Director with the best body of Work?

[Granty]

I know it is a subjective task but who is your greatest Director? This is mine.

I'm going to kick this off and name a Director that didn't direct too many films, 13 features, which may be why he was so good, a Director they say didn't make films but defined genres, Kubrick.

Here are the main highlights:

Full Metal Jacket: Great War Film
The Shining: Ultimate Horror
2001: Sci-fi
Stangelove: Political Satire
Eyes Wide Shut: Drama Thriller
Barry Lyndon: Period Drama
A Clockwork Orange: Social Commentary
Lolita: Romance
Spartacus: Religious Epic

Quite a hard act to beat. But he was more than a Director, he was a Auteur - writing, directing and producing the bulk of his work. Many great Directors like Lynch, Spielberg, Hitchcock revisit the same genre again and again, Kubrick made the best film he could of that Genre and then moved on, he may not have been prolific, but I'm talking quality not quantity. I really would have liked to have seen what he would have done with 'AI', Spielberg did a good job on the film, it has it's charm, but Kubrick had a darker edge to him and I think it would have been better for that, but we will never know.

Kubrick is an American Director even though he lived in America for 34 years and died in England in 1999, having paid taxes like a good British citizen does for 37 years. Quite odd, compared to Chaplin classed a great American film icon, spending 48 years in Europe and only 40 in America, never becoming a American Citizen.

Just something I find odd about British culture, you will only ever be classed as British if you were born here.

Films101.com rank him 13, but what do they know - but they have him listed as a UK citizen, which is nice. (Chaplin is ranked 21 classed as US!!!)

Kubrick on Chaplin - 'all content and little form. Nobody could have shot a film in a more pedestrian way than Chaplin', Ha, Hah

http://www.films101.com/direcr.htm

I'll leave you with a few Kubrick quotes to inspire:

"Anyone who has ever been privileged to direct a film also knows that, although it can be like trying to write 'War and Peace' in a bumper car in an amusement park, when you finally get it right, there are not many joys in life that can equal the feeling."

"How could we possibly appreciate the Mona Lisa if Leonardo had written at the bottom of the canvas, 'The lady is smiling because she is hiding a secret from her lover'? This would shackle the viewer to reality, and I don't want this to happen to 2001."

"A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later."

"Perhaps it sounds ridiculous, but the best thing that young filmmakers should do is to get hold of a camera and some film (CF) and make a movie of any kind at all."

[Jared Caldwell]

Grant, Kubrick is an excellent choice. I completely agree with you. I can't decide if Kubrick has the best body of work, but it is most definitely amazing.

Someone else who has a great body of work is James Cameron.

The Terminator: One of the best low budget action features ever, and an iconic villain only second to Darth Vader.
Aliens: One of the best sequels ever made, arguably better than the first (which Ridley Scott did an amazing job with).
The Abyss: The first successful film featuring CGI.
Terminator 2: One of the most successful films ever made, and almost unanimously better than the already popular original. First really extensive use of computer graphics. First CG villain.
True Lies: Though not as epic as his other films, it is one of the better spy movies out there.
Titanic: One of the highest grossing films of all time.

James Cameron is a great storyteller. Even though he may not delve as deep into the abstract as Kubrick, James Cameron is great at telling the human struggle. All of his movies showcase strong women as main characters, if not the protagonist. He has spent time on his craft, and keeps developing as a writer and a director.

Not only is he an excellent filmmaker, he is also an innovator. James Cameron has been and continues to stay on the bleeding edge of technology, pushing it forward, especially in computer generated art and storytelling. He is also releasing his new film Avatar in a few months, and will be one of the largest efforts in 3D cinema. We will see how this whole stereoscopic cinema thing pans out, but with Cameron's reputation, I am placing my bets on him!

Just my opinion! :D

[MattN]

This thread showed up as "Director with the best body", this is a much less exciting discussion.

