I read that actor Roy Scheider passed away on Sunday at the age of 75. To me, Scheider is best known for his role as Police Chief Brody in the movie Jaws. Whenever I think of Jaws, I remember that it was the first major movie that the great Steven Spielberg directed. Speaking of Spielberg, I am sure you have heard that there will be a fourth film in the Indiana Jones saga coming to theaters this May. Spielberg is the director for this new film, still starring Harrison Ford, as he was for the first three adventures. This new installment is titled Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I don't know about you, but I am pretty excited to see them pull this off. I was a big fan of the first three, so expectations are high as they go back to try creating that magic again. We will save Harrison Ford for closer to the release date of this new film, but I thought I would pull out my Top 10 Favorite Spielberg flicks at this time. This list will not be comprised on which films I feel are his best works, but based more on which I enjoyed watching the most (big difference as you will see). Here are OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 FAVORITE FILMS DIRECTED BY STEVEN SPIELBERG:
Honorable Mention. Schindler's List (1993) - Here is a prime example of how this is a list of my favorites and not his best films. Schindler's List would easily have to appear in the top 3 if this was not based on my viewing enjoyment. You also will not see other critically acclaimed films like The Color Purple, Empire of the Sun, Amistad or Munich in my Top 10. I did want to at least give Schindler's List an honorable mention since it won the Oscar for Best Director and Best Picture.
10. Jaws (1975) - You cannot truly appreciate the movie magic that he created on this film unless you watch the "making of" documentary. Spielberg was able to work wonders out of the mechanical shark and created intensity and fear in a way no other film ever had. Some of this was forced due to mechanical difficulties with the shark, but ended up generating more fear than having the full services of the shark ever could. He owes a lot of credit to his buddy John Williams, who does the musical score for all of his films, for the tension building music that played notifying you that the shark was near. Spielberg's work with special effects in this film and many of his future films was way ahead of his time. It is amazing to think that this film is now well over 30 years old. If you watch it, even now, you knew that this director was destined for greatness.
9. Catch Me If You Can (2002) - This film is based on a supposed true story and really comes to life because of the actors playing the two main characters. It stars Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio who both play their roles brilliantly. The film is a great mixture of comedy and drama. It is delivered to you in a way that allows you to enjoy both aspects. This is a very entertaining movie indeed.
8. The Terminal (2004) - This film is the second of three films that star his good friend Tom Hanks. Hanks truly makes this film special as he plays an immigrant who ends up having to live at JFK airport after getting held up in customs. The story is a bit farfetched especially with the heightened security that we now live with in all airports, but still somehow creates a connection with the audience. You honestly care about the characters which is a common result in most all of Spielberg's films (as with any successful filmmaker).
7. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) - This is the second film in the original Indiana Jones trilogy and Spielberg's first sequel. It is my least favorite of the three, but that being said, it is still a pretty darn good movie. The mine car chase is an exciting scene. The leading lady in this film was played by Kate Capshaw who would later become Spielberg's wife.
6. Jurassic Park (1993) - The original film, based on the Michael Crichton novel, was groundbreaking in many technical aspects. It was one of the first films to use CGI to such a large extent, but Spielberg also expertly uses the camera to capture the scenes in a way that forces the audience to experience the story in a special way. Though this film was a huge summer blockbuster, Spielberg does not get the credit he deserves for such genius filmmaking. He also directed the 1997 sequel, but by that time some of the magic wore off and the story he was given was not as powerful. I recommend you go back and watch Jurassic Park, but be extra observant of the brilliant cinematography and other technical aspects under Spielberg's direction.
5. Saving Private Ryan (1998) - This film should have been awarded the Oscar for Best Picture, but was not. Spielberg was at least awarded the Oscar for Best Director for this fantastically realistic depiction of World War II. It featured a fantastic cast and is a masterpiece in direction, editing and cinematography in my opinion. The opening sequence is emotionally and physically difficult to watch. I cannot do this film justice, so I will just leave it as a technical masterpiece.
4. Minority Report (2002) - He returns to his love of science fiction with this film set in the future. It stars Tom Cruise who does a magnificent job in his first time partnering with Spielberg. They create this amazing future world with incredible advances in technology, but still do not lose the attachment to the actual characters. I personally feel this film is tremendously under-rated. Although I enjoyed it the first time, it is pretty complex and I did not fully appreciate it until the second time I watched. I definitely recommend it very highly.
3. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) - At the time, this was supposed to be the final chapter in the saga and it delivered with flying colors. I fell in love with the Indiana Jones character when I was a young child, so each subsequent film was sure to entertain. The interaction between Sean Connery as Indy's father and Harrison Ford is priceless and really makes this particular film special. They even rode off into the sunset at the end.
2. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - Spielberg brings this fairytale to life in the truly magical fashion that only he can accomplish. What an amazing film! Again, Spielberg creates an emotional attachment to the characters despite one of them being an alien. He received his third Oscar nomination for Best Director (though he somehow lost to the director of Ghandi). I saw this movie when I was just 9 years old and I can remember it vividly. It's just a spectacular film from start to finish which I will always hold dear.
1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - I remember seeing this film when I was just 8 years old, but then seeing it for a second time as part of my 9th birthday party. Special times.  Indiana Jones is one of the greatest characters in the history of cinema and he is brought to life by the fantastic acting of Harrison Ford and the brilliant filmmaking of Steven Spielberg. The great George Lucas also was involved with writing the story for each part of the trilogy. This movie re-invented the action-adventure genre and we all owe them our praise and gratitude for doing so.

There you have it. My ten favorites from a person who I feel must be referred to as a cinematic genius. What do you think??? Spielberg was to be deservingly honored at this year's Golden Globe ceremonies with the Cecil B. DeMille award for lifetime achievement. We lost this great moment due to the writers' strike, but the good news is that it was only delayed and he will be presented at next year's Golden Globes. I will be looking forward to that presentation.

That will do it for another issue of Kickin' it Old School. As always, thanks so much for reading and please consider subscribing. Peace and much love.

Check this out: I noticed that Matthew McConaughey has a new film opening this week called Fool's Gold. This reminded me of a very funny Matt Damon appearance on David Letterman where he did an impression of his friend... www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuYD2cwMbpw

Quote of the day: "Failure is inevitable. Success is elusive" -Steven Spielberg

Download this: "I Will" by Ben Taylor - This song sung by the son of the great James Taylor was featured in the film Bye Bye Love. It is a cover of a song written and originally performed by The Beatles, but I think this version is amazing.