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Eric Atreides

THE STEVEN SPIELBERG COUNTDOWN | List complete! How did your fave do????

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#10

Bridge of Spies

130 pts, 28 lists

"Well, the boss isn't always right. But, he's always the boss."

Bridge_of_Spies_poster.jpg

 

 

#2 placements: 1

#3 placements: 2

Top 5 placements: 3

Top 10 placements: 5

Top 15 placements: 9

Box Office: 72.3M DOM, 165.5M WW

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% 

Metacritic: 81

Awards: 1 Academy Award win and 5 nominations, 1 BAFTA win and 8 nominations, AFI's Top Ten Films of the Year, NBR's Top 10 Films, 5 Critics Choice nominations, 1 Golden Globe nomination, 1 Empire Award nomination,

 

Critic Review: "The film is an anomaly — a confident, slightly square, highly satisfying example of old-school Hollywood craftsmanship, starring a major movie star brandishing a briefcase, and a handkerchief, rather than a pistol." - Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

BOT User Review: "An understated political drama that really benefits from the Spielberg touch. He makes 141 minutes of verbal negotiation thoroughly engaging, and Hanks of course is the perfect guy for this role" - @tribefan695

 

Its Legacy: Was one of the last Touchstone/Dreamworks co-productions. Helped turn Mark Rylance into a household name in America. Brought the stories of James B. Donovan and Rudolf Abel to light. Is the ultimate dad movie. Gave Jesse Plemons a paycheck.

 

Commentary: This is the highest-ranked Spielberg film from the 2010s for good reason. This legal drama takes what could have been drab negotiations into a series of intense battles of suspicion peppered with dry wits of humor, helped by a memorable screenplay written by the Coens. This anxiety, backed by the confusing and dramatic landscape of the Cold War, is also helped by its two main actors, with Tom Hanks and mainstream newcomer Mark Rylance delivering stirring performances. This even led to Rylance earning an Academy Award, much to the chagrin of Stallone fanboys the world over.

 

This film wasn’t set to be in the top 10 for a while, but a couple of passionate top 5 votes helped give the movie a strong edge, ensuring this is the film that this generation’s cinephiles will latch on to when discussing Spielberg.

 

 

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#9

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

154 pts, 29 lists

" I guess you've noticed something a little strange with Dad. It's okay, though. I'm still Dad."

Close_Encounters_of_the_Third_Kind_(1977

 

#2 placements: 1

#3 placements: 2

Top 5 placements: 3

Top 10 placements: 5

Top 15 placements: 9

Box Office: 135.2M DOM, 306.9M WW

Rotten Tomatoes: 94%

Metacritic: 90

Awards: 1 Academy Award win and 7 nominations, 1 BAFTA win and 8 nominations, 4 Golden Globe nominations

 

Critic Review: "Steven Spielberg's giant, spectacular Close Encounters of the Third Kind...is the best—the most elaborate—1950's science fiction movie ever made, a work that borrows its narrative shape and its concerns from those earlier films, but enhances them with what looks like the latest developments in movie and space technology." - Vincent Canby, New York Times

BOT User Review: "One of the all time classic Sci-Fi films." - @WrathOfHan

 

Its Legacy: Led to a major resurgence of science fiction films. #64 on AFI’s Top 100 Movies. First collaboration with editor Michael Kahn. Part of the National Film Registry. Saw two other alternate cuts. Parodied multiple times. A favorite for many acclaimed directors, like Edgar Wright, Spike Lee, Denis Villenueve, Stanley Kubrick, and Andrew Stanton. Gave Carl Weathers a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Developed since 1973, with writers coming in and out to help the script come to life, Close Encounters was the other 1970s title that made Steven Spielberg a household name. Taking a simple story about a blue-collar worker whose life changes upon seeing a UFO, this has many of the hallmarks people come to know with Spielberg. Broken family units, suspenseful sequences, an incredible John Williams score. Yet it’s also a film about obsession, and humanity’s attempts to understand the unknown. It takes a science fiction story into a unique, spiritual direction, as Roy Neary looks to connect with the aliens he saw in just a tiny glimpse.

