Top 10 Living American Directors
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zill_o_the_wisp — 16 years ago(August 05, 2009 07:12 PM)
"Walter Hill: Come on this guy has not directed one good movie. And his name is attached to the awful alien sequels. It is an embarrasment to see him on this list. "
Anyone who writes that is an embarrasment to the
world
of film lovers. Hill's only made a couple bad movies. And Aliens is somewhat better than the first one. -
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SamCHANGEID — 16 years ago(July 26, 2009 01:59 PM)
- Woody Allen
- Clint Eastwood
- Coen Bros.
- Speilberg- overrated sure but Schliners list and Saving private ryan are masterpieces
5.Paul Thomas Anderson
6.Gus Van Saint - Spike Lee
8.David Fincher - Tim Burton- movies are okay but always visually impressive.
- Sidney Lumet
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ryderdvs — 16 years ago(April 08, 2010 07:12 AM)
Alexander Payne.
James Cameron - prior to that AVATAR thing.
Robert Zemeckis used to be a true visionary.
Scorsese is overrated. He hasn't made a decent film since CASINO.
And the fact that you included KEVIN SMITH into your list renders it bogus. -
ZildjianDFW — 15 years ago(April 14, 2010 11:49 PM)
In alphabetical order:
Allen - He's Woody Allenenough said.
Aronofsky - Consistently the most imaginative film-maker in America these days.
Burton - Imaginative and visually brilliant.
Coen Brothers - Brilliant, imaginative, artful but also entertaining.
Eastwood - Many, many great films, especially over the past decade.
Fincher - Love this guy; brilliant work.
Mann - Some truly great films.
Scorsese - A true giant, and a hugely influentialy figure.
Spielberg - Art-housers like to bash him, but he's a real visionary.
Tarantino - Never a dull moment, to be sure. Brilliant and witty.
Now, as for some of the other directors people have mentioned:- I admire Lynch for his imagination and visual sensibility, but I can't say I enjoy watching his movies, overall. "Elephant Man" was his best, imo.
- Paul Thomas Anderson is talented, but not the deity some people make him out to be, in my book.
- Kevin Smith is a funny guy, and "Clerks" was interesting, but I wouldn't call him one of the greats.
- Coppola: Some masterpieces in the 70s, but aside from that, very rocky career, very inconsistent.
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bongkong1 — 15 years ago(May 05, 2010 08:46 PM)
Favorite or Best?
Well i would say that my favorite's are
1.Quentin Tarantino
2.Martin Scorsese
3.The Coen Brothers
4.Paul Thomas Anderson
5.Francis Ford Coppola
6.Clint Eastwood
7.Woody Allen
8.Steven Spielberg
9.George Lucas
10.Christopher Nolan
I think it's funny to be delicate with subjects that are explosive.
Jerry Seinfeld -
whatsthisnow — 12 years ago(March 01, 2014 09:47 AM)
Favourite is subjective, whereas best is objective. Or at least that's my feeling. For instance, just because a given director's work isn't for me, that doesn't mean I believe they're a bad director; they may simply not appeal to my personal tastes. I'd feel arrogant arguing that my personal favourites in any contextmusic, films, TV shows, games, etcare what constitutes "the best".
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whatsthisnow — 12 years ago(March 03, 2014 05:43 AM)
It would more be a matter of
attempting
to be objective, because as you say, you can't remove your strictly personal preferences altogether when judging such matters. If I'm asked who my favourite ten directors are, I'd probably just list them based on how much I enjoy their films. If I'm asked who the ten
best
are, I'd be more considerate of the feelings of others, artistic merits, how well they work with actors and choose their casts, how much range they have with regards to genres, and so on.
Like I say, though, it's really just my own feelings on the matter; I don't think it's a "right" or "wrong" approach, per se Just my own one, and I'm content enough with it. -
GoNinjaGo — 15 years ago(May 12, 2010 06:12 AM)
@mrpioneer7 -Kubrick would be at the top of most lists if he were alive,because the post is "Top 10 Living American Directors"
1.George Lucas
2.Steven Spielberg
3.Quinten Tarantino
4.Martin Scorsese
5.David Fincher
6.Kevin Smith
7.Clint Eastwood
8.Spike Lee
9.Judd Apatow
10.Woody Allen
"I'm Not Even Suppost To Be Here Today"
-Dante Hicks (Clerks) -
jawad_mateen — 15 years ago(June 16, 2010 04:30 PM)
Just had to add my list so here it is
(Some guys are adding British or other foreign directors to their lists
It should only be 'American' directors like Ridley Scott is NOT American. And I never get the 'living' part in these lists. An artist's work lives on even after their demise. So them not living and breathing anymore doesn't make their work any less great or important).- Martin Scorsese (Even if there was a King before him, now, it just has to be Marty, no living director can claim his crown)
- Francis Ford Coppola (dreserves this spot even if he just made The Godfather I, II Aaand wait for it Apocalypse Now. Come to think of it, he should've made ONLY these three films)
- Steven Soderbergh (Like his 'Style')
- Joel & Ethan Coen (No one does Dark Humour like them. their films are just mesmerizing for me)
- Orson Welles (Citizen beep Kane!! Nuff said )
- Alfred Hitchcock (I know, I know, he was from London, England but later in his life he got a US citizenship and THAT makes any 'Greatest American Director' list incomplete without him)
- David Fincher (This list just wasn't complete without him also)
- Stanley Kubrick (A true visionary)
- Steven Spielberg (If it was only up to my choice he would have only been in honourable mentions but the difference this film nerd made to Hollywood's working in the next few decades is just so important that he is definitely here on this list)
10.Quinton Tarantino (OK, not one of the greatest in the pure 'critique' sense but he gave the cinema a totally new and never before seen direction so he just makes the list for me)
Honourable mentions - Oliver Stone (So many great and epic films)
- Michael Mann (Thrillers are Michael Mann films)
- Tim Burton (Visually spectacular style Sometimes over substance though)
- James Cameron (If only for 'Aliens' and 'Avatar')
- Robert Zemeckis (Personal choice if only for my favourite trilogy ever Back To The Future)
- George Armitage (For one of my favourite films of all time, 'Grosse Pointe Blank'. Please, Don't ask about his other work)
- George Lucas (Not that I care but 'Star Wars' anyone?)
- Sidney Lumet (He did make some great films)
- Sam Raimi (Made the 'Horror' genre how we became to love it and single handedly revived the comic-book genre into the bajillion-dollar cash cow that it is today and will remain for God knows how long)
- The Wachowskis (You know, who made that revolutionary action film in '99 )
The Most Overrated - Clint Eastwood (I mean, don't get me wrong The guy's got some great films to his name but when it comes to being overrated Wow!! No one comes close. Remember, he's the guy who got a freakin' Oscar for 'Million Dollar Baby' and recently made 'Grand Torino', a 'serious' film with the WORST acting I've ever seen)
- P T Anderson (Sorry, 'Magnolia' and 'There Will Be Blood' were very good films but he is not to be revered like he is for only these two)
- Peter Jackson (Just see Clerks II where Randal makes fun of LOTR to get a visual presentation of the reason why he's on here. GOD!! He won an Oscar for one of those Ring movies)
So yeah