Top 10 American Movie Directors

[Parklife]

MSNBC Film Critic John Hartle came out with his top 10 american film diretors:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/992307.asp?0dm=C1AWL

“THESE 10 FILMMAKERS have established turf that’s decidedly their own. Each uses his own, persuasively personal filter to view a wide range of subjects.”

WOODY ALLEN

ROBERT ALTMAN

JOEL COEN

FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA

CLINT EASTWOOD

DAVID LYNCH

TERRENCE MALICK

JOHN SAYLES

MARTIN SCORSESE

STEVEN SPIELBERG
___________________________

The actual article spells out some of the highlights for each of them. Pretty good list as far as I'm concerned but I'd swith out Terrence Malick and John Sayles and toss in Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam. The work of those two easily surpasses Malick and Sayles in my mind.

 

[Guest]

WOODY ALLEN - no

ROBERT ALTMAN - the traitor guy?

JOEL COEN- yes

FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA- yes

CLINT EASTWOOD- yes, very dramatic films

DAVID LYNCH- yes, bizarre but cool

TERRENCE MALICK- who?

JOHN SAYLES- who?

MARTIN SCORSESE- hell yes

STEVEN SPIELBERG- hell no, too sappy

why is Stanley Kubrick and John Waters excluded?

 

[Morcheeba]

<--- Adores Robert Altman and Scorsese

Scott X found 'Minority Report' too sappy?

Interesting.

 

[Morcheeba]

Re: Re: Top 10 American Movie Directors

why is Stanley Kubrick and John Waters excluded?

I didn't even open the thread. Looks like he's rating current directors since even Hitchcock didn't make the list.

 

[Parklife]

No.. i think it must have been "Jaws" that was too sappy...

Kubrick isn't listed as the critic was only discussing living directors.

He's definitely on my personal list of all top american directors of all time though.

John Waters... well, he's not there because... well, I'm not particularly a fan... perhaps Mr. Hartle isn't either..

 

[Queersetti]

MSNBC Film Critic John Hartle came out with his top 10 american film diretors:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/992307.asp?0dm=C1AWL

“THESE 10 FILMMAKERS have established turf that’s decidedly their own. Each uses his own, persuasively personal filter to view a wide range of subjects.”

WOODY ALLEN

ROBERT ALTMAN

JOEL COEN

FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA

CLINT EASTWOOD

DAVID LYNCH

TERRENCE MALICK

JOHN SAYLES

MARTIN SCORSESE

STEVEN SPIELBERG
___________________________

The actual article spells out some of the highlights for each of them. Pretty good list as far as I'm concerned but I'd swith out Terrence Malick and John Sayles and toss in Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam. The work of those two easily surpasses Malick and Sayles in my mind.

I think it's a pretty good list. I'd keep Sayles, he's at least as good as Joel Coen, but I agree with you about Malick. He's never lived up to his potential in my estimation.
The most glaring omission, I think, is Jonathan Demme.

 

[Bluereign]

I like Rob Reiner.

 

[Guest]

No.. i think it must have been "Jaws" that was too sappy...

no, its just boring.

 

[sticky_keyboard]

I like Rob Reiner.

Rob Reiner is extremely average.

How about:

John Ford.

Orson Wells.

Stanley Lubitsch.

Michael Curtiz.

The list makes it seem like no one before 1980 ever made a picture.

 

[Parklife]

The article was specifically about best LIVING american directors...

sorry I wasn't more clear in the first post...

 

[tortoise]

Terry Gilliam (and yes, he is American, Monty Python pedigree notwithstanding) is a personal fave on the strength of Brazil alone, but I don't know who I'd knock off that list to include him.

 

[tortoise]

Oh, and if you allowed documentarians to sully the list, Errol Morris would certainly be up there. Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control is one of the best movies of the last 10 years.

 

[SuprSalor]

Hhmmmm... Kinda suprised Lucas isn't there.

Other fav's o' mine would be John Carpenter and Ridley Scott, but also wouldn't know who to bump.

 

[tortoise]

Ridley Scott rocks, but he's quite British.

Lucas moves further and further away from any list of great directors with each new movie, I'm afraid...

 

[Guest]

Other fav's o' mine would be John Carpenter and Ridley Scott, but also wouldn't know who to bump.

both are talented directors. A bit surprised to not see Peter Jackson there.

 

[Parklife]

Peter Jackson is from New Zealand.

And I'd say Malick can be dropped from the list simply because 3 movies in 30 years shouldn't garner him among the top 10 no matter how good they are.

and John Sayles... well, i've just never been a fan.

 

[Queersetti]

both are talented directors. A bit surprised to not see Peter Jackson there.

Peter Jackson is not an American, and even if he was, I personally don't see how his achievements come close to those of the people on the list.

 

[kjtatts]

I love Quentin Tarantino movies...... he's awesome

 

[tortoise]

Peter Jackson is not an American, and even if he was, I personally don't see how his achievements come close to those of the people on the list.

Blasphemer!

I must assume that you have yet to experience the slice of Jacksonian genius that is Meet The Feebles.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005Y703.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Heh.

 

[Guest]

Blasphemer!

I must assume that you have yet to experience the slice of Jacksonian genius that is Meet The Feebles.

I was going to mention that but wasn't sure if anyone here had even heard of it. I saw it 3 years ago and must say, it is the strangest but funniest film I've ever seen. Muppets w/ drugs and porn!!!!

 

[SweetLuvin]

Re: Re: Top 10 American Movie Directors

why is Stanley Kubrick and John Waters excluded?

AGREED!

 

[Dillinger]

Its a good list. As good as anything with artificial limitations. Anytime you limit something to the "TOP 10" or any number of course there is going to be good choices missing so it ends up coming down to making a choice, usually based on personal bias.

I think that list has excellent and influential directors on it - and I think its missing quite a few who should be on it as well. So I could do a top 20 and add Demme, and Gillia, and the Coen Brothers, and Carpenter, and Rob Reiner and others. And then even with 20 someone would come in and say "What about..." and they'd be right too.

 

[Pseudomoniker]

Kevin Smith.


Nite all!

 

[SuprSalor]

Ridley Scott rocks, but he's quite British.

Lucas moves further and further away from any list of great directors with each new movie, I'm afraid...

Didn't know Scott was British. Have to agree that every new Lucas movie gets worse, wish he'd give up on Star Wars. Still, seems like most "lists" are done merely by 'star power' or something like it.

 

[medjay]

And I'd say Malick can be dropped from the list simply because 3 movies in 30 years shouldn't garner him among the top 10 no matter how good they are.

And The Thin Red Line wasn't even all that good (boring and pretentious is how I'd describe it, actually).

I agree Terry Gilliam has been terribly ignored and unsung during his brilliant career.

And Brian De Palma, even though he specializes in sleaze, will always hold a special place in my heart because he brought us Scarface and the baby carriage sequence in The Untouchables (still the best scene ever directed in a film, in my opinion).