Steven Spielberg

Great Director #3: Steven Spielberg

it doesn't get any cooler than this - Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Born: 1946
Rank: 3
Score: 928.70
Awards: 2 Oscars / 3 DGA / BAFTA / 2 Golden Globes / 2 LAFC / 2 NSFC / NBR / 3 BSFC / CFC / 2 BFCA
Nominations: 6 Oscars / 10 DGA / 4 BAFTA / 10 Golden Globes / 3 BFCA / 3 CFC
Feature Films: 25
Best: Raiders of the Lost Ark
Worst: 1941

Top 10 Feature Films:

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981 /163

2. Schindlers List 1993 /260
3. Munich 2005 /062
4. Jaws 1975
5. Minority Report 2002 /dvd
6. Close Encounters of the Third Kind 1977 /008
7. Saving Private Ryan 1998 /397
8. Empire of the Sun 1987 /207
9. Amistad 1997
10. A.I. 2001

Top 10 Best Director Finishes (Nighthawk Awards):

1975 1st Jaws

1977 3rd Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1981 1st Raiders of the Lost Ark
1982 4th E.T.
1985 6th The Color Purple
1987 1st Empire of the Sun
1993 1st Schindlers List
1997 5th Amistad
 1998 1st Saving Private Ryan
2001 9th A.I.
2002 4th Minority Report
2005 1st Munich

Steven Spielberg holds a unique place in film; the complete confluence of critical appeal and commercial success. On

the one hand, he is the highest grossing director in history. No one else even comes close. His films have grossed a

cumulative $3.7 billion, more than twice any other director. He has not only held the all-time box office record, but

has done it with three different films. At one point he had directed three of the four biggest films ever made. But he

has balanced that with critical success. In the point scale he has more points than any other director in the history of

film. He is on top of the list for both the DGA and the Golden Globes and no is even close to him in either category.

In spite of twice getting overlooked for Best Director when his film was nominated for Best Picture (once when he

actually won the DGA the first time it had ever happened), he now has 6 Oscar nominations and 2 Oscars.

Yet there are so many out there who refuse to give Spielberg his due. The reasons above dont sway them. In fact,

both parts of the formula above are precisely why they criticize him. They cannot believe that someone who is so

widely successful, who has helped to usher in the era of the summer blockbuster can ever truly be taken seriously.

There is no question that this was part of the problem during the early years. Jaws was a runaway success, the

biggest moneymaker of all-time when it was released, but Spielberg was considered a kid (not yet thirty) and it was a

big hit during the summer and critics couldnt quite take it seriously. It earned a Best Picture nomination, yet, in

spite of being such a director driven film, it somehow didnt earn a Best Director nomination for Spielberg (the same

thing happened the next year when Scorsese was denied a Best Director nomination for the director driven Taxi

Driver). Two years later, the Academy seemed to apologize by nominating Spielberg for Close Encounters, but the

film wasnt nominated, and Herbert Ross had two nominated films and the rules at the time wouldnt allow him to be

nominated twice, so a spot opened up. Then came the epic failure of 1941 (critical and commercial). But Spielberg

bounced back from that big time.

Spielberg began the eighties with Raiders of the Lost Ark and managed to score both Best Picture and Best Director

nominations to go along with what was then the third biggest film of all-time. But he topped it with E.T., again

scoring both nominations (and several critics awards) and this time he topped Jaws (and Star Wars) and had the

biggest film of all-time. After another Indiana Jones film, he returned with The Color Purple and he found something

new; he still wasnt being taken seriously. Many critics didnt feel that he was the right director to tackle such an

intense depiction of African-American life and while he would win the DGA and the film would be nominated for Best

Picture, it would also lose all 11 of its nominations and he would fail to gain a nomination himself. Critics began to

complain that Spielberg was too successful, that he really hadnt paid his dues, that his films were getting a free pass

because they were warm and fuzzy and people (gasp) liked them!

He would follow that up with Empire of the Sun, a film that really began to explore his theme of the alienated child

searching for a father. The film earned strong reviews and another DGA nomination (even if it was the weakest

grossing Spielberg film since his debut feature, Sugarland Express). It became the third Spielberg film (two more

would follow) to be so technically brilliant as to earn all five major technical Oscar nominations (Editing,

Cinematography, Score, Sound, Art Direction), yet also the first film since his own Close Encounters ten years before
to due so without a Best Picture nomination (only three other directors have even done this more than once and only

David Lean with three has done it more than twice, yet Spielberg has done it five times).

1989 began a new theme for Spielberg. He released a big summer blockbuster, then, close to Christmas, released a

more serious film aimed more at critical and Oscar attention than big box office. He has done this five different times

now. Four of the times, his summer film was a huge success and one of the biggest box office hits of the year (the

other time was Minority Report, ironically the best of all these summer hits and yet by far the least financially

successful). Twice the fall film was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director. The first time it was Indiana Jones

and the Last Crusade and it became the second biggest hit of the year (not expected to do any better in 1989, the

summer of Batman). But Always did not do much in the way of box office and was completely ignored at awards

time. With the failure of Always and the critical flop of Hook in 1991 (though still a big box office hit), people began

to talk derisively of Spielberg.

But then came the double whammy of 1993 and no director has ever owned a year like Spielberg did. He first

destroyed everyone else at the summer box office with Jurassic Park nearly doubling any other film and taking the
box office crown from E.T. (who would later regain it). Then came Oscar season and Schindlers List did what no film

had done since the arrival of the National Society of Film Critics in 1966 (making a third critics group to go along with

the NYFC and the NBR): it would sweep Best Picture. Six different critics groups (NYFC, LAFC, NSFC, BSFC, NBR,

CFC) and four different awards groups (Oscars, BAFTA, PGA, Golden Globes) would convene and every time

Schindler was the winner. In the years, since even with the addition of the BFCA, no film would win more than 7 and

only L.A. Confidential would win more than 4 of the 6 critics groups in any one year. There are those detractors who

say that Schindlers List is too hopeful, that it doesnt convey the true horror of the Holocaust, that its too much

Spielberg, but the fact of the matter is that it was hailed in a way no film ever had been or has been since. It was the

only film made in my lifetime to make the top on AFIs original list, when it was only five years old and one of only

two films (Raging Bull is the other) to make it on the more recent list (when it had actually move one spot up, from

#9 to #8). It allowed Spielberg to finally break through and add complete critical acclaim to his already established

position as the most commercially successful director of all-time.

He then went away for three years so that he could spend some time with his family and help to found Dreamworks.

