The 100 Greatest Directors of All-Time

lasvegasguy
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 6:51 pm

narrator wrote:

Redbob86 wrote:

Take your time. Oh, and I have been reading all your picks, for the record. Even if I don't post, I'm reading each one.

Same here. Whatever works for you. Either way, you'll probably still finish this up by the time PatDaddy gets his story finished.

whammon
Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 1:00 pm

89. John Waters
Sometimes his movies are so grotesque we want to vomit. And John Waters would have it no other way. A darling of the gay community and the indie scene, Waters first broke into cult status with 1972’s “Pink Flamingos,” including the infamous and nauseating dog poo scene with Divine. The self-appointed “Pope of Trash,” and “Prince of Puke” crossed over to mainstream success with “Hairspray,” for which he was nominated for two Independent Spirit awards. The film doomed the world to Ricki Lake, and later became a successful musical, with a remake adapted from the musical released this year. Steering clear of anything that could be considered “normal,” the only constants in Waters’ films is the setting (his hometown of Baltimore), and a hefty amount of alternative sexuality, be it gay, straight, BDSM, cross-dressing, etc. The utter repugnance of the bulk of his characters, however, gives his films a sick sort of charm. The man himself puts it best: “I pride myself on the fact that my work has no socially redeeming value.” Yet we still keep watching.
Noteworthy Films: Pink Flamingos, Hairspray, Serial Mom, Pecker, Cecil B. Demented

The Spleen
Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 2:30 pm

Whammon is this your own list or are you getting it somewhere?
Just curious.

whammon
Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 5:18 pm

Completely my own.

whammon
Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:07 pm

As promised all, here's a triple shot to get you through today and my weekend in philly. Next addition will be Wednesday.

88. Stanley Donen
Dubbed “The King of the Hollywood Musical,” Donen has been involved with musical theatre since childhood. Making his debut on Broadway at age 17, Donen translated his passion to the big screen in his directorial debut with the Gene Kelly classic, “On the Town.” In 1959, he revolutionized the movie musical with “Singin’ in the Rain,” which has been honored by AFI as one of the 100 greatest comedies and films of all time. Among his other successes from the lost era where musicals were considered culturally relevant are “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” “Kismet,” and “Damn Yankees!” Donen was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1998 “In appreciation of a body of work marked by grace, elegance, wit and visual innovation.”
Noteworthy Films: On the Town, Singin’ in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Kismet, Funny Face, The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees!, Arabesque, Bedazzled, The Little Prince

87. George A. Romero
When you think of flesh-eating zombies, you think of him. Romero’s name has become synonymous with the zombie sub-culture of the horror genre. It all began in 1968 with “Night of the Living Dead,” named by Bravo TV as the #9 Scariest Movie of All-Time, and earning a spot on AFI’s 100 Most Thrilling Films list. His zombie franchise would continue with “Dawn of the Dead” (#39 on Bravo’s list), “Day of the Dead,” “Land of the Dead,” and “Diary of the Dead,” which debuted at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this month. Romero was also at the helm of 1982’s “Creepshow,” teaming up with Stephen King for a classic display of horrific short stories.
Noteworthy Films: Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Creepshow, Day of the Dead, Monkey Shines, The Dark Half

86. Mario Van Peebles
Better known for his acting skills, Mario has the unique distinction of playing his own father twice. Originally titled, “Badass,” 2003’s “How to Get the Man’s Foot Outta Your Ass” is a singular achievement in cinema. Mario wrote, produced, directed, and starred in this docudrama about the making of his father Melvin’s signature film, “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song,” where Mario played a younger version of the title character played by his father. This cinematic gem garnered massive amounts of critical praise and indie credibility. Following in his father’s footsteps, films about the black community’s struggles in white society are a staple for Mario. Breaking onto the scene with his feature length debut, 1991’s “New Jack City,” Mario saw his biggest success in with “Panther,” which won the Silver Leopard and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the Locarno International Film Festival.
Noteworthy Films: New Jack City, Panther, How to Get the Man’s Foot Outta Your Ass

The Spleen
Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 3:33 pm

is it going to be published?

whammon
Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 3:40 pm

Well, putting it here sort of counts as publishing, but beyond that, I have no plans for it. Just a little project to keep me busy during my summer free time, what little there was.

jbcoops
Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 3:40 pm

when it's done, you should definitely set it up as a website/blog/whatever.