[fde101]

Titanic: One of the highest grossing films of all time.


Also one of the biggest failures of all time...

:explode:

[Granty]

This thread showed up as "Director with the best body", this is a much less exciting discussion.

I realized that after I posted, Kubrick or Hitchcock ain't winning that contest.

Good choice Jared, a good man to boot, a womens man, too - and a nice body!

[Jared Caldwell]

Also one of the biggest failures of all time...

:explode:

Que??

[fde101]

Que??

It hit an iceburg and sank.

[Ameer Azari]

This thread showed up as "Director with the best body", this is a much less exciting discussion.

If it was Director with the best Body, it would be Shyamalan vs. Snyder...

Although Peter Jackson may be appealing to some people...

[Jared Caldwell]

LOL, gotcha.

[Ameer Azari]

It hit an iceburg and sank.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuSdU8tbcHY

[Jared Caldwell]

Shyamalan?? I personally think he is a one-trick pony...lol, but to each their own! :D

[aldebiasi14]

Kubrick is a pretty safe choice, you can't go wrong... my favorite: Full Metal Jacket,
Stangelove and A Clockwork Orange (classics).

People can't say that Titanic is one of the biggest failures of all time since it's the biggest grossing movie of all time...(not that i liked it but someone must have...).

Shyamalan in my opinion isn't that amazing and is getting worst. (although "the village" was pretty amazing and i liked "signs" as well) I haven't seen his last one...any good?

As ProductBE said this is a pretty "subjective task" and we unconsciously choose our favorite director not from his technique but from the movies they have done...

in this case one of my favorite director (amongst others) is Spielberg... a lot of his movies i don't like but "Jaws, Jurassic park and Close encounter" i could see anytime...

[Jared Caldwell]

My favorite Kubrick film by far is 2001.

[dingos8mybaby]

'Paths of Glory' was pretty good too.

[Ameer Azari]

Shyamalan?? I personally think he is a one-trick pony...lol, but to each their own! :D

I meant body as in, Physically fit...

[Ameer Azari]

I like Ridley Scott...

He's not inherently the Best, as far as I can tell...But he is my favorite...

[aldebiasi14]

2001...i saw it when i was 15 and i don't remember liking it that much (the ending maybe??).... i probably should have another look at it.

[aldebiasi14]

Blade runner.... Classic!!!

Harrison Ford is the man!

[Ameer Azari]

Tim Burton???

He's created some cool stuff...

I liked his late 80s take on Batman...He started the whole...Dark Batman thing, although it was based on Miller's interpretation of the character...

And who can't love Nightmare before Christmas??

[Jared Caldwell]

Ridley Scott, most definitely. Blade Runner and Alien are just two that come off the top of my head that are easily ace films. Tim Burton...definitely new and different in the late 80's early 90's, but I think he has gotten stale. The art direction has gotten better, but the stories have gotten worse in my opinion.

[Ameer Azari]

I loved Sweeney Todd...

I hate Corpse Bride...Everything about it was so utterly miserable that I wanted to slit my wrists there and then!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a let down, the original was better in my opinion. I'm looking forward to his take on Alice in Wonderland. I auditioned to be an extra, but was turned down because APPARENTLY, there were no brown people in Victorian England!

jokes jokes, it was a fair reason...It's not like I'd make a Mummy film in China...Wait a minute!!

At least Nightmare Before Christmas had some nice comic relief in it...and occasionally transitioned to various colorful scenes...

And the doors on the trees appealed to me in such on such an amazing level, I really can't describe it.

Scott's Kingdom of Heaven was Critically panned, but I liked it...But then, I'm one of those controversials that would like that kind of film...I like Munich after all...and Zohan...

