Ugh...I seriously dissagree with the notion that Tarantino is a great director.

If movies today suck so much why are people watching them?

J.J. Abrams unavailable for comment?

eddyatwork: If movies today suck so much why are people watching them?

Same reason they read Playboy rather than TS Eliot.

The difference is, Eliot didn't need a $100 million budget to get his work published.

eddyatwork: If movies today suck so much why are people watching them?

I think the level of suck is over-estimated by movie critics and film enthusiasts. They wouldn't be happy unless people only watched incomprehensible art films. They seem to have forgotten that the vast majority of people go to the movies to be entertained.

Not to mention that most of the people who go to movies are teenagers who sometimes aren't even paying attention to the movie.

And since technology is reducing the price to make movies, and the Internet is reducing the price to distribute them, it's going to make even more people able to make movies, and make a living off of it.

Quentin Tarantino... great director?

Excuse me while I barf.

Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg... yes.

Quenten Tarantino, no.

Hi. I'm Christopher Nolan. My first major film was farking Memento. I then directed Insomnia, The Prestige, and two Batman movies that you might have heard of. I'm not even 40.

eddyatwork: If movies today suck so much why are people watching them?

The most popular restaurant in America is McDonald's. Popularity isn't a good way to measure quality.

Did Scorsese die or something?

I like watching stuff explode. So sue me.

Tarantino as a great director? I would be hard-pressed to agree with that.

The Coens and Paul Thomas Anderson, on the other hand...


JerseyTim: Did Scorsese die or something?

I caught the trailer for Shutter Island when I went to see Public Enemies.

I'm jazzed... should be an interesting, atmospheric ride.


chimp_ninja: eddyatwork: If movies today suck so much why are people watching them?

The most popular restaurant in America is McDonald's. Popularity isn't a good way to measure quality.

Precisely this, chimp_ninja. I would make the Titanic vs. L.A. Confidential argument that I've made so many times before, but we'll just leave it at that.

What about Scorsese? Terry Gilliam? The Coen Brothers?

It comes and goes in cycles. Studios are going to do the "safe bets" for now, to ensure they get tickets and DVDs sold. Show business is more business than show. That's why "business" has twice as many letters. Don't act like this is the end of character-driven movies, or like it's the end of anything for that matter. It's all cyclical. And stuff.

All I want from my entertainment is to be.. entertained.
Oddly enough, that happens in every movie I go watch, and I watch a lot of movies.

*skims thread, sees Coens and PT Anderson*

I would like to add Wes Anderson, Jim Jarmusch, David Fincher, Brad Bird, Ramin Bahrani and Spike Jonze to the discussion of great young American directors. Only skimmed the article but the author seems more concerned with "Director-as-Celebrity" and less with the actual quality of the work being produced.

Wait, how old is Jim Jarmusch now?...

/very glad to see Miranda July's name in the article
//Me and You and Everyone We Know was brilliant

peachpicker: Jim Jarmusch

YES.

Hard to go wrong with Ghost Dog, Down by Law, and Coffee and Cigarettes.

Good on you, peachpicker.

Hollywood is an industry. Industries make money. Stop being naïve.

peachpicker: I would like to add Wes Anderson

To me, Wes Anderson is the most disappointing director in all of American cinema.

Bottle Rocket is probably in my Top 10 favorite movies of all time, but every movie he's done since then has gotten progressively worse. I didn't see Darjeeling Limited, but Life Aquatic was, honest to God, one of the worst movies I've seen in the last ten years. It's absolutely astounding to me that the same guy who did Bottle Rocket could make such a horrible movie.

sigdiamond2000: peachpicker: I would like to add Wes Anderson

To me, Wes Anderson is the most disappointing director in all of American cinema.

Bottle Rocket is probably in my Top 10 favorite movies of all time, but every movie he's done since then has gotten progressively worse. I didn't see Darjeeling Limited, but Life Aquatic was, honest to God, one of the worst movies I've seen in the last ten years. It's absolutely astounding to me that the same guy who did Bottle Rocket could make such a horrible movie.

Oh man. Some people respond very positively to The Life Aquatic. I'm one of them, but I understand that for some reason it's an unexpectedly polarizing film.

The Royal Tennenbaums, on the other hand... no sir, I didn't like that one.

Gonna have to say this is one of the more trolltastic headlines I've seen in quite some time. Love that subby threw in Quentin Tarantino for maximum froth.

SilentStrider: J.J. Abrams unavailable for comment?

Abrams is right up there with Michael Bay in the hack director department.

Ctrl + F [Darren Aronofsky] = nothing in the thread so far?

His works so far have been phenomenal and I really hope he continues to put out such high quality films.

Toshiro Mifune's Letter Opener: peachpicker: Jim Jarmusch

YES.

Hard to go wrong with Ghost Dog, Down by Law, and Coffee and Cigarettes.

Good on you, peachpicker.

I love Mystery Train, Stranger Than Paradise and Broken Flowers, too.