I'm curious to see where the following will make the list:

David Lean
Clint Eastwood
Kurosawa
Orson Welles
Woody Allen
Mel Brooks

Just a few who I'm pretty sure are deserving.

narrator
Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 5:14 pm

If there isn't at least ONE of the Star Trek movie directors, I shall be thoroughly disappointed.

(Well maybe if Nimoy had directed more, he might be more deserving, based on The Voyage Home)

whammon
Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 6:00 pm

Jonathan Frakes juuuuuuuuuust missed the cut, right after Michael Bay.

whammon
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:27 pm

Sorry I didn't do one yesterday. I had a bit of a personal situation that I had to handle. *coughcargotbrokenintoandsomestuffgotstolencough* So, to make up for it, here's a double-shot today to get back on track. I think Narrator will be happy with at least one of them.

85. Michelangelo Antonioni
Born into Italy’s middle class and growing up in debt, many of Antonioni’s films have a Marxist feel to them. His leading characters are almost always on the bottom rung of society, trying to make their way in a world too rich for them. He specialized in character studies, rather than films with cohesive plots. This sort of post-war neo-realism is apparent from his first feature length fiction, “Cronaca di un Amore,” to his most successful Italian trilogy, “L’Avventura,” “La Notte,” and “L’Eclisse.” Earning several minor circuit awards in his native land, Antonioni was able to branch out to English language films, including 1966’s “Blowup,” for which he was awarded the Golden Palm at Cannes and nominated for a Best Director Oscar. Antonioni received an honorary Oscar in 1995, which was later stolen. Although his films never really caught on with mainstream audiences, the cinematic world lost one of the true legends of the arthouse when Antonioni died earlier this year.
Noteworthy Films: Cronaca di un Amore, Le Amiche, L’Avventura, La Notte, L’Eclisse, Blowup, Zabriskie Point, Professione: Reporter, Identificazione di una Donna

84. Robert Wise
Living proof of what can happen with determination, skill, and the luck of getting your foot in the door, Wise was an avid moviegoer who was recruited by Orson Welles to edit “Citizen Kane” while working odd jobs at RKO studios (until his death in 2005, Wise was the last surviving crew member from the film). Welles liked his style (as would be expected, since Wise’s editing earned him his first Oscar nomination), and started Wise directing B movies until his career took off, among them “The Curse of the Cat People,” and “The Day the Earth Stood Still.” He earned his first Best Director nomination for “I Want to Live!” in 1958, and won two for “West Side Story” and “The Sound of Music” (both films also won Best Picture). In 1966, “The Sand Pebbles” was nominated for Best Picture, and Wise won the Irving Thalberg Memorial Award, the Academy’s highest honor for producers. Wise served as the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1971-75, and as President of the Director’s Guild of America from 1985-88. He was honored with AFI’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998, and was also awarded the American National Medal of the Arts by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1992.
Noteworthy Films: The Day the Earth Stood Still, Executive Suite, Helen of Troy, Somebody Up There Likes Me, I Want to Live!, West Side Story, The Haunting, The Sound of Music, The Sand Pebbles, The Andromeda Strain, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Rooftops

narrator
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 5:29 pm

lol Star Trek: The Motion Picture was an ok flick. But hey, as long as one of them makes the list.

whammon
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 5:38 pm

Threw that one in just for you. Even if it wasn't great, it was still noteworthy, and like I said, the list itself had been assembled for a few days before I started doing this, so when you said you wanted a ST director, I had to laugh cause I knew Wise was coming up.

narrator
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 5:49 pm

True... if it hadn't been for ST:TMP, probably no one would remember the Original Series, even fewer the Animated series, and no franchise or Trekkies to speak of today.