[Jaime Valles]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Spielberg. Sure, some of his movies have been weak, but the vast majority are cinema classics. I mean, not even taking into account all the TV stuff he's done, his list of feature films is really impressive:


Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367882/) (2008)
Munich (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408306/) (2005)
War of the Worlds (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407304/) (2005)
The Terminal (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362227/) (2004)
Catch Me If You Can (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264464/) (2002)
Minority Report (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181689/) (2002)
Artificial Intelligence: AI (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212720/) (2001)
Saving Private Ryan (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120815/) (1998)
Amistad (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118607/) (1997)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119567/) (1997)
Schindler's List (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108052/) (1993)
Jurassic Park (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107290/) (1993)
Hook (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102057/) (1991)
Always (1989)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097576/) (1989)
Empire of the Sun (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092965/) (1987)
The Color Purple (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088939/) (1985)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087469/) (1984)
Twilight Zone: The Movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086491/) (1983) (segment 2)
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083866/) (1982)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082971/) (1981)
1941 (1979)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075860/) (1977)
Jaws (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073195/) (1975)
The Sugarland Express (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072226/) (1974)
Duel (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067023/) (1971)

Say what you will, the guy is one of the best there is, and my personal inspiration in this business.

[MattN]

Tim Burton created some cool stuff, but he's so hit and miss and all of his movies all have the same feel to them. Let's not forget the stinker of Planet of the Apes and most of his recent stuff has been pretty underwhelming.

[Granty]

Great list so far, surprised nobody has mentioned Soderbergh similar body of work as Kubrick, and a big RED fan, but I think his best work has yet to come - glad Quentin's mal-formed head hasn't popped up though, I heard say he is too dirvitive to be classed as a great film maker, would you agree? I think he's just having fun with it. So I'll summarize so far:

Burton is a great film maker, and that 1st short he did was amazing, is it 'Frankensteins Cat' or something like that, 'Pee-Wees Big Top' is cool. But I love 'Scissorhands', the whole look and theme, the concept, very impressive - for me his best and makes my top 10 of all time. But as stated here already, in contrast to Kubrick everything has that same Gothic tone - but is that a bad thing?

Sir. Ridley Scott has a great body for his age, he does look good for a 70 year old, and his films are good too, 'Blade Runner' is my all time fav film, for a 26 year old film as a Sci-fi it stands up today, but so does 2001 for a 40 year old film. I think he would be my number 2, and Alien is an inspired, so stylist.

I think when he dies Spielberg we go down as the all time great, I don't think anyone can knock him, so I'll give it a try. :) Too safe for my liking, I watch a film of his and I think that was great, but he tries to appeal to everyone, and I think that is where he ultimately loses me. For me 'The Color Purple' 'Empire of the Sun' and 'Duel' are the best he has done, the least safe of all his films. I would add I think he is a better Producer than he is a Director, and he sure does know how to milk a franchise - when is 'Jurassic Park 12' out? But a close friend of Kubrick, and he finished Kubrick's 'AI', so I can't be too negative, and I think he is honest and knows his own limitations as a Director. But like I said he will go down as the greatest in history, and he does have a smug face you would love to slap, but so would I if I'd done the great things that he has done.

Cameron knows how to make a good film, he has done things in cinema that has caused a revolution of film making, but once you go beyond 'Terminator' and 'T2', you have 'Titanic', some what over sentimental, but as the biggest grossing film who am I to judge. What are you left with 'Piranha Part II - The Spawning'!!! and 'True Lies', and 'Abyss', But this new one 'Avatar' sounds like a great concept for him to do, so I'll reserve judgment until it is out., until then still a great man and one of the greatest film makers.

I didn't include 'Paths of Glory' in the Kubrick list as I was stating the Genres he covered, but also a good war film, but I think 'Full Metal Jacket ' is a better war film, it has a really odd tone to it. I've never liked a Kubrick film the first time I have watched them, but they stay with me, then I go back and watch them and think, oh I see it now, I don't know why that is, does that happen to anyone else, or is it just me? Maybe it is because of that quote talking about making a film like music, I really don't know, help?