He returned in 1997 with another double whammy that wasnt quite as successful. His summer film was Lost World,

his worst film since 1941, and his awards season release, Amistad, didnt score as high with the Academy as he hoped

(4 nominations, but no Picture or Director). But in 1998, Spielberg proved that you can make a bloody, violent war

film and somehow make it palatable for the masses and the critics. Saving Private Ryan, in spite of thirty of the most

harrowing minutes ever put on film, ended up as the highest grossing film of the year and won Spielberg a second

Best Director Oscar (and if not for heavy Oscar chasing by Miramax, perhaps would have landed a second Best Picture

win). Then after another three year absence, Spielberg returned with A.I. a film that opened with a box office similar

to Ryan, but in the end, barely made a third of what Ryan had and divided the critics. It was a different kind of film

for Spielberg, and his first writing credit since Close Encounters and people couldnt decide if they didnt like the

Kubrick influence on the film (and the ending) or if Spielberg had ruined the brilliant film that Kubrick could have

made had he not died. Either way, people stayed away after that first weekend and very little awards attention went

its way.
The next year was supposed to be another double whammy. After all, he had Tom Cruise for his big summer

blockbuster, a brilliant Science-Fiction film from the mind of Philip K. Dick, and was following it up with a Christmas

release starring both Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio. Yet, it was the fall release that had bigger numbers and

neither did well during awards season. Then Spielbergs next film was a lackluster Tom Hanks film that couldnt

decide if it was a Drama or a Comedy and wasnt what summer fans were looking for. But 2005 brought the numbers

back as War of the Worlds was the second biggest hit of the summer behind the final Star Wars (and fourth biggest

of the year) and Munich landed him back among the Oscar nominees for the first time in seven years (and in fact if

you go here you can see me make the argument that it was the best film of 2005). Then came more time off and

another summer return, this time with the long awaited fourth Indiana Jones film, a film that didnt quite live up to

critical expectations while it was one of the biggest hits of the year.

So what can we expect next from Spielberg? Its always hard to say. The IMdB currently lists 3 films in production

and an astounding 15 in development, but it is unclear how many of those will ever get made and how many of them

Spielberg will produce rather than direct (hes just as successful as a producer, with cumulative grosses over $5 billion

and another Best Picture nominee to his credit Letters from Iwo Jima). Hes finishing up the first Tintin film
(YES!!!!) and then he might finally make the Lincoln biopic or he might re-make Oldboy or Harvey. Whatever it is,

its likely to be a success. There isnt anyone more so in film history.

Raiders of the Lost Ark #1 film of 1981

I get asked at times what my favorite film is. When I was little, the answer was always Star Wars. Later, I would

bounce between Star Wars and Watership Down. There was a stretch in high school when Field of Dreams and

Dead Poets Society were both in the mix. But as I got into college and started watching the same three films over and

over and over, it became clear what my favorite film was: a three-way tie between Star Wars, The Princess Bride and

Raiders of the Lost Ark. When Return of the King finally came out, it joined the other three instantly. I would

venture that I have seen each of the first three at least fifty times and ROTK is making its way there.

I said in the John Huston post that I wanted a fedora because of The Maltese Falcon and that is true. But lets face it.

Every guy in my generation wants to be Indiana Jones. He thinks damn fast, hes a fighter, a lover, a scientist, but

yet, he is still human. He only gets out of the fight with the bald Nazi because of luck. He has a desperate fear of

snakes. He saves the Ark, but he doesnt get to examine it. Not to mention he has the hat (I prefer the black Sam

Spade hat, but still . . .), hes got the jacket, and best of all, he has the whip.

Then there is the story. Heres how the legend goes: its 1977 and Star Wars has opened and Close Encounters will be

opening soon (since Star Wars opened in May and Close Encounters in November, the legend is unclear when during

the year this is). Lucas and Spielberg, good friends already are vacationing in Hawaii, building sand castles. Lucas

describes the story for an old Saturday afternoon serial, the kind of thing they both used to go see as kids. Its an

adventure story with lots of cliff-hangers, a modern day adventure film, the kind they dont make anymore. Spielberg

loves the idea. Lucas says Im done with directing, and offers it to Spielberg. Thus, the birth of the Indiana Jones

franchise (the character really is named after a dog, but its Lucas dog, the same dog who inspired the character of

Chewbacca).
So here we have it, the ultimate adventure film, the single best film of the eighties (yes, I did just rank Raiders above

Raging Bull). What makes it so great? Well, there are the technical aspects, but you could say that about most

Spielberg films. After all his films have won a combined 27 Oscars out of 76 nominations in the technical categories.

Of course, Raiders (along with Schindler) is the height of this, with amazing Cinematography, fantastic Art Direction,

swift, incredible Editing, and most important, the best Score ever written for a film (its my ringtone). Chariots of

Fire might have had an iconic Score, but is there anyone who doesnt recognize the Raiders March? Its become a part

of much larger culture.

But then there is the acting. Sadly, neither Harrison Ford nor Karen Allen were nominated for Oscars, though both

deserved it. In the rest of her career, Allen was never as confidant, as sexy, as funny as she is as Marion Ravenwood.

Ford would eventually get one nomination (for Witness), but this role, even more so than as Han Solo, seems to

define him. And this wasnt just an extension of Han Solo as many people assume. Han yells at Leia I had

everything under control till you brought us down here. whereas when Indy goes after the truck and is asked how he

replies I dont know. Im making this up as I go along. We never have any doubt about Han and his ability to

succeed. But in the end, Indy doesnt succeed. He makes it through on dumb luck, sheer force of will and the
knowledge that there are some things were not supposed to see. And in the end, he doesnt have the Ark and never

gets to examine it.

This is Spielbergs touch, as are the Nazis. The Nazis might seem like a kind of perfect cartoon villain, but they

represent a pure force of evil that everyone can recognize. It echoes in the quote from Last Crusade where we are told

The quest for Grail is not archeology. Its a race against evil. And perhaps using the more mild version of the Nazis

as the warm-up is what helped prepare Spielberg for the triumphant achievement that would be Schindlers List.

And one last word about the Visual Effects. Many people lump Raiders in with later Visual Effects heavy films. But

most of the effects in Raiders are with the final opening of the Ark. The truly great scenes, the ones that people

remember the most are good old fashioned tricks and stunts. And every guy in my generation and thinks, yeah, I

could outrace that boulder. I could hang on to the whip being dragged behind that truck. But you couldnt. Youre

not Indiana Jones.

