Top 50 Directors of All Time (Total Film magazine

[ZFarms Productions]

http://www.totalfilm.com/features/the_greatest_directors_ever_-_part_2

here's the list:


50 Sam Fuller

49 Mike Leigh

48 Fritz Lang

47 Krzysztof Kieslowski

46 Alexander Payne

45 Werner Herzog

44 François Truffaut

43 Preston Sturges

42 Frank Capra

41 Ang Lee

40 David Lean

39 Ridley Scott

38 James Cameron

37 Sergio Leone

36 Roman Polanski

35 Rob Reiner

34 Carol Reed

33 Yasujiro Ozu

32 Christopher Nolan

31 Terrence Malick

30 Luis Buñuel

29 Jean-Pierre Melville

28 Michael Mann

27 Sam Peckinpah

26 Robert Altman

25 Hayao Miyazaki

24 Tim Burton

23 Jean Renoir

22 David Lynch

21 Clint Eastwood

20 Paul Thomas Anderson

19 Woody Allen

18 Joel and Ethan Coen

17 David Cronenberg

16 Michael Powell

15 Steven Soderbergh

14 John Ford

13 Billy Wilder

12 Quentin Tarantino

11 Akira Kurosawa

10 David Fincher

9 Peter Jackson

8 Stanley Kubrick

7 Ingmar Bergman

6 Orson Welles

5 Francis Ford Coppola

4 Howard Hawks

3 Steven Spielberg

2 Martin Scorsese

1 Alfred Hitchcock



I'm sorry, Ang Lee, Paul Thomas Anderson, Tim Burton, Steven Soderberg and Woody Allen are NOT better directors than Frank Capra...:furious3::furious3::furious3::furious3:

[StefanHaynes]

Woody Allen are NOT better directors than Frank Capra...:furious3::furious3::furious3::furious3:
No, they're not.

That said, that list mostly sucks.

[J.R. Hudson]

Instead of bemoaning the list; enlighten us.

[J.R. Hudson]

Damn

De Palma is 54 ?

How does Steven Soderbergh even make the list ?

[Isaac_Brody]

These lists are always skewed to more contemporary directors. David Lean at 40? Come on mang. Lean should be before Luis Bunuel.

[McLeish]

How does Steven Soderbergh even make the list ?

"The Limey"

How is M. Night Shyamalan even in the top 100?

[SPZ]

15 Steven Soderbergh
21 Clint Eastwood
32 Christopher Nolan
23 Jean Renoir

This is ridiculous. These guys are better than Wong Kar Wai, Frederico Fellini, Michaelangelo Antonioni, or Jean Luc Goddard? Are they insane?

[Billy Pilgrim]

Rob Reiner is higher up than Jean-Luc Godard and John Cassavetes? No wait, strike that--Rob Reiner is on the list of 100 greatest directors?

[ZFarms Productions]

honestly i can't argue with the top 3. that part is good. i have it in a different order, but they're all still there. but eastwood, capra should DEFINITELY be in the Top 10. This is a very crappy list.

[jpeck]

Fincher and Jackson before Kurosawa? :banned:
This is a joke, am I right?

This list favors modern directors as well as Americans.

No Fellini, Tarkovsky, etc, etc, etc, etc...

I don't even agree with the top 1, 2 or 3. Hitchcock wouldn't drop much, but I would never consider him number 1.

[Billy Pilgrim]

No Fellini

He's in the top 100. Still, far, far lower than he should be.

[StefanHaynes]

Yeah, the appearance of Tarantino and the lack of Tarkovsky is enough to expunge your meal.

[ZFarms Productions]

im surprised that its skewed towards Americans. Total Film is out of Britain...

[DeSica]

Yeah, the appearance of Tarantino and the lack of Tarkovsky is enough to expunge your meal.


What? Everybody knows he is far more talented and gifted than say....Truffaut, or De Sica, or Tarkovsky...just ask any 17 year old.

[SPZ]

What? Everybody knows he is far more talented and gifted than say....Truffaut, or De Sica, or Tarkovsky...just ask any 17 year old.


Lol! :)

[someday]

Ridley Scott and Cameron are way too low ranked.

[jpeck]

I don't know...

Unlike De Sica's films, people steal cool sh!t in Tarantino's work.

[SPZ]

I don't know...

Unlike De Sica's films, people steal cool sh!t in Tarantino's work.

Who stole "cool sh*t" from older movies...

[J.R. Hudson]

Yeah, the appearance of Tarantino and the lack of Tarkovsky is enough to expunge your meal.

I am surprised that Tarkovsky is not on the list. :shocked:

Tarantino belongs on there and in fact, I'd rank him higher than he is. Quentin speaks the same visual langauge as Scorsese, De Palma (The extreme end of the curve), Spielberg and Copolla. (Not saying his work has reached the level of these guys (although Pulp Fiction is close) but he is one of the very few filmmakers working today that is keeping the Auteur style alive in cinema.

He clearly understands films visual langauge.

Edit

I should add; Welles introduced many of todays modern techniques (Mis-en- scene) and I think Hitchcock more or less set the standard. Marty, Steve, Brian and Quentin all shoot from that manual.

[CallaghanFilms]

from: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?p=546418#post546418

The Callaghan Top Ten Directors Of All Time List:

01 Spielberg
02 Hitch
03 Capra
04 Curtiz
05 Huston
06 Ford
07 Welles
08 Wilder
09 Hawks
10 Coppola

----------------

[Mark Harris]

I am surprised that Tarkovsky is not on the list. :shocked:

Tarantino belongs on there and in fact, I'd rank him higher than he is. Quentin speaks the same visual langauge as Scorsese, De Palma (The extreme end of the curve), Spielberg and Copolla. (Not saying his work has reached the level of these guys (although Pulp Fiction is close) but he is one of the very few filmmakers working today that is keeping the Auteur style alive in cinema.