And just thinking the actor Bernard Hill has been in 3 of the 'top 10 biggest grossing films', the LOTR -'Two Towers'(no.8) & 'Return of the King'(no.2) and Titanic(no.1), not bad - if only he got a 0.01% share deal on them, he would be a very rich man.

PS. fde101 if anyone hasn't seen Titantic, you gone an ruined the ending, telling them it sinks!

[Luke Stewart]

Spielberg is awesome, but my favorite is Ridley Scott, hands down.

My personal favorites of his:

American Gangster (2007)
Matchstick Men (2003)
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Gladiator (2000)
White Squall (1996)
Thelma & Louise (1991)
Blade Runner (1982)
Alien (1979)

[Jared Caldwell]

In Cameron's defense, he got fired/quit Piranha II. Also, If you want to see the scriptment James Cameron wrote for Avatar shortly after Titanic, PM me. It is very interesting so far. He was not able to start this film immediately after Titanic because the technology wasn't there yet, so after waiting a decade, I am sure the final version will undergo extreme changes (but maybe not, he is pretty true to his vision).

[David Rasberry]

Sir David Lean certainly ranks with the heavyweights.

Famous quote: "Film is a dramatised reality and it is the director's job to make it appear real...an audience should not be conscious of technique."

Some of his films:Blithe Spirit 1945: Academy award for special effects

Brief Encounter 1945: Grande Prix at Cannes

Great Expectations: 1946 Academy Awards for cinematography and art direction.

Hobson's Choice 1954:British Film Academy best film

Summer Madness 1955: New York film critics Best Director

Bridge Over the River Kwai 1957: Academy awards Best picture, director,screenplay, actor, cinematography, music, editing
Directors Guild award.

Lawrence of Arabia 1962: British Film Academy best picture, director, actor. Academy awards for best picture, director, cinematography, art direction, music, sound, editing. Directors Guild award.

If I had to pick one film as a personal favorite, Lawrence would be it. Filmed in 70mm. If I remember correctly I saw the original release as a kid in a 3 screen Cinerama theater.

Doctor Zhivago 1965: Academy awards for best screenplay cinematography, art direction, costume design, music.

Ryans Daughter 1970: Academy awards for best cinematography and supporting actor.

A Passage to India 1984: Academy awards for music and supporting actress.

Academy Noms for best picture, director, cinematography for most of the above films that didn't win them.

[Granty]

Lean: Yes, brilliant choice, probably the biggest influence on modern cinema, I love 'Brief Encounter', some true classics in that list, and 'Oliver Twist', he defined that world of Dickens. A great man. Just had a season of his work on TV, so it is very fresh in my head.

I really like these suggestions so far, if you asked this question on a another film blog you would get some really pretentious suggests, but this list is very mainstream, so far. Lean and Kubrick about as far from center as it has gone, and Lean in his time was very mainstream, but Kubrick is somewhat Artie, but brilliant with it. Shows how honest, fair and true the people around here are.

[Aaron G.]

I truely enjoy the works of Francois Truffaut. He had away of showing humans in their "existing" form (Jules et Jim). His catalog is pretty long so I haven't seen all of his films. What I have seen (about 10 or so...) I've been truely impressed. Except "Day for Night" I couldn't get into.

As far as modern directors... I think the Coen Bros have one of the more substantial catalog. They have one or two (Barton Fink..) I'm not head over heels for... But all in all fantastic work.

Also, though small, PTA has I think an awesome catalog.

[Aaron G.]

Lets not forget Scorsese's book... He's gotta ehh... Ehh... Nice body. He's covered many ehh... Genres. And he's.. Ehh... Ehh... The man.

[Luis Caffesse]

Well, the thread started out with my personal favorite (Kubrick).

In which case, I think someone should eventually throw Kurosawa's name into the ring.