 

In a way, Roy’s journey and obsession with his alien encounter is also a meta commentary for filmmaking itself. We all have distinct visions and ideas, but only a few, like Roy, try to recreate such wild visions through art. See his potato sculpture. It’s a film that is clearly full of passion, from a man who only just got his big break and truly wanted to prove himself in an era of filmmaking that allowed directors a chance to prove themselves. And wouldn’t you know it, Close Encounters became a critical and commercial darling, earning immense box office returns and award nomination after award nomination. All the while, becoming a major influence in the reinvigoration of sci-fi films and media which is still in effect today.

 

If Star Wars was the movie that got people invested in pulpy, sci-fi action adventure, Close Encounters got people invested in contemplative, thrilling sci-fi storylines. And people would stay invested in such stories for years to come.

 

 

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#8

Catch Me If You Can

177 pts, 32 lists

"The truth is I'm not a doctor or a lawyer. I'm nothing really. I'm just a kid in love with your daughter."

 

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Top 5 placements: 4

Top 10 placements: 18

Top 15 placements: 8

Box Office: 164.6M DOM, 352.1M WW

Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

Metacritic: 75

Awards: 2 Academy Award nominations, 1 BAFTA win and 3 nominations, 1 Golden Globe nomination, 1 Grammy nomination

 

Critic Review: "Part of Spielberg's skill as a filmmaker comes in choosing the right collaborators. Janusz Kaminski's gorgeous cinematography, Michael Kahn's graceful editing, Jeff Nathanson's clever script, and John Williams' score all work well in unison, but the film's masterstroke is the casting of Walken as DiCaprio's utterly decent father." - Nathan Rabin, AV Club

BOT User Review: "Spielberg proves yet again why he is where he is. His ability to master multiple types of films is masterful. This is maybe his best of the decade." - @RobinHood26

 

Its Legacy: Brought the story of Frank Abagnale to the limelight. Was Leonardo DiCaprio’s first  critical and commercial hit post-Titanic. Kickstarted the career of Amy Adams. Was adapted into a stage musical (Fun fact: my sister was in a high school production of that play). Parodied on The Simpsons. Gave Christopher Walken a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Before the film we got today, Catch Me If You Can was given by director after director. David Fincher, Gore Verbinski, Lasse Hallstrom, Milos Forman, Cameron Crowe. Yet when you really think about it, only Spielberg could make this film work. He grew up with a messy divorce and decided to make a career out of creating make believe stories. Him telling the story of a man running away from a troubled family life and creating illusions and cons is a perfect fit, both in terms of experience and creating a human portrayal of Frank Abangale.

 

Spielberg manages to create a cat-and-mouse tale that is both immensely fun and incredibly sad all at once. There’s of course some fast-paced editing, fun locales and a jazzy John Williams score that gives the piece bright energy and an exciting atmosphere. But it’s still a story about a man who has no family and always tries to run away from the law. There’s a tragedy that comes from a story about a man who just wants everything back to normal, but he just can’t have it. We all go through these motions at some point, and it can be brutal to watch unfold, especially considering how well DiCaprio does at selling this loneliness and frustration.

 

Sure enough, Catch Me If You Can was an instant success. It was one of the biggest box office hits of 2002 despite never hitting #1 and earned some of the highest notices of Spielberg’s career. This was actually only a few months after the release of Minority Report, making it one of those years when Spielberg was firing at all cylinders. Of course despite the success of both features it was nothing compared to a certain year in the 90s, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

 

This was also a huge hit with voters here, with top 10 vote after top 10 vote. It actually took me kind of surprise, as while I knew people loved this movie, I did not expect the kind of love people were throwing out for this title. But hey, this countdown was full of surprises.

 

 

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#7

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

183 pts, 28 lists

"Nazis. I hate these guys."

