PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Aug 17, 2020 15:11:52 GMT -5
Okay, so as I said in the Steven Spielberg thread, I recently decided to undertake a little project of sorts. That being to go through the filmography of perhaps the most famous living Director today, Steven Spielberg, and post some mini-reviews of each of his films up to this point (who knows when his West Side Story will come out at this point).
Now, these mini-reviews may not be thoughtful analyses on the level of what Dracula and PG Cooper would provide, but rather just me talking a little about these movies and whether or not I liked them and why. It should also be an interesting experience, because the common opinion now is that Spielberg has shifted into making Dad/Grandparent Movies, especially if you compare his current crop to his older stuff. But perhaps that's what happens the older storytellers get over their careers. So it'll be intriguing to see where exactly such a shift started to take place.
Also, obviously, I'm sticking to his theatrical output. I know he directed a number of Amazing Stories episodes and student films early on his career, but I'm not as interested in those. And as far as Twilight Zone: The Movie goes, I'm going to include it, but probably hone in on just his specific segment. As for Poltergeist...maybe I'll still cover it, but more as an aside/not an official entry on his filmography.
And at the end, of course I'll be ranking all of his movies.
Hopefully this prompts some good discussion, too.
So, with all that established, let's get started with...
DUEL (1971)
I'm not sure there's much of a question over what Steven Spielberg's first movie actually is. Technically, I guess you could say The Sugarland Express, since that was the first of his to be theatrically-released from the get-go, but let's talk about Duel. Duel was a made-for-TV movie that aired on ABC as part of their "Movie of the Week" series. That originally broadcast version apparently only ran 74 minutes in length...so that when Universal acquired the rights to give it a theatrical run overseas as well as a limited run in the states in 1972, they gave him the opportunity for two additional days of photography to get it up to 90 minutes. So what started as a made-for-TV movie now occupied a sort of gray area where it's both TV and theatrical. But having seen it now, I have no qualms considering Duel to be Steven Spielberg's first film.
As a first film -- and one originally intended for TV, no less -- Duel is honestly quite impressive. It has a simple plot and set up: a traveling salesman blithely passes a lumbering tank truck while on his way to an important meeting, thinking nothing of it...until said truck shows back up and begins to stalk the guy, setting in motion a high-stakes game of cat and mouse on the road. When you think about it, it's a premise that actually seems pretty well-suited as a directorial debut. The story is simple, with enough room for a director to flex creative muscles in such a way as to get to "show off" early -- which is exactly what Spielberg does here. Just further proves how the horror/thriller genre can be a good gateway for first-time directors. Anyway, what Spielberg really excels at here is creating and maintaining a sense of excitement and suspense.
The fact that Duel is a very straightforward movie is perfectly okay because it's executed so well. Spielberg got to showcase his talent for crafting some quality set pieces -- and this movie can maybe be paralleled with Jaws in that sense -- here, and he delivers on that front. Whether it be the various chases Dennis Weaver's David Mann and the truck get into or the various asides like Mann trying to help a school bus stuck in a ditch or when he stops at a diner and suspects the truck driver to be in there with him, Spielberg constantly finds ways to keep the tension boiling. He also makes the wise choice of never showing the driver's face, which succeeds in making the truck even more of a monster-like figure. And then Dennis Weaver does a good job of anchoring everything, as he plays the everyman role very solidly here. Also as a sidenote, he looked A LOT like Burt Reynolds in this.
So on the whole, Duel is an impressive and entertaining debut from Spielberg. While the story itself may be a bit thin, the movie more than makes up for it in execution. It's very well-paced and suspenseful, and it offered a promising glimpse of what was to come from the then young filmmaker.
***1/2 /****
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Aug 17, 2020 15:18:42 GMT -5
Duel a.k.a Jaws on Wheels
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1godzillafan
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Post by 1godzillafan on Aug 17, 2020 15:19:16 GMT -5
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Post by Neverending on Aug 17, 2020 15:21:24 GMT -5
COLUMBO: MURDER BY THE BOOK Directed by Steven Spielberg Written by Steven Bochco Original Airdate: September 15, 1971 It came to my attention that Columbo is on Netflix. The first episode is famously directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Bochco of Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, Doogie Howser and NYPD Blue fame. It features an Hitchcockian story about a mystery novelist who murders his writing partner by committing the crime in one location and making the police believe that it took place in another location, and thus, creating so much confusion that he's able to get away with it. But he never counted on the eccentric police detective, Columbo, to figure out the truth. Overall, it's a very well-made episode and the 24-year-old Spielberg has so much raw talent that I'm certain he made all of his peers jealous. That being said... watching this episode reminded me of something. Critics of Spielberg always claim that he never lives up to his opening scenes. Raiders of the Lost Ark and Saving Private Ryan are often used as examples. I don't entirely agree with that, but it's definitely true here. The opening scenes which depict the murder and cover-up are AMAZING. Seriously. It's on Netflix. Watch it. But the investigation and the arrest aren't anywhere as good. They're fun to watch. Peter Falk is excellent and won an Emmy for the show. But it never lived up to those opening scenes. That made me chuckle.
