DIRECTORS/WRITERS that we love

i want to start a discusion here about movie directors and screenwriters (who are more often than not ignored).i think there are two kinds of directors
1.who write their own material
2.those who just direct

i kind of lean towards ppl who write and direct their own material, i think WOODY ALLEN is a great example just when everybody thought that we had seen the best of woody and it was in the past , he comes up with MATCH POINT, I haven't seen the movie but from what i gather is that its being universally lauded and its a return to form for woody.It's also something that he has not done in the past , a drama/thriller ...cant wait to see it

having said that some filmmakers do collaborate witheir screenwriters like the great billy wilder did with charles brackett , IAL Diamond.What a team that wa sand what brilliant movies they came up with WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION, SOME LIKE IT HOT and TH APARTMENT, and also ONE TWO THREE , IRMA LA DOUCE,KISS ME STUPID...with brackett he had SUNSET BOULEVARD, A FOREIGN AFFAIR ...and with Raymond Chandler he had DOUBLE INDEMNITY

anyways what i want from everybody is to just come up with directors/screenwriters that they love and why do they love them and movies that they have loved of these people...later on i am going to come up with more favourites and more names and more everything


OK HERE GOES...I EXPECT PPL TO FLOOD THIS THREAD

JOSS WHEDON.

There. That felt better. ;)

Writer/Director of the Firefly series which later turned into the movie Serenity, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.

LOVE HIM. Witty, imaginative, incredible use of words and a GREAT storyteller.

~phos

joss whedon........


thats a great choice!!!!!!!...

can we have more people writing now...

by the way i heard that joss was going to do wonder woman , is that true? has anyone heard anything?

what about kevin smith ppl...anyone like him

robert rodriguez

quentin tarantino

eli roth(hostel and cabin fever)

I liked Robert Rodriquez's masterful work on his LOW budget film, El Mariachi. I also enjoyed Four Rooms, From Dusk Till Dawn, and SIN CITY.

Quentin Tarantino is a LOT over-rated to me these days, but I loved these: Reservoir Dogs (MASTERPIECE), Pulp Fiction, Four Rooms, and From Dusk Till Dawn ;)

Now, back to the man, Joss. He IS working on Wonder Woman to be released in 2007. It's only "in production" at the moment. He's also working on a movie called "Goners" due out this year. I anxiously await both...

Being that there are only two people on planet earth (other than Litical) that I could consider myself a FAN of... Joss Whedon is one, Orson Scott Card (author of Ender's Game and many, many other wonderful novels) is the other.

~phos

ok...why does Joss Whedon have this cult following, and was his movie serenity good?

i liked robert rodriguez's sincity liked it...did not LOVE IT FOR SOME REASON...have loved most of quentin tarantino's movies...

as far as quint being overhyped, i beg to differ...I MEAN THE MAN IS A GENIUS...his jackis brown was senspecatcularsational...His script FOR TRUE ROMANCE IS ONE OF THE BEST SCREENPLAYS EVER...PERIOD....

lol...as you can guess i kind of like qt

Well, terminal, you're in good company. A Lot of people like Quentin. Genius? Sure, when he made Reservoir Dogs. I haven't really flipped over anything he's done since, since he seems so big headed and full of himself and I ain't got respect for folks like that. And nothing in this universe will drag me in to see Hostel. And I generally like horror movies, but nope. Not a chance.

Both my siblings work/ed in Hollywood. My sister is a computer animator (quite successful, as I am 100% sure you've seen several things she's worked on over the years) and my brother was a carpenter/set designer until recently. I do get some inside scoop on what people are really like, so I'm not trying to say I know first hand Quentin is big headed, I just get that feelin'... meh. And I definitely DONT get that feeling from Joss Whedon. He's a humble, overwhelmed, creative genius who DOES NOT give up (took YEARS to get funding for Serenity, but he promised the cast/crew he wouldn't give up and he didn't)

I, personally, thought Serenity was absolutely AWESOME. But, I had watched most of the Firefly episodes before seeing it. I would suggest, if you've never seen Firefly, pick up the DVD of the entire series and set on down and give it a go. THEN watch Serenity. And listen close, cuz the dialogue is absolutely stunning... SHINY. Then check out the movie, and be sure to watch Joss Whedon's introduction and the out takes.

There isn't a character on the crew that isn't wonderful, lovable, perfectly FALLABLE, somewhat skewed and moronic and fantastically human. I know if you look through this board (Search: Serenity) you'll get my review and a link to my favorite authors review of his movie.

Orson Scott Card said (mind you, AFTER I saw the movie myself) that Serenity is everything he ever hopes/wants Enders Game (the movie) to be and if it can't be that good, he doesn't want it to be made at all. Ender's Game is in production, by the way. Wolfgang Petersen will be directing.

~phos

And... on the topic of why Joss Whedon has such a loyal fan base...

... my brother just called me. He and his wife have birthdays between the end of Jan and early February. I ordered them the Firefly series and Serenity. He called me to say the following:

Well, when my wife first saw it she said, "Oh great, another present from (Fossy). Almost everything she gets is so much more geared towards you." My bro said, "Awww, come on.. maybe you'll like it."

