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From: evan@petfe.UUCP (Evan Marcus)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Steven Spielberg: Slime Mold
Message-ID: <332@petfe.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Jun-85 10:42:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: petfe.332
Posted: Mon Jun 10 10:42:54 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 11-Jun-85 04:48:05 EDT
References: <527@cvl.UUCP>
Organization: Perkin-Elmer DSG, Tinton Falls, N.J.
Lines: 75


In <527@cvl.UUCP> hsu@cvl.UUCP (Dave Hsu) writes:
> This barely qualifies in intensity as a flame.  Perhaps as a small ember.
I don't know this seems like a good fresh new topic.  (BEATS penis envy!)

> Why does Steven Spielberg, with his schlocky, hack films, make so much
> money?  Are all the junior-high age people so null-minded as to actively
> pursue this guy's films (as well as his wonderful spin-off stuff)?  After
> seeing a few of these films (no...not in a theatre) I decided that here
> was THE guy to film some of Piers Anthony's more recent "works".  Observe
> the wonderful formula plots:
> 
> 1) Somebody runs around doing stupid things, whether it be chasing low-
   > flying UFO's, or hiding weird beings from the neighbors.  Do you go
   > around and chase low-flying planes?  Do you collect strange life-forms
   > in your closet and secretly laugh about them with your friends?
> 2) Once discovered, Organized People (government often, sometimes real
   > crooks) try to shut the hero down.  The hero, of course, does obviously
   > dangerous, even MORE STUPID things, because he/she is either very
   > greedy about his/her alien beings, or because he/she is among the 25 most
   > xenophobic people surviving in America.  Do you drive into apparent plague
   > areas?  How about outrunning the local authorities (road-racers need not
   > reply)?  Gosh...how did the feds know enough about my home to bring out
   > a truck with just the right amount of equipment to swathe it in plastic
   > sheets, and hire people to run around in funny suits?  For that matter...
   > ARE THESE PEOPLE in the funny suits?  They seem pretty incompetent too.
> 
> Ok...face it, this stuff is UFBS.  That's UnBelievably Shallow.  FUBAR may
> also be an appropriate description.  All we need now is Spielberg to do a
> Pepsi commercial.  Arrgh.  Arrgh.  This guy would probably be stranded
> if John Williams didn't write his soundtracks.  Can you honestly say you
> liked E.T. because it was a good story?  Can you spell C-O-R-N-Y?
> 
> 
(Normally I hate to see large sections requoted, but I couldn't find much
to edit out!)

Anyway, sure SSpielberg's stuff is unbelievable.  It's even corny.  So what?
A lot of the people in them are doing things that many of us (But, obviously
not you!) dream about.  When you were a kid, didn't you pretend you had a 
secret friend who could do all sorts of 'magical' things (ET), or have a 
secret clubhouse where you pretended to be a spy (Goonies)?  When you're a
kid, isn't authority bad?  Therefore, it's appealing to get away with 
licking them at their own game...and then finding someone is authority 
who agrees with what you are doing (Close Encounters).  Everybody likes to
think that in the right situation, they could be a hero, and when that
situation comes up (of course, it never does for most of us), we think that
we are up to the challenge, and can save the day (Indiana Jones/Raiders),
and then when it's over, return to our drab normal lives again.

All his movies are are escapism!  He does it better than anyone else (any
George Lucas fans want to argue?), and that is what the people are looking
for, so, let him!  If you think you can do better, go ahead!  Of course,
his movies aren't for everybody (I really didn't like ET, though I can
see its appeal), but they appeal to enough people to make them worthwhile!

BTW, how could you have seen so many of his movies "not in the theatre"?
ET, Indiana Jones, Gremlins, Goonies, and who knows what else have never
made it to Vidtape or cable TV yet. (Attention bootleg authorities, I think
we have someone for you!!)

Oh yeah, I've been accused in the past of not really falling into the 
net.flame milieu.  Sorry, here goes...fuck, shit, piss, penis envy,
Republican. ;-)

Yours in better flaming...
--Evan Marcus
-- 

{ucbvax|decvax}!vax135!petsd!petfe!evan
                         ...!pedsgd!pedsga!evan

"So, if she weighs the same as a duck, she is made of wood..."
"And therefore..."
"A witch!"