My Top 25 Directors
(including my three favorites of their movies):
1. Sam Peckinpah
2. Martin Scorsese
3. John Carpenter
4. Robert Altman
Gosford Park
5. Alfred Hitchcock
6. Werner Herzog
Stroszek
7. Stanley Kubrick
8. Samuel Fuller
Pickup on South Street
Shock Corridor
9. James Whale
10. Quentin Tarantino
Django Unchained
11. Ingmar Bergman
Fanny and Alexander
Smiles of a Summer Night
12. John Ford
13. François Truffaut
14. Hayao Miyazaki
My Neighbor Totoro
15. Otto Preminger
Advise & Consent
Laura
16. Joel and Ethan Coen
No Country for Old Men
17. Akira Kurosawa
Ikiru
18. Federico Fellini
19. Wes Anderson
20. George Romero
21. Steven Spielberg
22. Billy Wilder
Stalag 17
Witness for the Prosecution
23. Sidney Lumet
12 Angry Men
24. Jean Renoir
The River
Kurosawa
ReplyDelete- Seven Samurai
- Yojimbo
- Rashoman
Lloyd Kaufman
ReplyDelete- The Toxic Avenger
- Terror Firmer
- Tromeo and Juliet
Both excellent choices!
ReplyDeleteI felt especially bad not having Kurosawa on the list (I love so many of his films), so I'm glad he was mentioned.
Everyone else is welcome to include their favorites as well in the comments (also, let me know if your favorite is listed above, but your three films differ from mine)
Frank Capra
ReplyDelete- American Madness
- Mr Smith Goes to Washington
- Bitter Tea of General Yen
(though I'd be lying by omission if I didn't also mention the obvious Christmas one)
Peter Weir qualifies for me on the basis of Dead Poets Society alone.
Clint Eastwood for Unforgiven and Bridges of Madison County.
Jacques Tourneur
- Night of the Demon
- I walked With a Zombie
- Out of the Past
(Though I haven't seen Anne of the Indies for a while, and he deserves some sort of medal for getting both Jean Peters and Debra Paget in one film...)
Top Bergmans vary - I'd probably also go with Seventh Seal but add The Silence and Persona
Interesting that you select both Kubrick and Hitchcock without the third that often, these days, goes with them - Christopher Nolan. All three are a bit head-over-heart for me, though I'm not questioning their actual moviemaking skills.
Great list. Throwing in for discussion:
ReplyDeleteElia Kazan
-On the Waterfront
-East of Eden
-A streetcar named desire
Peter Jackson
-Fellowship of the Ring
-Two Towers
-Return of the King
John Huston
-The Man who Would be King
-The Maltese Falcon
-The African Queen
Woody Allen (not going to list, too numerous)
Fuller was interesting - didn't think of him. I am glad someone else mentioned Akira Kurisowa - I love so many of his films. Ridley Scott doesn't make this list, and I can see why - but I think he may be in the conversation too, especially if you liked Blade Runner, Alien and Gladiator. I didn't see Coppolla on my first reading? Peckinpaw as #1 - I didn't see that but it's thought provoking - especially when you think how remarkably original his work was for it's time - the Wild Bunch was really the first movie of it's kind. No mention of Sergio Leone here - but I think that makes sense. Like your list, thanks for sharing!
Clint Eastwood, Ron Howard, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, JJ Abrahms, Ben Affleck for Argo alone for me
ReplyDeleteAgree with almost if not all of the above - but would add Clint Eastwood, Ron Howard, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, JJ Abrahms, Ben Affleck for Argo alone for me
ReplyDeletePeter Weir
ReplyDeleteThe Cars that Ate Paris
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Dead Poets Society
Sergei Eisenstein
The Battleship Potemkin
Alexander Nevsky
Ivan the Terrible (parts 1 and II)
Top list, Dave.
ReplyDeleteDavid Lynch
Blue Velvet
Wild At Heart
The Elephant Man
Thanks to everyone who posted above! And I can't argue with any of your choices. All are excellent directors!
ReplyDeleteThanks again!
Michael Curtiz
ReplyDeleteCasablanca
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Mildred Pierce
Wim Wenders:
ReplyDeleteParis, Texas
Wings of Desire
Buena Vista Social Club
Not one person mentioned David Fincher or Danny Boyle? Wow
ReplyDeleteI would say Billy Wilder is my alltime favourite director. because he has directed more of my fav movie's than any other. Among the favs would be 1,2,3, and The Major and The Minor.
ReplyDeleteWoody Allen might have taken over, if he had kept on making movies like Sleeper, and Love and Death.
Howard Hawks is possibly next. I always lump in and Ford together. I'm not a great fan of Ford. The only fav for me is How Green was my valley. But I've always enjoyed Wagonmaster.
I also Bergman and Fellini together. But for me Bergman wins out. Although I think Seventh Seal is overrated. Some of his best for me are Shame, Fanny and Alexander, Face to Face, and Scenes from a marriage.
As for Fellini, i prefer his earlier work. Stuff like 8½, and La Dolce Vita do nothing for me.
Of the direcrtors you mention. These are my fav movies
Peckinpah-bunch
Altman-prarie home companion+m.a.s.h
Still haven't seen Park, or Miller
Hitchcock-Saboteur, North by northwest, pyscho
Kubrick-Strangelove
Fuller-Big Red One
Tarantino-Dogs (i think) Fiction. Bill (not sure if both or just the first, or just the second)
Bergman (Fanny and Alexander-maybe)
Ford-Valley
Spielberg-ET. Jurassic Park, Raiders
Billy Wilder-Sabrina fair,The Fortune Cookie,kiss me stupid,one two three,the apartment, some like it hot.the major and the minor (maybe A foreign affair, and arise my love)
woody allen. Money, sleeper, Love and, bananas.
I would include Howard Hawks as well.
ReplyDeleteFRITZ LANG
ReplyDeleteM
Metropolis
The Testament of Dr. Abuse
ROMAN POLANSKI
Chinatown
The Tennant
Rosemary's Baby
ORSON WELLES
Touch of Evil
The Trial
Citizen Came
TOD BROWNING
Dracula
Freaks
The Unknown
SEIJUN SUZUKI
Branded To Kill
Youth Of The Beast
Tokyo Drifter
HOWARD HAWKS
The Thing From Another World
The Big Sleep
Scarface
Rio Bravo
(I know it's a cheat, but I honestly couldn't narrow it down!)
VITTORIO DE SICA
ReplyDeleteUmberto D
Bicycle Thieves
Miracle in Milan
Shoeshine
After the Fox
Two Women
Marriage, Italian Style
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Brief Vacation