# Your favorite Spielberg film? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 11, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109 "2011-06-11T14:35:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4bbf92/32.png) [@Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Hamsandwich)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109/41 "2011-06-13T19:28:45Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Why isn’t **Poltergeist** on this list? 😉 That was what I came in here to ask, which further begs the question: are we basing our answer SOLELY on movies that Spielberg directed or upon any movie where he was involved in any capacity? **Poltergeist** was directed by the great Tobe Hooper of **Texas Chainsaw Massacre** fame. ETA: going through the list I realized all of the movies were directed by Spielberg, but you’d be amazed how many people think he directed **Poltergeist**. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109/42 "2011-06-13T19:46:14Z")
> [@Darth\_Hamsandwich](#): > > you’d be amazed how many people think he directed **Poltergeist**. That includes IMDb Trivia: > [@](#): > > Though on-screen credit goes to Tobe Hooper, a wealth of evidence suggests that most of the directorial decisions were made by Steven Spielberg. In fact, Spielberg had wanted to direct the film himself, but a clause in his contract stated that while still working on E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Spielberg could not direct another film. Members of the cast and crew, including Executive Producer Frank Marshall and actress Zelda Rubinstein, have stated that Spielberg cast the film, directed the actors, and designed every single storyboard for the movie himself. Based on this evidence, the DGA opened a probe into the matter, but found no reason that co-director credit should go to Spielberg. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4bbf92/32.png) [@Darth\_Hamsandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Hamsandwich)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109/43 "2011-06-13T20:18:14Z")
> [@](#): > > In fact, Spielberg had wanted to direct the film himself, but a clause in his contract stated that while still working on E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Spielberg could not direct another film. Is it possible to direct a feature length film when no one is looking? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109/44 "2011-06-13T20:47:05Z")
Tough, tough, tough. I ultimately went with _Jaws_, but wanted to actually go with _Catch Me If You Can_ an exceptionally well made and watchable movie. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109/45 "2011-06-13T21:53:08Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > That includes IMDb Trivia: I’ve read interviews with Rubenstein saying that Spielberg directed the movie. I even started a thread about this Very Important Issue: [Poltergeist directed by Spielberg and other possible "miscredits". - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=442624) ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109/46 "2011-06-15T18:41:10Z")
I would say _Raiders_ (then _Jaws_, then _Jurassic Park_) is my _favorite_ of his films, and _Schindler’s List_ is (of course) his _best_ film, to the point that he kind of undermined himself for _Saving Private Ryan_; people thought, “He’s already done his WWII movie with _Schindler’s List_.” Besides, aside from that opening sequence, there’s not much _to Saving Private Ryan_. I’ve always liked _Empire of the Sun_ (I’m a sucker for the “child in danger” trope anyway), but that has more to do with Christan Bale than Spielberg. And _E.T._ and the other Indiana Jones movies are just garbage, especially _Temple of Doom_. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Not\_Appearing\_on\_This\_Site](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@Sir\_Not\_Appearing\_on\_This\_Site](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Not_Appearing_on_This_Site)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109/47 "2011-06-15T19:58:36Z")
I went with Minority Report. Close tie with Raiders though. For a LEAST favorite one, I am going to say 1941, with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull a close second. ---
**Author:** ![Suil\_Dubh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@Suil\_Dubh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suil_Dubh)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109/48 "2011-06-15T22:19:48Z")
I never understood the “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” hate. Even with the refrigerator scene, and the aliens at the end. The matinee serials and pulp fiction that Indiana Jones was based on were all pretty corny, cliched, and over-the-top. With “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” Spielberg took all these pulp elements, stuck them in a blender, and turned the blender on high. He then combined the results with his always-excellent-if-not-rather-formulaic direction and produced a real hum-dinger of a matinee film. (Spielberg’s success with “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is in direct opposition to Lucas’ failure with the Star Wars prequels. Lucas kept all the bad directing, acting, pacing, and script-writing of the serials, added an even more incomprehensible and Byzantine plot, and wrapped it all up in too much CG.) ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109/49 "2011-06-15T23:45:06Z")
Hard to pick \*\*one \*\*- but Raiders. ---
**Author:** ![Oogly\_Woogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee7513/32.png) [@Oogly\_Woogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oogly_Woogly)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109/50 "2011-06-16T10:23:38Z")
I’m normally just a reader of these boards but I couldn’t resist jumping in here. Hi! I couldn’t choose just one film. I love Raiders, Last Crusade and Jaws. Does anyone else remember the tv movie he directed called Something Evil? It starred Darren McGavin and Sandy Dennis and it really freaked me out as a child. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109/51 "2011-06-16T13:42:15Z")
> [@Suil\_Dubh](#): > > The matinee serials and pulp fiction that Indiana Jones was based on were all pretty corny, cliched, and over-the-top. With “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” Spielberg took all these pulp elements, stuck them in a blender, and turned the blender on high. He then combined the results with his always-excellent-if-not-rather-formulaic direction and produced a real hum-dinger of a matinee film. Raiders was an example of the matinee format done to absolute perfection. Skulls is an example of its creator just taking us for fools. The thing that pissed me off the most about Crystal Skull was the blatant reveal of the Ark of the Covenant. The last time we saw it, it was being buried in a mountain of bureaucracy, never to be seen again. But wait! Not only is it sitting out in the open at the end of an aisle, but the chase scene manages to bust it open. Certainly, the next day the janitor is going to come by, have to pick up the pieces, refile everything, and might take a peak at this amazing huge chunk of gold sitting in front of him. Completely ruins the ending of Raiders. What Spielberg should have done is kept the Ark buried in a wall of crates, and once the chase scene zooms by, linger on the box with the swastika on it. A subtle wink that everyone would have picked up on, without being beaten over the head. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109/52 "2011-06-16T13:47:46Z")
_Raiders_ by a mile, although _Close Encounters, Minority Report_ and _Saving Private Ryan_ are all contenders. Never saw _Schindler’s List_, although I know I should. Someday… ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109/53 "2011-06-16T13:58:07Z")
Should’ve added: _The Terminal_ and _Catch Me If You Can_ would be right up there, too. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109/54 "2011-06-16T14:06:24Z")
A few of the classics are films I don’t particularly like, including _Jaws_ and _Close Encounters_. But my favourites are all the Indiana Jones films and _ET_, though I also like a couple of the oft dismissed ones like _War of the Worlds_ and _The Terminal_. I picked _Last Crusade_. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109/55 "2011-06-16T19:29:37Z")
Raiders of the Lost Ark. I went to see it 18 times in the theater. Never done that before or since. _‘It ain’t the years, honey. It’s the mileage.’_ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109/56 "2011-06-16T21:15:19Z")
I prefer early Spielberg (ranking Raiders #1, Close Enc #2, Jaws #3) where he used slow methodical suspense and expansive composed shots. His later movies have fallen in love with close-frame shaky-cam action and have lost what made his early work special. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-spielberg-film/585109.md?page=2)