Movie Review Episodes

A new era of Spielberg’s career was launched when he partnered with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen to start a brand new studio from scratch: DreamWorks SKG. I talk through the history of this endeavor and what it means for Spielberg’s career. I also do a bonus review of the 2010 samurai film 13 Assassins, a movie chosen for review by a supporter of the show. https://www.establishingshotpod.com/ Feedback: Email us at establishingshotpod@gmail.com Leave a voicemail from the button on ...

A few years after the most successful year of his entire career, Spielberg released what he called his first true sequel in The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Our discussion revolves around the fun elements of this film and it’s development as well as some of the major problems with its story. My guest really likes this Jurassic Park installment where I didn’t care for it too much, which made for a fun debate. Join us and Goldblum’s Ian Malcolm as we return to the world of dinosaurs! https://www...

Schindler’s List is almost undeniably Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece, the pinnacle of his career, and releasing just 6 months after the record breaking Jurassic Park. However, it didn’t come without its struggles on an emotionally charged set or its controversy over its depiction of the Holocaust. We talk about all of this, the phenomenal acting, its beauty, and the ethics of it all in this episode. https://www.establishingshotpod.com/ Feedback: Email us at establishingshotpod@gmail.com ...

In 1993, Steven Spielberg once again awed audiences by giving them something they had never seen so real before on the big screen: dinosaurs. With Jurassic Park, he started what would turn out to be one of the greatest movie years for a director ever, started a technological revolution in film with advances in CGI, and even broke his own box office record. But maybe more importantly, he once again captured the wonder and fear of his audiences and left them with a great theatrical experience. We ...

With Hook, Spielberg was beginning a new decade of filmmaking, but this adventure movie that acts as a twist on a classic tale really marks the end of a particular phase in his career. This film was a huge deal at the time, not only because of the well known names of Peter Pan and Hook attached to it, but also because of the actors in those roles: Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman. We talk about all of this, the amazing production design, the nostalgia, and even some things that didn’t hold up o...

Spielberg ended his run of 80s movies with the romance-drama-comedy-fantasy Always. If that sounds like a confusing mish-mash of genres, it’s because it kind of is. While the movie is tonally confusing and has a plot that is strangely questionable at best, it is still beautifully shot with a really great performance from Holly Hunter. Also starring Richard Dreyfuss, John Goodman, and Audrey Hepburn in her very last role, this made for a really fun discussion even if we didn’t care too much for t...

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, seemingly the last of a trilogy of adventure collaborations between Steven Spielberg and George Lucas at the time, came in the middle of a bit of a career shift for Spielberg. You can see a bit of that infused into the movie with more emotional themes mixed into the typical Indy action fare. We talk about that, the incredible stunts and effects, and more in our discussion of this search for the Holy Grail. https://www.establishingshotpod.com/ Feedback:...

Empire of the Sun is a forgotten gem in Steven Spielberg’s filmography, which is fitting since its setting is sort of a forgotten perspective on WWII. This is a bit of a hybrid for Spielberg in that it marries his childlike fantastical side with his newfound interest in making more serious, mature movies. This film is full of phenomenal shots typical of Spielberg and introduces us to a young Christian Bale, all while giving us a really interesting story about growing up in the midst of war. ...

In his first attempt at a serious adult drama, Spielberg takes on not just a new type of movie for his career but also an adaption of an award winning novel with a predominantly black cast (unfortunately a tremendous anomaly at the time). This movie has become a bit of a classic but at the time was steeped in controversy. We dig into its inconsistencies, the controversy, the incredible display of acting talent, and more in this episode. https://www.establishingshotpod.com/ Feedback: Emai...

Twilight Zone: The Movie was supposed to be a collaborative passion project for longtime fan of the TV series Steven Spielberg who produced it and directed one of its four segments. But with a tragedy casting a shadow over the production and release, it turned out to be a bit of a regret. We talk about the details of the film, which segments are best, what too much power in Hollywood can lead to, and much more. We also discuss a couple of episodes of Spielberg’s show Amazing Stories that he hims...

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a film in a beloved franchise that actually carries a heavy burden with it for its filmmakers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. In this episode I am joined by Elijah Davidson of Brehm Film to delve into the depths of its darkness, the ways that it is still exciting and beautiful in the midst of that, and of course all of the fun behind the scenes tidbits. (No monkey brains or beetle guts were consumed during the making of this podcast.) https://www.es...

This week, Melvin Benson of the Cinematic Doctrine podcast joins us to discuss what Steven Spielberg has called his most personal film: E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. At the height of his powers in the 1980’s, this awe-filled look at an optimistic alien encounter through the eyes of a child captured the hearts of people around the globe. We talk everything from directing children, to the special effects of our alien friend, to why this film is not just for kids but for everyone. https://www.establ...