He clearly understands films visual langauge.
.

The only reason I would disagree with you is that, in my eyes, QT really has only done ONE brilliant film: Pulp Fiction (And that was 15 years ago, which is worth mentioning). Jackie Brown, while I love it, is simply a very competent movie that showed he had room to grow as he gets older and matures. But nothing else he's done has really been that amazing.

I would actually lower Welles on the list for the same reason. He really only did one thing truly notable. The rest of his career was a disaster. To me a list like this should take consistency into account, a body of work. Spielberg, Cop, Marty, Hitch, etc all have had their ups and downs, but over all have produced great bodies of work.

[SPZ]

He clearly understands films visual langauge.

Edit

I should add; Welles introduced many of todays modern techniques (Mis-en- scene) and I think Hitchcock more or less set the standard. Marty, Steve, Brian and Quentin all shoot from that manual.


I think he proves on his films that he's a film lover, no doubt. He pays tributes to many directors and merges them in his own films. But does this makes him a top 10 above directors like Wong Kar Wai? Wong Kar Wai is an example I like to use, because he's someone that actually developed his own language. Tarantino's language is the "tribute" language. Wong Kar Wai is his own, for example.

Another director that has a language that's very much inspired by another director is Brian De Palma. I love De Palma, but he borrows too much from Hitchcock. In my view, he's far from achieving Hitch's Genious- But he's a very, very good director- that "Snake Eyes" intro steadicam shot, for example, or Black Dhalia's fantastic framing and portrait of women are examples of exceptional filmmaking.

As for Mise-En Scene, John, I would disagree. For me, we shouldn't forget Eisenstein, Fritz Lang or even Melies. These are the true pioneers of Mise-en-Scene. Their use of "expressionism" is what inspired the likes of Welles for the stilistic and dinamic use of lighting and decors, for example.

Don't get me wrong, though. Welles, Tarantino and De Palma are great directors, and I agree with them being on the list.

Jean Renoir, however, is someone I don't particularly like. Its like putting Bill Viola and Peter Greenaway on the List. Great Artists? Maybe. Great filmmakers? Not, in my book. I'm a storyteller. And great filmmakers are, above all, IMO, great storytellers.

[J.R. Hudson]

The only reason I would disagree with you is that, in my eyes, QT really has only done ONE brilliant film: Pulp Fiction (And that was 15 years ago, which is worth mentioning). Jackie Brown, while I love it, is simply a very competent movie that showed he had room to grow as he gets older and matures. But nothing else he's done has really been that amazing.

I would actually lower Welles on the list for the same reason. He really only did one thing truly notable. The rest of his career was a disaster. To me a list like this should take consistency into account, a body of work. Spielberg, Cop, Marty, Hitch, etc all have had their ups and downs, but over all have produced great bodies of work.

I see your point. I do think Reservoir Dogs was a refreshing intro into film even if a throwback to the 70's style cinema. I cannot fault QT for his lack of body of work, since Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown he's done one film; Death Proof. I found that to be very satisfying.

I am eagerly awaiting Inglorious Bastards and hope it exceeds my expectations. I am not completely familiar with Orson's entuire body, but after viewing Citizen Kane, it felt like I was watching modern cinema visually speaking !



I think he proves on his films that he's a film lover, no doubt. He pays tributes to many directors and merges them in his own films. But does this makes him a top 10 above directors like Wong Kar Wai? Wong Kar Wai is an example I like to use, because he's someone that actually developed his own language. Tarantino's language is the "tribute" language. Wong Kar Wai is his own, for example.

Another director that has a language that's very much inspired by another director is Brian De Palma. I love De Palma, but he borrows too much from Hitchcock. In my view, he's far from achieving Hitch's Genious- But he's a very, very good director- that "Snake Eyes" intro steadicam shot, for example, or Black Dhalia's fantastic framing and portrait of women are examples of exceptional filmmaking.

As for Mise-En Scene, John, I would disagree. For me, we shouldn't forget Eisenstein, Fritz Lang or even Melies. These are the true pioneers of Mise-en-Scene. Their use of "expressionism" is what inspired the likes of Welles for the stilistic and dinamic use of lighting and decors, for example.

Don't get me wrong, though. Welles, Tarantino and De Palma are great directors, and I agree with them being on the list.

Jean Renoir, however, is someone I don't particularly like. Its like putting Bill Viola and Peter Greenaway on the List. Great Artists? Maybe. Great filmmakers? Not, in my book. I'm a storyteller. And great filmmakers are, above all, IMO, great storytellers.

I am also not familiar with the work of the above mentioned (barely). confess, Tarantino is brilliant in my eyes. I wish it was as easy as 'taking from' other directors (As De Palma is accused of regarding Hitch). Shot's are one thing, telling a full story and compsoing sequences are another.


My Top ?

1. Spielberg
2. Scorsese (Close to taking over Steve in my eyes with his barrage of Gangs, Aviator and Departed)
3. De Palma
4. Tarantino
5. Copolla

My problem with Steve is his body consists of too many family/children/fantasy films. When I was 14, it was great. As a man, I crave more maturity. Films like Munich and Schindler's are much more to my liking than Raiders and E.T. for example.

Although JAWS is singlulary my favortie film ever. (Not really a family film, is it?.

[David Jimerson]

since Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown he's done one film; Death Proof. I found that to be very satisfying.

(Kill Bill)

[deedive]

Krzysztof Kieslowski is 47?!, Fritz Lang is 48?! Werner Herzogis 45?! François Truffaut is 44?! Wow, this is way way off to me.