(I guess I just did)

[Dances With Cameras]

Michael Bay is in a league of his own. :bath:

[Granty]

Truffaut has a great body of work, and you can't have a list like this without one of the great french film masters. Many a influence on modern cinema, like someone like lean. I personally am not a big fan of the French New Wave, but I understand why this genre is respected so much, and therefore I can't really comment too much without being true to the work. I just feel the sense of self and the process of film maker is too head on for my own tastes, and breaks down the realism.

Yes, the Coen's, Ethan and Joel, it goes without saying. I get the same sort of feeling when I watch the Coen Brother's as I do with Kubrick, don't response the way I think I should when I first watch them, but they also linger with me, I go back to them and I'm blown away - it is hard to pick 'The Man Who Wasn't There' is awesome, and shows what can be done with a low-key film, if it wasn't set in a certain time period this style of film would be so cheap to make. You have 'Miller's Crossing' and 'Oh Brother' both brilliant. They also rarely repeat genre, easy to forget how good they are. And after seeing 'No Country..' I think the best has yet to come! Yet remaking 'the Lady Killers' big mistake.

Yes, Michael Bay, then I think of him I realize we all have a chance of making big budget Hollywood films.

Kurosawa needs a mention, but I feel ashamed to say I've only seen the few famous ones in the west, I know he has a big body of work, and is someone I will look up in the near future, as I know I can learn a lot from this man.

[aldebiasi14]

Tim Burton's "alice in wonderland" in my opinion is badly casted... Christina Ricci would be someone i would have imagined as Alice in a T.Burton film (although she's to old for the part now...).
If Johnny Depp does play the part of the Mad Hatter, we can expect a character creation as revolutionary as Heath Ledger's Joker....
...i can't wait!!!

[Granty]

Tim Burton's "alice in wonderland" in my opinion is badly casted... Christina Ricci would be someone i would have imagined as Alice in a T.Burton film (although she's to old for the part now...).
If Johnny Depp does play the part of the Mad Hatter, we can expect a character creation as revolutionary as Heath Ledger's Joker....
...i can't wait!!!

How he does go all Gothic with it!!! Needs to be lighter like the 'Pee-Wee' film, he can't go Gothic with it, can he? ANy visual knocking around, sketches of storyboards, Matt Lucas' as Tweedledee-dumb will work a treat.

[Aaron G.]

How he does go all Gothic with it!!! Needs to be lighter like the 'Pee-Wee' film, he can't go Gothic with it, can he? ANy visual knocking around, sketches of storyboards, Matt Lucas' as Tweedledee-dumb will work a treat.

I think I'm one of the few not excited for this. I'd like to see Burton take something that doesn't fit, and make it his own. He picks the easiest movies for himself. Where's the challange? I hope it's not the hyper real goofy look of Willy Wonka. He needs to explore something new. And his security blanket Depp... Well, come on. I'm tired of his character acting. I'll still see this, but it's not at the top of my list.

[todd folts]

terry gilliam

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) (co-directed with Terry Jones)
Jabberwocky (1977)
Time Bandits (1981)
Brazil (1985)
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
The Fisher King (1991)
Twelve Monkeys (1995).
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Tideland (2005)
upcoming:
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (in production; 2010 – tentative)
(my favs of his in bold)

Woody Allen with three academy awards (direcotr and writer)

[Granty]

Gilliam, shocker, slipped right under the radar. Some great movies, I love 'Time Bandits', but I think that is my Star Wars', a film you see as a kid, and it retains that magic for you. 'The Fisher King' is inpired story telling, he is an intelligent story teller. A true visual story teller. 'Fear and Loathing' is a force to reckon with. He is fantasy, I'll like to see him try something a little more grounded, I'm not telling such a master what to do, but I think he should go off and make a really low-budget drama, he'd get a lot from that,he is good with story and character, but I think his visual mind just explodes and then so does the budget - but Kubrick does that also.

DO you know what he is doing at the moment? need to IMDB him.

