ("hook"), and his casting choices aren't my favorite either (e.g. tom hanks or tom cruise or robin williams). then again, he's made 50 movies. 50.

once i watched "empire of the sun" expecting some shitballs but he blew me away. it was j.g. ballard's writing though, and john malkovich, etc. oh, and a very tiny christian bale, ha ha ha. i used to hate spielberg until i watched that and made peace with the fact that he can make some amazing shit. i hate jurassic pork and e.t. and a lot of other of his stuff. surprisingly though, i liked a.i.

Agree about Duel.

Fair enough if you're not a fan of stuff like ET but I think they're ultimately his forte. He's never done 'serious' well for me, but give him any old bygone b movie scenario and he's in a league of his own.

Which means he wouldn't have been offered it but it's the period in his career when I think he'd have probably done the most interesting job.

Schindler's List
Munich
Lincoln
Saving Private Ryan

I'm sorry but to not call Spielberg a genius is just silly. That guy changed cinema and no that isn't an overstatement.

Spielberg's shown he can make any kind of movie. I just think there are directors out there better suited to some of his more serious projects, whereas I don't think there's ever been one more perfectly suited to stuff like Raiders, Jaws, Jurassic Park, etc. I only wish he'd have a crack at a superhero movie. It's almost perverse that he's never made one.

Schindler's List

^

Geez, yeah. I guess so. In a way. But if that's a superhero movie, it's obviously the best one ever made and I can't imagine what superhero flick is in second place.

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Could Ridley Scott have directed Schindler's List?

Maybe. Maybe not.

I personally don't think so, and maybe that's the difference between Spiel and Scott.

I was joking, but nevermind. Anyway I feel Ridley Scott only did a handful of great films. A lot of his stuff was just ok. Oh and Gladiator must rank as one of the most over-rated films in recent history.

Gladiator is a load of overblown crap, with maybe the worst ending to any film I've ever seen.

gladiator is fucking TERRIBLE.

sure it sold a lot of popcorn though.


his non-serious stuff is awesomely done. just look at the editing of some jeep fight on indiana jones. i mean look at it shot by shot.

i guess what can be said of spielberg is that he's not so much an artist as a GENIUS CRAFTSMAN. which is a perfectly honorable thing to be. shit. his level of achievement is tremendous.

BUT he's never going to change the way i look at the world…

anyway riddley scott is a good craftsman too. and he had 2 great movies between 79-82. which he directed but didn't write. this is the guy who wrote it: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0639321/b..._=nm_ov_bio_sm

I only watch cartoons.