Favorite film directors!

[Cato]

Yes! The ending, although understated, is extremely powerful. Farnsworth's acting is so natural it feels like a documentary at times.

And not just his performance, but the entire crew of character actors are excellent!

[North Star]

No particular order

Ingmar Bergman
Jean-Pierre Melville
Akira Kurosawa
Charles Chaplin
Alfred Hitchcock
Francis Ford Coppola
Wes Anderson
Coen brothers
Rainer Werner Fassbinder

[drogulus]

Most people don't re-watch Lynch movies. Most people don't know his movies. He's known for the tv show.  Tarentino is certainly at a different level with movies like Pulp Fiction.

     Tarantino is more popular than Lynch. I didn't think we were talking about that, I though we were talking about people who compile lists of their favorite film directors.

     

[71 dB]

Mulholland Drive comes to mind.

Lynch's best movie imo.

People DO make stupid things in their lives, vote for Trump or something else...

[Ken B]

But if we are going to talk about overrated, we can't fail to mention one of the worst directors in history who gets a pass from his fans at this site - David Lynch. What dreck - almost as bad as Tarantino sometimes is (another generally overrated Director). Reading all the adulation he gets on the other thread is difficult when you think he's not particularly talented and a one-trick pony (shock value anyone?).

I'm not saying I fully agree but it's nice to see a response that isn't just pious obeisance.

I find Lynch dull. Tarantino I think really is talented. Some of his movies are excellent. But the one-trick-pony charge fits what's wrong with a lot of his stuff. Certainly he's nowhere on my list of favourites.

Neither is Altman for example, but Gosford Park is one of my favourite movies.

[71 dB]

Yet again I forgot another director  : Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Another director I don't I seen anything by, but often talked about and mentioned online. How do you see Fassbinder movies? Where have you seen them and how did you get exposed to them (and found out you like them)? I mean, they show Transformers movies on TV, not some obscure art films by Fassbinder

What's so special about Fassbinder[?

[North Star]

Another director I don't I seen anything by, but often talked about and mentioned online. How do you see Fassbinder movies? Where have you seen them and how did you get exposed to them (and found out you like them)? I mean, they show Transformers movies on TV, not some obscure art films by Fassbinder

I've seen at least 3 on the Finnish National Broadcasting Company's TV channels.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Certainly he's nowhere on my list of favourites.

Neither is Altman for example, but Gosford Park is one of my favourite movies.

While Altman made a lot of films that were forgettable or just not very good, I rank him highly, partly because of his mastery of the "ensemble film" genre (which I think he more or less created), partly because some of his "non-ensemble" films are so good. In particular, Nashville, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, the mysterious and Bergmanesque 3 Women, and Short Cuts are among the best American films of their time. Short Cuts is particularly fascinating as an experiment in literary adaptation, especially if you know the Raymond Carver stories it's based on.

All of these films have enough layers to keep you busy with multiple viewings.

BTW, I live a few blocks from the estate where A Wedding (one of his not so good films) was shot. It's one of the old Armour family estates (of hot dog fame).

[Parsifal]

John Sayles (Lone Star and Limbo). I have no idea what he has been doing since then.

[Karl Henning]

While Altman made a lot of films that were forgettable or just not very good, I rank him highly, partly because of his mastery of the "ensemble film" genre (which I think he more or less created), partly because some of his "non-ensemble" films are so good. In particular, Nashville, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, the mysterious and Bergmanesque 3 Women, and Short Cuts are among the best American films of their time. Short Cuts is particularly fascinating as an experiment in literary adaptation, especially if you know the Raymond Carver stories it's based on.

All of these films have enough layers to keep you busy with multiple viewings.

BTW, I live a few blocks from the estate where A Wedding (one of his not so good films) was shot. It's one of the old Armour family estates (of hot dog fame).

The dogs kids love to bite!

[drogulus]

While Altman made a lot of films that were forgettable or just not very good, I rank him highly, partly because of his mastery of the "ensemble film" genre (which I think he more or less created), partly because some of his "non-ensemble" films are so good. In particular, Nashville, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, the mysterious and Bergmanesque 3 Women, and Short Cuts are among the best American films of their time. Short Cuts is particularly fascinating as an experiment in literary adaptation, especially if you know the Raymond Carver stories it's based on.

All of these films have enough layers to keep you busy with multiple viewings.

BTW, I live a few blocks from the estate where A Wedding (one of his not so good films) was shot. It's one of the old Armour family estates (of hot dog fame).

     My favorite among them is The Long Goodbye.

[mc ukrneal]

I'm not saying I fully agree but it's nice to see a response that isn't just pious obeisance.

I find Lynch dull. Tarantino I think really is talented. Some of his movies are excellent. But the one-trick-pony charge fits what's wrong with a lot of his stuff. Certainly he's nowhere on my list of favourites.

Neither is Altman for example, but Gosford Park is one of my favourite movies.

That one is masterful. And I love the music choices as well.

[Ken B]

That one is masterful. And I love the music choices as well.

Indeed. My favourite scene is the servants listening at the door while Novello performs. Magical.

[71 dB]

I've seen at least 3 on the Finnish National Broadcasting Company's TV channels.

