Directors You Hate

Discuss your favorite actors, directors or screenwriters
Suture Self
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Re: Directors You Hate

Post by Suture Self »

djross writes, on ET:

Robert Kolker, in "A Cinema of Loneliness," made a fairly persuasive argument that this film should be seen as fascist. However that stands, it clearly represents the apotheosis of a process of the economic and aesthetic transformation of Hollywood, a process which began with "Jaws" and "Star Wars." This continues to be the cinematic universe we inhabit today. Score based on distant recollection of viewing the movie as a child at time of release.

--

What was your opinion when you were a child, or do you even remember? This is where I get the sense that you're taking a stand, because in this case, you dislike a Spielberg movie as a matter of principle, rather than caring to actually rewatch the movie and form an opinion that's yours. Not that this would make you disagree with Kolker or anything, it just strikes me as odd.

djross
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Re: Directors You Hate

Post by djross »

FarCryss wrote:This is where I get the sense that you're taking a stand, because in this case, you dislike a Spielberg movie as a matter of principle, rather than caring to actually rewatch the movie and form an opinion that's yours. Not that this would make you disagree with Kolker or anything, it just strikes me as odd.


Does the "stand" that you are talking about amount to the fact that, even though it is a long time since I saw the film, I am willing to give it a score on the Criticker website without seeing it again? If this is what it means to take a stand, then I can only agree that it "doesn't mean all that much." But I'm not really sure exactly what it is that you are saying you find odd.

ShogunRua
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Re: Directors You Hate

Post by ShogunRua »

FarCryss wrote:I understand why somebody would hate Spielberg, but I don't think taking a stand against Spielberg means all that much, nor do I think Spielberg represents the kind of prophetical boogeyman that would lead to the death of cinema, which he's often caricatured as. A lot of wonderful filmmakers had great respect for Spielberg, namely Kubrick and Bergman, among others.


Yeah, I agree. Spielberg's output from 1970 to 1995 has movies that I love (Indiana Jones series), like (Jaws, Schindler's List), and hate (Jurassic Park, ET, Duel, Close Encounters of the Third Kind), but completely dismissing him as a filmmaker is mindlessly contrary.

For instance, I think Kubrick is insanely overrated, and was an absolute zero when it comes to story and characters. The way he butchered and missed the point of Lolita is laughable, among other examples. At the same time, I also recognize that Kubrick was an all-time great genius who mastered the stylistic elements of a movie as well as any director ever.

So I respect him as a legendary filmmaker while simultaneously considering him overrated. I sure as hell don't dismiss him completely, as that would be foolish and blind.

And while Spielberg's pictures are very different, he can be put in a similar boat. If you fail to recognize any talent or ability, or like any of his pictures, chances are that's just bias showing through. Especially since the people who have stated they hate Spielberg have a bunch of films on their list that they love which are little more than second-rate Spielberg rip-offs.

And this is coming from a guy who hated many of his supposedly "great" works, too.

lisa-
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Re: Directors You Hate

Post by lisa- »

there is no doubt that spielberg has very high technical ability. and i don't find his films boring. i can't think of much else to praise.

djross
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Re: Directors You Hate

Post by djross »

My Spielberg scores and reviews:


The score and review of E.T. have been updated, after going back and re-reading Kolker. It is perhaps twenty years since I last read his very good book, and thirty years since I saw the movie.

Suture Self
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Re: Directors You Hate

Post by Suture Self »

Pretty sure you're just trolling with your Schindler's List review.

VinegarBob
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Re: Directors You Hate

Post by VinegarBob »

Ron Howard

Suture Self
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Re: Directors You Hate

Post by Suture Self »

movieboy wrote:
FarCryss wrote:Pretty sure you're just trolling with your Schindler's List review.


Been discussed before

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3671


Ugh, I'm almost in complete agreement with Shogun's response to Filligan. How did this happen?

Suture Self
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Re: Directors You Hate

Post by Suture Self »

I understand where djross is coming from, since there only so many films a person can possibly watch and some are probably not worth a person's time by their own assessment, which is totally fine. However, in this case, I find his exclusionary attitude presumptuous and similar to wish-fulfillment, which doesn't sit well with me. If I felt so passionately about person's work I would make the effort to actually expose myself to it so I could better articulate both to others and, more importantly, to myself, why I feel the way I feel. djross appears to have some form of passion for Spielberg, even if it's negative.

lisa-
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Re: Directors You Hate

Post by lisa- »

personally, i like seeing films i know i will hate on moral grounds. it gives that warm fuzzy feeling of superiority.

so yes, i'm looking forward to watching schindler's list, and i'm sure i'll despise it.

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