Peter Jackson is 9! laughable
King Kong and the frighteners were great! not

Where the h3ll is:
Fassbinder
Tarkovsky
Antonioni
Roeg
Dreyer
Hsiao-Hsien Hou aka HHH

people i would put ahead of Jackson that arent on the list
Bertolucci
spike lee
Jarmusch
Gilliam
Forman
Mamet

Krzysztof Kieslowski would be in my top 5

[J.R. Hudson]

(Kill Bill)

Duh :huh: :dankk2:

-

I love the KB series. Bad ass.

QT proves he can do action. Nothing cooler than the entire O-Ren Ishii sequence is genius.

[mjjason]

For me Kubrick is the top director of all-time. Everyone of his films is a masterpiece.

Here is my top 10:

1 Stanley Kubrick

2 Orson Welles

3 Steven Spielberg

4 Alfred Hitchcock

5 George Lucas

6 Sergio Leone

7 Martin Scorsese

8 Akira Kurosawa

9 Francis Ford Coppola

10 Quentin Tarantino

[DeSica]

(Kill Bill)

aka. Grand Theft Cinema Vol. I & II.

[Weston]

Terrence Malick should be far higher on the list....and Fincher is too high.

I'm not saying this is how the alltime list should go...but my favorites would be...

1. Steven Spielberg
2. Terrence Malick
3. M. Night Shyamalan (yeah, I'm young and I have no taste.....I get it)
4. Alfred Hitchcock
5. Peter Jackson
6. Quentin Tarantino
7. James Cameron
8. Francis Coppola
9. John Ford
10. George Lucas (Episode IV, THX-1138, and American Graffiti are pretty great)

[J.R. Hudson]

aka. Grand Theft Cinema Vol. I & II.





Riggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhtttt. :thumbsup:

[J.R. Hudson]

Why is it these Tarantino hata's can't ever back up what they're acusing him of ?

Kill Bill = Asian Rip off ! Asian Rip off !

It'd seem every Asian Hong Kon filmmaker is ripping off each other then, doesn't it ? Guy makes a film from the genre he is most passionate about and is accused of thievery ?

If it was as simple as 'stealing' from other works, we'd all be filmmakers.

Number 1 - Pulp Fiction alone earned Tarantino credibility.

Number 2 - Reservoir Dogs blew the indiependent scene off it's ass. Before that we had Sex, Lies and Videotape and this lil' gem

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098528/

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

(Rolling eyes).

-

Jackie Brown was a fantastic film. He took his love of blaxploitation and kept it under control the whole time and paid a true service to Elmore Leonard's most honorable adaptation to date.

-

[StefanHaynes]

What? Everybody knows he is far more talented and gifted than say....Truffaut, or De Sica, or Tarkovsky...just ask any 17 year old.
Sigged
:D

Tarantino essentially created the neo-pop film format-- a useless, turgid, destructive force that generally ruins the educated/artistic values of modern film. Currently, filmmaking is the laughing stock of the educational/intellectual community. Why? Because two-bit, brainless, uneducated hacks like "Tarantino" exist. Who needs education and knowledge when you have "STREET SMARTS" (TM) and POP KNOWLEDGE (c).

Give me a break.

In 50 years, no one will have any idea who he even is. He's just a fad, a flavor of the month.

That said, however, his Kill Bill films, while awful, are still fun to watch while intoxicated. That's about the best compliment you'll see me say.

[J.R. Hudson]

Have you ladies even seen any of his films ?

[StefanHaynes]

I have.

They're about as brilliant and original as Sisters. <----- Ad Hominem

I think the more dominant query is, "have you seen any films beyond the 'pop films' column at your local Blockbuster?"

[J.R. Hudson]

On a liner note: (Tarantino's monologue from SLEEP WITH ME)

What's a film about, what's it really about? What genre does it take?

[Duane: What, like the spine? Like one sentence?]

No, I don't, fucking boy meets girl, I don't give a shit about that. Fuck boy meets girl, fuck motorcycle movie. No, what is really being said? What's really being said, that's what you're talking about. 'Cause the whole idea, man, is subversion. You want subversion on a massive level. You know what one of the greatest fucking scripts ever written in the history of Hollywood is? Top Gun.

[Duane: Oh, come on.]

Top Gun is fucking great. What is Top Gun? You think it's a story about a bunch of fighter pilots. [Duane: It's about a bunch of guys waving their dicks around.] It is a story about a man's struggle with his own homosexuality. It is! That is what Top Gun is about, man.

You've got Maverick, all right? He's on the edge, man. He's right on the fucking line, all right? And you've got Iceman, and all his crew. They're gay, they represent the gay man, all right? And they're saying, go, go the gay way, go the gay way. He could go both ways.

[Duane: What about Kelly McGillis?]

Kelly McGillis, she's heterosexuality. She's saying: no, no, no, no, no, no, go the normal way, play by the rules, go the normal way. They're saying no, go the gay way, be the gay way, go for the gay way, all right? That is what's going on throughout that whole movie...

He goes to her house, all right? It looks like they're going to have sex, you know, they're just kind of sitting back, he's takin' a shower and everything. They don't have sex. He gets on the motorcycle, drives away. She's like,
"What the fuck, what the fuck is going on here?" Next scene, next scene you see her, she's in the elevator, she is dressed like a guy. She's got the cap on, she's got the aviator glasses, she's wearing the same jacket that the Iceman wears. She is, okay, this is how I gotta get this guy, this guy's going towards the gay way, I gotta bring him back, I gotta bring him back from the gay way, so I'm do that through subterfuge, I'm gonna dress like a man. All right? That is how she approaches it.

Okay, now let me just ask you--I'm gonna digress for two seconds here. I met this girl Amy here, she's like floating around here and everything. Now, she just got divorced, right?...

