Steven Spielberg defends worst scene in 'Indiana Jones 4'

[WilliamBoyd8]

Steven Spielberg defends worst scene in 'Indiana Jones 4'

FROM CNN:

Steven Spielberg is taking full responsibility for the most infamous scene in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

Actually, it's less of a movie than a horrific catalogue of everything that is miserable and boring in modern Hollywood: The urge to sequelize into infinity, the paycheck-gravitas of great British actors, the redefinition of "plot" as "a series of digitalized set-pieces signifying nothing," the notion of Shia LaBeouf as an action hero, the notion that Russians still make interesting villains, the limits of Cate Blanchett's greatness, but, most of all, the TV-ification of movie stardom, whereby every movie star is only really a star when they're sleepwalking through reheated incarnations of their most iconic roles.

But "Crystal Skull" was directed by Steven Spielberg, who has almost certainly earned the right to strike out every now and then.

In a new interview with Empire, Spielberg sounds pretty serene about the "Indiana Jones" fourquel. That's not to say he doesn't understand that people have a gripe with the central plot point of the film, which you'll recall forced Harrison Ford to run around the jungle waving a Crystal Skull and yelling "Crystal Skull! Crystal Skull! Crystal Skull!" for 90 minutes.

CNN.Com:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/27/showbiz/movies/spielberg-indiana-jones-4-ew/index.html

See full article at EW.com:

http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/10/26/steven-spielberg-indiana-jones-crystal-skull

 

[Montana Smith]

So basically, this is a classic example of an awesome filmmaker deferring to a decidedly less awesome filmmaker, purely out of friendship. (Sort of like whenever Quentin Tarantino works with Robert Rodriguez, or when Alfred Hitchcock took some peyote with William Wyler and Wyler was all like, ?Yo Hitch, man, you should totally make a movie about dreams, man!? and the result was Spellbound.)

Let this stand as a warning.

You do peyote and strange objects fall out of the sky and land in the desert!

 

[gabbagabbahey]

Actually, it's less of a movie than a horrific catalogue of everything that is miserable and boring in modern Hollywood: See full article at EW.com:

I saw this Movie twice in the theaters when it first came out and the crowds were large & enthusiastic. Is it the greatest movie ever? Nah. But even the worst Indy is better than 90% of is released in any given year.

Good thing forums like this weren't around when Raiders came out or we might never have gotten another Indy pic. : ) JMHO.

Will check out the link, thanks.

 

[Crack that whip]

That's not to say he doesn't understand that people have a gripe with the central plot point of the film, which you'll recall forced Harrison Ford to run around the jungle waving a Crystal Skull and yelling "Crystal Skull! Crystal Skull! Crystal Skull!" for 90 minutes.

Er, wait - what?


Ok, I do get people not enjoying the movie, but honestly, can't this guy do better to criticize it than just make stuff up? I get exaggeration for effect, but this isn't even that...

 

[Indy's brother]

Yeah, this is a shining example of why it's cool to hate on KOTCS. You don't even have to have a valid point to jump on that bandwagon. You can feign intellect by taking the cheap shot. No matter how lame.

 

[Joe Brody]

If this is how Spielberg defends something, I'd hate to see an attack.

. . . and I thought the Tarzan scene was the worst. Wasn't that Spielberg's idea as well? And the gopher dirt pile?

I detect a trend.

The man can be petty.

 

[Montana Smith]

Yeah, this is a shining example of why it's cool to hate on KOTCS. You don't even have to have a valid point to jump on that bandwagon. You can feign intellect by taking the cheap shot. No matter how lame.

Let this stand as a warning.

You do peyote and strange reviews fall out of the sky and land in the internet!

 

[Forbidden Eye]

I just love how blunt the title is.

In my opinion the fridge scene was the best part of the whole film.

 

[Montana Smith]

I just love how blunt the title is.

In my opinion the fridge scene was the best part of the whole film.

Yes, as without the fridge there wouldn't have been a Doomtown - which was the most tense cliffhanger in the movie.

 

[Olliana]

I love the whole build-up to the detonation. When I saw it for the first time, I felt really bad for Indy and was like, wtf? Those creepy mannequins, the whole fakey town, a true nightmare. And then Indy's timing at closing the fridge and the following seconds of pure destruction still blow me off.
Sure, the whole situation could have been solved more cleverly instead of making a joke out of it, but I think Spielberg has a point. Now it's an iconic scene, well known by people all over the world, and that's just what the rolling boulder from Raiders is.

 

[oki9Sedo]

To be honest, the only scene that really gets my goat is actually the Mutt/Spalko swordfight. "Its not a match, mom!", Indy smirking with pride, I just didn't like it.

I actually enjoyed the fridge moment!

 

[DoomsdayFAN]

I enjoyed the fridge moment. I didn't think it was bad at all. Now, the Tarzen stuff, and whole climax (or lack of a decent one) was pretty lackluster.

 

[Rocket Surgeon]

He wasn't defending it on the AFI special...

 

[EvilEmperorZoRG]

I enjoyed the fridge moment. I didn't think it was bad at all. Now, the Tarzen stuff, and whole climax (or lack of a decent one) was pretty lackluster.

Yes me too, the fridge scene was nice and something great to remember when you get out of the theater and I still think that the ending scene when the aliens destroy everything and then disapear is Epic. Great Ending for an Indiana Jones film but not a great ending for Indiana Jones in general.
Anyway, the tarzan scene was a bad scene. Not that it ruins the movie, but the monkeys could have been kept out.

 

[Attila the Professor]

He wasn't defending it on the AFI special...

Well, it's not clear that anything he said on the special was really true, as we've been discussing...

 

[Rocket Surgeon]

Well, it's not clear that anything he said on the special was really true, as we've been discussing...

A provocative subject whose time has truly come...with special focus on the idea of "anything".

Then on to how to prorate what we perpetuate.

 

[Finn]

I enjoyed the fridge moment. I didn't think it was bad at all. Now, the Tarzen stuff, and whole climax (or lack of a decent one) was pretty lackluster.

Heh, yeah. When I first read that story, I immediately thought that if the fridge really was the worst scene in all the movie, then what we actually have here is a masterpiece.