whammon
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 3:40 pm

83. Sergei M. Eisenstein
More of an early film theoretician and pioneer than a solid, full-time director, Sergei Eisenstein was at the heart of the Bolshevik revolution, and watched the formation of the Soviet Union. He saw film as a “montage of attractions,” basically a set of pictures that, when put together, would elicit a more emotional response than they could alone. This translated into his editing style, and made him very attractive to Hollywood producers. He signed a contract with Paramount, but the two sides never saw eye to eye on the types of films Eisenstein was to make for the studio. He wanted to make socially conscious epic adaptations of books like “War of the Worlds” and “An American Tragedy.” The studio wanted commercial films to attract mass audiences. Within a year, the contract was cancelled, and Eisenstein was deported. In his homeland, the pioneer of Russian cinema faced a lot of interference and censorship at the hands of Stalin’s government. His documentary about Mexico, “Que Viva Mexico,” was edited without his input, so that there are cuts every four seconds, and Eisenstein’s “montage” is lost. His incomplete trilogy on the life of former Czar Ivan the Terrible was banned by Stalin himself because Eisenstein refused to paint him in a positive light, instead showed him as the tyrant he was. Stalin thought this might draw comparisons to his own dictatorship, so the films were withheld until after Stalin’s and Eisenstein’s deaths. He did have great success domestically and worldwide with “Battleship Potemkin” in 1925. After the fall of the Soviet Bloc, the Russian government made amends for past cinematic mistakes. “Que Viva Mexico” was re-released with a more Eisenstein-esque edit in 1978. The Ivan trilogy was released worldwide, including what little footage remained of the in-progress third film. And in 1998, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth, Russia minted a limited edition Sergei Eisenstein ruble.
Noteworthy Films: Battleship Potemkin, Que Viva Mexico, Ivan Groznyy I, Ivan Groznyy II

whammon
Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 3:43 pm

82. Gus Van Sant
A darling of the arthouse, but also fairly successful with mainstream audiences, Gus Van Sant’s films can best be described as “unique.” Preferring to use wide angle shots that hold for a long time, he lets the action come to his lens. Most of his films are deep character studies, usually involving a plot that takes less time to resolve in real life than the running time of the film itself. After gaining indie credibility and success with unconventional films like “Drugstore Cowboy” and “My Own Private Idaho,” Van Sant earned mainstream success directing “Good Will Hunting.” Matt Damon and Ben Affleck broke out of Kevin Smith’s Askewniverse (despite the fact that Smith and Scott Mosier have producer credits) and into international stardom, and Van Sant was nominated for Best Director at the Oscars. Never taking his work too seriously, the trio actually appeared in Smith’s “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” to create a fake parody sequel that completely sells out the integrity of the original film (Van Sant memorably counts money on the set, completely ignoring the goings on of his actors). His career hit a snag in 1998 when he helmed the ambitious, yet God awful shot-for-shot remake of “Psycho,” earning him a Razzie for Worst Director. He regained his credibility with 2000’s “Finding Forester,” and in 2003, “Elephant” earned his first invite to Cannes. There, he took Best Director and the Golden Palm, the festival’s two highest prizes.
Noteworthy Films: Mala Noche, Five Ways to Kill Yourself, Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, To Die For, Ballad of the Skeletons, Good Will Hunting, Psycho, Finding Forrester, Gerry, Elephant, Last Days, Paranoid Park

whammon
Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 2:05 pm

81. Sam Raimi
Occasionally films are successful enough to gain a sequel. Sometimes, the success is enough to earn a third film to complete a trilogy. Sam Raimi has the distinction of being at the helm of two great trilogies. A man of horror at heart, 1981’s “The Evil Dead” remains a cult classic to this day, using some of the finest gory makeup effects at the time. Always able to inject humor into his films, “Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn” is almost a slapstick remake of the original. “Army of Darkness” is a must see in the horror/sci-fi/fantasy pantheon. In 2002, Raimi switched gears and took the reigns of the “Spider-Man” trilogy, with each film breaking box office records. The second film earned him a Saturn Award as Best Director. While the film style differs almost with each film, there is one constant: Bruce Campbell. There is no such thing as a Sam Raimi film without Bruce Campbell. He’s almost like an adopted son. Whether he’s in the lead (Ash in the “Evil Dead” trilogy), or just a one-scene cameo (plays a quirky host or usher in each “Spider-Man” film), he’s easy to spot.
Noteworthy Films: The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn, Army of Darkness, Darkman, A Simple Plan, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3

