Eric the Clown

Feel that's enough for tonight. Sadly I'm working super late tomorrow, so I probably won't get any new entries then. But I do promise to get stuff up on Wednesday. For now, please feel free to argue amongst yourselves about how the list is going so far. Also, give me likes.

#29 Hook 51 pts, 21 lists "To live... to live would be an awfully big adventure." Top 5 placements: 1 Top 10 placements: 2 Top 15 placements: 2 Box Office: 119.6M DOM, 300.8M WW Rotten Tomatoes: 29% Metacritic: 52 Awards: 5 Academy Award nominations, 1 Golden Globe nomination, 1 Grammy nomination, 1 Golden Raspberry nomination Critic Review: "Spielberg and Co. have finally made their Disney movie -- or better yet, their film version of a theme park at Disneyland. It's sort of like "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "It's a Small World" rolled into one. It's a helluva contraption, and certainly one to be marveled at. It gives good ride." - Hal Hinson, The Washington Post BOT User Review: "Classic. In spite of its flaws, it has a real sense of adventure and fun." - @Fancyarcher Its Legacy: A hit for Robin Williams, fresh off both Good Morning, Vietnam and Dead Poets Society, solidifying him as one of the biggest movie stars in the 90s. Was the highest-grossing pirate movie ever made, until the release of Pirates of the Caribbean. Gave Bob Hoskins a paycheck. Commentary: Hook was an interesting passion project for Spielberg that didn’t quite pay off for him. The man always had a love for Peter Pan, feeling a strong connection to the timeless character since he was a little boy. In fact, a scene from E.T. where Elliot’s mother Mary reads Peter Pan & Wendy to Gertie is based on Spielberg’s own childhood experiences having his mom read the book to him as a bedtime story. And for a while, he was developing a traditional Peter Pan story with Disney in the 80s starring Michael Jackson. This means that Spielberg could have made the first Disney live-action remake. But soon, the plans moved to Tristar and the plot was changed to a film that focused on the idea of Peter Pan growing up. In a way, it was Spielberg realizing his own age, as a work-driven father, and how he himself left the innocence and joys of childhood fun and fancy free away. Boomers, am I right? But despite an incredible cast and an intriguing premise, Hook didn’t go over well. It was nowhere near the financial hit people expected, it was slammed by critics, and Spielberg himself has expressed his disappointment towards the final product. And while most reactions to the movie, at least going by the mediocre placements, aren’t that better, it certainly has at least some appreciation by people. One user put it in their top 5, while two other users placed it in their top 10. That passion doesn’t come from nothing, and it does help there’s a strong, solid cast and incredible production value to back things up.

#30 The Sugarland Express 38 pts, 15 lists "Well shit, our car's stole" Top 10 placements: 1 Top 15 placements: 3 Box Office: 7.5M DOM/WW Rotten Tomatoes: 85% Metacritic: 65 Awards: Best Screenplay at 1974 Cannes Film Festival Critic Review: "The movie has a casual craziness that seems especially native" - Nora Sayre, New York Times BOT User Review: N/A Its Legacy: Was the first worldwide theatrical release for Spielberg. Was the first collaboration between Spielberg and composer John Williams. Was one of several titles Spielberg did with Universal Pictures. Gave Goldie Hawn a paycheck. Commentary: Like I said with Always, Sugarland Express is another one of the most obscure titles nowadays in the Spielberg canon. However, what makes this one turn heads was how it represents the beginning of the filmmaker’s domination. This true story Bonnie and Clyde tale was the first Spielberg title to see a worldwide theatrical release. Crazy to think that those first few 1974 viewers would see the beginnings of one of the most important filmmakers of all time. The film combined a compelling custody battle with fun action, resulting in an engaging story with little fat and has plenty of distinct styles that Spielberg would become famous for. It’s a bit of an obscurity nowadays. Jaws and ET are the things modern audiences associate with Spielberg. But there’s enough qualities and action here to help keep people entertained, even if it is on the lower end of this countdown.

#31 Always (1989) 21 pts, 13 lists "It's not the dress... it's the way you see me." Top 15 placements: 1 Box Office: 43.9M DOM, 74.1M WW Rotten Tomatoes: 67% Metacritic: 50 Awards: Saturn Award nomination for Best Fantasy Film Critic Review: "It's the film in which an entertainer at last becomes an artist, dealing with manifestly personal, painful emotions and casting them in a form that gives them philosophical perspective and universal affect. It's Spielberg's finest achievement, a film that will look better and better with the passage of time." - Dave Kehr, Chicago Tribune BOT User Review: N/A Its Legacy: Rekindled interest in ghost romance stories, with Ghost releasing one year later to become the biggest box office hit of 1990. Was the last film of Audrey Hepburn’s career. Gave John Goodman a paycheck. Commentary: A remake of the 1943 classic A Guy Named Joe, one of the many films that inspired Spielberg to become a director in the first place, Always is one of, if not the most overlooked title nowadays in the Spielberg canon. It was a modest success at the box office and had average reviews when it came out. And since then, Always fails to get much, if any recognition or discussion in the current film discourse, with the only real mentioning of the film being that it uses sentimentality, a hallmark of Spielberg, at its absolute worst. But even still, the film certainly has its positive attributes. Its cast is a strong one, and the themes of grief and moving on are still poignant and relevant even today. And while it may not be wholly successful, this was one of three transitional pieces for Spielberg, the other two being The Color Purple and Empire of the Sun, away from escapist summer blockbusters and more on dramatic works, which would lead to the likes of Schindler’s List, Amistad, and Lincoln. It was second-to-last, but there’s nothing wrong with that.