Director:
In Production
2000s
1990s
1980s
1970s
1960s
1950s

1. Interstellar (2011) (announced)

2. Old Boy (2010) (pre-production)
3. The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011) (post-production)
... aka De avonturen van Kuifje - Het geheim van de Eenhoorn (Belgium: Flemish title)
... aka Les aventures de Tintin - Le secret de la Licorne (Belgium: French title)
4. A Timeless Call (2008)
5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) /521
6. Munich (2005) /062
7. War of the Worlds (2005) /035
8. The Terminal (2004) /670
9. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
10. Minority Report (2002) /DVD
11. Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001) /torrent
... aka A.I. Artificial Intelligence (USA: poster title)
12. The Unfinished Journey (1999)
13. Saving Private Ryan (1998) /397
14. Amistad (1997)
15. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
16. Steven Spielberg's Director's Chair (1996) (VG)
17. Schindler's List (1993) /260
18. Jurassic Park (1993)
... aka JP (USA: promotional abbreviation)
19. Hook (1991)
20. The Visionary (1990) (V) (segment "Par for the Course")
21. Always (1989)
22. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) /633
23. Empire of the Sun (1987) /207
24. The Color Purple (1985) /492
25. "Amazing Stories" (2 episodes, 1985)
... aka Steven Spielberg Presents Amazing Stories (Australia)
... aka Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories (USA: complete title)
- The Mission (1985) TV episode
- Ghost Train (1985) TV episode
26. "Strokes of Genius" (1984) TV mini-series (introductory segments) (uncredited)
27. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) /633
28. Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) (segment 2)
29. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
... aka E.T. (USA: short title)
... aka E.T. the Extra- Terrestrial: The 20th Anniversary (USA: longer version)
30. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) /163
... aka Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (DVD box title) (USA: video title)
31. 1941 (1979)
32. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) /008
... aka CE3K (USA: informal short title)
... aka The Special Edition: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (USA: reissue title)
33. Jaws (1975)
34. The Sugarland Express (1974)
35. Savage (1973) (TV)
... aka The Savage File (USA: alternative title)
... aka Watch Dog
36. Something Evil (1972) (TV)
37. Duel (1971) (TV) /643
38. "Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law" (1 episode, 1971)
- Eulogy for a Wide Receiver (1971) TV episode
39. "Columbo" (1 episode, 1971)
- Murder by the Book (1971) TV episode
40. "The Psychiatrist" (2 episodes, 1971)
- Par for the Course (1971) TV episode
- The Private World of Martin Dalton (1971) TV episode
41. "The Name of the Game" (1 episode, 1971)
- LA 2017 (1971) TV episode
42. "Night Gallery" (1 episode, 1971)
... aka Rod Serling's Night Gallery (USA: alternative title)
- Make Me Laugh/Clean Kills and Other Trophies (1971) TV episode
43. "Marcus Welby, M.D." (1 episode, 1970)
... aka Robert Young, Family Doctor
- The Daredevil Gesture (1970) TV episode
44. Night Gallery (1969) (TV) (segment "Eyes")
... aka Rod Serling's Wax Museum (USA: alternative title)
45. Amblin' (1968)
46. Slipstream (1967) (unfinished)
47. Firelight (1964)
48. Escape to Nowhere (1961)
49. Fighter Squad (1961)
50. The Last Gun (1959)
Biography for
Steven Spielberg More at IMDbPro
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Date of Birth
18 December 1946, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Birth Name
Steven Allan Spielberg

Height
5' 7" (1.71 m)

Mini Biography
Undoubtedly one of the most influential film personalities in the history of film, Steven
Spielberg is perhaps Hollywood's best known director and one of the wealthiest filmmakers in
the world. Spielberg has countless big-grossing, critically acclaimed credits to his name, as
producer, director and writer. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1946. He went to California
State University Long Beach, but dropped out to pursue his entertainment career. He gained
notoriety as an uncredited assistant editor on the classic western "Wagon Train" (1957). Among
his early directing efforts were Battle Squad (1961), which combined World War II footage with
footage of an airplane on the ground that he makes you believe is moving. He also directed
Escape to Nowhere (1961), which featured children as World War Two soldiers, including his
sister Anne Spielberg, and The Last Gun (1959), a western. All of these were short films. The
next couple of years, Spielberg directed a couple of movies that would portend his future career
in movies. In 1964, he directed Firelight (1964), a movie about aliens invading a small town. In
1967, he directed Slipstream (1967), which was unfinished. However, in 1968, he directed
Amblin' (1968), which featured the desert prominently, and not the first of his movies in which
the desert would feature so prominently. Amblin' also became the name of his production
company, which turned out such classics as E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Spielberg had a
unique and classic early directing project, Duel (1971) (TV), with Dennis Weaver. In the early
1970s, Spielberg was working on TV, directing among others such series as Rod Serling's "Night
Gallery" (1970), "Marcus Welby, M.D." (1969) and "Columbo: Murder by the Book (#1.1)"
(1971). All of his work in television and short films, as well as his directing projects, were just a
hint of the wellspring of talent that would dazzle audiences all over the world.

Spielberg's first major directorial effort was The Sugarland Express (1974), with Goldie Hawn, a
film that marked him as a rising star. It was his next effort, however, that made him an
international superstar among directors: Jaws (1975). This classic shark attack tale started the
tradition of the summer blockbuster or, at least, he was credited with starting the tradition. His
next film was the classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), a unique and original UFO
story that remains a classic. In 1978, Spielberg produced his first film, the forgettable I Wanna
Hold Your Hand (1978), and followed that effort with Used Cars (1980), a critically acclaimed,
but mostly forgotten, Kurt Russell\Jack Warden comedy about devious used-car dealers.
Spielberg hit gold yet one more time with Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), with Harrison Ford
taking the part of Indiana Jones. Spielberg produced and directed two films in 1982. The first
was Poltergeist (1982), but the highest-grossing movie of all time up to that point was the alien
story E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Spielberg also helped pioneer the practice of product
placement. The concept, while not uncommon, was still relatively low-key when Spielberg
raised the practice to almost an art form with his famous (or infamous) placement of Reece's
Pieces in "E.T." Spielberg was also one of the pioneers of the big-grossing special-effects
movies, like "E.T." and "Close Encounters", where a very strong emphasis on special effects was
placed for the first time on such a huge scale. In 1984, Spielberg followed up "Raiders" with
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), which was a commercial success but did not
receive the critical acclaim of its predecessor. As a producer, Spielberg took on many projects in
the 1980s, such as The Goonies (1985), and was the brains behind the little monsters in Gremlins
(1984). He also produced the cartoon An American Tail (1986), a quaint little animated classic.
His biggest effort as producer in 1985, however, was the blockbuster Back to the Future (1985),
which made Michael J. Fox an instant superstar. As director, Spielberg took on the book The
Color Purple (1985), with Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey, with great success. In the latter
half of the 1980s, he also directed Empire of the Sun (1987), a mixed success for the
occasionally erratic Spielberg. Success would not escape him for long, though.

