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Directors Your 3 favorite directors and their best films. (1 Viewer)

Terrell

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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
 

Chad R

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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.:D
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

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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

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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.
 

Matthew Chmiel

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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

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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

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Hello,
I guess I am in Polls now:D
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

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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

Supporting Actor
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Feb 8, 1999
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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.)
 

Jay E

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English Language only, I can't narrow it down otherwise:

Kubrick:

2001

Paths of Glory

Clockwork Orange

Dr Strangelove

Barry Lyndon

Scorcese:

Taxi Driver

Good Fellas

Mean Streets

King of Comedy

Raging Bull

Altman:

Nashville

McCabe & Mrs Miller

Short Cuts

Long Goodbye

3 Women

(Hitchcock was a very close 4th)
 

Terrell

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I think that's fair Dana. We can expand it to discuss our reasons. And thanks for the kind words about the thread, although I can't take all the credit.:emoji_thumbsup:
 

Terrell

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I can agree with you there Chuck. Panic Room looks like it may be a very nice effort by Fincher. The trailer looked very interesting.
 

Richard Kim

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My choices:
Stanley Kubrick
1)2001
2)Dr. Strangelove
3)A Clockwork Orange
4)Barry Lyndon
5)Full Metal Jacket
The Coen Bros.
1)Fargo
2)The Big Lebowski
3)The Man Who Wasn't There
4)Barton Fink
5)O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Wes Anderson
1)The Royal Tenenbaums
2)Rushmore
3)Bottle Rocket
 

RobR

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Kubrick:
2001: A Space Odyssey
A Clockwork Orange
Dr. Strangelove
Paths of Glory
Eyes Wide Shut
Spielberg:
Schindler's List
Jaws
Jurassic Park
Scorcese:
Taxi Driver
Raging Bull
Goodfellas
 

Bill J

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Francis Ford Coppola
-Apocalypse Now
-The Godfather
-The Godfather, Part II
-The Conversation
Oliver Stone
-Platoon
-JFK
-Natural Born Killers
-Born on the Fourth of July
Stanley Kubrick
-2001: A Space Odyssey
-Paths of Glory
-Dr. Strangelove
-A Clockwork Orange
 

Simon Massey

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For me it has to be the following :
David Fincher
1. Fight Club
2. Se7en
3. The Game
4. Alien 3
Steven Spielberg
1. ET
2. AI
3. Schindler's List
4. Indiana Jones (all of them :) )
5. Jaws
Oliver Stone
1. JFK
2. Any Given Sunday
3. Natural Born Killers
4. Platoon
5. Born on the 4th July
I would also pick M Night Shyamalan, but he has only done 2 films of note to date. I would also pick George Lucas for the same reasons as Terrell, but I didn't want to cheat :)
I would have to say that on the whole I would choose to see a film based on who was directing it rather than who was acting in it. Does that hold true for most people on here ?
 

Terrell

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My reasons for listing Spielberg as my favorite, what else can I say from the guy who brought us some of the greats of all time. He has a sense of what makes audiences tick. He also has the ability to pull the trigger at the right time, while creating suspense and tension. This was perfectly done in Jaws. The creation of fear with music and camera movements, without ever seeing the shark, is expertly done. Also, this man makes the best popcorn flicks on the planet. He elevates the popcorn flick to an artform.

As for Ridley Scott, he's one of the best pure visual directors that I've seen, along with some others. While I didn't care for Hannibal, the locales and the sets, and the camera movements that this guy brought to the film was amazing to look at, and in stark contrast to SOTL, which is one of the things about that movie that was done right. Gladiator, has so many memorable and beautiful scenes, that it keeps me coming back. Blade Runner, another visual masterpiece, that's appropriately dark and moody. You can't forget the visuals this man brings to his movies. BHD, another stunning portayal of war through unique camera tricks and imagery, while coaxing great performances out of the actors.

Lucas, well, as I said I cheated. But this man knows how to come up with endearing concepts and stories, that are amazing to watch. The way he intertwined the characters in Star Wars, and left people hanging with wonderful cliffhangers was perfect. He's also a visual director as opposed to a literary director. He tells a story better with visuals than anyone. Two of the greatest trilogies in cinema history, maybe the two greatest, have his markings all over them. Tremendous visionary. Let's hope after Episode III is over, this man will create more stories that other director's like these can bring to life.
 

Terrell

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I would have to say that on the whole I would choose to see a film based on who was directing it rather than who was acting in it. Does that hold true for most people on here ?
I agree. My first inclination is to see whose directing it. However, I must say one thing. These are not my only favorite directors, only my favorite based on the films I know and love, and what they've brought to the big screen.

Cameron is another favorite, and my favorites are

Aliens - The best of the series

Terminator

Terminator II

The Abyss
 

Ricky Hustle

Supporting Actor
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Terry Gilliam:
12 Monkeys
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Brazil
The Fisher King
David Fincher:
Seven
Fight Club
The Game
Steven Spielberg
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Jaws
Jurassic Park
Shindler's List
Saving Private Ryan
Honorable mentions:
Tim Burton
P.T. Anderson
Oliver Stone
Coen Brothers
Wolfgang Peterson
I'd add Kevin Smith ala Matthew, but I feel he is more of a writer than a director.
 

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