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Trial Royale: Best Spielberg Movie, Round 1—Sci-Fi Division

Welcome to the first week of the Steven Spielberg Trial Royale! Cast your vote here for which Spielberg sci-fi movie should take the crown.

By Dave Gonzales, Joanna Robinson, Neil MillerMarch 28, 2024, 12:12 pm UTC • 1 min

This week, Dave, Neil, and Joanna kick off another Trial Royale! In this multi-week series, they’ll be debating the best movie directed by Steven Spielberg. They begin with the Sci-Fi Division!

They start by discussing the man himself, Steven Spielberg, and what makes his movies so special (5:57). Then, they go through some pretrial awards and dismissals (22:34). Finally, they reveal the movies that will be represented in the Sci-Fi Division and debate which two should move on to the final round (31:36).

Now it’s up to you to decide! What is Steven Spielberg’s best sci-fi movie? You can vote for the winner at ⁠TheRinger.com⁠, on The Ringer’s X feed, and in the Spotify app, where you’ll find Trial by Content. The winner will be announced on the next episode!

You can send your picks for the next topic and a few sentences to support your pick to ⁠TrialByContent@gmail.com⁠. You can also submit suggestions for future Trial by Content topics. Is there a great pop culture debate that you’d like us to settle? Send it on over!

For a list of all the movies discussed on this week’s episode and a preview of what is to come on Trial by Content, head on over to ⁠Letterboxd.com/TrialByContent⁠ and follow us there!

Hosts: Dave Gonzales, Joanna Robinson, and Neil Miller
Associate Producer: Carlos Chiriboga
Additional Production Supervision: Arjuna Ramgopal
Theme Song and Other Music Credits: Devon Renaldo

Subscribe: Spotify

Dave Gonzales

Dave Gonzales is a writer, producer, and podcast host living in Denver, Colorado. He is the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller ‘MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios.’ His other podcasts are ‘Fighting in the War Room’ and ‘Da7e and Neil’s Pop Culture Adventure.’

Joanna Robinson

Joanna Robinson is a cultural critic appearing on several podcasts, including ‘House of R,’ ‘Prestige TV,’ and ‘Trial by Content.’ Formerly a senior writer at Vanity Fair from 2014-21, she is the author of the New York Times bestselling book ‘MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios.’

Neil Miller

Neil Miller has been a podcaster and pop culture blogger since 2006, when he founded the independent website Film School Rejects. He has cohosted popular pods about ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Lost,’ has produced a TV show (‘One Perfect Shot’), and is a tortured lifelong Cleveland sports fan.