Favorite Director

[Attila the Professor]

Fairly simple question, I suppose: what are some of your favorite directors?

I tend to favor the great John Ford, director of such films as The Grapes of Wrath, The Searchers, My Darling Clementine, The Informer, Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Rio Grande, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, Stagecoach, The Quiet Man, Young Mr. Lincoln, How Green was my Valley, and more. The great Orson Welles, when asked who his favorite directors were, responded, well, I like the old masters, by which I mean John Ford, John Ford, and John Ford. He was admired by Kurosawa, Fellini, and Bergman. Spielberg, Lucas, Kubrick, Coppola, Leone, and others have all referred to his films in their own work.

My personal favorite Ford film is The Searchers. Here is another thread where swords and I went back and forth on the film a bit.

http://www.theraider.net/theraven/showthread.php?threadid=4108

Anyways, so who is everyone's favorite director, and what is your favorite film by that director?

[hffan2000]

Attila ,
i got admit i'm such a big film buff that there are many i admire. here are just a few: ron howard, george lucas, steven spielberg, peter jackon, stephen sommers, phillip noyce.

what do you think of these directors?

[swords]

Edit: Got rid of my previous post which was completely useless.(fodder, a thing for the cattle)

Favorite Directors?

Hitchcock(only some of his movies)
Sam Riami
John Mcterreanean
John Woo
Spielberg

To tell the truth, Im not really a ethiusiast for directors of yesteryear, can't connect the movies they did, however a good movie is still a good movie, and a lot of classics are good (notice, I mention Hitchcock because I regconize his films which are plentful and of good quality. I enjoyed John Ford's The Searchers but can't relate his other movies, get my point?)

[Edited by swords on 05-11-2003 at 10:49 am]

[Finn]

There'll be a lot of users with this table, I suspect. ;)

Anyway, great directors... Spielberg, naturally. Then there're some of those Attila already mentioned... and if I recall more, I'll let you know.

[swords]

Yep, my bad, read the announcement again and it's pretty clear. ;)

[Indy 4]

My favorite Classic Film directors are Cecil B. Demille, William Wyler, and Franklin Schaffener.
My present day favorite film directors are George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Stephen Sommers, Oliver Rippley, and Peter Jackson.

[Attila the Professor]

Originally posted by hffan2000
Attila ,
i got admit i'm such a big film buff that there are many i admire. here are just a few: ron howard, george lucas, steven spielberg, peter jackon, stephen sommers, phillip noyce.

what do you think of these directors?

I like Ron Howard. He's good. I can't think of any of his films off-hand though (that I've seen). George Lucas is a formidable film persona of recent years, and Spielberg has doubtless done more for the film industry, for better or for worse, in the past quarter-century or so, particularly the highly-influential Jaws, which changed the movie industry forever. Can't say I really know much of anything about the last three though. Jackson's Lord of the Rings didn't impress me much.

[00Kevin]

My fav. directs:

yanks:

-S. Spielburg
-G. Lucas

Brits:

(the bond directors)
-John Glen
-Terence Young
-Lee tamahori

other good ones:

-R. Howard
-J. McTieren (SP?)(though not as good as SS and GL, but his action films ROCK!!)
-P. Jackson------LOTR, smashing, but still, nothing beats SW and indy (and bond ;))








and how can we forget the master of suspense:

HITCHCOCK

[Danie]

How come no one has mentioned David Lean yet?

[Tequileros]

Tarantino (sp?) from 'From dusk till dawn' and 'Pulp Fiction'?

[Attila the Professor]

Originally posted by swords
this is great

So this is what the moderators had planned, Attila must be in high joy, lol! :):D


I believe the phrase that best describes my feelings on the new board is "giddy as a schoolboy." :D

Danie is right, David Lean certainly deserves a mention.

[00Kevin]

Originally posted by Attila the Professor
Originally posted by swords
this is great

So this is what the moderators had planned, Attila must be in high joy, lol! :):D


I believe the phrase that best describes my feelings on the new board is "giddy as a schoolboy." :D


:D

[EvilDevo]

my favorite directors are: sam raimi, stephen sommers, steven spielberg, james cameron and tim burton. i like about half of ivan reitmans work, robert zemeckis is pretty good also, but not my favorite. its good to see a lot of stephen sommers fans here. anybody like the movie "deep rising"?

[EvilDevo]

also, i see a lot of peter jackson fans... but have you all seen his humble beginnings? ie: 'bad taste' and 'dead alive'? they are SO different from LOTR its like day and night.