[todd folts]

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (in production; 2010 – tentative)

but i think he has been working on the quixote thing for a while: with depp if i remember correctly

[Granty]

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (in production; 2010 – tentative)

but i think he has been working on the quixote thing for a while: with depp if i remember correctly

Nothing like a short snappy title:Try saying that fast: Two tickets for 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Looked it up started:

http://www.devilducky.com/media/109566/

"In 2000, the director Terry Gilliam started shooting "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote". This film, an altered telling of the classic Don Quixote story, starred Johnny Depp as Don Quixote's "sidekick". After only one week of shooting, too many problems forced production on the film to stop. Even though this film has been his biggest dream, Gilliam, to this day, has never been able to sucessfully restart the project. This is the only six minutes of the film that were completed. The story behind these 6 minutes is pretty interesting. The story of this unfinished film is told in the documentary "Lost in La Mancha"

So this must be a 15-20 year project. I suppose with todays technology, it is easier for him to put those visuals together in budget then what he did.

REad up on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, sound like awonderful concept for him, does anyone know why he gave up his US citizenship in 2006?

[todd folts]

i just read up on it to. the actor playing quixote injured his back just as production started, and subsequently had to be canceled. everything got tied up with insurance and only recently he was able to reclaim the story and start making the film.

i also researched parnassus (heath ledgers last film) and from a "teaser trailer" narrated by TG it looks really good.

[Granty]

Found it, Gilliam on US citizenship:

"In 2006, though, Gilliam legally renounced his American citizenship, complaining that he does not object to having his estate taxed by England when he dies, since England is where he made his fame and fortune, but he does not want his wife and children's inheritance taxed by America "to build bombs, that's awful". Referring to the occupation of Iraq, Gilliam said he was "seriously considering suing George Bush, Cheney and the gang for making an illegal and unauthorized remake of Brazil."

[Granty]

i just read up on it to. the actor playing quixote injured his back just as production started, and subsequently had to be canceled. everything got tied up with insurance and only recently he was able to reclaim the story and start making the film.

i also researched parnassus (heath ledgers last film) and from a "teaser trailer" narrated by TG it looks really good.

How many last film is Ledger going to get, they said that about Batman, anymore to come? Sounds great did you read the treatment on IMDB, great concept, where is the trailer to be found? I'll try a Google now.

Depp,Farrell and Law were all hired to play Ledger's part in the final scenes, in his absence - the film magic world can allow for this.

[Jared Caldwell]

Well, the Gilliam film was definitely the last one that he was in production for. I believe he actually got to finish it. Dark Knight was just the first film of his released after his death...

[Granty]

Well, the Gilliam film was definitely the last one that he was in production for. I believe he actually got to finish it. Dark Knight was just the first film of his released after his death...

Looked it up:

Didn't finish it.

Was his last, only shot a few scenes and ODed. Jude, Law and Depp finished it for him, as the Ledger character travels to other worlds, so each one was cast to play him in another world space, they all donated their wage to the young daughter he left behind.

[Pietro Impagliazzo]

Mine is Chan-wook Park.

I really like his work on JSA, Oldboy is my favorite of his films.

And I'm a Cyborg but that's OK pleases me as well.

PS: The remake of the Ladykillers didn't feel like a mistake for me. I can't affirm this with much authority since I've never seen the original. But I guess people say it was mistake merely because it was directed by awesome directors, but it's just an OK film, not bad, not awesome, just OK.

And Tom Hanks is much more than OK in it, he's great.

[todd folts]

http://imaginarium-doctor-parnassus-trailer.blogspot.com/

[dingos8mybaby]

What about Hawks, Cukor and Hitchcock? Some Damn fine films in each of their filmographies...and Ozu too...

[David Rasberry]

Blake Edwards for comedies

The Pink Panther series, Victor Victoria, SOB.

[Tim Hole]

I'm in the boat with Ridley considering his diverse portfolio, not including his thousands upon thousands of commercials etc...

