a children's tv show, huh
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 16:29 (six years ago) link
so much ronging
After I blow through this series, I'm interested in revisiting some of the other projects from that era which Spielberg was tangentially involved with (e.g. *batteries not included, which was apparently originally intended to be an Amazing Stories episode). He seems to have been trying to curate a particular Spielbergian feel across everything emblazoned with his producer credit (the Williams-scored whimsy and wonder of suburbia intersecting with the fantastic, with just a sprinkling of coke-heightened overacting).
― Chock Full of Love and Sexy Feeling (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 16:30 (six years ago) link
the Williams-scored whimsy and wonder of suburbia intersecting with the fantastic, with just a sprinkling of coke-heightened overacting
kill me now
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 1 August 2017 16:31 (six years ago) link
One of the reasons the episode I mentioned is so good is that it largely eschewed those tendencies that he clung to so tenaciously through at least, what, Hook?
― Chock Full of Love and Sexy Feeling (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 16:36 (six years ago) link
I don't think Empire of the Sun fits that mold, pilgrim
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 16:41 (six years ago) link
There's something about that tendency that I find ineffably appealing, despite (or maybe because of) how cloyingly sentimental it sometimes is. There's something almost sinister about it. Some of these Amazing Stories episodes (a lot of which have at least a story credit for Spielberg) have this weird artificial sheen that almost feels like the grotesque depictions of humanity from a contemporaneous David Lee Roth video. I feel like there's a weird continuum from Spielberg's '80s sensibility to Joe Dante to, like EC Comics. The mundane overexposed into horrifying cartoonishness.
xpost Yes, I immediately remembered outliers like Empire and The Color Purple after I posted.
― Chock Full of Love and Sexy Feeling (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 16:44 (six years ago) link
p sure I've said this before - Empire of the Sun is great except for the score, which is godawful
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 1 August 2017 16:44 (six years ago) link
i'd remind you OL that the 'wonder of suburbia' generally included divorce, isolation, sometimes poltergeists!
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 17:10 (six years ago) link
Yes! It is horror as viewed through the gauzy haze of nostalgia.
― Chock Full of Love and Sexy Feeling (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 1 August 2017 17:13 (six years ago) link
https://io9.gizmodo.com/steven-spielberg-signs-deal-with-apple-to-bring-back-am-1819324878
― Monster fatberg (Phil D.), Tuesday, 10 October 2017 20:14 (six years ago) link
https://entertainment.theonion.com/steven-spielberg-recalls-coming-to-blows-with-e-t-on-f-1820392944
i lolled
― Doctor Casino, Monday, 13 November 2017 16:25 (six years ago) link
I appreciate this alternate history.
Haha holy shit, my wife thought Steven Spielberg directed Maximum Overdrive. She thought, at the height of his career, Spielberg got so addicted to coke that he made Maximum Overdrive, and then was so ashamed that he sobered up from then on. I wish that was true. So hard.— Robert Brockway (@Brockway_LLC) January 7, 2018
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 7 January 2018 18:24 (six years ago) link
meanwhile Emilio Estevez goes on to write and direct The Post starring Ally Sheedy as Katherine Graham and Judd Nelson as Bradlee.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 7 January 2018 18:26 (six years ago) link
Replace 'Maximum Overdrive' with 'Hook' and that tweet is basically otm.
― Bobby Buttrock (Old Lunch), Sunday, 7 January 2018 18:50 (six years ago) link
I don't think I've seen Minority Report in 15 years. Held up better than I remembered, if only because it was so much more of a Hitchcock homage than I remembered, not just the wrong man motif, but overt references, like individual shots and set pieces. Was pretty cool, my daughter dug it.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 29 November 2018 03:47 (five years ago) link
Haven't seen since it was released, so its due for a rewatch. I suspect, however, that my main problem with the film--the ugly-as-hell cinematography--will only be amplified now.