[brainofj21]

My favorite directors of all time are


Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino


Other directors that I enjoy are

Martin Scorsese
Robert Rodriquez
David Fincher
Joel Coen
Sam Raimi
Cameron Crowe
Kevin Smith
Ridley Scott
M. Night Shymalan
Mike Judge
Gore Verbinski
Jon Favrau

[TheMutt92]

Chris Nolan
Steven Spielberg
George Lucas
Joel and Ethan Coen
Michael Bay
Gore Verbinski
Jon Favrau
Howard Hawks

Just to name a few

[TheMutt92]

Whoa. I guess its been a while since anyone else has written on here.

Oh yeah, Hitchcock and George Clooney.

[Matinee Idyll]

Just one? Probably Michael Powell. Just a complete, absolute, freakin' genius. Is our resident classic film buff a fan, Prof?

http://origin-www.britishcouncil.org/de/italy-arts-michaelpowell330x260.jpg

[LostArk]

George Lucas
Francis Ford Copolla (The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now)
Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future trilogy, Forrest Gump)
Sergio Leone (Dollars trilogy)
Quentin Tarantino
Kevin Smith
Steven Spielberg
Christopher Nolan (Following, Memento, Batman Begins)
Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Hannibal)

[agentsands77]

Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick.

[yodazone]

Steven Spielberg
Sam Raimi
Martin Scorsese
Sylvester Stallone
Hitchcock
Tarantino
Paul Verhoven
Ridley Scott
Tony Scott
James Cameron
Richard Donner
Joe Dante
John Carpenter
Michael Bay
Michel Gondry

[LostArk]

Ah damnit, I forgot Kubrick :eek:

[agentsands77]

Ah damnit, I forgot Kubrick :eek:
Yes. It's an unforgivable mistake.

[Niteshade007]

Hitchcock is definitely my favorite. I've seen nearly every one of his American films, and quite a few of his earlier works in Europe.

[The Man]

Hitchcock is definitely my favorite. I've seen nearly every one of his American films, and quite a few of his earlier works in Europe.

They've recently released a box-set of his early British movies. You'll have to Google it yourself, though - I can't remember the full details.

[Pale Horse]

Are we citing directors of movies we like, or are we citing a directors talent. Does anyone really know what's involved in directing, or do we just see something we like, and assume it must be good because of "him/her"...

[Rumpled Fedora]

You bring up a good point, [a] Pale Horse. Do you have a favorite director of your own?
For me, it's no question. Billy Wilder is my absolute favorite. Every film he's involved with, even the ones where he only writes the screenplay, share the theme of a complete body of work. He's slightly overlooked as an auteur if you ask me. Few have handled such varying genres with consistent success. Ace in the Hole to Some Like It Hot. That's versatility.

[ResidentAlien]

Are we citing directors of movies we like, or are we citing a directors talent. Does anyone really know what's involved in directing, or do we just see something we like, and assume it must be good because of "him/her"...


Good point. It's the only reason Gore Verbinski or Michael Bay could have been mentioned so far.


No, safe to say most people on this board haven't a clue what goes into creating a film.

I do subscribe to Auteur theory, though. I certainly credit individual contribution, but I subscribe to the view of a director as say... Captain of the ship. The one who unifies the vision.


Werner Herzog is, while perhaps not truly my favorite, nearly without contest the most dedicated and unique of directors. His dedication and oft-maniacal dedication make him a clear leader in his field. What other director would have hatched (simultaneously with his intended victim) a plan to kill his star and best friend (Klaus Kinski) who in turn planned to kill his director? It's utterly absurdist and fascinating. And of course there's the various heroic (or flat-out stupid) things Herzog has done in the name of his art. Jumped onto a cactus to motivate his crew? Created a film where they literally raised a boat over a mountain? Saved Joaquin Phoenix's life? Eaten his leather boot to reward his friend for completing his first film? How about getting shot in the stomach during an interview and continuing the interview? Herzog is a mad-genius; a true Auteur. For that reason, he stands above the rest.


And by no means are his films my favorite, mind you.


Kubrick, Bergman, Antonioni round off the list for me, I think.


Wilder too. And Kurosawa.

[The Whip]

My personal favs:

1. Steven Speilberg

2. Stanley Kubrick

3. Francis Ford Coppola

4. Orsen Wells

5. Frank Capra

[roundshort]

David Fincher
John Houston

[deckard24]

You guys have named a lot of great ones already!:hat:

My personal favorites:



Steven Spielberg
Michael Mann
Peter Weir
Ridley Scott
David Cronenberg
John Carpenter
The Coen Bros.
Wes Anderson
Martin Scorsese
Alfred Hitchcock
Danny Boyle
Stanley Kubrick
Paul Thomas Anderson
John Huston
Akira Kurosawa
Peter Jackson
Francis Ford Coppola
Mel Gibson
Tom Tykwer


I'm sure there are some I'm forgetting.