#32 1941 (1979) 21 pts, 12 lists "You ain't gettin' shit out of me. I've been constipated all week and there ain't a damn thing you can do about it! Top 5 placements: 1 Top 15 placements: 1 Box Office: 31.7M DOM, 92.4M WW Rotten Tomatoes: 42% Metacritic: 34 Awards: 3 Academy Award nominations Critic Review: "Billed as a comedy spectacle, Steven Spielberg’s 1941 is long on spectacle, but short on comedy. The Universal-Columbia Pictures co-production is an exceedingly entertaining, fast-moving revision of 1940s war hysteria in Los Angeles spawned by the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and boasts Hollywood’s finest miniature and special effects work seen to date." BOT User Review: "This film gets hated on too much. It was a glorious misfire, but I found it to be a load of fun for how absurd and over-the-top it was. John Belushi steals this movie and runs away with it. Wendie Jo Sperber took whatever Belushi left behind. The special effects are amazing. And Dianne Kay is cute as hell. Yes, this film has weaknesses - plenty of them (I'm looking squarely at you, Bobby Di Cicco) - but I still enjoy it nonetheless. And while it's definitely a Spielberg movie, at times it almost feels like he's channeling John Landis at times. In a good way." - @TServo2049 Its Legacy: Was considered Spielberg’s first financial flop, though it was far from the case. Made Spielberg more humble, as the critical reception of Jaws and Close Encounters reportedly made him more arrogant. Was one of the first major productions for Robert Zemeckis. Earned cult status upon the release of the extended cut and cable airings. Gave John Candy a paycheck. Commentary: To the surprise of no one, the black sheep of the Spielberg canon finds itself in the rear. In fact, while still last, if it wasn’t for @Ahsoka and her top 5 placement, it would have been a distant last place. Fresh off the critical and commercial 1-2 punch of Jaws and Close Encounters, 1941 was criticized for its length, comedy, and editing, and was a disappointment at the box office, with rumors circulating over it being a major box office bomb. It was not the case, and both Universal and Columbia saw little financial woes from the title. But even still, this screwball comedy failed to entice and engage many, and Spielberg has never really tried to make a screwball comedy film like this again. However, that doesn’t mean it’s all bad. The massive ensemble clearly has its talents, and the massive scope and out-of-control wackiness has garnered fans. And there is something admirable about a movie that throws everything but the kitchen sink. And for Spielberg, this served as an important lesson. Not everything he touches turns to gold, and that he is human as well. He can’t make a masterpiece every time, and he sometimes has to curb back on his ideas so as to make his projects work better. 1941 may be considered a failure. But even failures have value.

Plastic Man vs. Elastigirl. How can you not want this?????

I agree. It's been too long. We need Killer Frost vs. Elsa.

We’re starting this in just a little bit

Have you ever heard the story of Mickey’s Law?

Well, it's about that time to start up this little shindig celebrating the greatest, most important filmmaker in the history of modern cinema. From a battle with a truck to a battle against Nixon, I hope you're all ready for this little adventure as much as I am. Unfortunately I can't work on it right away, as I still have to head to my shift for most of the day. But I will be back tonight and I'm ready to reveal just how good (or bad) your faves did. But first, some interesting statistics. -34 people sent in a list. We were almost set to have 32 lists by sheer coincidence, but two late entries managed to shake things up a bit. -9 people had Spielberg's entire filmography on their list. -Only three movies did not appear on anyone's top 10 lists. This means that just about every list had at least some passionate support behind it, with some lists being lower simply due to appearing on fewer lists in some instances. -Two ties, one of them being a three-way tie, are on this list. For the tiebreaker, I based it on which movie appeared on more lists. However, one instance had two movies getting the same amount of votes and lists. So for that case, because one of them had a top 10 vote, and the other one didn't, I gave the one with the top 10 an advantage. Hopefully that's not too confusing. -At least one movie from every decade appeared in the top 10. -"This movie I hate ranked higher than a movie I like? I lost all respect for this list!" Yes, believe it or not, the general consensus of the forums will not automatically fit your tastes and sensibilities. Please try to be respectful and courteous during the duration of this countdown, both to myself and to fellow BOT members. You don't have to agree with this, but you can act like a gentleman. -If you are going to complain about something, and you didn't submit a list, just know that it's on you. Much like with government elections, you can't complain about something if you didn't participate in the first place. Hope you guys are excited for this list. Because I sure am!

@POTUS 2020 has been threadbanned for 48 hours. Not that it matters since...ya know

I checked the list of bans in that thread, and you're not on there. Are you sure you can't post in that thread?

Honestly I just haven't seen Gravity since it came out because it was so anxiety-inducing for me that I don't want to go through it again.

Um...why?

Just read the Wikipedia page lol