TDGT - Round 3 - Christopher Nolan vs Steven Spielberg

[turtlex]

What if we compared early films to early films. Let's look at that angle.

What are Nolan's major release movies? In order, via IMDB ( skipping shorts / student films)

1. Following
2. Memento
3. Insomnia
4. Batman Begins
5. The Prestige
6. Dark Knight
7. Inception

What are SS equal ones? In order, via IMDB ( skipping shorts, TV and student films )

1. The Sugarland Express
2. Jaws
3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
4. 1941
5. Raiders of the Lost Ark
6. ET
7. Twilight Zone

Ricky, man, come on - I love this stuff. I love talking movies with you all! Seriously. Regardless of whether we all agree, and I'm glad we don't always, it's refreshing to be able to talk movies with people who have seen a vast number of films and hold really strong opinions about them.

[fernandito]

What if we compared early films to early films. Let's look at that angle.

What are Nolan's major release movies? In order, via IMDB ( skipping shorts / student films)

1. Doodlebug
2. Following
3. Memento
4. Insomnia
5. Batman Begins
6. The Prestige
7. Dark Knight
8. Inception

What are SS equal ones? In order, via IMDB ( skipping shorts, TV and student films )

1. The Sugarland Express
2. Jaws
3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
4. 1941
5. Raiders of the Lost Ark
6. ET
7. Twilight Zone
8. Temple of Doom

Sooooooo .................. Nolan wins ?

[turtlex]

What if we compared early films to early films. Let's look at that angle.

What are Nolan's major release movies? In order, via IMDB ( skipping shorts / student films)

1. Doodlebug
2. Following
3. Memento
4. Insomnia
5. Batman Begins
6. The Prestige
7. Dark Knight
8. Inception

What are SS equal ones? In order, via IMDB ( skipping shorts, TV and student films )

1. The Sugarland Express
2. Jaws
3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
4. 1941
5. Raiders of the Lost Ark
6. ET
7. Twilight Zone
8. Temple of Doom

Sooooooo .................. Nolan wins ?

Yes, that was exactly my point, thank you, Feev!

Sincerely, I'll put ET, Jaws, Raiders and Close Encounters up against anything Nolan has done.

[Ricky]

Ricky, man, come on - I love this stuff. I love talking movies with you all! Seriously. Regardless of whether we all agree, and I'm glad we don't always, it's refreshing to be able to talk movies with people who have seen a vast number of films and hold really strong opinions about them.

I agree wholeheartedly. I love talking about movies with you all. There's not too many people outside of the site that I'd be able to find that would be as interesting in discussing and dissecting.

Sooooooo .................. Nolan wins ?

I wasn't aware there was any doubt.

[DoctorDodge]

On the Spielberg vs Nolan argument:

What cannot be ignored is that Spielberg did change the face of American cinema with quite a few films in that list: Jaws, ET, Raiders, all fucking blockbuster classics for very different reasons. I think the problem is that, unlike Nolan, he hasn't released any film that's had nearly that same level of impact for at least ten years now, or any kind of film that's nearly as great as his early work.

I say nearly because as truly great Inception was, has it really changed the face of cinema? Too early to tell. I'm hoping for yes. I'm hoping that Nolan has shown that audiences want smart, intelligent films as well as awesome blockbusters, that we do want those two kinds of films combined, but...well, I've got my doubts, but we'll see. But I'm a lot more cynical of the impact of great films now after knowing that we live in a world where Scott Pilgrim bombed. Fucking shocking, that.

[Ricky]

I'm hoping that Nolan has shown that audiences want smart, intelligent films as well as awesome blockbusters, that we do want those two kinds of films combined

Well said.

[mae]

On the Spielberg vs Nolan argument:

What cannot be ignored is that Spielberg did change the face of American cinema with quite a few films in that list: Jaws, ET, Raiders, all fucking blockbuster classics for very different reasons. I think the problem is that, unlike Nolan, he hasn't released any film that's had nearly that same level of impact for at least ten years now, or any kind of film that's nearly as great as his early work.

I can't disagree with that any more vehemently. One of Spielberg's most profound films was Munich, which was only five years ago. It blew my mind when I saw it in theaters, and it hasn't lost its power in subsequent viewings on DVD.