Indiana Jones is one of the most iconic characters of all time, and it is all due to a combination of the charm of Harrison Ford and the masterful character building of Steven Spielberg as director and George Lucas as storyteller/producer. Not only would Raiders of the Lost Ark become a beloved gem for an entire generation, it would also launch Spielberg’s already successful career into the stratosphere! We dig into the inception of the film, the cast, the production and set pieces, and the unex...

In 1941, the 1979 WWII comedy, we have a prime example of a powerhouse director putting out a complete flop. Steven Spielberg along with writers in Robert Zemecki & Bob Gale and producer John Milius were trying to ride the train of troublemaking comedies that came before them. While the film did fine commercially worldwide, it was not well received by audiences and critics alike. Our discussion delves into why this movie was a failure and what we can learn from that. https://www.establishing...

Spielberg followed up his breakout summer blockbuster Jaws with a sci-fi adventure thriller in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Its success is due to the incredible visual and narrative storytelling alongside the innovative special effects that wowed crowded theaters. We talk all of this and more in our discussion of this strangely optimistic film about UFOs, aliens, and strange people who are obsessed with something they can’t quite understand. https://www.establishingshotpod.com/ Fe...

Jaws marks both the breakout of Steven Spielberg’s illustrious career and the beginning of the summer blockbuster. From crazy production stories to camera work to efficient character building and more, this discussion with guest Daniel Blackaby really encompasses a ton about what makes Spielberg such a great director. We also discuss if the dawn of the summer blockbuster has ultimately been good or bad for cinema (or both). https://www.establishingshotpod.com/ Feedback: Email us at estab...

Storytelling is a vital element of filmmaking. It is done in through the written narrative, the visuals, the sound, the performances, the camera work, and so much more. This week, I discuss storytelling, especially as it relates to children, with elementary school media specialist Shannon Burge. Before that, I review a movie chosen by some supporters of the show: About Time. Spoiler alert: I really enjoyed it! If you want to pick a movie for me to review, you can become a supporter too (see link...

Spielberg’s first theatrically released feature film, The Sugarland Express, showed many signs of what was to come for the young director. In this episode I discuss the many Spielberg-ian themes, character traits, camera techniques, and knack for scale and adventure that was already evident in this early movie in his filmography. https://www.establishingshotpod.com/ Feedback: Email us at establishingshotpod@gmail.com Leave a voicemail from the button on the right side of the screen on ou...

Steven Spielberg’s Duel was never supposed to be as successful as it was. As a movie of the week TV feature in 1971, the 24 year old director gained the attention of critics and studios alike with a road thriller that begged to be on the big screen. We discuss this TV movie that launched his career along with briefly talking about his other two TV movies, Something Evil, a low budget, rural horror and Savage, a failed TV pilot episode. https://www.establishingshotpod.com/ Feedback: Email...

Steven Spielberg’s Duel inspired me to do a Car Chase Movie Draft with my guest, Dave Lester. Listen as we take turns drafting what we think are some of the best movie car chases out there. I also share some honorable mentions and do a review of My Neighbor Totoro with my five year old son. https://www.establishingshotpod.com/ Feedback: Email us at establishingshotpod@gmail.com Leave a voicemail from the button on the right side of the screen on our website https://www.establishingshotpo...

Wes Anderson’s love for Roald Dahl’s storytelling pours out of the screen in his four short film adaptations of Dahl short stories that dropped on Netflix in 2023. This week, we discuss the unique pop-up book execution of Anderson’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, The Swan, The Rat Catcher, and Poison. With nonstop narration, a troupe of phenomenal actors, and stage play moving sets, these shorts are unlike anything I’ve ever seen on film. Our discussion ranges from our favorite set pieces t...

Tenet is, in many ways, the culmination of Nolan’s career up this point. It is a huge budget genre movie with a sci-fi twist, and really feels like something only he could pull off. With action sequences unlike anything else you’ve ever seen on screen, it is certainly worthy of a deep dive. In movie news, we talk about some recent releases and upcoming fall releases we are excited about including The Marvels and Napoleon. Our movie draft for the week is a Spy Movie Draft, and we share some recom...

Dunkirk is the culmination of so many techniques and filmmaking obsessions that Christopher Nolan had developed up to this point in his career. We discuss its unrelenting pace, the incredible work done to bring this film into being, and why this movie is so meaningful for both Nolan and the audience. In the stead of movie news and a movie draft, we simply share some recommendations of a couple of our favorite war movies (and one Dunkirk related non-war movie). https://www.establishingshotpod...

Interstellar manages to be Christopher Nolan’s most expansive film yet while simultaneously being his most sentimental. We discuss the incredible work done making this film as well as why this film feels like Nolan’s most emotional in his filmography. In our movie news section, we very briefly anticipate Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla. Finally, we do a movies in space draft and share our recommendations of the week. https://www.establishingshotpod.com/ Timestamps: Intro (00:39) Interstellar D...