MADmusings #10: Chillin' with Spielberg… and an epic documentary!

"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with" ~ Jim Rohn

The above quote is commonly thrown around and has been said in a number of ways by numerous people. The importance of environment, and in particular, the people you surround yourself with. 

I was reminded of this fact today whilst watching a great film, and thought how this particular set of people hanging out together was pretty cool. 

My intention was to write a BeerSaturday post today as I was out last night but forgot (or rather I was busy enjoying my evening) to take any pictures and can't remember exactly what the beers were called (and no, not because I had too many :p). I had a couple of tasty beverages at an Irish bar that I've often walked past but never went in, followed by a meal at a Brazilian restaurant, followed by a couple of drinks… you know the drill. 

So what does one do following a late-ish night with a few drinkies? A bit of R&R is the order of the day, especially with the rain continuing and sporting plans tomorrow. And that brings me to this post, Steven Spielberg and the Jim Rohn quote. 

Today I watched the Spielberg documentary which was made last year and popped up on my radar today - a perfect way to while away a couple of hours…

Back to his crew. Spielberg happened to develop his career among the finest in the business. And unknown to me used to hang out with Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas and Brian de Palma. Can you imagine?? Some top dinner guests right there, especially if you have an interest in movies… and even more so if you have aspirations in the business yourself. 

They also worked together on some movies as well as encouraging and pushing each other. For example, did you know that Lucas was the executive producer and co-writer of the Indiana Jones series of which Spielberg was director? Throw in some Harrison Ford running around like a loon and you have yourself quite the movie franchise!

Spielberg is a powerhouse of the movie industry. Probably the most successful director out there (he's a producer too) and the most commercially known. He knows how to create a blockbuster, please the studios and wow the audiences.  

It's amazing the number of films he's actually been involved with and the variety of them. Jaws was where his career really took off, fantasy movies like E.T., through the more poignant Schindler's List to the battleground of Saving Private Ryan. Not to mention working with the likes of Leo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks in Catch Me If You Can, top cat Tom Cruise in Minority Report and War of the Worlds along with Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln and some breakthrough dinosaur action with Jurassic Park. 

In fact, as the film points out, Schindler's List and Jurassic Park were huge risks. They were new ground for Spielberg and tricky subjects for different reasons. There were no guarantees they would work even though now they're a staple part of movie history. Schindler's List won the oscar in 1994 for best picture and Spielberg got the best director gong. 

Definitely worth a watch. You get to see a bit more into Spielberg's personality, his upbringing and family life, and what makes him tick. He's a huge name and we've all grown up on his movies. He was directing back in the 60s in one way or another and should continue to do so for a couple more decades. 

If nothing else, it's left me with a list of movies to watch when I get a chance. Including Lawrence of Arabia of all things, not a Spielberg effort but what he cited as being an inspiration to his career and a film he still watches regularly. I'm not sure it's really my cup of tea but it depends how you view it, as there may well be a complexity contained within. 

So, that's a fairly long-winded way of saying - I watched the Spielberg documentary today, check it out! ;)

What's your favourite Steven Spielberg movie? Or do you have any good films/series to watch of a lazy afternoon?

~ Adam
@adambarratt

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