Oh, he proved that in 1980, while he was still a fairly young man. That he demonstrates it as a senior citizen comes as zero surprise.


BUT, and not to defend him ... rather human nature ... how many artists truly defend their own work in their later years? How many get the opportunity to defend it or not? Changes aren't asked of works that are not phenomenally successful, so we don't get too many tests of which artists will defend their art.

How many would pass that test?

Other than Lucas, I can't think of anyone else who has gone to as great lengths to actively bad-mouth their own prior work. It's one thing to never be satisfied with what you've done, it's another to devalue its importance.

I much prefer the likes of Kevin Smith who will go toe to toe and argue that Jersey Girl is a good movie (though to be fair I haven't seen it, but popular consensus is otherwise).

I also appreciate Smith's generally unapologetic nature. Even when the whole thing went down with Joel Siegel, he didn't apologize, and I don't think he had to. But that's just me, and way off topic.

Perhaps if Hitchcock had the technology to digitally insert Doris Day in the film, he wouldn't have re-made The Man Who Knew Too Much.

Who can say?

Now, I'm not a filmmaker. Well, I am but I'm not being paid by a studio. But when I go back to my earlier work - watching my student films or plays, reading my fiction or poetry or screenplays or plays - I'm almost always...

1) astonished that some of it came from me; I can't believe I once had the ideas I'd since forgotten - ideas I loved then and still love now, that have aged well and are truly interesting.

2) annoyed that some of it came from me; my perspective, wisdom, skill-set has matured over time. What once appealed to me may still not be as appealing. What once seemed well-done seems pitiful with the knowledge I've acquired in ensuing years.

Still, I hope that, given the opportunity to do this professionally, I will learn the lesson from watching Spielberg and Lucas' mistakes. Films age. We age. The way you appreciate your work now may not be the way you appreciate it later, but when considering "fixing" those things: hands off.

I think the temptation must be great for works that are, quite wrongly in my opinion, considered Kid-Stuff, like Star Wars and E.T., which thus never "age" but are perpetually brand-new to new generations of children (whom we must then "think of").



Oh, btw, Walt Disney stood by while things were ripped-out of Fantasia for subsequent releases.

I'm sure you are correct. I will have to add it to the library list!

Please, a small request to the universe, let me be in LA when you do this fun night (and one of the lucky winners to fit in the screening room). I adore Gunga Din and I'd like to see Temple of Doom again.

My personal top five? Ie: My favorites?


Wow... how to narrow that deep.
Let me say that I have a fondness for John Williams, and a great deal of my love for these films is his scores.

Schindler's List (1993)
No contest, it has to be on the list. I saw this Christmas Day in the theatre, and was amazed. Visually, stylisticaly, musically... I was wow'ed.

Jurassic Park (1993)
In my opinion a decent adaption of Chritons work to the screen. The casting worked for me, and I beleived the dinosaurs.
And I cried. Yes, every time.

Empire of the Sun (1987)
I watch this film at least once a month. Sad that it's not really Bale singing, but I can live with that.
For some reason that movie resonates with me.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
It's Raiders of the Lost Ark. Nothing else needs to be said.

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
This was a hard choice. I pick this film because it was the turning point in my fandom. This was where I went from mere movie watcher to movie geek.
And for the record, the ORIGINAL version, thank you.

I do like Hook, but it didnt make the top five, for the record.

I detest:

Artificial Intelligence: AI
This film was all wrong in my book. Maybe it was the change in directors that made it horrible for me.
I almost walked out.
Horrible horrible film, that I figured out entirely too early to continue to enjoy.

And I'm not a fan of that decision. It still isn't a demonstration of the consistent second guessing and kowtowing that Spielberg has done, as you said, since the 80s. After a while, I might just start agreeing with him that all his work sucks.