Indiana_Jones_and_the_Last_Crusade.png

 

 

#2 placements: 2

#3 placements: 3

Top 5 placements: 8

Top 10 placements: 10

Top 15 placements: 5

Box Office: 197.2M DOM, 474.2M WW

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Metacritic: 65

Awards: 1 Academy Award win and 2 nominations, 1 Golden Globe nomination, 3 BAFTA nominations, 1 Grammy nomination

 

Critic Review: "The Harrison Ford-Sean Connery father-and-son team gives Last Crusade unexpected emotional depth, reminding us that real film magic is not in special effects." - Variety Staff

BOT User Review: "Honestly, this is my favorite of the Indy films. The puzzles, the locations, the action, the quotes, and Sean Connery make this a really fun movie and its aged pretty well." - @Master Scottb

 

Its Legacy: Earned the biggest opening weekend of all time. Became the first movie to earn over $10 million in one day (my is that quaint). Was the 11th highest-grossing film of all time and the highest-grossing 1989 film worldwide. Was the inspiration for The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Increased tourism to Petra, Jordan. Gave John Rhys-Davies a paycheck.

 

Commentary: After the mixed reactions towards Temple of Doom, Last Crusade was designed as a back to basics film, resulting in a lighter, less violent story that made it more appealing to a family audience. Of course, that didn’t make the film any lesser. Using an estranged father-son relationship as its backdrop, Last Crusade had fun action and adventure, a compelling story, and some quality Nazi killing. All the while, Harrison Ford, an acting legend, got to interact with the one and only Sean Connery, another acting legend. It’s still incredibly surreal to see two incredible acting talents work off one another as father and son and helped make this film as memorable and charming as it is. There’s even River Phoenix as a young Indy, another acting legend who sadly left us way too soon. Still hurts that he’s gone.

 

This was another fan-favorite in this countdown, with several top 5 votes, including a stray #3 and even #2 placement. It’s actually the highest-rated film to not get a #1 vote.

 

 

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#6

Saving Private Ryan

186 pts, 29 lists

"He better be worth it. He better go home and cure a disease, or invent a longer-lasting light bulb."

220px-Saving_Private_Ryan_poster.jpg

 

#1 placements: 2

#3 placements: 4

Top 5 placements: 6

Top 10 placements: 11

Top 15 placements: 5

Box Office: 217M DOM, 482.3M WW

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

Metacritic: 91

Awards: 5 Academy Award wins and 6 nominations, 2 BAFTA wins and 8 nominations, 2 Empire Award wins and 1 nomination, 2 Golden Globe wins and 3 nominations, 1 Grammy win, NBR's Top 10

 

Critic Review: "Saving Private Ryan is a masterpiece. It cements Steven Spielberg’s reputation as one of the seminal filmmakers of the era. It tells a gallant story of honor and duty and courage under fire. It shows you things about war that have never been seen on a motion picture screen." Rex Reed, The Observer

BOT User Review: "The first time I watched this, I didn't like it at all. However, on repeat viewings, the film really resonates with me. Is it too long? Absolutely. But there are scenes made of nothing but utter genius. I have to say that it has one of the most emotional scenes I've ever seen and that was when the soldiers were talking about their mothers. I found that absolutely heartbreaking and the most effective scene in the film." - @Noctis

 

Its Legacy: One of the most influential war films in history. Filming and cinematography techniques influenced films and games for years to come. Became the highest-grossing domestic film of 1998, second place worldwide. Earned one of the most infamous Best Picture losers in history. Considered the most accurate portrayal of war combat. Birthed the Medal of Honor video game series. Was the first of many Spielberg-Hanks collaborations. Gave Vin Diesel a paycheck.

 

Commentary: We all remember how Saving Private Ryan opens. An elderly man falls to the ground in anguish at the Normandy Cemetery. And thus, we cut to the Normandy invasion on Omaha Beach. For 27 whole minutes, we see what happened on those beaches. Bodies dead immediately as the boat docks itself. Soldiers running frantically, trying to find safety. Soldiers carrying one another to find some form of sanctuary. Blood is on the floor, gunshot sound effects permeate across the speakers. Desaturated colors are on the screen, as the film cuts to handheld shots of people hiding under bunkers or grieving for friends they just lost.

 

That right there is war. And Saving Private Ryan shows how horrible war can be. One of the most violent films in Spielberg’s filmography, this was one brutal piece. So much so that men who fought in World War II and Vietnam had to leave the movie because it was too realistic to what they actually went through, causing terrifying war flashbacks. It is a downside to the movie; nobody should have to relive such trauma. But it also serves as why this movie is so powerful. It is as authentic as possible, without being exploitative of these events. There’s incredible and brutal action on display, but there’s never a sense Spielberg is glorifying these actions, although Oliver Stone says otherwise. If anything, it’s a tragedy these men were forced to take part in these events just to help one Private.

