SPIELBERG ON SPIELBERG Premieres on TCM Monday, July 9

Coppola, Lucas and Scorsese Offer Exclusive Quotes as Tribute to Their Esteemed Friend and Colleague 


ATLANTA, June 26  /PRNewswire/ -- In Turner Classic Movies' (TCM) new documentary SPIELBERG ON SPIELBERG, premiering Monday, July 9, at 8 p.m. (ET)/9 p.m. (PT), two-time Best Director Oscar(R) winner Steven Spielberg discusses his meteoric rise to success in Hollywood, as well as the motion pictures that took him there.  The 90-minute special, which features exclusive and detailed interviews with arguably the most popular and influential director of his time, is produced by Richard Schickel, who created similar programs on Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese.  The premiere of SPIELBERG ON SPIELBERG will be followed on TCM by Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which earned him his first Oscar(R) nomination, and Jaws.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070626/CLTU105 )

With the man himself as viewers' personal guide, SPIELBERG ON SPIELBERG charts a path through the amazing and diverse canon that represents Spielberg's body of work.  Spielberg has never recorded an audio commentary track for the home video releases of any of his movies, which makes this film an exclusive opportunity to hear this remarkable director speak candidly about his films.

Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas and Martin Scorsese, while not featured in the film, offer insight into their esteemed colleague-and very good friend:

Martin Scorsese on Spielberg:

"I once came across an interview with Jack Nicholson in which he mentioned that he kept a book in his house of drawings by his invited guests. And I remember Jack's amazement at a drawing done by Steven. He said this simple drawing -- of a truck crashing through the center of a valentine, I believe -- made you think: "Wow, this guy's a born moviemaker!" So true.

When you're looking at Steven's extraordinary images up there on the screen, that's the impression you have. You simply can't imagine this man doing anything but making movies. He was born with a viewfinder clutched in his fist and only he can mount pictures on a screen with such precision and sweeping grandeur.

Steven and I came into movies together, and we've shared a lot over the years, as friends, as movie lovers, and as filmmakers.  But I never cease to marvel at his evolution as a storyteller, and at the powerful beauty of his films."

Francis Ford Coppola:

"There are so many things I could say about Steven Spielberg, his prodigious talent, inventiveness, the sheer joy he employs in the pursuit of cinema; but perhaps equally impressive, is his support of new talent, and the kindness and warmth he employs in the pursuit of friendship."

George Lucas:

"Steven is the consummate filmmaker. He has an extraordinary ability to make brilliant movies -- brilliantly artistic, brilliantly entertaining, and brilliantly successful. Steven's genius is that he knows, innately, how to communicate through film. He is one of the few directors I know who can actually edit in his head while he is filming. And as much as I admire him as a filmmaker, I equally admire him as a humanitarian. The Shoah Foundation, which Steven started to ensure that no one would forget the Holocaust, has filmed testimonials from more than 52,000 victims. A staggering achievement."

Turner Classic Movies, currently seen in more than 75 million homes, is a 24-hour cable network from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company.  TCM presents the greatest motion pictures of all time from the largest film library in the world, the combined Time Warner and Turner film libraries, from the '20s through the '90s, commercial-free and without interruption.  The network also offers critically acclaimed original documentaries and specials, including the recent Emmy-winning Stardust: The Bette Davis Story, as well as the critically-acclaimed Brando, and Steve McQueen: The Essence of Cool.  For more information, visit http://www.tcm.com/.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry. 

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DATASOURCE: Turner Classic Movies



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