― Timothée Charalambides (cryptosicko), Thursday, 29 November 2018 03:51 (five years ago) link
It's super ugly, almost to the point of confrontational. There's a shot that transcends lens flare, essentially just pointing the camera at the sun. But the effects are pretty good and the retina-scanning ads and whatnot of the future pretty close to fruition. Plus, it's often darkly comical, even slapstick at times, which also seems sort of Hitchcocky.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 29 November 2018 03:57 (five years ago) link
Spielberg shoots the incredible musical number that opens TEMPLE OF DOOM. pic.twitter.com/ivijLcuIEV— Nick de Semlyen (@NickdeSemlyen) November 17, 2019
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 17 November 2019 18:22 (four years ago) link
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-spielberg-sons-debut-feature-honeydew-heading-berlin-1279391
Honeydew, the New England-set horror starring Steven Spielberg's son Sawyer Spielberg in his introductory role ...
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 15 February 2020 17:38 (four years ago) link
Exit The Warrior/Steven's Son, Sawyer
― a bevy of supermodels, musicians and Lena Dunham (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 15 February 2020 18:31 (four years ago) link
First off, he's not sick, afaik! But I do assume he is staying at home like everyone else, and as I was reading that Making of Jaws book it occurred to me how cool it would be if someone like Spielberg started making little home movies again, just for the sake of mutual entertainment. (The same holds for any filmmakers, for that matter. Like, I'd expect Soderbergh could whip something fun up for a few minutes of distraction.) But man, Spielberg could make like a 5-minute lark, then send it off to ILM for state of the art FX and John Williams for a quickie score, if he wanted to.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 27 March 2020 17:45 (four years ago) link
Every few years I rewatch "Empire of the Sun." What an impeccable piece of filmmaking.
Scanning back a bit, a lot of bad mouthing the Williams score, but honestly it didn't stick out that much as particularly oppressive. What you *do* hear a lot is apparently a Welsh lullaby called "Suo Gân," which fits pretty thematically:
As for Suo Gân, the lullaby can be dated back to the start of the 19th Century, with the most commonly accepted lyrics being written by Welsh folklorist and poet Robert Bryan (1858-1920). The song, whose title translates simply as 'Lullaby’, describes the relationship between mother and child, as the elder tries to rock the youngster to sleep, assuring him that all is well in the world. A rough translation from the original Welsh can be seen below.Sleep child on my bosomCosy and warm is this;Mother’s arms are tight around you,Mother’s love is under my breast;Nothing may affect your napping,No man will cross you;Sleep quietly, dear child,Sleep sweetly on your mother’s breast.Sleep quietly, tonight, sleep;Sleep sweetly, the pretty of his picture;Why are you now smiling,Smiling softly in your sleep?Are angels above smiling,On you smiling joyfully,You smiling back in sleeping,Sleeping quietly on my breast?Do not fear, nothing but a leafKnocks, knocks on the door;Do not fear, a small lonely waveMurmurs, murmurs on the seashore;Sleep child, there’s nothing hereNothing to give you a fright;Smile quietly in my bosom,On the angels white yonder
Sleep child on my bosomCosy and warm is this;Mother’s arms are tight around you,Mother’s love is under my breast;Nothing may affect your napping,No man will cross you;Sleep quietly, dear child,Sleep sweetly on your mother’s breast.Sleep quietly, tonight, sleep;Sleep sweetly, the pretty of his picture;Why are you now smiling,Smiling softly in your sleep?Are angels above smiling,On you smiling joyfully,You smiling back in sleeping,Sleeping quietly on my breast?Do not fear, nothing but a leafKnocks, knocks on the door;Do not fear, a small lonely waveMurmurs, murmurs on the seashore;Sleep child, there’s nothing hereNothing to give you a fright;Smile quietly in my bosom,On the angels white yonder
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 17 May 2020 03:44 (three years ago) link
Only seen this recently and found myself trying to rationalize the often mystifyingly disjointed acting direction as being intended to convey the effect of traumatic situations but I'm not convinced this was all intentional. Kind of odd, although you can't knock the Bale kid's effort.
The score had some arresting moments I thought, maybe I was getting bored with the images
― Basil Ker-ching (Noel Emits), Saturday, 8 August 2020 18:00 (three years ago) link
Bale's performance is unimpeachable.
Spielberg and Hanks make cameos late in Jim Carrey's novel, at first benignly ... but then the worm turns in a matter that will satisfy the haters.
― brooklyn suicide cult (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 8 August 2020 18:12 (three years ago) link
I think the imagery of this movie is impeccable too. Some absolutely gorgeous shots, if anything those are the ones that take me out of the movie.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 8 August 2020 18:42 (three years ago) link
Just seen three seconds of Tintin jesus christ so ugly what the fuck were they thinking?
