Marty, Life is Short (2026)

Comic actor Martin Short has led a life lined with many failures, punctuated by death and tragedy, but in the process managed to find his own voice. Filled with madcap energy, and ever the life of the party, his efforts might come off as exhausting, but his sensibilities are always funny. His greatest success was with his wife Nancy, whom he shared 36 years with before her life was cruelly curtailed. Lawrence Kasdan's documentary explores the behind the scenes through home movies and celebrity interviews, who all praise the man behind the persona, previously a one-note joke, but now more in demand than ever.

3 insults out of 5

Music by John Williams (2024)

A cursory glance into the life and storied career of composer and conductor John Williams, although it leaves out much of his vast, 70+ year repertoire.

Jaws, Star Wars, Superman, E.T., Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, etc. You know the music. He's a part of all our collective psyche. John Williams was long overdue to have his own documentary, and here he tells his story in his own words, along with interviews from filmmakers and fellow composers, many of whom I had never seen their face before. It seems like no one has a bad word to say about the man; everybody praises him and it's hard to argue with the results. Mr. Williams himself comes off as humble, intelligent and charming. If it was even possible for me to have more respect for him, I did. 

Spielberg knew the genius of Williams early on and hitched his wagon to him from the start of his journey, and they brought out the best in each other. Not just collaborators, but great friends. It's exciting to see their collaboration in motion in behind the scenes footage, and also learning that it was Spielberg who convinced Williams and Lucas to work together and score Star Wars.

On a personal note, JW is responsible for so much of my love of filmmusic and classical music alike. An inspirational figure through all of his 100+ scores. He represents the music of childhood and the rich symphonic tapestry to my life.

4 leitmotifs out of 5

Disclosure Day (2026)

I have to take a moment to appreciate that it's 2026 and we're getting a new original Spielberg sci-fi epic with possibly one of the last original scores by John Williams. These days feel numbered. Spielberg has been obsessed with extraterrestrials his entire career. It feels like he's completing a cycle here that began nearly 50 years ago with Close Encounters of the Third Kind. In many ways, he's been working towards this film his entire life. The scale is smaller and more intimate, but the implications are timeless. We've all grown so cynical in this day and age, yet I admire how he makes magic and wonder seem possible again in the world, even if it only exists on the silver screen.

3½ cardinals out of 5

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story (2025)

Wait...what happened to Jaws 5-49?

A retrospective on the original summer blockbuster that started it all, in commemoration of its 50th anniversary. It explores the film's rushed and infamously troubled production, as it was optioned back in 1973 and quickly came together over the summer of '74 when the studio took a chance on a promising young filmmaker that paid off in spades. It's a bit rudimentary and uneven, balancing behind-the-scenes footage with newly filmed interviews from Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, James Cameron (et al) and the family of Peter Benchley, interspersed with facts demystifying the great white shark (courtesy of National Geographic), as well as the legacy it still holds today.

2½ mechanical failures out of 5

Note: For an even more in-depth and comprehensive look back at the film, check out The Making of Jaws (1995), a two-hour documentary featured on all the LaserDisc/DVD/Blu-Ray/4K releases, also directed by Laurent Bouzereau.

The Fabelmans (2022)

Steven Spielberg's personal coming-of-age story is an ode to cinema and the great filmmakers that have come before. Loosely inspired by his life and the relationship to his parents, it's the sweet tale of a boy who falls in love with the movies and longs to make his own films (not unlike Cinema Paradiso).

What I found fascinating is how detached the character was while viewing life through a lens. I suppose that's a way of dealing with the heavy things in his life, but I didn't find Sam to be the warmest character, which is kind of ironic since critics tend to peg Spielberg as a shameless sentimentalist. If anything, I found this film to be remarkably restrained at times, which works to its credit. Even though it's semi-autobiographical, you get the sense that the subject matter is still being treated somewhat at a distance. It occurred to me that this film might be acting as a catharsis for someone recounting their past traumas. Regardless, it's a lovingly constructed tribute by a filmmaker who has earned his dues and remains at the top of his craft, and it shows all the way through.

4 perfect revenges against the childhood bully out of 5

THE BFG [2016]

Director Steven Spielberg & Disney conjure up a bit of a rare miss for the duo with the big-screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's children's novel The BFG.
Here we follow a young orphaned girl who is whisked away into a world of giants, where all but one have a taste for human flesh, the Big Friendly Giant who vows to keep her safe from his man-eating peers.
Unlike most of Spielberg's works this one manages to lack the magical whimsy that other films of this style seem to excel in.  It's not that it doesn't have heart or imagination, it just doesn't seem to always have the wondrous enthusiasm one would expect from such a film.  There's plenty of scenes of inspired delight but there's also plenty that are quite the opposite.  The film's greatest strength is the chemistry between it's two leads where the storytelling finds it's most joy.  If not for it's insanely dull second act and whimpering climax I might have enjoyed it a lot more in the end.