It seems like the sort of thing with which you've likely been long familiar, but have you ever seen any of John Lurie's Fishing With John? Jim and John fo fishing for shark out of Montauk in one episode, but really, every episode was brilliant.

Also, The Band's Visit has a terrific Jarmusch-in-the-Middle-East feel to it, and is wonderful.

peachpicker: It seems like the sort of thing with which you've likely been long familiar, but have you ever seen any of John Lurie's Fishing With John? Jim and John fo fishing for shark out of Montauk in one episode, but really, every episode was brilliant.

I remember reading about that release from Criterion a long, long time ago, but I haven't seen it yet.

I could see myself enjoying the hell out of that.

Toshiro Mifune's Letter Opener: peachpicker: It seems like the sort of thing with which you've likely been long familiar, but have you ever seen any of John Lurie's Fishing With John? Jim and John fo fishing for shark out of Montauk in one episode, but really, every episode was brilliant.

I remember reading about that release from Criterion a long, long time ago, but I haven't seen it yet.

I could see myself enjoying the hell out of that.

No way! Alright, this is my good deed for the week. Enjoy. And like I said, every episode is brilliant.

Most directors are hired guns that work for a studio for only one or two films throughout their career, and since there is no real pressure to produce genuine "legacy-style" product, they make whatever they can as long as the financial tap is running.

Not to many directors nowadays take real risks. Shamalalayanahan (whatever) was the last to take chances, but his "surprise ending" films lost their zeal.

Terentino is a perfect example of geek-turned-director, but his uber-willingness to outdo his own self-created kitchyness has resulted in Brad Pitt wearing scar makeup, which is scary since Brad-Boy's first real part in a film was the pothead in "True Romance," written by...? Tarentino.

Hmm...

peachpicker: It seems like the sort of thing with which you've likely been long familiar, but have you ever seen any of John Lurie's Fishing With John? Jim and John fo fishing for shark out of Montauk in one episode, but really, every episode was brilliant.

My favorite is the Willem Defoe episode. Great show.

The amount of DRTFA fail in this thread is awesome at 17 posts (except peachpicker).

This is not about 'great directors'. This is about directors who can pull an audience on their name alone AND NOT who is starring in the movie. Quentin Tarantino is one of the few/last who can.

Don't wave Chris Nolan at me. Very few people are going to see a film with nobodies in it just because the advertising states 'DIRECTED BY CHRIS NOLAN'. And that was the point of the article.

Your_Huckleberry: Ugh...I seriously dissagree with the notion that Tarantino is a great director.

jake3988: Quentin Tarantino... great director?

Excuse me while I barf.


Are you kidding me? Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs? You may have disliked Kill Bill, but you can't deny it was immensely entertaining. Show me a cookie cutter film that Tarantino has directed? Show me an unoriginal plot.

chimp_ninja: Hi. I'm Christopher Nolan. My first major film was farking Memento. I then directed Insomnia, The Prestige, and two Batman movies that you might have heard of. I'm not even 40.

eddyatwork: If movies today suck so much why are people watching them?

The most popular restaurant in America is McDonald's. Popularity isn't a good way to measure quality.

CHRIS NOLAN IS BRITISH!

WillyShwonka: Your_Huckleberry: Ugh...I seriously dissagree with the notion that Tarantino is a great director.

jake3988: Quentin Tarantino... great director?

Excuse me while I barf.

You may have disliked Kill Bill, but you can't deny it was immensely entertaining. .


I can deny it. It was on last night on Spike TV. I got through, oh, two minutes. zzzzzzzzzz........

SilentStrider: J.J. Abrams unavailable for comment?

That was covered with "special effects movies directed by hacks".

WillyShwonka: Are you kidding me? Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs? You may have disliked Kill Bill, but you can't deny it was immensely entertaining. Show me a cookie cutter film that Tarantino has directed? Show me an unoriginal plot.

I love his movies, and have never really understood the hostility they generate in some folks. They entertain the hell out of me.

jake3988: Quentin Tarantino... great director?

Excuse me while I barf.

Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Steven Spielberg... yes.

Quenten Tarantino, no.

nolan is british, but i side with you. lets not forget (for american directors):

-Spike Jonze
-Christopher Guest
-Charlie Kaufman
-MAYBE Byran Singer (tough I have a bone to pick with him)
-CLINT farkING EASTWOOD

(want me to go on?)

epocalypse: chimp_ninja: Hi. I'm Christopher Nolan. My first major film was farking Memento. I then directed Insomnia, The Prestige, and two Batman movies that you might have heard of. I'm not even 40.

eddyatwork: If movies today suck so much why are people watching them?

The most popular restaurant in America is McDonald's. Popularity isn't a good way to measure quality.

CHRIS NOLAN IS BRITISH!

Excuse me.


Chris Nolan's first film was "Following" which IMO was one of the greatest psychological thrillers I have ever seen. Its a little more obscure, but its such a chilling, hair-on-neck-standing-up kind of thriller because the people are believably sinister as fark.