All right, but the REAL ending of the movie is when they fight the MIGs at the end, all right? Because he has passed over into the gay way. They are this gay fighting fucking force, all right? And they're beating the Russians, the gays are beating the Russians. And it's over, and they fucking land, and Iceman's been trying to get Maverick the entire time, and finally, he's got him, all right? And what is the last fucking line that they have together? They're all hugging and kissing and happy with each other, and Ice comes up to Maverick, and he says, "Man, you can ride my tail, anytime!" And what does Maverick say? "You can ride mine!" Swordfight! Swordfight! Fuckin' A, man!

[J.R. Hudson]

I have.

They're about as brilliant and original as Sisters. <----- Ad Hominem

You gotta back that up with some substance. Forget all that 'He sucks, or, it has no substance'

Say something.

Pulp Fiction wasn't original ?

What the .... ?

How's that ?

[J.R. Hudson]

Nevermind he wrote

True Romance and Natural Born Killers.

Shiiieetttt, True Romance's Walken / Hopper monologue alone is worth the accolades.

[CallaghanFilms]

...Currently, filmmaking is the laughing stock of the educational/intellectual community...

http://www.katrosephotography.com/gif/wtf.gifhttp://www.katrosephotography.com/gif/wtf.gifhttp://www.katrosephotography.com/gif/wtf.gif

[DeSica]

Riggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhtttt. :thumbsup:

Nooooo...if you ignore the Ennio Morricone music from Spaghetti Westerns, the Samurai stuff, the distinctive kung-fu elements that hearken back to the days of Chan Cheh (Five Deadly Venoms), and the heavy influence of latter day Hong Kong cinema, you are left with something refreshingly new and not seen before.

Just like if you ignore enough of Reservoir Dogs (which I enjoyed), you won't notice any similarity to Ringo Lam's City on Fire.

It's not like the guy stood around a video store all day watching that stuff for a few years.
I happen to be a fan of Quentin Tarantino, and have been since I saw Reservoir Dogs when it came out in the theaters. I own a copy on DVD. Pulp Fiction was great. I bought the script. I enjoyed Jackie Brown alot. I think I've seen it 3 or 4 times.

I just don't pretend film begins with him, that everything he does is soooo original, or that I haven't seen so many of the films that he "pays homage" to and that I have no idea how heavily he is "sampling".

There isn't enough head trauma in the world that I coud suffer for me to be that deluded.

[CallaghanFilms]

He is a decent director, but he is one of the best poo pooing writers of the the last twenty-five, thirty years.
Dialogue, baby...it's all in his crackling dialogue.

[DeSica]

He is a decent director, but he is one of the best poo pooing writers of the the last twenty-five, thirty years.
Dialogue, baby...it's all in his crackling dialogue.

Yes. His dialogue is top-notch. That is apparent from the get go.

He updated and transformed City on Fire in such a way that North American audiences could really enjoy it on a character level. You couldn't swear like that (and still can't) or talk about sexuality in Hong Kong cinema the way he did in Reservoir Dogs.

This all takes me back almost 15 years to when I first walked in to Suspect Video, and was shown the light by the owner and a guy who published a Tarantino fanzine.

Before that, I had no clue about the Hong Kong scene, Chow Yun Fat or John Woo.

[J.R. Hudson]

http://www.katrosephotography.com/gif/wtf.gifhttp://www.katrosephotography.com/gif/wtf.gifhttp://www.katrosephotography.com/gif/wtf.gif


Jesus Christi

I missed this one :undecided WTF





Before that, I had no clue about the Hong Kong scene, Chow Yun Fat or John Woo.

John Woo. The director most influenced by The A-Team ?

[Luis Caffesse]

They're about as brilliant and original as Sisters. <----- Ad Hominem

Sister's use of split screen was innovative.

[jpeck]

I am a fan of Tarantino, but I don't think his body of work justifies him coming in the top ten. I have always been under the "school of thought" that the execution is the most important thing, rather than looking for complete originality.

There were signs of his writing chops coming back in Death Proof that I think were missing in the Kill Bill series and were so dominant in his prior films.

While I don't think he should be in the top ten, it is hard to argue against what he has accomplished and done for the film industry. A while back I did a poll on these forums and a large percentage of people said that he influenced them as well as the industry.


J.R. Hudson, nice job posting the dialogue. I love checking it out on youtube at least once every one or two weeks.

[J.R. Hudson]

I am a fan of Tarantino, but I don't think his body of work justifies him coming in the top ten. I have always been under the "school of thought" that the execution is the most important thing, rather than looking for complete originality.

There were signs of his writing chops coming back in Death Proof that I think were missing in the Kill Bill series and were so dominant in his prior films.

While I don't think he should be in the top ten, it is hard to argue against what he has accomplished and done for the film industry. A while back I did a poll on these forums and a large percentage of people said that he influenced them as well as the industry.


J.R. Hudson, nice job posting the dialogue. I love checking it out on youtube at least once every one or two weeks.

Thanks

I was just going to say 'Well put' on your part.

[cinealma]

Uh, um... wow. It's always interesting when someone puts together a list like this, especially a magazine or such. Obviously this is somebody's own opinion. I can respect that. It's just WAY not mine.

I mean, David Fincher and Peter Jackson at numbers 10 and 9? OF ALL FUCKING TIME?!

I see a lot of directors on this list, HIGH on this list, that have one, maybe two large/brilliant projects on their resume. But that hardly qualifies them to be considered on such a list as this.

My thoughts on Tarantino, since he seems to be a hot topic:

Reservoir Dogs ushered in a new era of high-octane indie flicks. Pulp Fiction is one of my favorite films. Jackie Brown and Kill Bill were entertaining. His minor works are pretty good. Does this make him the 12th best director of all time? In my opinion: no. Yes, he has influenced a generation of filmmakers, but I don't think it's his "directing" that's the influence. In a nutshell, his films are COOL. And so, people make Tarantino-esque films because they want their films to be COOL, too. I say this: just because a guy dresses in the coolest looking threads doesn't make him a fashion god.