[jtobin13]

met him as well on Changling where i played an atty.john

[muttjones]

spielberg
scorsese
rodriguez

in order

[indifan101]

Spielberg
Lucas
Kubrick
Jackson
Cameron
Verhoevan

[mutt willams]

george lucas

[bloodandmood]

Active:

1. Coen Brothers
2. Alfonso Cuarón
3. Brad Bird
4. Steven Spielberg
5. Ridley Scott

Deceased:

1. Charles Chaplin (all time favorite)
2. John Ford
3. Akira Kurosawa
4. Orson Welles
5. Alfred Hitchcock

[Abners lil Girl]

- Howard Hawks
- Ang Lee
- Coen Brothers
- Christopher Nolan
- Terrence Malick

these guys just don't make bad films, it's miraculous.

So, Attila, what makes you the resident film buff?

[muttjones]

christopher nolan i forgot to mention before

[TheMutt92]

Well, Abners lil Girl, one of your favs did kinda make a bad movie: Ang Lee with Hulk (though that is a matter of opinion) Though I would agree on the others.

[Abners lil Girl]

Well, Abners lil Girl, one of your favs did kinda make a bad movie: Ang Lee with Hulk (though that is a matter of opinion) Though I would agree on the others.

oh, yeah, I forgot about that one :o Acutally, I don't think it's that bad, I mean, I can see what he was trying to do with it. I think Lee was just out of his depth making a Marvel super hero film. But yeah, you got me, lol.

[avidfilmbuff]

In no particular order:

Orson Welles
David Lean
Francis Ford Coppola
Martin Scorsese
Steven Spielberg
George Lucas
Akira Kurosawa
Federico Fellini
Sergei Eisenstein
Leni Riefenstahl
John Huston
Alfred Hitchcock
Sergio Leone
Charlie Chaplin
Buster Keaton
FW Murnau
Ingmar Bergman

[TheMutt92]

Updates since the last time...

Steven Spielberg
Christopher Nolan
The Coen Brothers
Quentin Tarantino
Ridley Scott
Peter Jackson
Paul Greengrass
Howard Hawks
John Houston

[Le Saboteur]

...with Jean-Pierre Melville and Jules Dassin. Of their works, "Le Samourai" and "Night and the City" stand out as my favourite pictures.

[Le Saboteur]

...has made some of my favourite movies of recent memory ("Strange Days", & "Near Dark"), and I'm looking forward to her newest picture: The Hurt Locker (http://thehurtlocker-movie.com/).

Movies about the boondoggle in Iraq haven't been very popular (did anybody here really watch "In the Valley of Elijah" or "The Lucky Ones"?), but there's something about this one that sets it apart. And you just know that Nick James' (http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/sep/07/venicefilmfestival) screed is going to lend it some cachet. He writes, "Despite a 'war is hell' gloss and terrific street atmosphere built by really excellent acting, camerawork and editing, it could pass for propaganda."

[avidfilmbuff]

I've just seen Umberto D and The Bicycle Thief, and with that, I wish to add Vittorio de Sica to my list of favorite directors.

[Violet Indy]

Here be my favourites. No particular order:

Mel Brooks (great spoofer and great comedy and really love most of his film work, the only exception being High Anxiety)

Quentin Tarantino (absolutely in love with the Kill Bill movies)

Robert Rodriguez (have always been in love the Desperado films and his persistence)

Penelope Spheeris (a chick in a man's world, did a great job with Wayne's World)

Kevin Lima (does great Disney live action films, especially Enchanted)

George Miller (seriously is easily one of the best Australian directors and is one who has crossed the divide well between Hollywood and Australia)

Maya Deren (she's a true artist and yeah, pretty eccentric)

Alfred Hitchcock (and Alma Reville-Hitchcock, after doing research on Hitchcock's life and work, I found that Alma was a very big influence and decision maker for Hitch).

Michael Pattinson (another Australian director who has crossed the divide and was my Directing lecturer for a semester. He disappeared onto a project a short time after. He taught me a whole lot!).

Steven Spielberg (He's a master when it comes to the balance of great camerawork orchestration and acting. I personally prefer his older films.)

Phillip Noyce (another great Australian director, has crossed the divide well and both old and new films are quite good)

[avidfilmbuff]

I've just finished watching Fitzcarraldo. Having already seen Aguirre the Wrath of God, I now wish to add Werner Herzog to my list of favorite filmmakers.

[TheMutt92]

Again, this is an update version of my previous posts:

Steven Spielberg
Quentin Tarantino
The Coen Brothers
Christopher Nolan
Francis Ford Coppola
George Lucas
Ridley Scott
Peter Jackson
James Cameron
Sergio Leone
Howard Hawks
John Huston
Michael Curtiz