He also has a short called Doodlebug which you can watch online. Its like a 3 minute episode of The Twilight Zone

Darren Aranofsky.
The Wrestler shows that American movies don't have to attract dumb rednecks to be good.
They just have to be about them.

if_i_really_have_to: Don't wave Chris Nolan at me. Very few people are going to see a film with nobodies in it just because the advertising states 'DIRECTED BY CHRIS NOLAN'. And that was the point of the article.

It may be true, but is it necessarily a bad thing? As others have pointed out, there are still plenty of skilled directors out there doing good work, and if their names are taking a backseat to the actors on the marquee, so what?

The irony of course is that if you're talking about name recognition directors selling tickets, Michael Bay absolutely makes the cut.

Tarantino is a genius.

I'm going to build a time machine and bring back Stanley Kubrick. He had a lot of space between movies, we can return him in time to make the ones he already did.

Whoa hey aren't they forgetting Kevin Smith?

FunkOut: I'm going to build a time machine and bring back Stanley Kubrick. He had a lot of space between movies, we can return him in time to make the ones he already did.

Get him before he makes Barry Lyndon. That piece of crap was a waste of time and resources.

I think some great directors have been mentioned already: Coen brothers, Christopher Guest, Jim Jarmusch, Scorcese, Aronovsky, P.T. Anderson and Clint Eastwood (though I'm not personally a fan of the last two).

I would add Francis Ford Coppola (though his best work might be behind him), Sofia Coppola, Mike Nichols, Alexander Payne, David Gordon Green, Allison Anders, Spike Jonze, Kathryn Bigelow, etc.

I think it's just hard for good directors to get funding for their movies.

Coen Brothers
Scorsese
Clint Eastwood
Woody Allen
Spike Lee
Spielberg
Tarantino
Coppola
Jim Jarmusch
Pete Docter
Richard Linklater
John Lasseter
Wes Anderson
David Fincher
Brad Bird
Andrew Stanton
Tim Burton
Michael Mann
Henry Selick
Spike Jonze
Charlie Kaufman
Rian Johnson
Mel Brooks
Ron Howard
John Waters
Terry Gilliam (caveat)
David Lynch

ps: Judd is primarily known for the films he's produced, much like George Lucas, their directing is much more limited. That said, he has directed most of his best films, but to me he lacks something to be called truly great. Definitely good though.

Really you can't talk movies on the net, it's like talking to hardcore movie fans...

To talk to someone who doesn't see everything, they won't know more then half the names tossed out in this conversation. And we haven't even scratched the surface of the Obscure or Auture directors yet.

The masses don't give a fark beyond who's in a flick.

Bfett20: Darren Aranofsky.
The Wrestler shows that American movies don't have to attract dumb rednecks to be good.
They just have to be about them.

totally forgot him and christopher guest in my long list.

chimp_ninja: Hi. I'm Christopher Nolan. My first major film was farking Memento. I then directed Insomnia, The Prestige, and two Batman movies that you might have heard of. I'm not even 40.


Wait. Nolan's American? Because the article is about American directors.

SockMonkeyHolocaust: Whoa hey aren't they forgetting Kevin Smith?

great writer, only an okay director (IMO)

The article was long and I would excuse anyone for not having read the whole thing. The author's point was more that there are now very few American directors that can sell a movie based just on name recognition and that the remaining ones are getting old. Tarantino and Apatow are exceptions (and I would agree that their appeal is subjective and debatable) in that appending their name to a production really draws audiences. A lot of the remaining good directors can't sell a movie based just on their name alone - people care more about the faces of actors than the director's style or reputation.

/although I do find it disturbing that there was a lack of Kevin Smith under discussion.

Seth'n'Spectrum: The article was long and I would excuse anyone for not having read the whole thing. The author's point was more that there are now very few American directors that can sell a movie based just on name recognition and that the remaining ones are getting old. Tarantino and Apatow are exceptions (and I would agree that their appeal is subjective and debatable) in that appending their name to a production really draws audiences. A lot of the remaining good directors can't sell a movie based just on their name alone - people care more about the faces of actors than the director's style or reputation.

tl;dr

I know I'll get flamed for this one

Joel Schumacher

Just don't give him a budget, and don't let him near the lighting or costume people.

Nice thread full of people who didn't even attempt to RTFA. Honestly, you could get the thesis from the first paragraph.

Simple idea: think of a director who can sell a movie successfully on name alone. M Night Whatever had this status for a very short time, but after two bad and one absolutely horrendous movie the public is done with him. Spielberg is a household name but he doesn't sell movies that way anymore: the movies are sold on major stars, big budget special effects, or known franchises. Abrams is a new big name on the scene but so far his movies are sold on special effects and major franchises. Kevin Smith is great but nobody (outside of Fark posters) sees his movies in theaters. Michael Bay, who is awful but immensely successful, gets that success with, again, major stars and special effects. I would be that most of the drooling fans of his work don't even know who he is.

The article tries to argue that QT can sell a movie on name alone but his movies aren't huge successes either, so I'm not sure he should be on the list with Apatow. He is a great director, though.