2½ dream jars out of 5

JAWS [1975]

Director Steven Spielberg successfully scared people out of the water with his man vs nature adventure/thriller Jaws.
A sleepy island town is flipped upside down when a 20 foot long Great White Shark starts making tasty meals out of it's panicked citizens.
Effectively proving that showing more is less, Spielberg raises the b-movie premise into a top-class popcorn blockbuster that's endless nail-biting fun.  Like many of his films of the time it's about obsession and mostly chooses to ignore the potential social class themes floating around but never thoroughly studied.  There's some wonderful camera work made even better with John Williams' ominously simple iconic music and the late great Robert Shaw, who knows exactly what type of film he's in and has great old time playing it up for the camera with delightful exaggeration.

5 scars out of 5

MINORITY REPORT [2002]

Minority Report is another film from Steven Spielberg's cold, cynical period that saw the director shitting the bed in the final 15 minutes of every project from those mixed days.
Loosely based upon Philip K. Dick's neo-noir short story of the same name, it follows a world where the crime of murder can be foreseen by law enforcement but is put into question when one of it's leading officers is accused of murder himself.
There's plenty of tantalizing ideas and themes thrown around but it's all wrapped around a rather soulless heart that makes it difficult to attach oneself to.  There's several moments of astonishing camera-work, imaginative action sequences and icy yet fascinating visuals that all matches Dick's Cold War paranoia story to a tee.  So maybe it might have been an even more successful adaptation if it were done for an anthology television series instead.

3 spider-bots out of 5

BRIDGE OF SPIES [2015]

Director Steven Spielberg and screenwriters The Coen Brothers team-up to tell the story of the Cold War 1960 U-2 incident in the slightly fictionalized espionage drama Bridge of Spies.
It focuses on American lawyer, James Donovan, who's recruited to defend captured Soviet spy Rufus Abel, much to the dismay of his own country.
For the kids looking for Bourne-esque car chases and knife fights this is the wrong spy movie for you.  It's a fairly quiet film that offers no surprising twists or turns but it's told and performed by such masterful cinema veterans it captivates without all the usual flashiness.  Spielberg's precise direction is at some of it's best here, complimented with some mesmerizing lighting & photography, a tastefully dramatic score from Thomas Newman and a brilliantly low-key performance from Mark Rylance as Rufus Abel.
It's not a particularly memorable film, compared to the rest of Spielberg's huge filmography but it's certainly one of his most perfectly executed.

4 big American breakfasts out of 5

DREW: THE MAN BEHIND THE POSTER [2013]

Even if you don't know the man's name, you most definitely know Drew Struzan's work.
Drew: The Man Behind The Poster documents the movie poster artist's career from his struggling start right up to his frustrating retirement.
Erik Sharkey's film doesn't do a whole lot to explore the artist's technique, where his passion comes from or much else outside of the timeline of his career so don't expect much else than many big names gushing over the beauty of Struzan's iconic work.  As a longtime fan of the man's work it's always nice to hear others speak highly of him as well but I would have liked to no a little bit more his troubled past.  It scratches the surface of a few low points in Struzan's life but never lingers long enough to give you a better idea of where he's coming from.
A really nice portrait of the man that might be just a little too nice at times.

3 welcomes to one's nightmare out of 5

Duel (1971)

All frequent motorists know the uneasy feeling of a larger vehicle riding their tail. In this story written by Richard Matheson, David Mann (Dennis Weaver) must contend with just that as he is psychotically pursued by a villainous tanker truck on his way to a business appointment. In a breakaway hit for then fledgling director Steven Spielberg, the use of harrowing camera angles and impressive stunt driving is key to the creation of suspense. Weaver does a nice job of playing the everyman. We feel his hopelessness after each futile attempt to escape, the sweat dripping down the back of his neck. Even though some superfluous scenes were added later to make it feature length, the film still strongly focuses on the highway duel.

4 appointments broken out of 5

Poltergeist (1982)

The 80s had an abundance of supernatural movies and Poltergeist is one of the best. It takes the typical 'two point four with dog' and puts them through a well-paced hell of missing child, evil controlling entity and flying toys. There's a good balance of atmosphere and visual effects and the little girl, Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke), is excellent in her role.
There’s no doubt the framing and camera movements are more a product of Spielberg's vision than Hooper's, but the end product is what counts.