― big man on scampus (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 14 November 2020 15:33 (three years ago) link
give it a few more seconds, it's good imo
― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 14 November 2020 15:36 (three years ago) link
I can't watch anything that ugly
― big man on scampus (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 14 November 2020 15:39 (three years ago) link
Just a pointless tech-driven decision in terms of the style
― big man on scampus (Noodle Vague)
I thought you enjoyed Boris Johnson press conferences
― Patriotic Goiter (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 14 November 2020 15:45 (three years ago) link
Lol no I studiously avoid TV news as much as possible
― big man on scampus (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 14 November 2020 15:47 (three years ago) link
I haven't seen Close Encounters, it just sounds so boring, am I missing
― flamboyant goon tie included, Saturday, 14 November 2020 15:48 (three years ago) link
yes
― Patriotic Goiter (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 14 November 2020 15:55 (three years ago) link
He did better, though.
Close Encounters is great and def not boring
― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 14 November 2020 15:55 (three years ago) link
It's a solid balance of generally (but not really) boring and broadly wonderful, imo. Lots of good stuff, def. iconic, though iirc there are three (!) different cuts floating around, a la Blade Runner, just to make things confusing.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 14 November 2020 15:56 (three years ago) link
Close Encounters is the best, it will not disappoint
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 14 November 2020 17:31 (three years ago) link
It's held up very well on a couple of rewatches.
― scampo-phenique (WmC), Saturday, 14 November 2020 17:52 (three years ago) link
The decision to take one of the singular cartoon art styles of the 20th century and turn it into an ugly point-and-click PC adventure interface is heartbreaking, but apart from that it’s pretty enjoyable and funny
― Chuck_Tatum, Saturday, 14 November 2020 18:18 (three years ago) link
It's alright, but it bears very little resemblance to Tintin.
I've never seen CE3K either.
I think the most recent Spielberg I've fully enjoyed in Lincoln.
― chap, Saturday, 14 November 2020 18:21 (three years ago) link
Close Encounters is great but there is a lot of shouting
Coincidentally I just watched Spielberg’s Columbo episode for the first time and it is FABULOUS
― Chuck_Tatum, Saturday, 14 November 2020 18:22 (three years ago) link
OK! I'll watch Close Encounters, ty!
― flamboyant goon tie included, Saturday, 14 November 2020 18:27 (three years ago) link
Yes, it is great but also if for no other reason you need to see Close Encounters for the visual stylings of Douglas (2001, Blade Runner, Star Trek: TMP, Tree of Life) Trumbull.
― Some dads are not YOUR dad (Old Lunch), Saturday, 14 November 2020 18:50 (three years ago) link
Would happily watch Close Encounters again, don't think I'll ever put my eyes thru Tintin
― big man on scampus (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 14 November 2020 19:00 (three years ago) link
i can't argue with anyone who thinks it's a huge disservice to Hergé. as a kids' adventure movie i found it lively, colorful and engaging, like Hugo without the thematic weight. in terms of tech experiments it's four thousand miles ahead of Zemeckis's experiments in this vein.
― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 14 November 2020 19:16 (three years ago) link
It's definitely a trend thing, the BBC showed a butt-ugly CGI Watership Down a couple of years back and I bailed on that after the first episode
― big man on scampus (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 14 November 2020 19:18 (three years ago) link
The thing I love about Close Encounters is it burrows inside the “i want to believe” vibe in a way that is weirdly endearing? like theres a lot of shouting and driving and running and legit craziness in a practical sense but Spielberg is v good at passing on that inherent wonder at the heart of it all that you get drawn into it somehow anyway maybe just me? i stan v hard for spielberg anywayalso: it looks SO fucking greati want mr veg and i to dress up as Dreyfuss and Devil’s Mountain for a future halloween
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 14 November 2020 19:19 (three years ago) link
The ATC scene in Close Encounters is one of my favourite scenes of any movie.
― Maresn3st, Saturday, 14 November 2020 19:20 (three years ago) link
you're not alone Veg! inherent wonder is the real engine of that movie. my first viewing as an adult was a couple years ago when it got a mini theatrical rerelease, and those early nighttime road scenes were what really drew me in. magic.
― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 14 November 2020 19:29 (three years ago) link