1941

This strangely underrated comedy from Steven Spielberg is neither a disaster nor even Spielberg's worst film (as one might be led to believe). It's 2 1/2 hours of comic anarchy that plays out like a combination of The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming and the what I imagine the cut pie fight scene from Dr. Strangelove might be like. Even when it's not funny, one can sense the joy and enthusiasm in the making of it. This is a fictional account of riots in Los Angeles when a Japanese submarine is spotted off of the California coast not long after Pearl Harbor. One of the most spectacular scenes is a prolonged airplane dogfight through the middle of downtown Hollywood, with a riot going on in the streets below. In fact, I have no idea how they pulled it off as convincingly as they did. The film must have had a significant budget. It's a strangely fun film with an all-star cast that's certainly worth watching at least once.