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Aug 17, 2020 15:21:53 GMT -5
Duel a.k.a Jaws on Wheels Yup. |
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IanTheCool
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Post by IanTheCool on Aug 17, 2020 17:01:03 GMT -5
I have yet to see Duel.
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Post by Neverending on Aug 17, 2020 17:11:44 GMT -5
We'd recommend it at the Film Club, but you would never find it. |
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Post by Doomsday on Aug 17, 2020 17:18:27 GMT -5
He also makes the wise choice of never showing the driver's face, which succeeds in making the truck even more of a monster-like figure. I think they mentioned it in the HBO Spielberg doc but he said that was also a reason that he chose not to blow up the truck when it went over the cliff like the producers wanted. He wanted to show the tires stop spinning, the dash fan flicker off, he wanted to portray the truck dying in front of us rather than simply explode. Do you have HBO? Since you're watching all his flicks you should go watch the SS doc they have on it, I think it's just called Spielberg. |
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Post by Doomsday on Aug 17, 2020 17:19:19 GMT -5
We'd recommend it at the Film Club, but you would never find it. The first thing I did when I saw Ian's response was look and see if it was on Amazon Prime. It is for $4 and I try to recommend stuff that's free. Unless you have $4 burning a hole in your pocket Ian... |
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Aug 17, 2020 17:45:32 GMT -5
He also makes the wise choice of never showing the driver's face, which succeeds in making the truck even more of a monster-like figure. I think they mentioned it in the HBO Spielberg doc but he said that was also a reason that he chose not to blow up the truck when it went over the cliff like the producers wanted. He wanted to show the tires stop spinning, the dash fan flicker off, he wanted to portray the truck dying in front of us rather than simply explode. Do you have HBO? Since you're watching all his flicks you should go watch the SS doc they have on it, I think it's just called Spielberg. I do have HBO and yeah, I was thinking about including that doc in this series as well. It's been on my Watchlist for a while, actually. Thanks for the reminder. We'd recommend it at the Film Club, but you would never find it. The first thing I did when I saw Ian's response was look and see if it was on Amazon Prime. It is for $4 and I try to recommend stuff that's free. Unless you have $4 burning a hole in your pocket Ian... That's actually how I watched Duel myself. It's not streaming for free anywhere. |
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Aug 21, 2020 12:55:19 GMT -5
THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS (1974)
After his debut movie Duel, it would be three more years before Steven Spielberg would direct his next movie, this time for a theatrical release from the get-go. That movie would be 1974's The Sugarland Express, and it would be in the tradition of the sort of mini-slew of movies in the late 60's and early 70's where couples go on the run from the law after they commit a crime (see: Bonnie & Clyde, Badlands, etc.). But there are two things in the story and approach of The Sugarland Express that set it apart a little from those movies: the couple's motivation and the overall tone of the film. Do these things work in the movie's favor, though? Well... Goldie Hawn and William Atherton star as the main couple, Lou Jean and Clovis Poplin. Clovis is currently serving time in prison, but his wife Lou Jean breaks him out so the two can go on a mission to reclaim their young son from foster care. But it doesn't take long for things to go sideways, thus forcing the Poplins to take a patrolman hostage, which in turn ignites a cross-country chase between the police force and the Poplins. It's a fairly solid set up for a movie, as well as a nice one for a young Spielberg to cut his teeth a bit more on. However, it doesn't take that long for The Sugarland Express to run out of gas -- pun maybe intended. So, I briefly mentioned the tone of this movie, and that's part of the problem. There's a certain...ridiculousness to the tone here, which stems from the portrayal of the Poplins. From the beginning, they're shown as not exactly dumb, but maybe absurd would be the better word? They're clearly not professionals in any sense, and basically stumble into things/make everything up as they go along, and that becomes old pretty quick. Usually, what makes movies like this work is a sense of escalation, and while this movie does have that -- how could it not -- the starting point already has such a ridiculousness to it, that it keeps everything sort of on the same level, and thus kind of boring and stale. The movie doesn't do a whole lot to shake up this formula, either, so we're spending a lot of time here mainly just hitting all of the expected plot beats with not a whole lot else to hold our attention in the interim. Towards the end, the movie does lean into the idea of the Poplins becoming media sensations with