The big debut this week on movie screens is "Super 8," a story of some young kids who in 1979 accidentally capture home-movie footage of aliens being secretly transferred by the government.
Too bad director J.J. "Lost" Abrams doesn't have enough big-screen credits for a list (this is his second feature film), but producer Steven Spielberg sure does.
One of the most influential filmmakers in the history of the genre, Spielberg has excelled as a director, producer and writer over the last 35 years. Today, we'll just look at the best movies the 64-year-old Spielberg has directed.
In full-disclosure mode, I must admit that I have NEVER seen "E.T." I'm not sure why, except the hype when it first came out scared me away. After that, I just decided it might remain the greatest movie I've never seen.
Let me also state that I did not forget "A.I." While that movie has its fans, I thought it was a failure. But honorable mentions go to "Minority Report," "The Terminal," "Empire of the Sun" and "Amistad." And let's not forget one awesome made-for-TV movie, "Duel."
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That said, this is the list:
10. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989): A perfect ending of the Indiana Jones trilogy -- until ruined three years ago by "... Crystal Skull" -- with Sean Connery stealing the show as Indiana's equally dashing and curmudgeonly father.
9. Munich (2005): Spielberg's look at the team of Israeli agents who pursue those responsible for the attacks at the 1972 Olympics skillfully balances action and suspense with a rumination on the nature of justice and revenge. Eric Bana is strong in the lead role. Nominated for best director.
8. Jurassic Park (1993): Might be even better, but poor sequels cloud my mind. This first take is a perfect blend of superb special effects and action sequences, spiced with Spielberg's best suspense -- velociraptors in the kitchen -- since "Jaws."Â
7. The Color Purple (1985): Spielberg's adaptation of Alice Walker's powerful story of a young black woman in the early 1900s is not only a skilled piece of storytelling, it also helped launch the careers of Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey.
6. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977): Richard Dreyfuss is excellent in this story of a man who has an encounter with a UFO, and then becomes obsessed with a deserted location where he feels something monumental will happen. Also stars famed French director Francois Truffaut. Nominated for best director.
5. Catch Me If You Can (2002): This compelling tale of con man Frank Abagnale gets forgotten when talking of the best movies of recent years. Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role, Tom Hanks as the fed chasing him and Christopher Walken as Frank's dad all give Oscar-worthy turns.
4. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): Few movies offer more flat-out fun than this throwback action-adventure film with Harrison Ford starring as the intrepid Indiana Jones, a derring-do archaeologist who gets wrapped up with all kinds of villains. (Also, almost resurrected the fedora as a mens' fashion piece.) Nominated for best director.
3. Schindler's List (1993): Really, any of these top three films could have been ranked No. 1, given their artistic merit and the impact they had on the American movie-going public. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes turn in stellar performances in this gripping story of the Holocaust. Spielberg won his first of two directing Oscars.
2. Jaws (1975): It's tough to think of a film that altered people's behavior quite like this shark-attacks-humans classic that managed to keep thousands on the beach and out of the water for many summers after. Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss all shine in this bare-boned, pitch-perfect thriller.
1. Saving Private Ryan (1998): I adored "Shakespeare in Love," but there is no way this film shouldn't have been the best picture. Not only does Spielberg, who won the directing Oscar, basically re-create the Normandy Invasion on D-Day, but he also keeps us tuned to the human side of battle by focusing on a small-unit on a mission. Intense, powerful, inspirational. Brilliant.
-- Here is an seldom-quoted scene from "Saving Private Ryan," but one that resonates from Hanks' understated eloquence and Spielberg's obvious affection for the generation which fought this year. Please click here.
-- This pivotal scene is the spark for the movie's mission and also includes a stirring recital of a letter Abraham Lincoln (the subject of an upcoming Spielberg biopic) wrote to a grieving mother. Click here, and grab a tissue.
-- Oh yeah, we're definitely gonna click here so we can go get ...
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