4 frequencies out of 5

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL [2008]

19 years after the last film, Steven Speilberg, George Lucas and Harrison Ford dust off the the whip & fedora for a forth round in the popular Indiana Jones series.
At the ripe ol' age of 66, Captain Ford looks surprisingly good and slips right back into his role with some minor but suitable creaks 'n groans.  The goods pretty much end right there though.
It lacks the heart, imagination and enthusiasm of the original films, even going so far as to nearly ditch the disjointed (yet highly entertaining) serial film like storytelling and almost becoming a coherent (yet painfully boring) straight up tale.
There's a few fun moments scattered throughout but not enough to stand the test of time as the original film does.

2 close encounters out of 5

INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE [1989]

1989 was the beginning of the summer blockbusters going at each other's throats, with Batman, Ghostbusters II, Back To The Future II, The Abyss, The Little Mermaid, Star Trek V and of course the third instalment of the Indiana Jones series, The Last Crusade.
After the lukewarm reception the previous film which many considered too dark, director Steven Spielberg and writer George Lucas decided to lighten the mood and add in Sean Connery as Indy's dad, which resulted in a hilarious and believable chemistry.  River Phoenix gives a spot-on performance as a young Indy Jones in the fantastic opening sequence as do the rest of the performers.  There really isn't any imagery in the action sequences that are as memorable as the first two but it's an endearing and satisfying film that really makes up for the bitter aftertaste of the 2nd film.

4 bad pennies out of 5

INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM [1984]

Director Steven Spielberg & writer George Lucas team up once again for the second instalment in their Indiana Jones series, the hit & miss prequel, The Temple Of Doom.
It's noticeably darker than the the first film, with quite a bit of violence, a pathetic attempt to lighten the mood with an prepubescent Asian side-kick and Mrs. Spielberg herself, Kate Capshaw in a particularly annoying role as the screechy leading lady.  The beginning and the end are just as great as the first film but it's everything in the middle that is painfully terrible.  Some memorably gory scenes and a barf-bag inducing cuisine sequence attempts to make up for the poor quality but fails.
It might bring up some good memories watching it as a kid but by removing my nostalgia goggles it makes for a cringe-worthy experience.

2½ chilled monkey brains out of 5

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK [1981]

Director Steven Spielberg and writer George Lucas team-up to create one of the greatest popcorn adventure films ever made and the first in a highly successful series.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark is filled with iconic imagery, a wonderfully smug performance from Harrison Ford, John Williams' sweeping score and a large boulder.  In the style of the serial films of the 1930's, Raiders never takes itself very seriously at all and instead opts for maximum entertainment value, of which it heavily succeeds. It's hilariously outrageous action sequences seem to throw everything at Indy Jones except the kitchen sink, leaving a eagerly anticipating smile on one's face, curious to see what's going to happen next.

5 bad dates out of 5

LINCOLN [2012]

After being spoonfed emotional fluff in War Horse it's nice to see Steven Spielberg go back to the thinking man's historical drama for Lincoln.

Daniel Day-Lewis delivers an informative, warm performance that is both commanding and sensitive resulting in a poignantly powerful execution.  Spielberg assumes the viewer is already well versed in their historical knowledge and spends no time explaining things to the uneducated, so anyone not unaware of the events surrounding the story will be lost in it's dryness and long scenes of dialogue.  The few historical inaccuracies can be forgiven as the meaning and purpose is met by the final reel.  

4 Bixby Letters out of 5

THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK [1997]

Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel The Lost World, the Jurassic Park sequel, is a film that grew on me over time. 

Originally, it was a huge disappointment because of it's messily stitched together plot, horrible stench of 'sequel-ness to it and the huge cast of disposable stock characters.  Spielberg never attempts to hide any of those and makes the dazzling FX, adrenaline charged movie he wants to see because he damn well can.  Hell, the director even sneaks in a cameo of himself eating popcorn.

3 little dino, big cities out of 5

JURASSIC PARK [1993]

Steven Spielberg's action/adventure Jurassic Park is a rare example where the movie is better than the book.  

It's popcorn cinema at some of it's best, with eye-popping effects, iconic imagery, unforgettable scenes and a memorable score from John Williams.  What begins as a awe-inspiring children's film quickly spirals into an incredibly effective and terrifying thriller.  Bad character development and some hokey heart-felt scenes can be forgiven because that's not really what we want to see.  It's the dinosaurs and all their wall-shaking, floor-rumbling glory.  

4 dino-frog penises out of 5

WAR HORSE [2011]

Steven Spielberg brings Michael Morpurgo's children's novel War Horse to the big screen with mixed results.  It rapidly goes back and forth between run-of-the-mill emotionally manipulative schmaltz to moments that are actually quite engaging and effective.  Not one of Spielberg's best nor is it his worst.  

2½ barbed wire missteps out of 5