Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site h-sc1.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!h-sc1!shiue From: shiue@h-sc1.UUCP (steve shiue) Newsgroups: net.movies Subject: Re: Re: Recent Previews (The Cult of the Spielberg) Message-ID: <642@h-sc1.UUCP> Date: Sat, 26-Oct-85 15:35:26 EST Article-I.D.: h-sc1.642 Posted: Sat Oct 26 15:35:26 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 27-Oct-85 07:34:17 EST References: <7233@ucla-cs.ARPA> Organization: Harvard Univ. Science Center Lines: 63 Keywords: Spleen > > YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES > > Executive Director Steven Spielberg. Ah, finally a good one, typical fare > from the Spielberg mill... > ...I can't honestly say > thus is Spielberg's best effort overall (hard to know how much he really had > to do with it) but it will certainly add to his growing legend. I suppose that Spielberg is quite busy, being a mogul and general Hollywood deity these days, and finds it hard to find time to direct anymore, but I find it a bit annoying that he is named producer or Executive Director on so many films - this is a rather gutless ploy. The way it works is that if the picture is Bomb City like The Goonies, then Spielberg doesn't take the rap. If, however, the picture is a smash that all the critics like, like Back to the Future, then "Spielberg - he's a genius!" It all reminds me of the cult of Leopold Stokowski the conductor that used to exist (see the Bugs Bunny cartoon "Long-haired Hare", where Bugs dresses up like Stokowski and all the musicians in the orchestra pit whisper with hushed reverence, "Leopold... Leopold!"). I also find it annoying that ever since "E.T.", Spielberg has been exclusively identified with children-fluff-sentimental movies - the god of nouveau-Disney. People seem to have forgotten entirely that this is the man who created "Jaws", in which kids got MUNCHED, not carried into the stars by benevolent child/aliens. Being of a somewhat perverse mind-set, I prefer "Jaws" to the later films (though I like most of them - it's just the Cult of the Spielberg that irks me). When people think of Spielberg now, the first thing that comes to mind is the preview image of flashing, brilliant light through a window (aliens? poltergeists? who knows - refer to previews for Close Encounters, E.T., Poltergeist, etc.), the wind, blowing the curtains, and the actor shouting and looking intense. That was what bugged me so much about the "Amazing Stories" teaser that was aired all over NBC shortly before the show's debut - the kid jumping up and down and shouting, "It's COMING! IT'S COMING!" while the brilliant light flashes outside the window. Where have I seen that image before, Steven? The whole thing has become such a painful cliche. But enough spleen and Spielberg-bashing. If I were the director of "E.T." and "Close Encounters" and hooked up to biggest gravy train in the history of the universe, it is likely that I too would get into the "executive producer/director" racket damn quick. Just the same as if I were the author of #1 bestsellers that number in the double digits, I would start publishing books every six months regardless whether they were new or old manuscripts or under a pseudonym or whatever, and allow the quality of my writing to go all to hell (and don't get me wrong - I LOVE Stephen King. It's just that he must laugh so damn HARD every time he looks at his bank statement). So, being poor, moral superiority and the rest come easy. -Steve Shiue "Great stunt, Daffy! They loved you!" "I know, I know. But I can only do it once."