Episode 155: A.I. Artificial Intelligence

In this episode, Sarah and MJ discuss the film most notable for beating Citizen Kane and The Maltese Falcoln for Best Picture, How Green Was My Valley. They discuss John Ford's influence on Spielberg, whether it deserved the award, and lots and lots and lots of worker's/union rights.

This week, Sarah's world's collide as her and MJ are joined by her former co-host, Barry Levitt to talk about 1940's Pinocchio. They run the gamut through the film's astonishing animation, its simple but effective storytelling, and all the subtle and not so sublte ways the film has seeped into the DNA of Spielberg's films over the decades.

As the seasons change irl, so do the seasons of LJFAM. This week we kick off a brand new season! This time around we are focused on the films that inspired Steven Spielberg. Many of these will be first time watches for your illustrious hosts, and all of them came out before 1970, so if you're watching along, this is a good way to get some early film education under your belt. Dedicated listeners will know the format of this season will mirror that of our other show, Let's Party with Marty. Now, without further ado, we present a rollicking high seas adventure that inspired our favorite guy, Captains Courageous!

On this very special episode of LJFAM, Sarah (and Thelma), are live in the field, speaking with Jon Fieldhouse, creator and steward of the full size Orca replica, Orca II. They talk about the legacy of the film, what led him to pursue such a lofty goal, the trials and tribulations of securing screen accurate (and in some cases screen used) props, and what fan reaction has been to stepping onto the iconic boat. Keep in mind that this was literally recorded ON Orca II, so there is a bit of an Attenborough quality to the recording.

It's time to wrap up Spielberg Season 2 with the man's deeply cynical alien invasion film War of the Worlds. Sarah and MJ discuss the movie as an allegory for 9/11, refute even more schmaltz claims, talk about if there is a defenitive pandemic movie, and yes, brush up against Spielberg's latest release, Disclosure Day.

We pull into the penultimate stop on our journey through the second act of Spielberg's career to talk about his slight, feel good film The Terminal. They discuss the post-9/11 optimism of the piece and its connection to post-WWII optimisim, whether or not Tom Hanks' accent is good, and Sarah admits her belief in an age old addage (at least in this circumstance).

This week, returning guest Rob Wallis joins us to talk about the only Spielberg/Di Caprio collaboration to date, Catch Me If You Can. They talk about the excellent 1960's production design, the loss of Leo's baby face, and refute accusations of Spielberg schmaltz (yet again).

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Missy Lonsinger to talk about Spielberg's sci-fi follow-up to A.I., Minority Report! They talk about how A.I. primed him to work in the cynical worlds created by Phillip K. Dick, the brief moment where Tom Cruise almost became a frequent Spielberg collaborator, and the beginning of the uglyfication of Spielberg's movies.

Hey! Did you know we have a Patreon page? Check out this free Patron episode in lieu of your normal episode while MJ is on vacation! If you like what you hear, maybe drop by and subscribe at patreon.com/jawforaminute.This month's Patron Episode takes us to Northern California (which, ironically, is where MJ is spending some of his vacation), to witness a small town terrorized by spiders in Amblin's 1990 film, Arachnophobia. They discuss the "good ole days" of cinema, practical effects, and discover some similarities between Arachnophobia and a certain movie about a certain shark (hint: it is not Shark Exorcist).

Schmaltzy garbage? Misunderstood masterpiece? Unsung prophet of the modern age? A.I. is an odd, divisive film in Spielberg's filmography, but Sarah and MJ are joined bye Kip Mooney to get to the bottom of it!