He's my all time favorite director. I even love his stinkers, 1941 and HOOK. The first movie I saw in the theater was E.T., the one I saw the most in the theater was JURASSIC PARK, 17 times. And yes, I love INDY 4.
(And I think I'm the only guy on the planet who loved "Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom" --- including Spielberg himself. I loved its sense of quirky fun and how, like its predecessor, it never takes itself too seriously....)
And I think I'm the only guy on the planet who loved "Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom" --- including Spielberg himself. I loved its sense of quirky fun and how, like its predecessor, it never takes itself too seriously....)
You ain't alone, mate. I love TOD, too.
Back in 1975 I saw Jaws 15 times in the theater. I went 7 times and sat through it twice each time. Back then you could get away with it! The 15th viewing was just one sitting.
(And I think I'm the only guy on the planet who loved "Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom" --- including Spielberg himself. I loved its sense of quirky fun and how, like its predecessor, it never takes itself too seriously....)
Well ToD is actually my favourite Indy movie. It has it's faults - the slow middle section for example - but the humour and the actiion sequences are in my view the best of all three (sic) Indy movies. Love the score too.
(And I think I'm the only guy on the planet who loved "Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom" --- including Spielberg himself. I loved its sense of quirky fun and how, like its predecessor, it never takes itself too seriously....)
I love TOD too! I like that they tried something different from the first film, and the first film is tied with JURASSIC PARK for my favorite film. I had a great time seeing it on the big screen when I saw the Indy marathon last September.
And I think I'm the only guy on the planet who loved "Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom" --- including Spielberg himself. I loved its sense of quirky fun and how, like its predecessor, it never takes itself too seriously....)
You ain't alone, mate. I love TOD, too.
Back in 1975 I saw Jaws 15 times in the theater. I went 7 times and sat through it twice each time. Back then you could get away with it! The 15th viewing was just one sitting.
I would have loved to see JAWS in the theater! The film came out two years before I was born. I hope it's rereleased like JURASSIC PARK and INDIANA JONES someday.
I used to worship Spielberg up until Hook which I thought was a terrible movie on every single level except the score.
He redeemed himself with Schindler's List and the awesome Jurassic Park but overall I find the majority of his output nowadays to be hugely over-rated with far too much cloying sentiment.
Take Saving Private Ryan for example. A very average movie bookended by two excellent sequences. Or Amistad, AI and The Terminal, all of which I found insufferably boring.
Warhorse was pretty good so he clearly still has it. But Crystal Skull is one of the worst movies I have seen in the last 10 years.
That said, I am a HUGE fan of Jaws, '41, the three real Indy movies and my personal favorite CE3K. The latter in particular had a profound effect on me and still grabs me by the heart every time I watch it.
I used to worship Spielberg up until Hook which I thought was a terrible movie on every single level except the score.
He redeemed himself with Schindler's List and the awesome Jurassic Park but overall I find the majority of his output nowadays to be hugely over-rated with far too much cloying sentiment.
Take Saving Private Ryan for example. A very average movie bookended by two excellent sequences. Or Amistad, AI and The Terminal, all of which I found insufferably boring.
Warhorse was pretty good so he clearly still has it. But Crystal Skull is one of the worst movies I have seen in the last 10 years.
That said, I am a HUGE fan of Jaws, '41, the three real Indy movies and my personal favorite CE3K. The latter in particular had a profound effect on me and still grabs me by the heart every time I watch it.
It's cool you like '41, not many besides me appreciate it.
Back in 1975 I saw Jaws 15 times in the theater. I went 7 times and sat through it twice each time. Back then you could get away with it! The 15th viewing was just one sitting.
I was only allowed to see it once. And my big brother had to go with me. (Plus, it was a long drive to get to the theater.)
It's just as well I only saw it once. I was spooked by bathwater for a while afterwards.
Number of times I saw his films in theaters (including as producer)....
