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It should be your favourite rather than best. I don't think I can change it now. Also, Empire of the Sun has been accidentally omitted.
I think there's only two or three I haven't seen on the list but there's lots I haven't seen for a long time - Close Encounters, Catch Me If You Can, AI. All the same even if I watched them all back to back now I think I'd still be torn, as I am now, between Jaws and ET. Jaws was my favourite for a long long time because of the characters and dialogue, the technical innovation/grandstanding and its spot-on pacing (starting slow - building up and up and up to a shattering climax - then ending, quickly, on a high - hardly any films seem to do this effectively). When I get into a conversation with someone about Jaws and they start griping about the shark I have to bite my fist, walk away and cool down for a bit.
But after dillydallying for a bit I picked ET because it still brings a tear to my eye whereas Jaws doesn't frighten me any longer. I can appreciate Jaws but I've worn it out by watching it too often and researching it too comprehensively. Spectacular and amazing as it is, Jaws has become a box of tricks whose mechanics and surprises I know inside out. ET on the other hand seems to have an emotional depth I cannot ever quite get to the bottom of. Frights and shocks can and are (and should be IMO) picked over and analysed whereas you really can't do that to the uncomplicated but devastating sorrow and heartache in ET - at least I can't, and wouldn't want to, which is why ET retains its magic and the top spot on my Spielberg list.
As for his others, Jurassic Park and its almost-as-good sequel are next, then Schindler's, SPR, Munich, AI and so on. I have a deep and persistent dislike of Indiana Jones ("Indy" to his friends - not me!) who'll probably win, dammit - should have split his films up so he wouldn't! ...I can't get into that here and now. Having said that and thought about it I suppose this thread's the perfect place for that but I'm hungry so maybe later.
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