Anyway...

DW Griffith at number 91? WTF?

Wait... fucking FELLINI at 67? Behind Meathead?

AAAHHH! THE EYES! IT BURNS! AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

[J.R. Hudson]

Meathead.

LMAO

[TimurCivan]

Kill bill was an Opus.

I think that film was alot more about distilling culture and taste into a work of cinema than really creating a "kung fu" film. There were subtle choices, and selected sequences that in my mind, really pushed QT into Genius territory. Infact, the sequeces with Bud, at the strip club, and burying Beatrix are rather increadible. He is disappointment to his brother, the well trained eloquent, Bill. Its almost as if the "american" is somehow lost in the debauchery of contemporary life, and winds up quite literally alone and dying in the wasteland of nevada. To me, Bill signifies long standing cultur, traditions, and discipline. The staples of the asian cultures, and films that QT is obessed with. The american charachters, lack finnese and sophisication. IE: vernita green, Buck, Bud and Ellie. While the "asian" ( at least asian in philosophy) charchters, Bill, Hanzo ( who is even more interesting inthis respect because hepretends to be low rent while talking to an american in the sushi bar), Orenishi, Gogo, and Sophie on the other hand, are intellectuals, or at least fight with a form technichcal expertise missing int he , shot gun toting, .38 shooting, trecherous poisionings of the American set.

These films are a raging criticism of the current american culture, and the reason i think they are so brillaint is that he made a work of art thats incredibly fun to watch.

[SPZ]

I am also not familiar with the work of the above mentioned (barely). confess, Tarantino is brilliant in my eyes. I wish it was as easy as 'taking from' other directors (As De Palma is accused of regarding Hitch). Shot's are one thing, telling a full story and compsoing sequences are another.


My Top ?

1. Spielberg
2. Scorsese (Close to taking over Steve in my eyes with his barrage of Gangs, Aviator and Departed)
3. De Palma
4. Tarantino
5. Copolla

My problem with Steve is his body consists of too many family/children/fantasy films. When I was 14, it was great. As a man, I crave more maturity. Films like Munich and Schindler's are much more to my liking than Raiders and E.T. for example.

Although JAWS is singlulary my favortie film ever. (Not really a family film, is it?.


I agree. I regard very highly Steven Spielberg. He almost single handedly defined the "Summer Blockbuster" genre. And I do like his take on "family" films. His (80 ies) films are somehow Magical, have a warmth and tenderness on them that very few filmmakers achieved. The closest directors to achieve this feel, for me, are Robert Zemeckis (is it written that way?), Roberto Begnini, and, yes (here comes the bashing), M. Night. This "magic" is very, very hard to achieve...

Now I just can't figure out with the new PC versions of E.T with the "cellphones"...

EDIT- As for Tarantino, he's very, very good. And there's nothing wrong with dissecting pop culture.
I just don't agree with the top 10 status.

Now if there was a list of Top 10 Directors of the 90's, he would be on my top 5, no doubt.

And John Woo is overrated. Lived over here (Macau, neighbour to HK) almost all my life, and never liked his films much.

[DeSica]

John Woo. The director most influenced by The A-Team ?

If it's the same John Woo who ended up making The Killer, Hard Boiled, A Better Tomorrow, and ended up heavily influencing Tarantino, then that's the guy I'm talking about.

People can read as much depth and symbolism as they like into anybody's films. When someone suggested to P.T. Anderson that Boogie Nights was a well crafted and deft exploration of the family unit and relationships therein (or something like that), his reply was "I thought I was just making a film about people who make porn" (or words to that effect).

Sometimes the water stain on the wall that resembles your favourite deity is just a water stain...nothing more.


'Poison clan rocks the world!'

[StefanHaynes]

Kill bill was an Opus.

I think that film was alot more about distilling culture and taste into a work of cinema than really creating a "kung fu" film. There were subtle choices, and selected sequences that in my mind, really pushed QT into Genius territory. Infact, the sequeces with Bud, at the strip club, and burying Beatrix are rather increadible. He is disappointment to his brother, the well trained eloquent, Bill. Its almost as if the "american" is somehow lost in the debauchery of contemporary life, and winds up quite literally alone and dying in the wasteland of nevada. To me, Bill signifies long standing cultur, traditions, and discipline. The staples of the asian cultures, and films that QT is obessed with. The american charachters, lack finnese and sophisication. IE: vernita green, Buck, Bud and Ellie. While the "asian" ( at least asian in philosophy) charchters, Bill, Hanzo ( who is even more interesting inthis respect because hepretends to be low rent while talking to an american in the sushi bar), Orenishi, Gogo, and Sophie on the other hand, are intellectuals, or at least fight with a form technichcal expertise missing int he , shot gun toting, .38 shooting, trecherous poisionings of the American set.

These films are a raging criticism of the current american culture, and the reason i think they are so brillaint is that he made a work of art thats incredibly fun to watch.
So much thought, put into something that took such little. :cry:

You guys DO all realize he didn't even graduate from High School, right?

[Simon Höfer]

You guys DO all realize he didn't even graduate from High School, right?

So what?

[Weston]

Tarantino essentially created the neo-pop film format-- a useless, turgid, destructive force that generally ruins the educated/artistic values of modern film.


Tarantino is one of the only directors maintaining a high level of artistic value in modern film.

[J.R. Hudson]

If it's the same John Woo who ended up making The Killer, Hard Boiled, A Better Tomorrow, and ended up heavily influencing Tarantino, then that's the guy I'm talking about.

People can read as much depth and symbolism as they like into anybody's films. When someone suggested to P.T. Anderson that Boogie Nights was a well crafted and deft exploration of the family unit and relationships therein (or something like that), his reply was "I thought I was just making a film about people who make porn" (or words to that effect).