The late 1980s found Spielberg's projects at the center of pop-culture yet again. In 1988, he
produced the landmark animation/live-action film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). The next
year proved to be another big one for Spielberg, as he produced and directed Always (1989) as
well as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and Back to the Future Part II (1989). All
three of the films were box-office and critical successes. Also, in 1989, he produced the little
known comedy-drama Dad (1989), with Jack Lemmon and Ted Danson, which got mostly mixed
results. Spielberg has also had an affinity for animation and has been a strong voice in animation
in the 1990s. Aside from producing the landmark "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", he produced the
animated series "Tiny Toon Adventures" (1990), "Animaniacs" (1993), "Pinky and the Brain"
(1995), "Freakazoid!" (1995), "Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain" (1998), "Family Dog" (1993) and
"Toonsylvania" (1998). Spielberg also produced other cartoons such as The Land Before Time
(1988), We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (1993), Casper (1995) (the live action version) as well as
the live-action version of The Flintstones (1994), where he was credited as "Steven Spielrock".
Spielberg also produced many Roger Rabbit short cartoons, and many Pinky and the Brain,
Animaniacs and Tiny Toons specials. Spielberg was very active in the early 1990s, as he directed
Hook (1991) and produced such films as the cute fantasy Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) and An
American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991). He also produced the unusual comedy thriller
Arachnophobia (1990), Back to the Future Part III (1990) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch
(1990). While these movies were big successes in their own right, they did not quite bring in the
kind of box office or critical acclaim as previous efforts. In 1993, Spielberg directed Jurassic
Park (1993), which for a short time held the record as the highest grossing movie of all time, but
did not have the universal appeal of his previous efforts. Big box-office spectacles were not his
only concern, though. He produced and directed Schindler's List (1993), a stirring film about the
Holocaust. He won best director at the Oscars, and also got Best Picture. In the mid-90s, he
helped found the production company DreamWorks, which was responsible for many box-office
successes.

As a producer, he was very active in the late 90s, responsible for such films as The Mask of
Zorro (1998), Men in Black (1997) and Deep Impact (1998). However, it was on the directing
front that Spielberg was in top form. He directed and produced the epic Amistad (1997), a
spectacular film that was shorted at the Oscars and in release due to the fact that its release date
was moved around so much in late 1997. The next year, however, produced what many believe
was one of the best films of his career: Saving Private Ryan (1998), a film about World War Two
that is spectacular in almost every respect. It was stiffed at the Oscars, losing best picture to
Shakespeare in Love (1998).

Spielberg produced a series of films, including Evolution (2001), The Haunting (1999) and
Shrek (2001). he also produced two sequels to Jurassic Park (1993), which were financially but
not particularly critical successes. In 2001, he produced a mini-series about World War Two that
definitely *was* a financial and critical success: "Band of Brothers" (2001), a tale of an infantry
company from its parachuting into France during the invasion to the Battle of the Bulge. Also in
that year, Spielberg was back in the director's chair for Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001), a movie
with a message and a huge budget. It did reasonably at the box office and garnered varied
reviews from critics.

Spielberg has been extremely active in films there are many other things he has done as well. He
produced the short-lived TV series "SeaQuest DSV" (1993), an anthology series entitled
"Amazing Stories" (1985), created the video-game series "Medal of Honor" set during World
War Two, and was a starting producer of "ER" (1994). Spielberg, if you haven't noticed, has a
great interest in World War Two. He and Tom Hanks collaborated on Shooting War (2000) (TV),
a documentary about World War II combat photographers, and he produced a documentary about
the Holocaust called A Holocaust szemei (2000). With all of this to Spielberg's credit, it's no
wonder that he's looked at as one of the greatest ever figures in entertainment.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Scott msa0510@mail.ecu.edu

Spouse
Kate Capshaw (12 October 1991 - present) 5 children
Amy Irving (27 November 1985 - 2 February 1989) (divorced) 1 child
Trade Mark
Uses powerful flashlights in dark scenes (Jurassic Park (1993); The Lost World: Jurassic Park
(1997) and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982))

Frequently uses music by John Williams.

Often shows shooting stars (Jaws (1975)).

Onscreen performers staring, usually at something off camera.

He often uses images of the sun (Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), The Color Purple (1985),
Empire of the Sun (1987), Saving Private Ryan (1998)).

His films often show children in some sort of danger.

Consistent references to World War II.

Frequent references to Disney films, music, or theme parks.

Frequently uses a piano as an element in key scenes (Schindler's List (1993), Saving Private
Ryan (1998), Minority Report (2002)).

Important images, or characters, are often seen through the rear-view mirror of a car (Duel
(1971) (TV), E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Jurassic Park (1993), Schindler's List (1993),
Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)).

Frequently casts Tom Hanks, Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, Frank Welker and Tom Cruise.

Protagonists in his films often come from families with divorced parents, with fathers portrayed
as reluctant, absent or irresponsible, most notably in _E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)_ (Elliot's
mother is divorced and father is absent) and Catch Me If You Can (2002) (Frank Abagnale's
mother and father split early in the film). This reflects Spielberg's own experience as a youth
with his parents breaking up.

A common theme in many of his films is ordinary people who discover something extraordinary
- people, places, artifacts, creatures, etc. (Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T.: The Extra-
Terrestrial (1982)).

Since Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), all of his movies have featured visual effects (even those
that were undetected) by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the F/X house created by his friend
George Lucas. The only exception has been The Terminal (2004), which had F/X work by
Digital Imageworks.
Is credited for starting the summer blockbuster tradition with 1975's first $100 million megahit,
Jaws (1975).

Trivia
Member of Theta Chi Fraternity (Zeta Epsilon Chapter, Long Beach State University).

Is a supporter of the Democratic Party.

Is among the richest individuals in Hollywood.

Received the Germany's Cross of Merit with star for his sensible representation of Germany's
history in Schindler's List (1993). [1998]

Jonathan Norman was sentenced to 25 years to life, for stalking Spielberg and threatening to rape
him. [June 1998]

Chosen by Entertainment Weekly as the most powerful person in entertainment in 1997. [31
October 1997]

Involved in road accident and treated for an injured shoulder. [23 September 1997]

American Film Institute Life Achievement Award. [1995]

There are seven children in the Capshaw-Spielberg family: Theo Spielberg, who was adopted by
Kate Capshaw before their marriage and later adopted by Spielberg, born in 1988, Sasha
Spielberg, born on 14 May 1990, Sawyer Spielberg, born on 10 March 1992, their adopted
daughter Mikaela George Spielberg, born on 28 February 1996, and Destry Allen Spielberg, born
on 1 December 1996. Kate Capshaw's daughter Jessica Capshaw, born in 1976, is from her
previous marriage. Steven Spielberg's son Max Spielberg, born in 1985, is from his previous
marriage to Amy Irving.

Amy Irving gave birth to his son Max Spielberg on 13 June 1985.

He claims Richard Dreyfuss is his alter-ego.

Attended California State University, Long Beach after being turned down by USC Cinema
school twice.

Attended Arcadia High School in Phoenix.

