Your 3 favorite directors and their best films.

Terrell · 01-23-2002, 02:03 PM

Okay, I have to admit that I stole this idea from another forum. But I've changed it up slightly. What are your 3 favorite directors and their 5 best films. No need to argue over people's choices. We can do that in other threads. Also, you don't necessarily have to list their best films in order, although I've tried list my favorites for each. Mine are:

Steve Spielberg
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
Saving Private Ryan
Schindler's List
Jaws
Close Encounters
Raiders of the Lost Ark

Ridley Scott
Gladiator
Blade Runner
Alien
Blackhawk Down
Black Rain

George Lucas
The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars
Return of the Jedi
American Graffiti
Indiana Jones(because he created it, although didn't direct)
Willow

Robert Crawford · 01-23-2002, 02:11 PM

Terrell,
This walks and talks like a poll.

Crawdaddy

Chad R · 01-23-2002, 02:14 PM

Uh, George didn't direct all of those movies. Just Star Wars and American Grafitti.

You might list him as one of your favorite writers, but I don't think he's directed but a total of 5 movies now altogether.

And my favorites are:
Spielberg
Raiders of the Lost Ark
E.T.
Jurassic Park
JAWS
Schindler's List
James Cameron
Terminator 2
Terminator
Aliens
Titanic
The Abyss
Robert Zemeckis
Forrest Gump
Back to the Future
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Contact
Cast Away

Yes, I have very commercial tastes. I grew up on Hollywood movies and I love them dearly. I can appreciate/enjoy good independent films - but I LOVE big, glossy, Hollywood movies.

ADDED: Okay, Terrell, I'll allow you your cheat

And why I picked those choices has more to do with the consistency of output. When you consider the body of these guys work they had more hits than misses. And I can't think of one of those 'misses' that was completely unwatchable. I love John Carpenter for 'Halloween' and 'The Thing', two of my favorite movies, but when he misses (Ghosts of Mars) he misses big, and lately it seems he's missing often.

Terrell · 01-23-2002, 02:19 PM

Well, literally he didn't direct ESB, ROTJ, but technically he did. I've always thought of the directors of those films, their accomplishments noted, as placeholders for Lucas. Those films turned out like Lucas wanted them, so I put them in. Also, he created Indiana Jones trilogy, but didn't direct, so again I cheated, knowing that he didn't literally direct them. So I took liberties with Lucas. But I couldn't leave him out considering he created some of the most endearing films of recent memory, and some of my favorites.

JonZ · 01-23-2002, 02:21 PM

Stanley Kubrick:
2001 A Space Odyssey
A Clockwork Orange
Dr Strangelove

Francis Ford Coppola:
Apocalypse Now
The Godfather
The Godfather Part 2

Akira Kurosawa:
Seven Samurai
Ran
Roshmomon

Oliver Stone:
Platoon
Born on the Fourth of July
Nixon
JFK

Sorry I couldnt exclude Oliver Stone. I cheated.

**HTF Ads**

Matthew Chmiel · 01-23-2002, 02:22 PM

Dario Argento:
- The Bird With The Crystal Plumage
- Deep Red
- Suspiria
- Tenebre
- Phenomena
- Opera
- The Stendhal Syndrome

Cameron Crowe:
- Almost Famous (aka Untitled)
- Jerry Maguire
- Say Anything...
- Singles

Kevin Smith:
- Clerks
- Mallrats
- Chasing Amy
- Dogma
- Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Dana Fillhart · 01-23-2002, 02:25 PM

I'll bite

(Note: These are how I feel currently, and although #1 won't likely change any time soon, #2 and #3 are definitely open to change).

3. M. Night Shyamalan
Unbreakable
The Sixth Sense
(potentially: Signs)

2. Steven Spielberg
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
E.T.
Artificial Intelligence: A.I.
(see a pattern?

)
Duel
Jaws
Schindler's List
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Jurassic Park

1. Miyazaki Hayao
Kaze no tani no Nausicaa (Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind)
Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke)

Honorable mentions include (not in any particular order):
Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)
Stanley Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining; I admit I'm not a fan of his, but I do recognize his work as being great)
Alex Proyas (Dark City)
Michael Mann (Ali, The Insider, Manhunter (the precursor to Silence of the Lambs), Heat)
Sydney Pollack (Iris, Three Days of the Condor, Presumed Innocent; he's had a lot of not-so-great ones though)
Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, EDtv, Far and Away, Cocoon; he too has had some rough ones)
George Lucas (Star Wars, THX-1138, American Grafitti; he is far better at producing than directing, though).

Chuck Mayer · 01-23-2002, 02:28 PM

Hello,
I guess I am in Polls now

Jim Cameron:
Titanic
The Abyss
Aliens
Terminator
Terminator 2

David Fincher:
Fight Club
Se7en (they are really tied)
He's only done 4 films and I like The Game more than Alien3, but I think that Alien3 was better directed. I am eagerly awaiting Panic Room.

I can't nail down a third one, but I do try and see most films by Cameron Crowe, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, and Ang Lee.

Take care,
Chuck

Terrell · 01-23-2002, 02:28 PM

I freely admit I cheated with Lucas. So anyone that wants to fudge or cheat as well, feel free. I don't feel Lucas is a great director along with the likes of some of the others I mentioned, but his ability to create stories of such wonder, imagination, and pure fun is what distinguishes him.

Dana Fillhart · 01-23-2002, 02:29 PM

Robert,

Please keep it in the movies area; admonish us to describe WHY we feel the way we do about the directors, but keep it here. Given the fact that the Oscars (and other awards) are at the forefront of things right now, I think this thread has merit here, especially if we "flesh out" our ... lists.

(I'll go back and fill in why I feel what I do in a little bit.)