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Thursday, January 9, 2020

Thursday Movie Picks #287: Favorite Films by Steven Spielberg



Hello there and welcome to Thursday Movie Picks a weekly series where you share your movie picks each Thursday. The rules are simple: based on the theme of the week pick three to five movies and tell us why you picked them. For further details and the schedule visit the series main page here.

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This week's Thursday Movie Picks is Favorite Films by Steven Spielberg

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Today's theme is a suggestion from B. I haven't really seen a lot of films directed by Spielberg, and those that I've seen, I saw quite a long time ago that I hardly remember anything so this turn out to be quite a challenge. Anyway here are the three I like best.

Minority Report (2002)
It is one of those movies that I like it better the second time. It's a good crime thriller with a cool look and the action was good as well.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
It's like Pinocchio but in the future and it is soo sad.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Of the three I like this best. It's a great sweet heartwarming sci-fi adventure movie that has a sense of magic and wonder. When I think of movie magic...I think of this movie. It's basically everything that Stranger Things wants to be.

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12 comments:

  1. Thanks for picking my suggestion! I actually had a little bit of a hard time with it as well!

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  2. Minority Report is one that benefits from repeat viewings since there is so much going on. Cruise was okay but the picture is stolen by Colin Farrell.

    Though it isn't one that I return to very often E.T. is a sweet film with a tremendous heart.

    A.I. is one of his darker films, you can see Kubrick's heavy shadow over the film, but then and goes and screws it up by having at least one ending too many.

    I had a bit of trouble because I’ve used all of my favorites (Raiders, Saving Pvt. Ryan, Catch Me If You Can, Lincoln, Bridge of Spies and The Post) of his theatrical releases before. My solution was to turn to a handful of his early TV films that I admire.

    Duel (1971)-Suspense film of salesman Dennis Weaver driving through the desert and unconsciously offending a psychotic truck driver who then doggedly pursues him with the object of killing him. While it sounds simple Spielberg makes it incredibly taut. His first solo film directing effort was an enormous hit making his reputation.

    Something Evil (1972)-Married couple Paul and Marjorie Worden (Darren McGavin and Sandy Dennis) move into what seems to be a bucolic Pennsylvania farm house with their kids and at first all is good. But suddenly disturbing events begin to transpire and Marjorie suspects what had only been hinted at by the locals before-the house is possessed by the Devil! Good acting and Spielberg’s firm hand make it a cut above. A precursor of his later Poltergeist.

    Savage (1973)-Martin Landau plays Paul Savage, a renowned TV investigative reporter with his own weekly show (think a 70’s Anderson Cooper) covering the proposed nomination of a candidate to the Supreme Court. When the news is announced Savage is contacted by Lee Raynolds, a young woman in possession of damaging evidence she’s willing to sell. Savage goes to the network boss (a very young Dabney Coleman) for the cash but then word arrives that Lee is dead, a supposed suicide. But is that really so? Looking for answers leads Savage into a labyrinth of lies and deceit. A decent story enhanced by Spielberg’s directorial touches and aided by a strong cast including Barbara Bain (Landau’s wife at the time), Will Geer (Grandpa Walton) and Pat Harrington. This was Spielberg’s final TV gig before moving into features.

    Bonus:
    Eyes (1969)-Claudia Menlo (Joan Crawford) a fabulously rich but mercenary woman (she tells her doctor "My single abiding interest is MYSELF"!) who has been blind since birth blackmails a surgeon (Barry Sullivan-who also appears in Savage) to transplant the eyes of a desperate man she has bought so she can see for twelve hours. The surgery is a success but an unexpected hitch pitches her back into darkness. The second segment of the pilot for the TV show Night Gallery was Spielberg’s first professional directorial job and he aces it with an assured hand helped by Crawford’s accomplished performance.

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    Replies
    1. I've not seen any of your picks.

      Minority Report - Yes this was Farell's breakout role.

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  3. We match on E.T! I didn't care for AI and now that I think about it, I don't think I've seen Minority Report lol

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    Replies
    1. You haven't seen Minority Report! I remember it being quite popular when it was released and then later it got played on TV a lot.

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  4. I really liked Minority Report and I find A. I. Should be better known and liked because it is quite a good film. I saw E.T. Back in 1982 when it came out and saw it 4 times...3 too many. The first time I wanted to see it, the second time, my friend wanted to see it, the third time I was told to take my cousins to see it. Finally, the 4th time, my mom wanted to see what it was all about. My favourite moment was when they were trying to revive ET and my mom started to laugh like hell. I thought she was go8 g to be killed by the woman in front of us. My mom thought it was so silly the way they tried to revive him because how would the scientists know how to revive him if he was an alien...good point.

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  5. E.T. is the only I've seen and, although it's been years since I last saw it, I love it.

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  6. I love E. T. Can't remember much about Minority Report though. With A. I. I always wonder how it would have turned if Stanley Kubrick would have gotten to make it.

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    1. I've not seen 2001: A Space Odyssey, so I can't imagine how he'd do a sci-fi action film.

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  7. We match with Minority Report. I love it!

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    ReplyDelete