whammon
Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:59 pm

80. Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson is in a pretty exclusive Hollywood club. He is one of only six people to win the Best Director Oscar, despite the fact that his primary claim to fame is as an actor. He made his directorial debut with the mildly disturbing, “The Man Without a Face” in 1993. He moved on to “Braveheart” in 1995, earning Best Director and Best Picture. Since then he has garnered high praise and just as harsh criticism for his last two films, “The Passion of the Christ” and “Apocalypto.” His films are beautiful, stylistically, always going for spectacular gory violence and stunning cinematography. His major fault is his sense of forcing realism. By using historical figures like William Wallace, and by writing and filming in languages used in the period of the films themselves (Aramaic and Latin in “Passion”), Gibson tries to trick his audiences into thinking that his films are true depictions of actual historic events, rather than just good stories. During the run-up to “Passion,” Gibson faced major controversy as the film was embraced by the Christian community, to the point that entire churches were renting out theatres to watch it, and for the first time ever, having no qualms about children seeing a graphically violent R-rated movie. On the other side, many accused Gibson’s film of being anti-Semetic, as all the non-Jesus Jews were portrayed in a negative, stereotypical light, and because Gibson again branded the movie as historical truth, despite the fact that the Passion Plays the film is based on were actually created in the Middle Ages for the sole purpose of inciting hatred against Jews. Despite the controversy, or perhaps because of it, the film grossed over $370 million at the box office. We later found out in a drunken stupor how Mel really feels about the Jewish community, but that doesn’t negate his cinematic eye and skill as a filmmaker. Plus he’s not the only one on this list who’s gotten on Hollywood’s bad side.
Noteworthy Films: The Man Without a Face, Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ, Apocalypto

whammon
Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2007 3:14 pm

79. Takashi Miike
Possibly the best Japanese filmmaker since Kurosawa, Miike has a penchant for serious suspense, action, and horror. Starting in television before moving onto V-Cinema (straight-to-video), Miike (pronounced MEE-KAY) broke through with his first theatrical release with “Shinjuku Triad Society” in 1995. His biggest international success is “Audition” in 1999, which was ranked by Bravo as the 11th Scariest Movie of All-Time. The most common thematic elements in his films are taboos. Many of his films, be they horror, or Yakuza (Japanese Mafia) action films, contain graphic depictions of taboo violence and sexuality. Sometimes he will juxtapose those themes with the concept of the traditional Japanese family unit. Also, he likes to build suspense, not in the usual American way of violin and percussion-heavy orchestral scores, but in the characters themselves. Let the audience get to know all the principles involved, care about them, then shock the crowds when the heavy stuff happens. Whereas many American horror filmmakers employ a more voyeuristic approach to the camera work (the shot lurks in the trees with the killer so that we see what he’s about to do), Miike employs a more Point-Of-View style, as if we, the audience are the ones torturing, killing, or worse, being tortured. He has earned many directorial awards within Japan, including two Best Director honors from the Japan Professional Movie Awards, their equivalent of Oscar (“Rainy Dog” in 1997 and “Ichi the Killer” in 2001), as well as international film festivals.
Noteworthy Films: Shinjuku Triad Society, Fudo: The New Generation, Rainy Dog, The Bird People in China, Audition, Dead or Alive, Dead or Alive 2: Birds, Visitor Q, Ichi the Killer, The Happiness of the Katakuris, Dead or Alive: Final, Gozu

