He shares his own critical theories (Spielberg is a horror director at heart; Spielberg’s work is perhaps best understood when you appreciate either the child’s or father’s perspective they’re told from), his personal history and favorites, and how John Williams creates a fascinating synthesis (in the Sergei Eisenstein philosophy) to Spielberg’s aesthetic. We talk about everything from The Sugarland Express to The Fabelmans—and I was relieved to find out that this eminent film critic… loves Hook.

You can find much of Bilge’s writings and reviews at his Vulture author page. I also want to link to the blog post discussed at the top of this episode. His 2018 Spielberg ranking for Rolling Stone (also discussed) is here.

In this fun and almost confessional conversation, Jeffrey shares his history with Spielberg/Williams, really starting with a desperate quest in his youth to obtain a forbidden grail: Raiders of the Lost Ark. We discuss what these film stories meant to a young person of faith, and how his own maturing changed his relationship to their meaning, along with his thoughts on where Spielberg and Williams have attained exalted heights—and where he thinks their steps may have faltered.

It’s a robust, religioso conversation and one that is very much of a piece with Jeffrey’s career project and his new book, Lost & Found in the Cathedral of Cinema (coming May 12 from Broadleaf Books), which I have read and highly recommend.

Find him and his writings at jeffreyoverstreet.com.

Behind the Moon is a reader-supported publication. To access the entire archive and bonus content (and to support my work), consider becoming a paid subscriber.

She’s also a great film artist in her own regard: she co-wrote the beloved Big (1988), directed by Penny Marshall and starring Tom Hanks—which earned her and Gary Ross an Oscar nomination. We talk about Big, but mostly we talk about what it was like growing up in the Spielberg house, collecting and memorizing soundtracks; Anne shares the movies and moments in her brother’s films that deeply move her—also memories of scoring sessions and of “Johnny” (whom she adores), and how she almost worked with Stanley Kubrick on A.I.

You really don’t want to miss this one! [Since publishing this episode, I made the decision to remove the paywall for my podcast series. Please feel free to reach out to me with any concerns.]

THE LIST

We reference it in the episode, but Anne was kind enough to type up a list of all the soundtrack albums she remembers collecting with her brother, mostly when they were living in Phoenix in the years 1963–1968. (It’s kind of incredible to see several that John either scored, played piano on, or helped orchestrate.) Thanks Anne!

BEN-HUR (1969, Miklós Rózsa)

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956, Elmer Bernstein)

KING OF KINGS (1961, Miklós Rózsa)

THE ROBE (1953, Alfred Newman))

DEMETRIUS AND THE GLADIATORS (1954, Franz Waxman)

EL CID (1961, Miklós Rózsa)

TARAS BULBA (1962, Franz Waxman)

SPARTACUS (1960, Alex North)

AMERICA AMERICA (1963, Manos Hadjidakis)

THE GUNS OF NAVARONE (1961, Dimitri Tiomkin)

THE LONGEST DAY (1962, Maurice Jarre)

THE BIG COUNTRY (1958, Jerome Moross)

THE SEARCHERS (1956, Max Steiner)

HOW THE WEST WAS WON (1962, Alfred Newman)

NEVER ON SUNDAY (1960, Manos Hatzidakis)

GRAND PRIX (1966, Maurice Jarre)

LE MANS (1971, Michel Legrand)

HATARI! (1962, Henry Mancini)

MONDO CANE (1962, Nino Oliviero and Riz Ortolani)

BORN FREE (1966, John Barry)

THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963, Elmer Bernstein)

THE CARETAKERS (1963, Elmer Bernstein)

IRMA LA DOUCE (1963, André Previn)

A MAN AND A WOMAN (1966, Francis Lai)

THE QUILLER MEMORANDUM (1966, John Barry)

THE WHISPERERS (1967, John Barry)

THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (1962, Cyril Mockridge)

THE CINCINNATI KID (1965, Lalo Schifrin)

NEVADA SMITH (1966, Alfred Newman)

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960, Elmer Bernstein)

THE CARPETBAGGERS (1964, Elmer Bernstein)

ZORBA THE GREEK (1964, Mikis Theodorakis)

HUD (1963, Elmer Bernstein)

IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD (1963, Ernest Gold)

WEST SIDE STORY (Broadway cast album) (1957, Leonard Bernstein)

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1971, Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick, adapted by John Williams)

KING OF HEARTS (1966, Georges Delerue)

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965, Maurice Jarre)

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962, Maurice Jarre)

Z (1969, Mikis Theodorakis)

STATE OF SIEGE (1972, Mikis Theodorakis)

THE COLLECTOR (1965, Maurice Jarre)

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962, Elmer Bernstein)

THE REIVERS (1969, John Williams)

A SUMMER PLACE (theme on 45rpm) (1959, Max Steiner, arr. by Percy Faith)

BATTLE OF THE BULGE (1965, Benjamin Frankel)

THE LION IN WINTER (1968, John Barry)

JULES AND JIM (1962, Georges Delerue)

COOL HAND LUKE (1967, Lalo Schifrin)

A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (1966, Georges Delerue)

THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER (1968, Dave Grusin)

A PATCH OF BLUE (1965, Jerry Goldsmith)

THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY (1964, Johnny Mandel)

SUMMER OF ’42 (1971, Michel Legrand)

Behind the Moon is a reader-supported publication. To access the entire archive and bonus content (and to support my work), consider becoming a paid subscriber.