I'm pretty lazy at monitoring which movies are shown and when so I miss a lot. Yle combined Teema and Fem so even less art movies on telly... ...TV is all sport and reality garbage these days 

[North Star]

I'm pretty lazy at monitoring which movies are shown and when so I miss a lot. Yle combined Teema and Fem so even less art movies on telly... ...TV is all sport and reality garbage these days 

I know how you feel. Yle Teema's coming (and gone) movies are easily seen here, though.
Bergman's Autumn Sonata was shown last Saturday, and tonight you can watch Kubrick's 'The Killing'.
Later this year there are movies by Zvjagintsev (Leviathan), Kubrick (Patsh of Glory, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey), Ford (The Searchers), Vidor (Gilda), Lang (Dr Mabuse, M), Tati, Lumet (Serpico), Fassbiner (The Marriage of Maria Braun), Melville (Le samourai), Eisenstein (October), Dardennes, (Deux jours une nuit), de Sica (La ciociara), Antonioni (L'avventura), Fellini (8½), Pasolini (Il vangelo secondo Matteo), McQueen (12 Years a Slave), Almodovar (Julieta), and others...

[Crudblud]

I don't watch films very often these days. I find my interests come and go in phases, some months I do nothing (with my spare time) but read novels, others nothing but watch films, others nothing but listen to music. The past year hasn't been much of a film season for me, I've watched some stuff with friends, but mostly crap to riff on MST3k style, and I'm not particularly enthusiastic about cinema right now, but here are some directors off the top of my head whose films have stuck with me over the years, with particular favourites noted.

David Lynch - Wild at Heart / Lost Highway / Blue Velvet / Inland Empire / Mulholland Drive / Twin Peaks (as a whole)
Stanley Kubrick - 2001 / Barry Lyndon / The Shining / Full Metal Jacket / Eyes Wide Shut
Apichatpong Weerasethakul - Syndromes and a Century
Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood / The Master / Inherent Vice
Wong Kar-Wai - Chungking Express / In the Mood for Love / 2046
Hou Hsiao-Hsien - Café Lumière / first and third sections of Three Times
Edward Yang - Yi Yi
Akira Kurosawa - Yojimbo / Rashomon / Kagemusha / Throne of Blood
Kenji Mizoguchi - Ugetsu
Terry Gilliam - Brazil / 12 Monkeys / Tideland / The Zero Theorem
Tsai Ming-Liang - Rebels of the Neon God
Ingmar Bergman - Wild Strawberries / The Virgin Spring
Ethan and Joel Coen - Barton Fink / A Serious Man / Raising Arizona
Sion Sono - Love Exposure
Masaki Kobayashi - Harakiri / Kwaidan
Mike Leigh - Naked

Not the most impressive or geographically varied list, but it's somethin'.

[Karl Henning]

Stanley Kubrick - 2001 / Barry Lyndon / The Shining / Full Metal Jacket / Eyes Wide Shut

Thank you for noting these as particular favorites.  On Facebook t'other day when I posted a Spielberg remark defying anyone, once they've started to watch a Kubrick film, to push the Stop button . . . quite a few comments countered with at least three of your (and my) favorites.

[Crudblud]

Thank you for noting these as particular favorites.  On Facebook t'other day when I posted a Spielberg remark defying anyone, once they've started to watch a Kubrick film, to push the Stop button . . . quite a few comments countered with at least three of your (and my) favorites.

I mean, I can definitely understand being impatient with some Kubrick films, but I think once you get a handle on the deliberate pacing the atmosphere and visuals will carry you along for even three hours if necessary. For all his supposed austerity there's a real emotional core in a lot of his work that I think people tend to miss for whatever reason, a sense of slowness may be one of those reasons.

[Karl Henning]

I mean, I can definitely understand being impatient with some Kubrick films, but I think once you get a handle on the deliberate pacing the atmosphere and visuals will carry you along for even three hours if necessary. For all his supposed austerity there's a real emotional core in a lot of his work that I think people tend to miss for whatever reason, a sense of slowness may be one of those reasons.

A number of scenes in this or that movie, it is certainly a scene which probably any other director in the world would shoot shorter, would excise pauses, might even slash away dialogue:  the scene where the team are awhile, getting out there to pull Cowboy (was it?) away to safety (and too late);  the scene where the Harfords get high and have an "are we arguing?" kind of conversation between two people getting high;  even the duologue in the washroom between Jack and Grady.  Heck, the opening refueling footage in Dr Strangelove.  But I feel very much that this just-shy-taffy-pulling scale for these scenes is one of his trademark successes.

[71 dB]

I know how you feel. Yle Teema's coming (and gone) movies are easily seen here, though.
Bergman's Autumn Sonata was shown last Saturday, and tonight you can watch Kubrick's 'The Killing'.
Later this year there are movies by Zvjagintsev (Leviathan), Kubrick (Patsh of Glory, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey), Ford (The Searchers), Vidor (Gilda), Lang (Dr Mabuse, M), Tati, Lumet (Serpico), Fassbiner (The Marriage of Maria Braun), Melville (Le samourai), Eisenstein (October), Dardennes, (Deux jours une nuit), de Sica (La ciociara), Antonioni (L'avventura), Fellini (8½), Pasolini (Il vangelo secondo Matteo), McQueen (12 Years a Slave), Almodovar (Julieta), and others...

Thanks! Will watch the Kubrick, althou I don't like everything Kubrick that much (2001, Shining and Eyes Wide Shut are my favorites by him).

0:)