Greatest Spielberg-directed Movie?

[vaportrailer]

Dunno if it's the greatest, but Jaws.

Terrible book, but excellent screenplay, and an unbelievable cast: Scheider - Shaw - Little Fella.

 

Sure, the effects are dated, and it owes more than a little to Moby-Dick (no, not the drum solo), but g-ddamn, I believe those characters.

This was the first movie that I saw as a kid where people died in it that didn't "deserve" to die (ie: weren't 'bad guys'). That stuck with me.

 

I've seen Jaws at least 100 times. Every time I happen across it on tv, I am compelled to watch to the end, no matter what language it's in.

Yep, major Jaws nerd here.

 

"What's your name?"

"Chrissy!"

"Where are you going?"

"Swimming!"

[JohnnyBlaze]

I loved War of The Worlds and if nothing else it should have been included in this poll!

 

Anytime Cruise's WotW was mentioned in the past on TRF it didn't get any praise. So I left it out. Didn't think anyone would pay it any mind anyway.

 

For me, that ending wasn't satisfying (the son bit) and seemed abrupt. The first 45 minutes was quite good though.

[Tick]

I loved War of The Worlds and if nothing else it should have been included in this poll!

 

Anytime Cruise's WotW was mentioned in the past on TRF it didn't get any praise. So I left it out. Didn't think anyone would pay it any mind anyway.

 

For me, that ending wasn't satisfying (the son bit) and seemed abrupt. The first 45 minutes was quite good though.

Just admit you blew it! :dweez:

[JohnnyBlaze]

I loved War of The Worlds and if nothing else it should have been included in this poll!

 

Anytime Cruise's WotW was mentioned in the past on TRF it didn't get any praise. So I left it out. Didn't think anyone would pay it any mind anyway.

 

For me, that ending wasn't satisfying (the son bit) and seemed abrupt. The first 45 minutes was quite good though.

Just admit you blew it! :dweez:

Nah. The ending blew it.

 

World is in absolute ruins but then Tom makes it to that neighborhood street that's in pristine condition just to find his son in perfect condition in the house. f**k that.

 

[lerxt1990]

Hard choice - top 3 for me Jaws, Close Encounters, and Raiders. Raiders is the one I quickly wish I could wipe from my memory and see for the first time again - good from beginning to end.

[workingcinderellaman]

Hard choice - top 3 for me Jaws, Close Encounters, and Raiders. Raiders is the one I quickly wish I could wipe from my memory and see for the first time again - good from beginning to end.

I thought Close Encounters was weak on the story, but it does exemplify Spielberg's genius in taking a weak story and making it much more interesting than it should probably be. He's done that on more than a few movies. The whole sequence of the child abduction is movie making at it's finest.

[goose]

Hard choice - top 3 for me Jaws, Close Encounters, and Raiders. Raiders is the one I quickly wish I could wipe from my memory and see for the first time again - good from beginning to end.

I thought Close Encounters was weak on the story, but it does exemplify Spielberg's genius in taking a weak story and making it much more interesting than it should probably be. He's done that on more than a few movies. The whole sequence of the child abduction is movie making at it's finest.

Close Encounters used to rank high for me, but last time I tried to watch it, it hadn't aged well.

 

Or maybe I hadn't. :P

[workingcinderellaman]

Hard choice - top 3 for me Jaws, Close Encounters, and Raiders. Raiders is the one I quickly wish I could wipe from my memory and see for the first time again - good from beginning to end.

I thought Close Encounters was weak on the story, but it does exemplify Spielberg's genius in taking a weak story and making it much more interesting than it should probably be. He's done that on more than a few movies. The whole sequence of the child abduction is movie making at it's finest.

Close Encounters used to rank high for me, but last time I tried to watch it, it hadn't aged well.

 

Or maybe I hadn't. :P

I think that's true with most sci-fi movies. Both in special effects and what society knows about technology and science. Close Encounters had a lot of mystery going for it that kept you interested. Now it's kind of campy. I still like it though.

[vaportrailer]

Hard choice - top 3 for me Jaws, Close Encounters, and Raiders. Raiders is the one I quickly wish I could wipe from my memory and see for the first time again - good from beginning to end.

I thought Close Encounters was weak on the story, but it does exemplify Spielberg's genius in taking a weak story and making it much more interesting than it should probably be. He's done that on more than a few movies. The whole sequence of the child abduction is movie making at it's finest.

Close Encounters used to rank high for me, but last time I tried to watch it, it hadn't aged well.

 

Or maybe I hadn't. :P

I think that's true with most sci-fi movies. Both in special effects and what society knows about technology and science. Close Encounters had a lot of mystery going for it that kept you interested. Now it's kind of campy. I still like it though.

 

I thought Close Encounters established some really good moods in many of its scenes. Although I felt that the family scenes were something that he'd done better and more effortlessly in Jaws, so those leave me a little flat. And the cutesy little UFO was and is pretty corny. ("The kids'll love this!")

Using music to say "hello" was a pretty cool idea.

Totally loved it as a kid. I even had the Marvel comic!

[condemned2bfree]

Hard to choose between Raiders, Jaws, and Close encounters. Like others have mentioned, war of the worlds was really excellent. Don't know what it is about Wotw,but its so watchable, seen it quite a few times. Went with Jaws in the end.