 

And sure enough, Saving Private Ryan has lived on as one of the biggest success stories in Spielberg’s career. And that’s saying a lot. It earned Spielberg his second Oscar and became an infamous loss for Best Picture. To this day, people are still salty Shakespear in Love got the gold. Thanks Harvey! Yet as the years have gone on, Saving Private Ryan has created a legacy all its own. One that celebrates the heroes who died in combat, while also letting the people know how little we have progressed and to change this for the future.

 

 

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2 minutes ago, charlie Jatinder said:

Temple of Doom in Top 5. What is wrong with Americans.

It will horrible if its above JP. Blasphemy if above Schiendler's List.

No, it was like in the mid 20s.  

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- Bridge of Spies is Spielbergs best film since Munich, Rylance is just unbelievable in the film. Very tough supporting actor race that year if I remember. 

 

- Catch Me If You Can is one of the all time Spielberg greats. Pure movie magic.

 

- Last Crusade is actually my favourite Indiana Jones. Cracked my top 5. All the set pieces are so delightful; a train chase, boat chase, escape from a burning house, motorcycle chase, tank/horse chase, the trials. It has it all.

 

- Saving Private Ryan is incredible. The whole village sniper sequence is etched into my brain so vividly. The scale of filmmaking throughout blows my mind. 

Edited by FilmFincher
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#5

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

208 pts, 32 lists

"I'll be right here."

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#1 placements: 3

#2 placements: 4

#3 placements: 1

Top 5 placements: 4

Top 10 placements: 14

Top 15 placements: 5

Box Office: 435.1M DOM, 792.9M WW

Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

Metacritic: 91

Awards: 4 Academy Award wins and 5 nominations, 2 Golden Globe wins and 3 nominations, 2 Grammy Award wins, 1 BAFTA win, won Best Foreign Language film at Blue Ribbon Awards, Cesar Awards, and David di Donatello.

 

Critic Review: "If we approach the unfamiliar with fear and apprehension, we will be met with fear and apprehension. But if we approach with sympathy and curiosity, we will be rewarded with same. And our souls, not to mention our bicycles, will soar to the heavens." - Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

BOT User Review: "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is pure magic. Spielberg's direction has rarely been as touching and marvelous as it is in this film. Elliot and ET's friendship is believable and heartwarming, with Henry Thomas delivering one of the greatest child actor performances ever. ET himself is technically astounding, not once appearing false to the audience or to his friends." - @Blankments

 

Its Legacy: Became the highest-grossing film of all time. Earned the highest-grossing second weekend in history. Began the film career of Drew Barrymore. Earned the biggest weekend gross of all time in weekend 4. Had 8 weekends over $10 million. Was number one for 16 weeks, a record still held to this day. Saw a record of 6 million VHS rentals, as well as $250 million in home media revenue. Grossed more than $1 billion in merchandise sales as of 1998. 24th greatest film on AFI’s Top 100. In way too many other polls and lists and countdowns to count. Was one of the first Amblin productions. Was instantly hailed as one of the greatest movies of all time. Earned Steven Spielberg a UN Peace Medal. Became the first movie to earn an A+ on Cinemascore. Hershey saw a 65% rise in profit due to Reese’s Pieces product placement. Praised by Ronald Reagan and Princess Diana. Got a ride at Universal Studios. Resulted in the video game crash of 1983. Gave C. Thomas Howell a paycheck

 

Commentary: Here was a film that was so good, that when Richard Attenborough won Best Picture for Gandhi, he said this should have beat him out. Conceived through Spielberg’s childhood with an imaginary friend as well as from a script titled Night Skies, E.T. is a film that needs no introduction. Becoming one of Spielberg’s biggest hits ever, this sci-fi tale about a boy and his alien is one of the most enduring family classics out there, taking an innocent, highly emotional tale that is comedic, dramatic, suspenseful, sentimental, and tragic all in one. And even today, it is still a film passed on to generation after generation, becoming one of Universal’s biggest moneymakers ever.