Donated $100,000 to the Democratic Party. [1996]

Awarded second annual John Huston Award for Artists Rights by the Artists Rights Foundation.
[1995]
Co-founder (with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen) of DreamWorks SKG.

He has one of the original Rosebud sleds from Citizen Kane (1941) in his house.

Godfather of Drew Barrymore and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Named Best Director of the 20th Century in an Entertainment Weekly on-line poll, substantially
beating out runners-up Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick. [September 1999]

Born to Arnold Spielberg, a computer engineer, and Leah Adler, ne Posner, a restaurateur and
concert pianist.

Received the Distinguished Public Service Award, the U. S. Navy's highest civilian honor, on
Veterans Day 1999 for his work on the movie Saving Private Ryan (1998).

Sits on USC School of Cinema-Television's Board of Councilors.

When he was a child, he sneaked onto the lot of Universal Studios during a tour and befriended
an editor who showed him a few things about filmmaking.

Gwyneth Paltrow calls him Uncle Morty.

During filming of their episode of "Night Gallery" (1970), Spielberg gave Joan Crawford the gift
of a single red rose in a Pepsi bottle. During an on-set conversation with Detroit Free Press
reporter Shirley Eder, Crawford pointed out Spielberg and said, "Go interview that kid, because
he's going to be the biggest director of all time!" Crawford and Spielberg remained good friends
until her death in 1977.

Awarded the honor of Knight of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in New Years Honours
2001 by Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to the British film industry. As a non-
Commonwealth citizen, he will not be able to use the title. [December 2000]

States that the work of David Lean has had a profound effect on his career.

Spent five months developing the script for Rain Man (1988) with Ronald Bass, but had to
commit to his handshake deal to direct Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). Spielberg
gave all of his notes to Barry Levinson.

Almost directed Big (1988) with Tom Hanks starring, but didn't want to steal the thunder of his
sister, Anne Spielberg, who co-wrote the script.

Personally offered the American Beauty (1999) script to Sam Mendes, who ended up winning
the Academy Award for Best Director on the film, which was Mendes's debut feature.
Flew Will Smith to his Hamptons home via helicopter to offer him the part in Men in Black
(1997).

Often casts new actors based on their performances in other works. Rarely does auditions for
major roles.

Was asked to approve use of the theme music from Jaws (1975) for Swingers (1996). When he
saw a cut of the film, he saw Vince Vaughn, whom he chose to play Nick Van Owen in The Lost
World: Jurassic Park (1997).

He is an Eagle Scout and was on an advisory board for the Boy Scouts of America. He left this
position because he did not agree with the fact that the Boy Scouts of America discriminated
against homosexuals.

Was directing a childbirth scene when he received a call that Amy Irving was giving birth to
their son Max Spielberg.

According to the 2001 issue of Forbes' "400 Richest People In America," Spielberg's fortune is
$2.1 billion.

Born at 6:16 PM EST.

Was irked when footage from his movie Duel (1971) (TV) was used as stock footage in an
episode of "The Incredible Hulk" (1978). But since Universal Studios owned the rights to both
the The Incredible Hulk series and the film of Duel, taking legal action was not possible.
However, he subsequently updated his contracts to include a clause that would protect his future
material from being used as stock footage.

On May 31, 2002, graduated from California State University Long Beach with a bachelor's
degree in film and electronic arts. He had dropped out of college in 1968 to concentrate on his
career, but during the 2000s fulfilled his remaining graduation requirements via independent
projects, which required correspondence courses and several term papers. For Spielberg, the
school waived its requirement that all senior film majors must submit a completed 12-minute
short film, accepting Schindler's List (1993) in its place. He donned cap and gown and marched
in the commencement ceremony with his fellow graduates.

Received honorary doctor of humane letters degree from Yale University (27 May 2002).

When Spielberg received his undergraduate degree (about 35 years after he had first entered
college), the orchestra played the theme from the "Indiana Jones" series of films as he walked up
to and across the stage.

Owns the rights to the Stephen King novel "The Talisman". As of 2002, the book has not been
made into a film. He is now producing this film for release in 2007.
His father served in World War II in South East Asian Front.

Michael Kahn has edited all of Spielberg's theatrical features since Close Encounters of the Third
Kind (1977), their first collaboration. Kahn did not, however, edit E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
(1982) because he was editing Poltergeist (1982). E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) was edited
by Carol Littleton.

According to the 2002 edition of Forbes' "400 Richest People in America," his fortune is
estimated at $2.2 billion, a $100 million improvement over the 2001 estimate.

Ranked #1 in Premiere's 2003 annual Hollywood Power List. It is the third time he received the
top ranking (the others being in 1994 & 1995). He had ranked #6 in 2002.

In Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), the humans and aliens use music and computers
to communicate. Spielberg's father was a computer scientist and his mother was a musician. This
fact was only recently pointed out to him on "Inside the Actors Studio" (1994) by host James
Lipton and he was unsurprisingly delighted when he realised the connection.

Is set to produce a mini-series for HBO that will set out to debunk the legend of King Arthur and
the Knights of the Round Table. The mini-series, written by David Leland, will focus on the
historical reality of life in 500 A.D., when Arthur was thought to be King and will have no round
table, Merlin, Lancelot, Excalibur, or knights. Camelot itself will be shown to have been a simple
Roman fort and Arthur, named Artos in the film, will be portrayed as a humble blacksmith whose
forging skills win him the English throne. It was expected to air sometime in 2004. [2003]

The first film he directed that was not scored by John Williams was The Color Purple (1985),
which was scored by Quincy Jones.

Was voted the 11th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

In 1983, he lost the Best Picture Oscar to Gandhi (1982), directed by Richard Attenborough. He
later went on to direct five cast members, as well as Attenborough, in his later movies: Amrish
Puri in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984); Roshan Seth in Indiana Jones and the
Temple of Doom (1984); Richard Attenborough in Jurassic Park (1993); Ben Kingsley in
Schindler's List (1993), Nigel Hawthorne in Amistad (1997) and Martin Sheen in Catch Me If
You Can (2002).

Has worked with four actors from the Hannibal Lecter film series, in reverse order to the order in
which the Lecter films came out. The first one he worked with was Ralph Fiennes in Schindler's
List (1993), who went on to play Francis Dollarhyde in Red Dragon (2002). His next film was
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), with Julianne Moore, who played Clarice Starling in the
third Lecter film, Hannibal (2001). After this, he made Amistad (1997), with Anthony Hopkins,
who began playing Hannibal Lecter in the second film, The Silence of the Lambs (1991). After
this he made Saving Private Ryan (1998), which featured Dennis Farina, who played Jack
Crawford in the original Lecter film, Manhunter (1986).

When asked what are the films he's made he would like to be remembered for, he said E.T.: The
Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Schindler's List (1993).