Sometimes the water stain on the wall that resembles your favourite deity is just a water stain...nothing more.


'Poison clan rocks the world!'

The cool thing about cinema is our percieved take from it. To some it may be more than that.


So much thought, put into something that took such little. :cry:

Stefan, you're coming close to Trolling.


You guys DO all realize he didn't even graduate from High School, right?

http://www.education-reform.net/dropouts.htm



Tarantino is one of the only directors maintaining a high level of artistic value in modern film.

Agreed. This is a small list.

[CallaghanFilms]

http://www.education-reform.net/dropouts.htm


Hudson, you magnificent bastard, I read your (link)!

Fascinating stuff!

I look forward to the (attempted) retort.

[SPZ]

Never lose the ability to question. That's the main rule.

[StefanHaynes]

http://www.education-reform.net/dropouts.htm
I have this list.

It shows empirical evidence that every race who is not white is EVIL. All the facts are true. It numbers into the hundreds, with specific, cited examples of bad people from every other race. Sure, white people have done bad things too, but there's no way it's NEARLY as many as other races.

With that list, I can prove that only people who are white are good.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biased_sample (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biased_sample)

[Luis Caffesse]

Stefan -
Then how do you claim that dropping out of highschool is a reason to disregard an artist?
Certainly any claim based on statistics wouldn't be valid - as they can be used to prove anything, as you just showed us.

So i still fail to see where a directors formal education really comes in as any sort of factor by which to judge them?
How is it relevant at all?

[Mark Harris]

<-----Ad Hominem

Shouldn't you just add this to every post?

[J.R. Hudson]

I have this list.

It shows empirical evidence that every race who is not white is EVIL. All the facts are true. It numbers into the hundreds, with specific, cited examples of bad people from every other race. Sure, white people have done bad things too, but there's no way it's NEARLY as many as other races.

With that list, I can prove that only people who are white are good.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biased_sample (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biased_sample)


Uh .................. ?

I didn't realize we were discussing race ?


Stefan -
Then how do you claim that dropping out of highschool is a reason to disregard an artist?
Certainly any claim based on statistics wouldn't be valid - as they can be used to prove anything, as you just showed us.

So I still fail to see where a directors formal education really comes in as any sort of factor by which to judge them?
How is it relevant at all?

It doesn't.

Stefan is just looking for a response I presume. And of course, has been asked to play nice. :cheesy::2vrolijk_08:

[Mark Harris]

And of course, has been asked to play nice. :cheesy::2vrolijk_08:

Man, this is a kinder, gentler Hudson. I get kind of misty for the old fire-breathing Hudson who would nuke you as soon as look at you :)

[Luis Caffesse]

Man, this is a kinder, gentler Hudson. I get kind of misty for the old fire-breathing Hudson who would nuke you as soon as look at you :)

Yeah, those were the days.
:thumbsup:




(I'm kidding - I like the 'new and improved' Hudson. Please don't nuke me. Please)

[TimurCivan]

i;ll nuke you fur master..... keep your whiny crap at the door! ;)

[jpeck]

Tarantino is one of the only directors maintaining a high level of artistic value in modern film.

While I am a fan of him, I strongly disagree with this statement.

As mentioned earlier, sometimes a stain on the wall is just a stain on the wall. Without debating "what is art", lets not confuse coolness with artistic value.

[TimurCivan]

but also, dont get so distracted by the glitz, that you miss the real passion he has, writing. his stories are more complex than i think most people give him credit for. Read the scripts.

[David Jimerson]

He is a decent director, but he is one of the best poo pooing writers of the the last twenty-five, thirty years.
Dialogue, baby...it's all in his crackling dialogue.

The boy shouldn't try to act, though.

[Luis Caffesse]

The boy shouldn't try to act, though.

I think that's something we can ALL agree on.
:thumbsup:

[CallaghanFilms]

Man, this is a kinder, gentler Hudson. I get kind of misty for the old fire-breathing Hudson who would nuke you as soon as look at you :)

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/6548/1188509350.jpg
YOU AIN'T KIDDING...


Yeah, those were the days.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/6548/1188508893.jpg
THOSE WERE THE DAAAAYS!!

[DeSica]

The cool thing about cinema is our percieved take from it. To some it may be more than that.

I think you're responding to something I posted in relation to what TC said. I was suggesting that whatever he saw in Kill Bill in terms of symbolism, etc., might have been read into it, and not something QT intended. Much like the speech you posted from Sleep With Me could have been reading a bit too much into what Top Gun was about.

Or it could have been dead on.

As for his education, what does it matter in terms of making film? He has seen many movies (borrowed from a few), thought about them and read up on the subject. He loves film, and followed his passion.

Did graduating highschool make guys like Uwe Boll good directors?

[Billy Pilgrim]

So the 50 greatest directors list... I personally think Kubrick should be number one, but Hitchcock is not far off. I just watched Rope today. What underrated masterpiece. Everyone always talks about Psycho, or Vertigo, Rear Window, etc, and they're great, mind you, absolute classics. But Rope doesn't seem to get enough attention. Brilliant film with some amazing performances and camera work, with long takes, made mostly to look as if the film is occurring in real time (with the exception of a few conventional cuts). And of course, Jimmy Stewart is great as usual.

[J.R. Hudson]

I've come to appreciate Kubrick much more than in my past Pilgrim



Man, this is a kinder, gentler Hudson. I get kind of misty for the old fire-breathing Hudson who would nuke you as soon as look at you :)

Heh heh. I'm dealing with much bigger monsters these days :lipsrseal


Yeah, those were the days.
:thumbsup:




(I'm kidding - I like the 'new and improved' Hudson. Please don't nuke me. Please)

LMAO.




http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/6548/1188509350.jpg

YOU AIN'T KIDDING...


http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/6548/1188508893.jpg

THOSE WERE THE DAAAAYS!!


