Executive producers generally aren’t involved in the day-to-day aspects of film production, so that makes sense.
The key word is “directly” — I’m sure he receives a cut of the profits, as most producers do.
more worth in a single frame of jaws than in godard’s entire oeuvre
He is one of the greatest film directors of all time. Are you people for real? Wow…
He’s an artist in the sense that the ringleader of a circus is an artist. He consistently entertains audiences instead of moving them; different goals, same amount of artistic sensibility required.
I think the more interesting thing about that article is that Bay made $75 million on Transformers while Shia only made $500,000. God bless America.
He probably thinks he is an artist but is really just a jewish businessman who makes lousy popcorn movies. Did anyone ask Bergman what he thought about Spielberg?
It is great he made a movie about the most reprehensible event in human history perpetuating the self aggrandizing holocaust industry while Ms. Schindler lives on a farm in South America in poverty. It is quite ironic how american filmmakers attempt to make films about other people’s history where we don’t have a history and when directors like von trier make films about our past there is venemous criticism spewed his way
Clovenhoof, Bergman loved Spielberg’s movies. He was a huge fan of his work. Then again he also hated Orson Welles and Antonioni so go figure.
Spielberg only a businessman? The dude LOVES cinema, with a passion equal to Martin Scorcese. No, like him or loathe him, he’s the real deal.
His tone can fluctuate wildly in the middle of a story, he doesn’t care if his scripts make sense and he can’t help but have some Capra-esqe cheese in his movies. That being said, when he’s on, he’s ON. Duel, Jaws, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, E.T., Munich. . . Those are five of my favorite movies ever, and solidly constructed.
Don’t get me wrong; He’s made some shit I’ve hated, too. But all things told, I’m glad he’s around. I like that he’s willing to try new things out, and not just rest on his laurels. And I like that the flashy things he does are usually in service of the story, not just to show how big his cinematic dick is.
So, Dusty, are you criticizing the fact that Spielberg didn’t donate all the film profits to Ms. Schindler or that he profited at all?
Also are you implying that the U.S. had nothing to do with WWII? WW2 isn’t “other people’s history”, it involved the world. And yes, the U.S. does have a history, perhaps you should finish primary school first before you continue to post. I’m usually not one to jump on the American side of the fence (since, for one, I’m not American), but some comments bleed stupidity.
I’m not a huge Spielberg fan, but let’s not demonize a filmmaker who, regardless of his talents (or lack thereof), simply makes a Hollywood war film. He didn’t aggrandize the holocaust, by the way, did you actually watch Schindler’s List or did you just read a review?
The thing that I have found to admire about Spielberg, even above his technical virtuosity, is his uncommon ability to tell a story. These alone would be enough to make him a fair director, and he is quite a bit more than that. Though he is seldom referred to as visionary, this may be because he has never quite escaped (and indeed, may have no desire to escape) what seems to be a populist approach to making his films. One might even say that it’s a part of his wide appeal. Even when he has reached beyond what has come to be expected of him (I am thinking, in particular, of A.I., a film I loved but most critics seem to have hated) it seems to permeate his work. However, I think the art of film benefits by his being a major player…
…except, I think, for that 1941.
Everyone needs to read Easy Riders, Raging Bulls. It really clarifies Spielberg’s place in Hollywood and amongst that generation of “New Hollywood”. He knows he’s not an artist.
Uhm, guys, that Clovenhoof post up above:
“He probably thinks he is an artist but is really just a jewish businessman who makes lousy popcorn movies. Did anyone ask Bergman what he thought about Spielberg?”
(emphasis mine)
That’s kinda not cool, dude!
@Danielroffle: Before this escalates, and before the poster reads this and defends himself, I’ll give him a little help: I’m sure he didn’t mean to suggest anything racist, but was simply stating he’s Jewish, and a businessman. The combination of the words is definitely a bit thoughtless considering the stereotypical connotations they hold, but the racist remarks here are really in the mind of the readers, not the writer. Not that you’re racist, Daniel. It’s just that you too quickly reacted against a sterile threat.
Sorry to be so tedious, but peace tends to be.
I’m a little indifferent to Spielberg’s work. The only films of his I like is Jaws and at a push I’d say ET. But thats it, nothing else. It’s two films I associate with my youth so it may just be nostalgia.
Well Patrick the thing is that Spielberg being jewish is of no relevance whatsoever to the rest of the sentence, so it sticks out more bizarrely than it otherwise would. I’m willing to believe there was no racist intention behind the original poster’s sentence, but it would feel weird to me if these kinds of things weren’t called out, even when they’re just innocent slip-ups.
He’s absolutely both and there’s nothing wrong with that. He’s managed to work within “Hollywood,” have box office smashes and still make a number of true works of art. Jaws, ET, Raiders, Jurassic Park, etc are fun and, per the grosses, crowd pleasers. I think The Color Purple, Catch me if You Can and Minority Report are really good movies. Close Encounters, Schindler’s List, Empire of the Sun and Saving Private Ryan (I THINK) are masterpieces. And he’s had his duds (The Terminal, Hook, Always) and even one big fat folly (1941, although he gets props for casting both Christopher Lee AND Toshiro Mifune in the same film)
BTW, I not even really a Spielberg fan.
>>I’m sure he didn’t mean to suggest anything racist, but was simply stating he’s Jewish, and a businessman.<<
Given clovenhoof’s often zenophobic rants, I’m not so sure. Why couldn’t Spielberg simply be chasracterized as a businesman?
You guys just wait until Armond White finds out about this thread. He’s gonna rip all of you a new one.
Brandon Ingle
Here is an interesting quote that I found from the LA Times via Yahoo to add to this debate:
“Interestingly, the L.A. Times also reports that “Transformers” executive producer Steven Spielberg doesn’t actually get paid anything for his work on the movie. As part of the deal between Paramount and his company, DreamWorks, he only gets paid directly for movies he directs, not the ones he produces."