QUICK CUTS: THE OVERRATED OR UNDERRATED GAME (ANSWER 2)
(Quick Cuts created by Michael Arruda)

With the recent release of SUPER 8, the new alien movie from director J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg, we’re going to play a game of “Overrated/Underrated.”

Are the following overrated or underrated?

1. Steven Spielberg
2. J.J. Abrams
3. ET, the Extraterrestrial
4. The Cloverfield Monster

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ANSWER # 2

LL SOARES answers:

People are still afraid to go in the water, thanks to JAWS (1975).

1. Steven Spielberg

Very Overrated. Hey, I like some of his movies. DUEL (1971) was a terrific debut. JAWS (1975) was great and still holds up quite well, mechanical shark and all. It’s still the one movie that comes to mind first when I think about summertime. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977) and JURASSIC PARK (1993) had some good moments. I even like EMPIRE OF THE SUN (1987) and the first part of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998).

So I don’t hate the guy. But people treat him like some cinematic deity, and I just don’t see it. He’s not consistently good. For every good movie, he has two or three bad ones, or boring ones. To me, he just isn’t in the same league as masters like Kubrick, Peckinpah and Hitchcock.

And he has a sentimental streak a mile long. It’s actually ruined some of his movies that could have been a lot better.

2. J.J. Abrams

I’ve been a fan of most projects he’s been involved with, so I’d have to say Underrated. But that’s bound to change eventually.

I actually liked his reboot of STAR TREK (2009) I didn’t think it was the best thing since sliced bread like a lot of people, but it was a fun way to recharge the series. SUPER 8, despite its flaws, was pretty enjoyable. And I’ve been a fan of his TV work for a while now, especially LOST.

Alien Pals: E.T. and Michael Jackson. Visitors from outer space.

3. ET, the Extraterrestrial

Overrated.

Too cute. Too sentimental. Too nauseating. Spielberg tried to do something different by making a movie about an alien monster who was NICE. Not necessarily a bad idea in theory—look at a classic like the original THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, (1951) where a good alien tries to save us from ourselves—but in Spielberg’s hands it’s pure fructose corn syrup. I saw this when it first came out, as a kid, and soon after the dentist said I had three cavities. Give me those murderous, crazy-as-hell alien monsters over E.T. any day.

Also, the effects were awful. E.T. looks like a stiff, plastic puppet. Or a giant bobble-head.  He couldn’t even walk right. This was cutting-edge technology in 1982? What did they spend, like ten bucks on this guy?

Eeegah! It's the CLOVERFIELD MONSTER!

4. The Cloverfield Monster

Underrated.

I liked this monster a lot, even though they didn’t show him enough in the movie. I can’t wait til he takes on King Kong and Godzilla. We want more CLOVERFIELD!

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