RE: Best of times, worst of times

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RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 4:06:04 PM

Harry Tuttle

Posts: 7496
Joined: 12/11/2005
From: Sometime in the future.

quote:

ORIGINAL: adambatman82

quote:

ORIGINAL: Harry Tuttle

See, I reckon Lost World pisses all over pretty much everything he's done post Saving Private Ryan except for Tintin and possibly Catch Me If You Can. To be honest I don't really rate Lost World that highly I just think Spielberg's output this Millenium has been pretty poor by anyone's standards, not just his.

I'm the opposite: I think the last ten years or so has been his most interesting period. I'm not a great fan of the earlier work, bar Close Encounters, and would consider Minority Report and War Of The Worlds to be the best films he's made.

Conversely I'd have War of the Worlds as one of the worst films he's made (it's in the same bracket as Hook, Sugarland Express, 1941 and A.I. for me). I haven't seen The Terminal (early millenium Hanks saturation was just too much to bear) or War Horse yet so obviously they could make the list as well.

My personal Spielberg faves, outside of the first and third Indy films, are Jaws, Duel and Jurassic Park.

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Post #: 91

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 4:07:02 PM

MattTheBadger

Posts: 99
Joined: 23/4/2006

Minority Report and War of the Worlds better than Jaws & ET? Oh come now.

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Post #: 92

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 4:11:21 PM

Rebenectomy

Posts: 5525
Joined: 20/1/2008
From: 10-0-11-0-0 by 0-2

Do you think it's telling that it's harder to think of examples of those who've turned it around? Is the business more about making an instant impact that it is about carving a niche or working towards greatness?

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Post #: 93

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 4:43:59 PM

adambatman82

Posts: 11156
Joined: 15/12/2005
From: Sheffield

quote:

ORIGINAL: MattTheBadger

Minority Report and War of the Worlds better than Jaws & ET? Oh come now.

Shocking isn't it?

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Post #: 94

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 4:46:51 PM

adambatman82

Posts: 11156
Joined: 15/12/2005
From: Sheffield

quote:

ORIGINAL: Rebenectomy

Do you think it's telling that it's harder to think of examples of those who've turned it around? Is the business more about making an instant impact that it is about carving a niche or working towards greatness?

Alas, I think thats indicative of the world in which we live. First impressions are everything etc. Although saying that I do think that most filmmakers take one or two films to get in to their stride: Hitchcock, Scorsese, Spielberg, Ford, Murnau, Coppola etc are all examples of filmmakers whose debuts were less than stellar, but who grew in to their craft over a number of films and years.

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Post #: 95

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 4:51:11 PM

MattTheBadger

Posts: 99
Joined: 23/4/2006

quote:

ORIGINAL: adambatman82

quote:

ORIGINAL: MattTheBadger

Minority Report and War of the Worlds better than Jaws & ET? Oh come now.

Shocking isn't it?

'Shocking' is perhaps over-egging it.

'Wrong' - now we're gettin' somewhere.

(in reply to adambatman82)

Post #: 96

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 4:57:34 PM

Rob

Posts: 2408
Joined: 30/9/2005

quote:

ORIGINAL: Rebenectomy

Do you think it's telling that it's harder to think of examples of those who've turned it around? Is the business more about making an instant impact that it is about carving a niche or working towards greatness?

Very much so. However, one that springs to mind is actually Joel Schumacher again. I thought Tigerland was a great film and all the more impressive give that it comes after the nadir of cinema that is Batman and Robin.

I can't think of anyone that started terribly and got better and better though.

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Post #: 97

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 7:56:37 PM

adambatman82

Posts: 11156
Joined: 15/12/2005
From: Sheffield

quote:

ORIGINAL: Rob
I can't think of anyone that started terribly and got better and better though.

Jim Cameron (Piranha to Terminator)
William Friedkin (Sonny & Cher in Good Times to The French Connection via The Night They Raided Minsky's)
Coppola (As a big fan even I don't really recognise anything prior to The Godfather as great, which was his 8th film)

(in reply to Rob)

Post #: 98

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 11:50:09 PM

Whistler

Posts: 2274
Joined: 22/11/2006

quote:

ORIGINAL: elab49

quote:

ORIGINAL: Harry Tuttle

quote:

ORIGINAL: adambatman82

quote:

ORIGINAL: The Big Guy
The drop in quality between Tintin and War Horse is quite pronounced, I would say.

Nah, there's nothing between them on Rotten Tomatoes (well, 2%).

Incidentally the five worst received Spielberg's by consensus are -

1. Hook (29%)
2. 1941 (33%)
3. The Lost World (52%)
4. The Terminal (60%)
5. Always (61%)

Funnily enough Indy 4 is right up there in the high 70's, and has the same rating as War Horse. Jaws is the highest rated with 100%.

See, I reckon Lost World pisses all over pretty much everything he's done post Saving Private Ryan except for Tintin and possibly Catch Me If You Can. To be honest I don't really rate Lost World that highly I just think Spielberg's output this Millenium has been pretty poor by anyone's standards, not just his.

Now there's a great argument for the problem with consensus scores. Terminal in the 60s, Indy 4 and War Horse in the 70s.

I don't think that's an argument, I think it just shows that there are people who liked Indy 4 and War Horse. I personally thought War Horse was fantastic, and Indy 4 was okay bar the Aliens, gopher and fridge scene.

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Post #: 99