Here Are Steven Spielberg's Personal Recommendations For Classic Movies As TCM's New Advisor
Moviegoers around the world are about to be taken to school by some of the top masters of the field this fall, between new movies by Ridley Scott, Michael Mann, David Fincher, and Martin Scorsese, among others. But as much as cinephiles can spend their entire day arguing about each and every one of these heralded directors online (and, believe me, they most definitely have), what can truly compare to getting a little crash course in film history by someone who's commonly considered the greatest filmmaker alive? Many would agree that Steven Spielberg is simply in a class of his own, and thanks to his new role as part of the advisory panel for the esteemed Turner Classic Movies institution, that's exactly what fans are getting.
We previously covered the whole saga surrounding Warner Bros. Discovery's shameful treatment of the hardworking folks over at TCM, necessitating A-list filmmakers like Spielberg, Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson to directly intervene on behalf of what movie-lovers consider a vital historical resource for classic film. Well, as part of his ongoing efforts to help broaden his audience's horizons, Spielberg has revealed his very own "Spielberg's Picks" segment, hyping up a selection of films from the September 2023 TCM rotation.
The new video comes courtesy of IndieWire, with Spielberg highlighting five vintage films that further prove how deep and extensive the director's knowledge of cinema history really is. There's a lesson for the kids out there: If you want to be the best filmmaker you can be, then learn from the best and do your homework by exploring all the movies made before you were born!
You can check out Spielberg's selections below.
Spielberg's picks
You know, I don't want to speak for everybody, but I can certainly get used to the idea of a rotation of three of the best directors in the business personally recommending a number of classic titles that I should add to my must-watch list each and every month. That's the idea behind this series of videos kicked off by Steven Spielberg and that will eventually include both Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson in the months ahead for as long as they're serving as TCM advisors — which, according to IndieWire, will last until June of 2024. First up, of course, is Spielberg's choices.
In the video (which you can watch by clicking through to the original article), Spielberg singles out an eclectic mix of five specific movies released between the 1940s and 1950s: "Meet Me in St. Louis" directed by Vincente Minnelli, Douglas Sirk's "Imitation of Life," "Them!" by Gordon Douglas, "The Bad and the Beautiful" (also directed by Minnelli), and Alfred Hitchcock's "The Wrong Man."
The video is well worth watching in full to experience Spielberg's brief commentary and personal memories of each title, from waxing poetic about actor Judy Garland in the musical "Meet Me in St. Louis" to explaining the childhood trauma that possibly inspired Hitchcock's "The Wrong Man" to his practically giddy excitement over "Them!," which he dubs as "the first American nuclear monster movie" reckoning with our own nuclear tests on American soil and inspired by the original "Godzilla."
It's not every day that you get to watch a video with a filmmaker who's forgotten more about movie history than we'll ever know imploring us to watch a broad selection of classic movies, so be sure to take Spielberg up on this offer! If you're interested in watching, here's the schedule:
- "The Bad and the Beautiful" – September 7 at 3:30 PM ET
- "Imitation of Life" – September 7 at 5:45 PM ET
- "Meet Me in St. Louis" – September 8 at 1:00 AM ET
- "The Wrong Man" – September 9 at 12:00 AM ET
- "Them!" – September 18 at 8:00 PM ET