The curse

[MK]

Temple of Doom is a curse.

Lucas was on a roll. American Grafitti, Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark....then Doom.

Spielberg made magical films until then:

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) (segment 2)
Poltergeist (1982) (uncredited)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
1941 (1979)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Jaws (1975)

He has made good films since.......buy not magical movies like before.

Luckily that Ford came away unscathed.;)

[BD Jones]

Are we talking as a director of producer or both? If we are talking both, I think the following Spielberg films are right up there with some of the ones you mentioned.

As a director:
The Color Purple (1985)
Empire of the Sun (1985)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Schindler's List (1993)
Saving Private Ryan (1998)

As a producer:
Back to the Future (The first one) (1985)
Shrek (2002) (uncredited executive producer)
Band of Brothers (2001) (Though a TV mini series, still up there)

Lucas on the other hand hasn't done much of anything since Temple of Doom. Unless, of course, you count Howard the Duck. Now THAT movie is a curse. That movie alone set the cinema back 20 years!!

To me a "magical movie" is on that not only inspires the soul, but on that also becomes a part of our culture or changes the way things are done in films. Each one of these "post-Temple" movies has done that. I think Spielberg has just changed his direction a little more towards serious, thought provoking movies (for the most part).