whammon
Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 2:25 pm

78. Roberto Benigni
Like Melvin Van Peebles, Benigni is best known for only one movie, 1997’s “Life is Beautiful” for which he won Best Actor and Best Foreign Film at the Oscars (his famous climbing on chairs, “I use up all of my English” acceptance speeches are still ranked among the ceremony’s most memorable moments), amongst a slew of other honors. Still, that one film, that one singular achievement in cinema is so significant that it warrants his inclusion on this list. It is a truly unique film. Nearly every World War II film falls into one of these categories: Battles between Good Allies and Evil Nazis, or Horrors of the Concentration Camp. Rarely seen is a true human drama and character study seen. Even rarer is there a love story so gut wrenching and loveably tragic. The film isn’t about war, or politics, or even religious scapegoating. It’s a story of unconditional love between a man and a woman, and eventually, a son. It’s about the bonds of family, and trying to find beauty and happiness in even the most dire of situations. And it worked so well, that we find ourselves laughing despite the atrocities we know are going on and are still to come. Benigni’s work is beloved in his native Italy, to the point that the follow-up to his opus had a rather ironic reception. His 2002 adaptation of “Pinocchio” earned him a nomination for Best Actor at the David Di Donatello Awards in Italy, but stateside, he won the Razzie for Worst Actor, and was nominated for Worst Director and Screenplay.
Noteworthy Films: Johnny Toothpick, Life is Beautiful, Pinocchio

narrator
Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 6:46 pm

I know there've not been too many comments recently, but I just wanted to say having Mel on the list is gutsy, but commendable, as it shows you're not being swayed by current extraneous events.

Redbob86
Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 6:51 pm

Not to complain, because this countdown has been great so far, but the Mel one did kinda look more like a review for the passion than Mel's directorial history. Wham, you dated a Scot, I'm sure you must have LOTS of dirt to dump on Braveheart.

(also, I'm still not sure what Apocalypto is even about, something about warring tribes, I don't know which ones.)

whammon
Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 8:23 pm

I try to leave my personal opinions of films out of it, which is why I list them at the end as "Noteworthy." My semi-rant on "Passion" was more an example of his trend of stylized audience-duping (happened in Braveheart, too), and as justification for his inclusion in the list. Sometimes the controversy is just as important as the quality of the content itself. Sorry if it sounded like my own personal review, cause really it's not. I actually love the film as a work of cinema, and I refuse to make it a religious issue/experience. If you take Jesus out of the equation (make it any other man up there), then it's a beautifully made snuff film. But still, beautifully made, hence its, and Mel's, inclusion.

Also, Bob, "Apocalypto" is about an acient tribal war (I want to say Mayan or Inca). The main story focuses on a man captured by the other tribe, to be offered up as a sacrifice, and his attempt to escape to his pregnant wife, and get his family to safety. I haven't actually seen it, but that's the gist from what I've read/heard. Hope that helps.

Redbob86
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:07 am

whammon wrote:

I try to leave my personal opinions of films out of it, which is why I list them at the end as "Noteworthy." My semi-rant on "Passion" was more an example of his trend of stylized audience-duping (happened in Braveheart, too), and as justification for his inclusion in the list. Sometimes the controversy is just as important as the quality of the content itself. Sorry if it sounded like my own personal review, cause really it's not. I actually love the film as a work of cinema, and I refuse to make it a religious issue/experience. If you take Jesus out of the equation (make it any other man up there), then it's a beautifully made snuff film. But still, beautifully made, hence its, and Mel's, inclusion.

Also, Bob, "Apocalypto" is about an acient tribal war (I want to say Mayan or Inca). The main story focuses on a man captured by the other tribe, to be offered up as a sacrifice, and his attempt to escape to his pregnant wife, and get his family to safety. I haven't actually seen it, but that's the gist from what I've read/heard. Hope that helps.

Hmmm, at first I thought it was the fall of one of the big 3 empires (Mayan, Inca, or Aztec). I don't know too much about the Aztecs or Mayans, but if you looked at the war that the Incans had just before the Spanish arrived, you really wouldn't feel too bad about their empire falling.

Before the Spanish arrived, the Incans had just finished a long civil war called "The War of the Brothers". The Emperor died, and rather than choosing one of his two sons to succeed him, he decided to split power between them. One would gain control of the north, the other the south. However, this would prove to be disasterous, as their greed for complete control of the empire would lead them into a full-scale civil war with hundreds of thousands of deaths. Eventually one of the brothers succeded (forgot which one), and as punishment he took all the members of his brother's family and executed them right infront of him, including his own children. Completely psychotic.

whammon
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 3:23 pm

I think he might have used that conflict as the backdrop for the film, but it really is just a personal chase film set against that backdrop and in the language.