what they're doing and how the general public starts adulating them, and that stuff is probably the best material the movie has to offer. Unfortunately, it takes hold so late in the game, it does little to make a real difference. What's sort of interesting about this movie, though, is that it can be looked at as a kind of inspiration/blueprint for the Coen Brothers' Raising Arizona, but that movie at least took advantage better of a more absurdist tone. Whereas this one seems to want to have it both ways, which creates a friction. It also affects how we feel about the main characters, cause I was having a hard time getting and staying invested in them. Directing-wise, on the other hand, Steven Spielberg again shows off some clear skill. He was able to incorporate some of his approach with Duel into the various chase and action scenes in this movie, and those certainly stand out. You can clearly see his more cinematic eye for things continue to develop here. But the film's technical merits can only take The Sugarland Express so far. The truth is the movie's really rather dull, especially compared to other movies of its ilk. It's worth it just to see Steven Spielberg continue to hone his craft on his first big-screen project, but beyond that, there's not much that makes The Sugarland Express very special.
**/****
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Aug 21, 2020 14:02:35 GMT -5
Yeah, Sugarland Express is fine but it's pretty forgettable. We've seen the 'couple on the run' movie before and since and Sugarland doesn't really stand out.
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Aug 21, 2020 14:29:37 GMT -5
Yeah, Sugarland Express is fine but it's pretty forgettable. We've seen the 'couple on the run' movie before and since and Sugarland doesn't really stand out. Accurate. |
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Post by Doomsday on Aug 23, 2020 13:39:40 GMT -5
I was thinking about this thread and remembered that the only Spielberg movie I haven't seen is 1941. When you get to it maybe I'll hijack your thread and watch/review at the same time.
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Aug 23, 2020 13:44:35 GMT -5
I was thinking about this thread and remembered that the only Spielberg movie I haven't seen is 1941. When you get to it maybe I'll hijack your thread and watch/review at the same time. That's one of the ones I haven't seen yet, either, and looking at the general reactions to it on Letterboxd, etc. .... I can't say I'm particularly looking forward to it. |
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Post by Dracula on Aug 23, 2020 13:51:53 GMT -5
I was thinking about this thread and remembered that the only Spielberg movie I haven't seen is 1941. When you get to it maybe I'll hijack your thread and watch/review at the same time. That's one of the ones I haven't seen yet, either, and looking at the general reactions to it on Letterboxd, etc. .... I can't say I'm particularly looking forward to it. It's not good, but, I suspect people would be kinder to it if it wasn't a semi-low point in a major filmmaker's career. |
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Post by Neverending on Aug 23, 2020 13:58:25 GMT -5
1941 (1979) It's amusing to think 1941 could have ended Steven Spielberg's career before it had even started. It's that bad. The action scenes are great. The special effects are great. The music is great. But there's no comedy. It has the bare minimal of a story. The characters are indistinguishable. There's too much shouting, screaming and explosions. It has rapid editing, giving nothing any breathing room. It's a fucking disaster. If you told people this movie was from the guy who had just made Jaws and Close Encounters, they'd think you were lying. Only explanation for 1941 is that it was obviously made unders pounds of cocaine. |
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Aug 23, 2020 15:27:06 GMT -5
I was thinking about this thread and remembered that the only Spielberg movie I haven't seen is 1941. When you get to it maybe I'll hijack your thread and watch/review at the same time. That's one of the ones I haven't seen yet, either, and looking at the general reactions to it on Letterboxd, etc. .... I can't say I'm particularly looking forward to it. 1941 (1979) It's amusing to think 1941 could have ended Steven Spielberg's career before it had even started. It's that bad. The action scenes are great. The special effects are great. The music is great. But there's no comedy. It has the bare minimal of a story. The characters are indistinguishable. There's too much shouting, screaming and explosions. It has rapid editing, giving nothing any breathing room. It's a fucking disaster. If you told people this movie was from the guy who had just made Jaws and Close Encounters, they'd think you were lying. Only explanation for 1941 is that it was obviously made unders pounds of cocaine. Case in point. |
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Post by SnoBorderZero on Aug 23, 2020 17:56:34 GMT -5
1941 isn't bad initially, but then it just keeps going and getting worse and worse and you've had enough of it but realize there's still an hour to go.