Although close friend, George Lucas, has vowed to only shoot future movies digitally, Spielberg
has been the most vocal film-maker of the opposing view: to continue shooting all of his movies
on film. Other directors siding with Spielberg include Martin Scorsese and Oliver Stone.

According to his interview on the series "Inside the Actors Studio" (1994), his favorite curse
word is "Rats!"

To date, has never provided a director's commentary on any of his films DVDs. [2004]

In the 2004 edition of Forbes' "400 Richest People in America", his net worth is estimated at $2.6
billion, his highest showing yet. The only filmmaker ahead of him is his good friend George
Lucas, whose worth is estimated at $3 billion.

Described One Froggy Evening (1955) as "the most perfect cartoon ever made".

His longtime friend George Lucas originally wanted him to direct the third entry of the original
Star Wars trilogy, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and Spielberg was eager to
do so, but Lucas was unsuccessful in getting him the job because of his dispute with the
Director's Guild at the time.

When he used product placement in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), he used Reese's Pieces
only because M & M's parent company didn't want their product associated with aliens and
UFOs.

Directed nine actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Liam Neeson; Ralph Fiennes; Anthony
Hopkins; Tom Hanks; Melinda Dillon; Whoopi Goldberg; Oprah Winfrey; Margaret Avery and
Christopher Walken.

Wrote a letter to Polish writer/director Mira Hamermesh in appreciation of one of her films.

Graduated from Saratoga High School in Saratoga, California.

Ranked #2 on Premiere's 2005 Power 50 List, behind only Peter Jackson. Had the same ranking
in 2004, behind Pixar bosses John Lasseter and Steve Jobs.

Though he has directed 9 actors in Oscar-nominated performances, to date he has never directed
an Oscar-winning performance.

Ranked #1 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Greatest directors ever!" (2005).

Has been Honorary Member of the Society of Operating Cameramen (SOC) since 1995 and
received the Governors Award "for his contributions in the advancement of the use of the motion
picture camera".

He has always been very protective of his name. If his company is working on a film and he
feels it is not up to his standards, he will remove his name as a producer.

Aside from producing The Goonies (1985), he also directed at least one scene in the movie.

In the 2005 edition of Forbes' "400 Richest People in America", his net worth is estimated at $2.7
billion, a $100 million improvement over 2004 (due mostly to his share of the DreamWorks
Animation public stock offering). He, and good friend George Lucas (net worth: $3.5 billion) are
the only filmmakers on the list.

In December, he, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen sold DreamWorks SKG to Paramount
Pictures Corporation for $1.6 billion.

Once screened Lawrence of Arabia (1962) with director David Lean, who gave Spielberg a "live
director's commentary", as Spielberg put it. Spielberg said that it was one of the best moments of
his life, learning from a true master. Consequently, Spielberg stated that it helped him make
better pictures and that commentary directly influenced every movie he has made since.

His ten favourite films of all time are: Fantasia (1940); Citizen Kane (1941); A Guy Named Joe
(1943); It's a Wonderful Life (1946); The War of the Worlds (1953); Psycho (1960); Lawrence of
Arabia (1962); 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); The Godfather (1972) and La nuit amricaine
(1973).

Has an estimated fortune of $2.8 billion ($2,800,000,000), according to the "Los Angeles
Business Journal". The size of his fortune him the 14th richest person in the Los Angeles area
and likely the wealthiest producer-director in the world (with only his friend George Lucas
coming close).

His iconic character "E.T." from E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) is ranked #26 on Premiere
Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Is the most represented filmmaker on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies
of All Time, with five films on the list and three in the top ten. They are: Close Encounters of the
Third Kind (1977) at #58; The Color Purple (1985) at #51; Saving Private Ryan (1998) at #10;
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) at #6 and Schindler's List (1993) at #3.

Ranked #6 in the Power Rankings and #1 in the Money Rankings on Forbes' 2006 Celebrity 100
List, with earnings of $332 million. Most of those earnings were from the 2005 sale of
DreamWorks to Paramount Pictures.
Ranked #4 on Premiere's 2006 "Power 50" list. Had ranked #2 in 2005.

Interviewed in "Directors Close Up: Interviews with Directors Nominated for Best Film by the
Directors Guild of America", ed. by Jeremy Kagan, Scarecrow Press, 2006.

In 1996, he purchased Clark Gable's Oscar (which he won for It Happened One Night (1934)) to
protect it from further commercial exploitation and gave it back to the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences, commenting that he could think of "no better sanctuary for Gable's
only Oscar than the Motion Picture Academy".

On 14 December 2002 he bought Bette Davis' Oscar, which she won for Dangerous (1935), at a
Sotheby's auction in New York to return it to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The statuette was among the memorabilia sold by the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain, which
has emerged from bankruptcy protection.

On 19 July 2001 he purchased Bette Davis' Oscar statuette, which she won for Jezebel (1938), at
a Christie's auction and returned it to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Early in his career, while working for Universal Studios, he was asked to give a tour to a special
guest who had just sold the film rights to one of his books to the studio. That guest was Michael
Crichton, who later worked with Spielberg on Jurassic Park (1993).

Both live-action adaptations of "The Incredible Hulk" have references to his films. The first used
stock footage from Duel (1971) (TV). In the 2003 film by Ang Lee (Hulk (2003)), the impact of
the Hulk hitting the ground causes ripples to form in nearby bodies of water, just as the
Tyrannosaur does in Jurassic Park (1993).

Though he frequently works with Tom Hanks, Hanks is not, as of 2006, involved in Spielberg's
biopic about Abraham Lincoln, even though he is descended from the family of Lincoln's
mother, Nancy Hanks.

Owns one of the largest gun collections on the East Coast. He shoots, but only privately.

Godfather of Gwyneth Paltrow.

Awarded Kennedy Center Honors in 2006, with Dolly Parton, Smokey Robinson, Zubin Mehta,
and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

According to Teri Garr, Spielberg told her on a set that one of his favorite movies is Viva Las
Vegas (1964), starring Elvis Presley.

Is of Hungarian descent, which explains his surname, coming from the Austrian city where his
ancestors lived.
Considered directing Memoirs of a Geisha (2005).

He, George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola presented Martin Scorsese with his first ever award
for Best Director, for The Departed (2006).

Is a huge fan of the actors Steve Martin, Bill Murray and Robin Williams. He is also proud to
admit they are good friends of his.

Was offered the opportunity to direct California Split (1974), but job went to Robert Altman.

Was originally set to direct Cape Fear (1991). He later recommended Martin Scorsese for the job
and personally called the director, letting him know that this was a commercial film that had
potential to be a hit, which would exercise more power for Scorcese to make his films.