 

In fact, I’d dare to say this is Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece. I didn’t grow up with this movie, but I saw the film 5 years ago while scrolling through TV. And to say my mind was blown is an understatement. The characters are all endearing, the actors are incredible, the story is simple yet poignant, the atmosphere is one of a kind, the comedy is hilarious, the adventure is enthralling, the visual effects are incredible, the genre blending is one of a kind, the themes of friendship, communication, and peace, as well as its religious parables are thought-provoking, and that ending is still a gut-puncher if I’ve ever seen one. It’s the rare kind of movie that is by all accounts absolutely perfect. In terms of direction, acting, writing, and in all other crafts. Removing anything would take something away from this piece, while adding anything to it would just make the film worse by default.

 

Movies like this don’t come around all the time, and that makes them all the more special.

 

 

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#4

Jaws

242 pts, 31 lists

"You're gonna need a bigger boat."

JAWS_Movie_poster.jpg

 

#1 placements: 4

#2 placements: 6

#3 placements: 5

Top 5 placements: 7

Top 10 placements: 8

Top 15 placements: 1

Box Office: 260.8M DOM, 470.6M WW

Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

Metacritic: 87

Awards: 3 Oscar wins and 1 nomination, 1 Golden Globe win and 3 nominations, 1 BAFTA win and 5 nominations, 1 Grammy Award win

 

Critics Review: "The terror, panic and small town politics are all brilliantly done but this is also a film about bravery and friendship and the scenes in which the trio bond as they sit out at sea waiting to fight death itself are moving and witty." - Martin Chilton, The Telegraph

BOT User Review: "This is one of the best thrillers ever. I just love how suspenseful it is without even showing the shark. One of my favorite movie quotes of all time came from this movie."we're gonna need a bigger boat" - @ecstasy

 

Its Legacy: Became the highest-grossing film of all time. Became the first blockbuster in history, redefining the distribution and business model of films. Such effects still exist today. Became one of the biggest moneymakers for Universal with several sequels. Set the template for hundreds of horror titles in the decades to come. Caused fears of going into the ocean amongst the general public, amongst other cinematic neuroses. Got a bunch of mockbusters. A fan-made documentary was produced. Saw a Universal Studios theme park ride. Earned several musicals for some reason. Got a bunch of video games. Mayor Vaughn became a hero to several garbage mayors and politicians in 2020. Gave Murray Hamilton a paycheck.

 

Commentary: There’s a lot to say about Jaws that has already been said by just about everybody else on the planet. A production from hell turned into a major success story overnight that influenced countless horror titles and the career of Mr. Spielberg, the one thing I wanted to talk about with Jaws that hasn’t been said before is that without this movie, Box Office Theory likely would have never existed. At least in the way it’s currently situated.

 

Jaws took a bold concept when it came to distribution. Instead of just releasing a film in certain markets and build word of mouth from there, Spielberg and Universal knew they had something special and this had plenty of potential to make a lot of money. And thus, the film was unleashed to a wide release across the country, with a massive television and tie-in merchandise campaign. And Jaws was rewarded tremendously, becoming an instant success both critically and commercially.

 

And because of Jaws’ unique strategy, alongside Star Wars, this allowed the birth of the blockbuster, as studios created films focused more on high box office returns, with action-adventure elements, simple high-concept premises, wide saturated releases and massive ad campaigns. This sadly did lead to the end of the New Hollywood era, as auteur-driven pieces started to disappear. But this also ushered in an exciting era of box office numbers and enthusiasts. Without Jaws, we wouldn’t have had Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Terminator 2, Titanic, Spider-Man, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dark Knight, Avatar, Iron Man, The Avengers, or any of our other favorite movies and franchises. Jaws gave us a chance to create a community where we can talk movies, numbers, math, and franchises we would all earn a soft spot for. And simply put, none of us probably would have been friends if Jaws didn’t disrupt the system the way it did.

 

You can make the argument Jaws did more harm than good in our current risk-averse film world. But there is something special about its impact in a way that I think is worth treasuring, and I hope this will only lead to future box office success stories and records in the years to come.

 

 

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