Jaws - 5 CE3K - 6 Raiders - 31 ET - 4 Poltergeist - 4 Twilight Zone Movie - 1 Temple of Doom - 33 Gremlins - 5 Back to the Future - 21 Who Framed Roger Rabbit - 7 Last Crusade - 2 (found it disappointing at the time, but love it now) Jurassic Park - 10
Back when movies were an event rather than something to endure.
Number of times I saw his films in theaters (including as producer).... Temple of Doom - 33
How is this even possible! I mean Ive heard ppl say they saw Star Wars 50 times in the theater. Star Wars was the biggest film in my life when I was growing up, and I probably saw it 5 times in the theater. I just can't imagine ppl have the time or money for 30 or 50 viewings.
Number of times I saw his films in theaters (including as producer).... Temple of Doom - 33
How is this even possible?
Easy! I lived very near a new theater that opened in my neighborhood in 1984. I went to see it opening day and saw it 2-3 times a week (did the same for Raiders in 1981) when the theaters were still packin' em in. It's always fun to see it with an enthusiastic audience. That theater also had a state-of-the-art sound system and the sound effects and score just surrounded you. Movie tickets weren't much then so money was no problem (I never spent money at the concession stand). I took friends and co-workers a few times too. Like now, I worked during the day so my evenings were free. I was 21 at the time.
I used to worship Spielberg up until Hook which I thought was a terrible movie on every single level except the score.
He redeemed himself with Schindler's List and the awesome Jurassic Park but overall I find the majority of his output nowadays to be hugely over-rated with far too much cloying sentiment..
You think so? I would maybe agree on stuff like WAR HORSE and TINTIN and INDY IV (although they have other values), but have you seen MUNICH? Such a mastery of restraint....I think it's his most restrained film ever. Loads of subtle, audiovisual symbolism.
Number of times I saw his films in theaters (including as producer).... Temple of Doom - 33
How is this even possible?
Easy! I lived very near a new theater that opened in my neighborhood in 1984. I went to see it opening day and saw it 2-3 times a week (did the same for Raiders in 1981) when the theaters were still packin' em in. It's always fun to see it with an enthusiastic audience. That theater also had a state-of-the-art sound system and the sound effects and score just surrounded you. Movie tickets weren't much then so money was no problem (I never spent money at the concession stand). I took friends and co-workers a few times too. Like now, I worked during the day so my evenings were free. I was 21 at the time.
Yep, there was a theater near my house as well that only charged $2.00. I must have seen that film a couple of times a week that summer....
I used to worship Spielberg up until Hook which I thought was a terrible movie on every single level except the score.
He redeemed himself with Schindler's List and the awesome Jurassic Park but overall I find the majority of his output nowadays to be hugely over-rated with far too much cloying sentiment..
You think so? I would maybe agree on stuff like WAR HORSE and TINTIN and INDY IV (although they have other values), but have you seen MUNICH? Such a mastery of restraint....I think it's his most restrained film ever. Loads of subtle, audiovisual symbolism.
Munich is a an absolute masterpiece... while Saving Private Ryan is easily one of the best WWII films ever done.
His more recent sci-fi entries are also in a league of their own. And of course films such as Lincoln and Schindler's List show how far above the hollywood crowd he is. Watched Amistad last weekend for the 1st time since release, and it is yet another example of deep mature film making so rare in this day and age of fast food stupor heroes.
All in all I think Spielberg has the most wide ranging and largest body of important, outstanding movies in the modern era... and perhaps ever. So I guess he's my hero too!
How is this even possible! I mean Ive heard ppl say they saw Star Wars 50 times in the theater. Star Wars was the biggest film in my life when I was growing up, and I probably saw it 5 times in the theater. I just can't imagine ppl have the time or money for 30 or 50 viewings.
For me "Star Wars" was 7 times (on the first run--a few more times after that when it would be shown with the other two).
My all-time record in the theater is "Phantom Of The Paradise"--38 times. Love that movie.
I mean Ive heard ppl say they saw Star Wars 50 times in the theater. Star Wars was the biggest film in my life when I was growing up, and I probably saw it 5 times in the theater. I just can't imagine ppl have the time or money for 30 or 50 viewings. 