Attended the funeral of Princess Diana with friends Richard Attenborough, Tom Cruise, Nicole
Kidman and Tom Hanks. [September 6, 1997]

Went to the same college, CSULB as Frank Miranda.

Was originally in talks to direct The Mask of Zorro (1998) but later only produced it.

Burt Reynolds film "White Lightning" (1973) was originally slated to be Spielberg's first
theatrical feature and he spent months on pre-production.

Robbie Williams mentions him in his song "I Will Talk and Hollywood Will Listen".

2007- Ranked #2 on EW's The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood.

Is a fan of "Doctor Who" (1963).

In 2007, Forbes estimated his earnings for the year 2006 to be $110 million.

Is a fan of video games and says that their development is intriguing to him.

His dog Elmer starred in several of his films including Jaws (1975) and Close Encounters of the
Third Kind (1977).

Owns homes in Pacific Palisades, California; New York City; East Hampton, New York; and
Naples, Florida.

Pulled out of his role as advisor to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, reacting to the Chinese
government's inaction over the genocide in Darfur (February 2008).

Is a fan of the works of Carl Barks, and cites them as a big inspiration on his storytelling.

Dated actress Valerie Bertinelli in the late '70s.

Turned down the opportunity to direct Deep Impact (1998) and The Mask of Zorro (1998) to
work on Saving Private Ryan (1998).

Served on the Board for the Institute for the Study of Women in Men in Society for USC. Hosted
events for the intellectual society at his screening room and offices on the Universal lot in the
late 1980s.

In the 5th edition of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (edited by Steven Jay
Schneider), 8 of Spielberg's films are listed: Jaws (1975), Close Encounters of the Third Kind
(1977), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), The Color Purple
(1985), Jurassic Park (1993), Schindler's List (1993) and Saving Private Ryan (1998).

When Spielberg accepted the Cecil B. DeMille award at the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards
he expressed his gratitude to DeMille for helping him come to love filmmaking in the first place,
describing his earliest childhood memory of going to see DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth
(1952) with his father. "I think my fate was probably sealed that day in 1952", he said, recalling
how the train wreck scene in that film inspired first a keen interest in electric train sets and
eventually his passion for film.

Is an excellent shot with a shotgun. Actor Shia LaBeouf once said about his shooting, "He's an
Olympic shot. The hand-eye co-ordination of that man is unlike anything I've ever seen. If he
weren't a great director, he could be one of our greatest snipers".

Worked with both father and son Brolin actors. He worked with James Brolin in Catch Me If You
Can, and Josh Brolin in The Goonies and "Into The West".

Is one of 7 directors to win the Golden Globe, Director's Guild, BAFTA, and Oscar for the same
movie, winning for Schindler's List (1993). The other directors to achieve this are 'Mike Nichols
(I)' for The Graduate (1967), Milos Forman for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975),
Richard Attenborough for Gandhi (1982), Oliver Stone for Platoon (1986), Ang Lee for
Brokeback Mountain (2005), and Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008).

Personal Quotes
I think that the Internet is going to effect the most profound change on the entertainment
industries combined. And we're all gonna be tuning into the most popular Internet show in the
world, which will be coming from some place in Des Moines. We're all gonna lose our jobs.
We're all gonna be on the Internet trying to find an audience.

Once a month the sky falls on my head, I come to and I see another movie I want to make.

[on winning the Best Director Oscar for Saving Private Ryan (1998)]: Am I allowed to say I
really wanted this?
Before I go off and direct a movie I always look at 4 films. They tend to be: "Seven Samurai"
(Shichinin no samurai (1954)); Lawrence of Arabia (1962); It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and The
Searchers (1956).

[On friend Joan Crawford]: She is five feet four, but she looks six feet on the screen. In a two-
shot with anyone, even Gable, (Clark Gable), your eyes fix on her. She is imperious, yet with a
childlike sparkle. She is haughty, yet tender. She has no great range as an actress, yet within the
range she can perform better than any of her contemporaries.

I have made almost as many films in England as I have in America. I will come back to England
again and again.

I would love to see the British film industry get back on its feet again.

I don't drink coffee. I've never had a cup of coffee in my entire life. That's something you
probably don't know about me. I've hated the taste since I was a kid.

I dream for a living.

I'd rather direct than produce. Any day. And twice on Sunday.

[on the film Poltergeist (1982)]: Poltergeist is the darker side of my nature, it's me when I was
scaring my younger sisters half to death. In Poltergeist, I wanted to terrify and I also wanted to
amuse - I tried to mix the laughs and screams together.

With Star Wars (1977), George (George Lucas) put the butter back into the popcorn.

I always like to think of the audience when I am directing. Because I am the audience.

The older I get, the more I look at movies as a moving miracle.

[When asked about being conflicted whether to make more artistic films, or more commercial
films]: All the time, but when you have a story that is very commercial and simple, you have to
find the art. You have to take the other elements of the film and make them as good as possible,
and doing that will uplift the film.

Godzilla (Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)) was the most masterful of all dinosaur movies
because it made you believe it was really happening.

I don't work weekends. Weekends are for my kids. And I have dinner at home every night when
I'm not physically directing a movie - I get home by six. I put the kids to bed and tell them
stories and take them to school the next morning. I work basically from 9.30 to 5.30 and I'm
strict about that.
I think every film I make that puts characters in jeopardy is me purging my own fears, sadly only
to re-engage with them shortly after the release of the picture. I'll never make enough films to
purge them all.

I'm as guilty as anyone, because I helped to herald the digital era with _Jurassic Park (1993)).
But the danger is that it can be abused to the point where nothing is eye-popping any more. The
difference between making Jaws (1975) 31 years ago and War of the Worlds (2005) is that today,
anything I can imagine, I can realize on film. Then, when my mechanical shark was being
repaired and I had to shoot something, I had to make the water scary. I relied on the audience's
imagination, aided by where I put the camera. Today, it would be a digital shark. It would cost a
hell of a lot more, but never break down. As a result, I probably would have used it four times as
much, which would have made the film four times less scary. Jaws is scary because of what you
don't see, not because of what you do. We need to bring the audience back into partnership with
storytelling.

Being a movie-maker means you get to live many, many lifetimes. It's the same reason audiences
go to movies, I think. When my daughter Sasha (Sasha Spielberg) was 5 years old, we would be
watching something on TV and she'd point to a character on screen and say, "Daddy, that's me."
Ten minutes later a new character would come on screen and she'd say, "No, Daddy. That's me."
Throughout the movie she would pick different people to become. I think that's what we all do.
We just don't say it as sweetly.

After a scary movie about the world almost ending, we can walk into the sunlight and say, "Wow,
everything's still here. I'm OK!" We like to tease ourselves. Human beings have a need to get
close to the edge and, when filmmakers or writers can take them to the edge, it feels like a dream
where you're falling, but you wake up just before you hit the ground.

