Clockwise from top left: 'E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,' 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' 'Disclosure Day' and 'Saving Private Ryan' Everett Collection (3); Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment In Disclosure Day, the whole human race watches the same thing at the same time. It’s in the trailer, all those staring eyes full of wonder. No logical person today thinks a worldwide audience can still share a collective feeling from one mass viewing experience. But creating global emotional events is, or was, Steven Spielberg’s job. The great white shark. The extra-terrestrial. He made archaeology fun. He had a T. Rex. His hard-R war pictures earned boffo dollars. His name still epitomizes success, no matter if he hasn’t directed a hit this decade. Is Disclosure Day his summer comeback, another low-turnout late masterpiece, more wannabe spectacle, One of the Weird Ones? Even his failures belong in a museum. His best work feels personal, connecting audiences to each other and to their own childlike sense of awe. His gigantic filmography — he directed two films in one year, six different years! — is a cozy house he built for everyone. We’re gonna need a bigger home.
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35. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
Image Credit: Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection Because this dinosaur sequel is such a pointless romp where boring people get mauled so a billionaire can rally public opinion for a boardroom showdown, it’s worth noting how remote Spielberg’s output could feel at his ‘90s peak. Far from the suburbia of his early Amblin days, his films now took place on distant islands and in long-ago times. David Koepp’s script tries to fix Michael Crichton’s lame book a few dumb ways, adding poachers and a stowaway daughter who slays a raptor using gymnastics. For no apparent reason, San Diego gets kaiju’d. The first time you see Jeff Goldblum, he’s yawning. The climax puts the T. Rex to sleep.