There are some clever set pieces and gags, but it's a total mess. Easily Spielberg's worst movie. 1941 is akin to New York, New York by Scorsese.
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Post by PG Cooper on Aug 27, 2020 16:40:12 GMT -5
This thread inspired me to hit up some Spielberg I'd never seen. I was missing three of his films: Duel, Always, and The BFG. Always isn't available to stream anywhere and I don't really feel like paying for it, but I did catch up with the other two. I think PhantomKnight summed up Duel nicely. Not a particularly sophisticated movie, but Spielberg works his ass off to make the movie something more. Lots of really strong direction and the ramp up to being a full blown action movie is pretty exciting. Also, much as it's a tease to wave that flammable logo in front of us all movie and not blow-up the truck, the way Spielberg does show the vehicle "dying" is pretty chilling. 1971 was a big year for car chases and while French Connection is definitely the king, I'd put Duel above Vanishing Point. As for The BFG...well, I guess you'll get to it. |
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Aug 27, 2020 16:55:41 GMT -5
As for The BFG...well, I guess you'll get to it. Yeah...I saw that in the theater, and in thinking back on it...I think I was way too generous. I gave it 2 1/2 stars at the time, but I'm certain that rating won't hold when I watch it again.
Glad you liked Duel, though!
I'm planning to re-watch Jaws and get something up for it sometime in the next few days.
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Post by Doomsday on Aug 27, 2020 18:22:40 GMT -5
PG Cooper you have hundreds, thousands of other movies to get through and videos to create before you watch Always. Get to it before you die but you have more important work to do. PhantomKnight I'm afraid you're stuck but you have an entire decade of Spielberg to watch before you get to it.
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Post by Dracula on Aug 27, 2020 18:25:18 GMT -5
A Guy Named Joe is way better than Always, which was a remake in search of a reason to exist. There could perhaps be a video essay to be made in comparing the two though, it's something of a study in how not every story can withstand a change in setting.
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Post by PG Cooper on Aug 27, 2020 19:58:30 GMT -5
PG Cooper you have hundreds, thousands of other movies to get through and videos to create before you watch Always. Get to it before you die but you have more important work to do. Yeah, if the movie pops up on Netflix or something I'll give it a look, but I don't wanna pay. A Guy Named Joe is way better than Always, which was a remake in search of a reason to exist. There could perhaps be a video essay to be made in comparing the two though, it's something of a study in how not every story can withstand a change in setting. Kind of the opposite, but I recently watched Infernal Affairs for the first time and it kinda sucked? Gave me a whole new appreciation for The Departed, which really is the ideal remake of taking a wasted premise and doing it well. Probably a video to be made from that too, but then I gotta buy the Blu-Ray for the footage so maybe not. |
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Post by Dracula on Aug 27, 2020 20:05:08 GMT -5
PG Cooper you have hundreds, thousands of other movies to get through and videos to create before you watch Always. Get to it before you die but you have more important work to do. Yeah, if the movie pops up on Netflix or something I'll give it a look, but I don't wanna pay. A Guy Named Joe is way better than Always, which was a remake in search of a reason to exist. There could perhaps be a video essay to be made in comparing the two though, it's something of a study in how not every story can withstand a change in setting. Kind of the opposite, but I recently watched Infernal Affairs for the first time and it kinda sucked? Gave me a whole new appreciation for The Departed, which really is the ideal remake of taking a wasted premise and doing it well. Probably a video to be made from that too, but then I gotta buy the Blu-Ray for the footage so maybe not. I watched Infernal Affairs on DVD about a year before The Departed and thought "that was alright" and didn't really think about it again until The Departed came out. I think my expectations had been kind of skewed because its poster had proudly proclaimed "the best Hong Kong thriller since John Woo" and I had expected it to be more of an action movie. Had been meaning to revisit it, but probably won't. There are tons of people who stand by it and insist it's better than The Departed though, both then and now, so if you do something like that you should probably tread carefully. |
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