What I'm saying is that I believe in showmanship.

Times have changed. It's like when the first 747 landed at Los Angeles international airport:
everybody thought flying through the sky was the most greatest marvel they had ever seen -
floating through the air, seemingly in slow motion. Today we never even look at 747s. They're a
dime a dozen and it's that way with the blockbuster. If there was one blockbuster every three
years, it meant a lot more than when you have a blockbuster every three weeks. It's the job of
each of these studios to market these movies as the must-see movie of the year, so they go after
blockbuster status by creating a grand illusion. Sometimes they've got a real engine behind that
grand illusion, meaning the movie is damned good and the audience will say they got their
money's worth. Other times, the audience comes on the promise of seeing something they've
never ever seen before and it becomes just another sci-fi action yarn and they feel disappointed.

I've learned that we can do just about anything under the sun with computers. So the question
becomes, should we? Or, should we remind ourselves, as filmmakers, to be careful and
remember that there is nothing more important than how a story is told? If storytelling becomes a
byproduct of the digital revolution, then the medium itself is corrupted. On the other hand, if
digital tools are simply a way to enhance a conventional story, then in that case, they can make
telling that story easier. It's easier and more practical to show 20,000 soldiers in the Crimean War
using computers, obviously. So, that's fine. But now, we have technology that can replace actors,
or an entire performance in an already existing movie. We could cut out Humphrey Bogart and
replace him with Vin Diesel, if somebody wanted. Who would want to? Well, there might be
people who would. That's why we have to be careful. Movies reflect our cultural heritage from
the period in time in which they were made. Therefore, altering them can destroy that historical
perspective. That's disrespectful of history, which is a big issue for me. The situation is like
walking a tightrope - we have to move forward, but we have to be careful.

I had dinner with the founder of Yahoo! about seven years ago in Japan. I had my son, who is
now sixteen, he was much younger then. I took him to a tea house. We had Geishas, they were
serving us tea and I had a little soki and we were talking. And he kept sitting across from me and
he kept saying "Yahoo! You have to know what Yahoo!"... and he was going crazy over this thing
called Yahoo! And I thought he was actually out of his brain. You know, because he kept talking
about Yahoo! and I thought he was trying to say "Yahoo!" And he was, but I had no idea what he
was building. And he was so thrilled with what was happening in his world. And this was way
beyond my world at that time. And how I look back. I thought: God if I could have been a little
bit nicer to that guy, he might have called me up and offered me a chance to invest early. (2002).

During an interview with Roger Ebert regarding his film Munich (2005) and the response from
Jewish critics that claim it depicts Israeli and Palestinian causes as morally equivalent: Frankly, I
think that's a stupid charge. The people who attack the movie based on 'moral equivalence' are
some of the same people who say diplomacy itself is an exercise in 'moral equivalence' and that
war is the only answer. That the only way to fight terrorism is to dehumanize the terrorists by
asking no questions about who they are and where they come from. What I believe is, every act
of terrorism requires a strong response, but we must also pay attention to the causes. That's why
we have brains and the power to think passionately. Understanding does not require approval.
Understanding is not the same as inaction. Understanding is a very muscular act. If I'm endorsing
understanding and being attacked for that, then I am almost flattered.

I feel like I've been engaged to the British Empire since 1980 and tonight you have given me the
ring knighthood.

If Bush (George W. Bush), as I believe, has reliable information on the fact that Saddam Hussein
is making weapons of mass destruction, I cannot not support the policies of his government.

What kept us going was the thought that David Lean, at 54, had done this every day for a year.
David Lean was our criterion for survival. - on filming Raiders of the Lost Ark in Tunisia
I've taken the time to familiarize myself with the impressive field of Democratic candidates and
am convinced that Hillary Clinton is the most qualified candidate to lead us from her first day in
the White House. Hillary is a strong leader and is respected the world over. As president, she will
bring America back together, rebuild our prestige abroad and ensure our protection here at home.

As long as there's been Transformers, I've been one of the biggest fans. And I always thought
that somewhere in this genius concept, there was a movie.

I'll probably never win an Oscar, but I'll sure have a lot of fun! I really believe that movies are
the great escape!

"Duel" was almost a once-in-a-lifetime story. You don't get stories like that all the time.

All those horrible, traumatic years I spent as a kid became what I draw from creatively today.

The person I enjoy working for more than anyone else is George Lucas. He's the best boss I ever
had because he's the most talented boss I ever had.

If I weren't a director, I would want to be a film composer.

I interpret my dreams one way and make a movie out of them and people see my movies and
make them part of their dreams.

At E3 games convention about partnership with EA: I am a gamer myself, and I really wanted to
create a video game that I could play with my kids.

{On his behavior following the premiere of a new film] My ritual is total blackout. No radio, no
television, no internet, no newspapers. I just want to hear one number, which is the Monday-
morning number.

The most expensive habit in the world is celluloid, not heroin, and I need a fix every two years.

Disney is the birthplace of imagination and has always been as close to the worldwide audience
as any company ever has.

[Receiving the Cecil B. DeMille award at the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards] Whenever I
try to tell a risky story, whether it's about sharks or dinosaurs, or about aliens or about history, I'll
always be thinking, "Am I going to get away with this?" When I don't have that worry, I won't
make that movie.

[on seeing The Godfather (1972) for the first time] I felt that I should quit, that there was no
reason to continue directing because I would never reach that level of confidence.

On Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008): Harrison became Indiana Jones
in a millisecond. He came on set, he donned the hat and everything came with it; his laconic
sense of humour, his willingness to take a punch...and get hurt by that punch. All the things that
Harrison, George, Larry Kasdan and I originally created. He brought all this back to life as if no
time had elapsed since the third movie. My favourite memories from the shoot are my deepening
respect for Harrison, not only as an actor but as a dear friend. We've gone off and made other
movies which mean our paths have not crossed all that often. I'm not the most social guy in the
world and neither is Harrison, so we didn't spend much time together, but we actually became
great buddies on this movie, more even than on the first three. It's the best thing that came out of
this experience for me.

Salary
Jurassic Park III (2001)
Schindler's List (1993)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
$72,000,000
$0 (Asked not to be paid.)
$250,000,000 (gross and profit participations)
$1,500,000 + % of gross

Where Are They Now

(January 2003) Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Non ci resta che piangere 1985 /DVD
I laureati 1995 /torrent
Il ciclone 1996 /torrent
Johnny Stecchino 1991 /318
Il piccolo diavolo 1988 /torrent
Amici miei (1975) /torrent
Il mio miglior nemico (2006) /torrent
Borotalco (1982)
Bianco, rosso e Verdone (1981) /torrent
Viaggi di nozze (1995) /torrent
Il ragazzo di campagna (1984) /torrent