Oh yeah. I remember I used to make lil' Reaper pictures of banned asshats.



I think you're responding to something I posted in relation to what TC said. I was suggesting that whatever he saw in Kill Bill in terms of symbolism, etc., might have been read into it, and not something QT intended. Much like the speech you posted from Sleep With Me could have been reading a bit too much into what Top Gun was about.

Or it could have been dead on.

As for his education, what does it matter in terms of making film? He has seen many movies (borrowed from a few), thought about them and read up on the subject. He loves film, and followed his passion.

Did graduating highschool make guys like Uwe Boll good directors?

I agree.

Of course it was reading into it too much. It sure seems that way though. Even Val Kilmer has remarked about the 'truthness' in that speech. :cheesy:


No less. QT has skills in my eyes. Bring on the bastards

[DeSica]

I've come to appreciate Kubrick much more than in my past ...

He's like QT for me...some of his stuff I really like, some not so much.


Of course it was reading into it too much. It sure seems that way though. Even Val Kilmer has remarked about the 'truthness' in that speech. :cheesy: Yeah, that is what makes speeches like that so good...they do sorta make sense. And in this case, you know what they say about macho overcompensation...By the way, Kilmer is under-rated, in my opinion.



No less. QT has skills in my eyes. Bring on the bastardsSure he has skills. I'm still a fan, in spite of some of the crappier stuff he makes. No less, it's a long way from having skills to being one of the top dozen directors of all time.

[J.R. Hudson]

Val Kilmer

Damn, I thought after Doc in Tombstone he would sure be on his way

[DeSica]

Thunderheart should have been enough. It was a little gem of a film. He was pretty good in Heat, too. Then there's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang....

...and of course, Top Secret.

[CallaghanFilms]

Doc was the role he was born to play...he'll never ever top it.

Have you seen him lately...damn did he pork up!

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/6548/1188529544.jpg

[Billy Pilgrim]

And he probably tells everyone it's "for a role".

[SPZ]

Lets not forget his performance as Jim Morrison...

[marketmd]

Peter Jackson above Kurasowa? Now that's rich!

[David Jimerson]

Doc was the role he was born to play...he'll never ever top it.

Have you seen him lately...damn did he pork up!

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/6548/1188529544.jpg

The guy's almost 50. Looks pretty good, considering.

[TimurCivan]

i think the mna deserves a cupcake now that hes older.

[Jason Ramsey]

Val Kilmer = Jim Morrison. His best performance I can remember.



Oh, and Speeeelbuurg is an ass-hat that doesn't belong in the top 100.... Just pushing Hudson's buttons. I don't actually think that.

[J.R. Hudson]

Val Kilmer = Jim Morrison. His best performance I can remember.



Oh, and Speeeelbuurg is an ass-hat that doesn't belong in the top 100.... Just pushing Hudson's buttons. I don't actually think that.



Whoa

For a second there ....

[Luis Caffesse]

Not to switch topics here....but having just seen Lawrence of Arabia again last night (BEAUTIFUL 70mm print on the big screen)....

How on earth can David Lean be at #40 below people like Tim Burton, Rob Reiner, and Paul Thomas Anderson?

Don't get me wrong - those three (that I happened to pick quickly off the list) are all great directors in their own right....but we're talking about a guy that made 3 of the great epic films ever - "Bridge on the River Kwai" "Lawrence of Arabia" "Doctor Zhivago"

I just don't see it.

Thinking about it, a thought occurred to me...
I wonder if this list is biased at all by the fact that many of those compiling the list may never have had the opportunity to see these older films the way they were intended - on the big screen.

Watching 'Lawrence' on a 21" TV off a VHS tape is like trying to judge the quality of the Mona Lisa from its recreation on a postage stamp.

Meanwhile the contemporary directors have the advantage in that those compiling the list have probably seen pristine prints on big screens in the way they were meant to be seen - in the dark, on a huge screen, with great audio, and most importantly...with an audience.

Just a thought.

[alveraz]

This list is asinine. Having a list like this can only be done with fun, subjective reasoning and must be done with friends over a couple beers. Having a definitive list of best directors is lame. No one will ever agree on something so subjective. It's like having a top 50 best colors list.

By the way, Hawks at number 4? Seriously? Didn't he do those corny Marylin Monroe films and cowboy films? Not even the good ones. I think Rio Bravo was his only claim to fame outside of the Monroe films, which were simply terrible. I don't care what AFI or any other high falooten group of stuffed shirts say, he ain't no top 4!

[DeSica]

This list is asinine ... No one will ever agree on something so subjective. It's like having a top 50 best colors list.

I think pretty much everyone knows the top 50 colours are:

Taupe
Mauve
MauveTaupe

followed by 47 shades of brown.

[ZFarms Productions]

By the way, Hawks at number 4? Seriously? Didn't he do those corny Marylin Monroe films and cowboy films? Not even the good ones. I think Rio Bravo was his only claim to fame outside of the Monroe films, which were simply terrible. I don't care what AFI or any other high falooten group of stuffed shirts say, he ain't no top 4!

:huh::huh:

Hawks' other great films

The Big Sleep (http://imdb.com/title/tt0038355/)

To Have and Have Not (http://imdb.com/title/tt0037382/)

Sergeant York (http://imdb.com/title/tt0034167/)

His Girl Friday (http://imdb.com/title/tt0032599/)

Scarface (http://imdb.com/title/tt0023427/)

Bringing Up Baby (http://imdb.com/title/tt0029947/)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (http://imdb.com/title/tt0045810/)

Ya, Rio Bravo is his only claim to fame...

[Blaine]

How on earth can David Lean be at #40 below people like Tim Burton, Rob Reiner, and Paul Thomas Anderson?How on earth can ANYONE be rated higher (worse) than them?