Soderburgh I have always been slightly unsure of. I think he is slightly overhyped but is still a very interesting sylistic filmmaker. .

Lean, Attenborough, Kubrick, Kurosawa, Billy wilder, Truffaut, Cassavetes, Michael Curtiz, John Huston, Bergman, Coppola, Chaplin, keaton, Coen Brothers, Hitchcock, David Lynch, Spielberg, Fritz Lang, Oliver Stone, Roman Polanski, Cronenberg, Michael Powell, Kieslowski, Tarkovsky, Renoir...jump to mind!!

Hitchcock is another that although has such a phenomenal body of work...still quite hit or miss though! The Birds-such a bad film!!!!

[OceanZen]

Just something I find odd about British culture, you will only ever be classed as British if you were born here.

Interesting point.

Well the UK and USA are very different, which is maybe why we both seem odd to each other.
USA is a nation of immigrants (apart from the Natives). America welcomes (or used to) people that went there worked hard and said "I love America."

Britain, is different, immigrants came much later (OK, Romans, Vikings etc mixed with the Celtic gene-pool but still)
1st generation immigrants of say Pakistan or Jamaica are very proud of their roots, and don't suddenly feel the need to fit in by going "I'm British, I love Britain" you know? Their children don't necessarily just call themselves Brits either, they are more likely to describe themselves as Afro-Caribbean British, or British Pakistani.

I get the impression from this side of the pond, that in America there is a sense of pressure to say and feel, "I love America, this is the greatest country on earth" whereas here we're more likely to apologise about our shitty weather and say (perhaps rather ignorantly) "Ooh must've been lovely in Jamaica, what with all those lovely beaches, and hot sun"

Favourite director? Hmm judging by body of work, it would probably be Scorsese or Tarantino, I know those names crop up a lot but hey.

[Granty]

Lean, Attenborough, Kubrick, Kurosawa, Billy wilder, Truffaut, Cassavetes, Michael Curtiz, John Huston, Bergman, Coppola, Chaplin, keaton, Coen Brothers, Hitchcock, David Lynch, Spielberg, Fritz Lang, Oliver Stone, Roman Polanski, Cronenberg, Michael Powell, Kieslowski, Tarkovsky, Renoir...jump to mind!!

Hitchcock is another that although has such a phenomenal body of work...still quite hit or miss though! The Birds-such a bad film!!!!


Good rounded list, something for everyone there.

And it is odd how a great Director can make a awesome film and then a true stinker, shows how even the directors own judgment is subjective at times- or they have major hidden substance abuse issues!

[Aaron G.]

Good rounded list, something for everyone there.

And it is odd how a great Director can make a awesome film and then a true stinker, shows how even the directors own judgment is subjective at times- or they have major hidden substance abuse issues!

True. Seen "Be Kind Rewind?"

I'm a Gondry fan but this was a step back... IMO. I didn't hate it, but I didn't sit down with a notepad taking notes or host a coffee "talk" to discuss the complexity of it. I got it, but I didn't love it. A little J. Black goes a long way. I liked the feel good 90's comedy vibe it had... And the cinematography.

I really enjoy Fincher's stuff but "Panic Room" felt forced. So I'll call it his flop.

And what about "Youth without youth." That's another one.

Dare I mention "Southland Tales?"

All directors are allowed their flop(s)... But remember, "first time shame on you, second time shame on me." Once a director begins to have flopS(!!!)... I care less, and less what he's doing. Remember that guy... "Guy Ritchie?"

[Granty]

Remember that guy... "Guy Richey?"

Guy who?

[Aaron G.]

Exactly.

[Granty]

Exactly.

I hate Richie with a passion... Ahhhhhh! I even dislike having to state why I dislike him, so here is rant I made earlier:

:furious3:http://www.scarletuser.com/showthread.php?t=922:furious3: (http://www.scarletuser.com/showthread.php?t=922)