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Phillips: The stakes were so high for Steven on
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Spielberg

The stakeswere so high for Stevenon "Close Encounters." Columbia Pictureswas literally on...

Phillips: The stakes
were so high for Steven
on "Close Encounters." Columbia Pictures
was literally on the verge
of bankruptcy, and they bet the farm
on this movie

Full Transcript

00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:04.708
Phillips: The stakes were so high for Steven on "Close Encounters."
00:00:04.708 --> 00:00:07.708
Columbia Pictures was literally on the verge of bankruptcy,
00:00:07.708 --> 00:00:10.833
and they bet the farm on this movie.
Duration
11 seconds
Views
24
Timestamp in Movie
00:40:56
Uploaded
Jul 06, 2025
Genres
documentary, biography
Production
Pentimento Productions,HBO Documentary Films

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Movie Summary

A documentary on Steven Spielberg, filmmaker. Includes interviews with relatives, film critics, peers and people who have worked with him.
He had bankers and Hollywood breathing down his neck - Spielberg 00:07
He had bankers and Hollywood breathing down his neck
So, Steven had a giant responsibility on his shoulders, - Spielberg 00:11
So, Steven had a giant responsibility on his shoulders,
Win or lose, he made the movie that he had dreamed of making. - Spielberg 00:04
Win or lose, he made the movie that he had dreamed of making...
Spielberg: When I was a kid, my dad took me to watch - Spielberg 00:08
Spielberg: When I was a kid, my dad took me to watch
And because it was such a beautiful experience for me, - Spielberg 00:17
And because it was such a beautiful experience for me,
Between an extraterrestrial civilization and our own - Spielberg 00:31
Between an extraterrestrial civilization and our own
I had first thought mathematics would be - Spielberg 00:13
I had first thought mathematics would be
( music playing ) - Spielberg 00:11
( music playing )
There's a spiritual part of myself that happens - Spielberg 00:16
There's a spiritual part of myself that happens
Balaban: "Close Encounters" was much more a personal statement - Spielberg 00:07
Balaban: "Close Encounters" was much more a person...
Its genesis was from a film - Spielberg 00:06
Its genesis was from a film
( music playing ) - Spielberg 00:08
( music playing )
And there were actually UFOs in "Firelight" that I created. - Spielberg 00:06
And there were actually UFOs in "Firelight" that I...
I saw a lot of movies, and I had a whole card catalogue in my brain - Spielberg 00:06
I saw a lot of movies, and I had a whole card catalogue in m...
And just by watching movies with special effects in them, - Spielberg 00:07
And just by watching movies with special effects in them,
In a way he had lived with Close Encounters - Spielberg 00:22
In a way he had lived with Close Encounters
Balaban: In a way, he had lived with "Close Encounters" - Spielberg 00:06
Balaban: In a way, he had lived with "Close Encounters&...
Steven doesn't want to make little personal movies. - Spielberg 00:04
Steven doesn't want to make little personal movies.
I identified with this obsession - Spielberg 00:39
I identified with this obsession
Spielberg: I identified with this obsession - Spielberg 00:05
Spielberg: I identified with this obsession