[Mark Harris]

:huh::huh:

Hawks' other great films

The Big Sleep (http://imdb.com/title/tt0038355/)

To Have and Have Not (http://imdb.com/title/tt0037382/)

Sergeant York (http://imdb.com/title/tt0034167/)

His Girl Friday (http://imdb.com/title/tt0032599/)

Scarface (http://imdb.com/title/tt0023427/)

Bringing Up Baby (http://imdb.com/title/tt0029947/)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (http://imdb.com/title/tt0045810/)

Ya, Rio Bravo is his only claim to fame...

Also, Red River, which was a great western. Hawks was pretty workman-like, maybe no genius, but certainly had a full career and crossed many genres well. He always put together good films.

And His Girl Friday is absolutely brilliant. To this day, the funniest movie I have ever seen.

Actually, I take that back. It's a close second to Strangelove.

[Luis Caffesse]

How on earth can ANYONE be rated higher (worse) than them?

huh?
you lost me blaine.

Maybe I've been up too long.
:)

[DeSica]

I think he means higher in number, therefore lower (worse) on the list. 75 is a higher (larger) number than 6, but 75th is a lower rank than 6th.

Diner is on. Classic little film with great ensemble cast. Even Steve Guttenberg couldn't bring this one down.

I know he is no Ingmar Bergman, but Levinson did make some very good films with an expertly executed emphasis on character.

Diner
The Natural
Rain Man (a populist film, perhaps, but Hoffman did put in a huge performance)
Bugsy
Tin Men
Sleepers (not his best work, but large cast was well handled)
Throw in Wag The Dog, Disclosure and Good Morning, Vietnam for the masses to enjoy and consume, and you have the makings of a pretty respectable career.

I'd find room for him on the list (or was he already there, and I missed him?)

[alveraz]

maybe no genius, but certainly had a full career and crossed many genres well. He always put together good films.



I wasn't saying he's not a solid director, but the 4th best ever? There's a ton of good directors with full careers.

[alveraz]

:huh::huh:

Hawks' other great films

The Big Sleep (http://imdb.com/title/tt0038355/)

To Have and Have Not (http://imdb.com/title/tt0037382/)

Sergeant York (http://imdb.com/title/tt0034167/)

His Girl Friday (http://imdb.com/title/tt0032599/)

Scarface (http://imdb.com/title/tt0023427/)

Bringing Up Baby (http://imdb.com/title/tt0029947/)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (http://imdb.com/title/tt0045810/)

Ya, Rio Bravo is his only claim to fame...

Like I said, I'm sure he's a fine director, but 4th? Have you seen all these by the way, I've seen four of the one's you listed, all of which were snoozefests, poor acting even for the standards of the day and the lighting, composition of several shots were mediocre at best. The original Scarface was a fun flick but...4th? I will readily admit that I enjoyed Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but only cause I was drunk and watching it at a drive-in with friends. But 4th? C'mon man, who we kiddin?

[Tlalconetl]

Here they are but not necessarily in this order:
1. Francis Coppola
2. Terrence Malick
3. Michael Bay
4. Alfonso Cuaron
5. Olive Stone
6. Fellini
7. Kurosawa
8. Robert Rodriguez
9. Quentin Tarantino
10. Michael Moore (yeah, that's right--he's in the top ten. Deal with it bizzle zatch.)

[ZFarms Productions]

Like I said, I'm sure he's a fine director, but 4th? Have you seen all these by the way, I've seen four of the one's you listed, all of which were snoozefests, poor acting even for the standards of the day and the lighting, composition of several shots were mediocre at best. The original Scarface was a fun flick but...4th? I will readily admit that I enjoyed Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but only cause I was drunk and watching it at a drive-in with friends. But 4th? C'mon man, who we kiddin?

i have seen all of those films. classics.

[Herman Witkam]

This list is asinine. Having a list like this can only be done with fun, subjective reasoning and must be done with friends over a couple beers. Having a definitive list of best directors is lame. No one will ever agree on something so subjective.

Exactly. People will choose their favorites based on personal experiences and associations, age, sex, character recognition, circumstances during first viewing, country of origin and simply taste. Critics are no different, and that makes any kind of list which ranks one director higher than the other completely irrelevant and a waste of virtual space.

[Herman Witkam]

5. Olive Stone

I prefer Fruit Chan :beer:

[SPZ]

I prefer Fruit Chan :beer:


Wow! Higher than Wong Kar Wai? Seriously? Like him, but for top 5?

[TheMacB]

no Cukor?

[Herman Witkam]

Wow! Higher than Wong Kar Wai? Seriously? Like him, but for top 5?

I was joking - He mistyped Oliver as Olive, so the only director I could think of this fast with fruit or vegetable in his name is Fruit Chan :D

[bosindy]

this list is a joke. I refuse to live in a world where Rob Reiner, Mike Leigh, Tim Burton are on a list of greatest directors when Sidney Lumet, Elia Kazan and Milos Forman are not even mentioned.

[bosindy]

And you really want to argue Cronenberg in the top 20 and omit John Huston from the list? Anyone want to take the case for Cronenberg in this scanario?

[ramuno]

Top 100 lists are always most notable for who is left off. If Orson Wells is so high rated for one of the all time greatest films and the rest of his work being more debatable, then how about:

Peter Weir for "Witness"

or even,

Frank Darabont for "Shawshank Redemption"

[ifownlee41nite@mac.com]

Clint should come in better than 21st!!

[DeSica]

Top 100 lists are always most notable for who is left off. If Orson Wells is so high rated for one of the all time greatest films and the rest of his work being more debatable...

The dude did more than Citizen Kane. The Magnificent Ambersons, Touch Of Evil, Othello...all of them very well regarded, especially Ambersons.

bosindy is right about Cronenberg.