They sit down and watch an episode of Firefly. When it's over, she grabs the remote and starts episode 2. They stayed up until after midnight, watched 4 episodes at HER urging ~ not that he wasn't enjoying them.

He said to me... "I think she has to eat her words now." We both laughed hysterically. But they are saving Serenity for the very last and he is already REALLY bummed there isn't MORE!!! He's like... WTH?? WHY would they cancel a show this freakin' good???

Yes, I ask you why? Whedon fans don't get it either. And when you watch the Introduction/Commentary from Joss Whedon on the Serenity DVD, you will see WHY we are loyal to him and support his endeavors!!! Trust me.

Just do it, Terminal. ;) I promise you, you won't be disappointed.

~phos

My God thats some serious passion and as of now when i haven't seen any of joss whedon's work it will be unfair to comment

BUTTTTTTTTT I Aint letting you off on Quentin

HOSTEL has been presented by him ,its directed and written by eli roth, i think its some hard core torture horror stuff...

i dont know much about eli roth but quentin...come on
PULP FICTION: A GEM
RESERVOIR DOGS:SUPER SENSATIONAL
TRUE ROMANCE:BEYOND SENSATIONAL (the script rulessss, one of the best ever)
JACKIE BROWN:OHHHH WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW
KILL BILL VOL 1: SUPERB
KILL BILL VOL 2:A CLASSIC

(IN)GLORIOUS BASTARDS :UPCOMING, ITS GONNA BE SPECIAL

Kill Bill was pretty cool, but nothing spectacular ~ at least not in my eyes. It's not one I'm going to watch over and over...

Reservoir Dogs was a masterpiece, no doubt. I can and will happily view that movie many more times in my life and am ALWAYS impressed on subsequent viewings.

Pulp Fiction was good, but doesn't hold well after repeat viewings... in fact, gets cliche' and mundane on subsequent viewings and that's honestly how I truly rate a film as GREAT. Reservoir Dogs was GREAT. Pulp Fiction was merely good and totally overhyped.

See, I can sit down and watch certain classics every year for the rest of my life and their value and quality don't diminish over time. Some tried and true ones being Citizen Kane, Casablanca, It's a Wonderful Life. Movies from my childhood which have jumped on my long term "classic" list are movies like Poltergeist (totally blew ET out of the water in terms of LONG TERM classic masterpiece of a movie), the first (and only truly GOOD) Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Arc. More recent ones being Fifth Element (awesome flick ~ totally enjoyable everytime we see it!)

Of the movies in the last 5 years which I own and have watched repeatedly and have stood up to my subsequent viewing test; only these have survived: Lord of the Rings (all three, which speaks volumes, since I HATE sequels and always have), and thusfar Serenity and oddly, War of the Worlds, which my son keeps making us watch and sucks us in EVERY TIME. Don't get why it was so panned in the theatres. It's a really good movie and Tom Cruise did a great job acting...

Anyway, I really, really, really respect and love Reservoir Dogs... and I thought HIS section in Four Rooms was a lot of fun, but otherwise... I'm not all that impressed.

Tastes being different and all... ;)

~phos

of course the beauty about arguing when it comes to movies is that you see it differently than me...

enough said about tarantino...

the 5 movies of 2005 that i badly want to watch are

5.wallace and gromit
4.corpse bride
3.match point
2.a history of violence

1.KISS KISS, BANGBANG

i might like the movies in a totally different order!!!!!!!!!!

Wallace and Gromit I definitely wanted to see... but didn't. My kids loved it, though. I probably will buy it when it comes out on DVD (if it hasn't already) cuz I own the other three. ;)

No interest in Corpse Bride. *shrug* And I LOVED Nightmare Before Christmas. :eek:

Definitely need NEED need NEED to see Chronicles of Narnia for multiple reasons... a) my kids loved it, b) my sister worked on it and c) I loved the book and it looks REAL good.

Serenity ruled for 2005, though. Too bad not enough people "got it." It's one of those sleepers... movies and TV shows that WILL stand the test of time and have an ever growing following. ;)

~phos

One of my favorites is Todd Solondz, writer/director...has a few award winning indie flicks under his belt including: Palindromes, Welcome to the Dollhouse, Story Telling and Happiness


some others I enjoy:

M Night. Shamalyan
Tim Burton
Sam Mendes
Spielberg
Sofia Coppolla
Kevin Smith
Gus Van Sant

Robert Rodriguez is a good choice...I liked Desperado too.

...I'll say I think Quinten Tarintino is overrated as well. I think Sam Mendes is overrated (I think he wrote American Beauty but I'm not sure), and I think David Lynch is overrated although some of his stuff is cool. And I HATE Kevin Smith. I don't think he actually qualifies as a director, because his work doesn't qualify as "movies."

People I love....#1 Stanley Kubrik...with the exception of Eyes Wide Shut. I'm convinced he died of embarassment. A lot of his work was obviously based on other people's novels. I still consider him a writer though.

Olive Stone - the "down and to the right" sequence of JFK I thought was filmaking genius. LOL! I love almost everything he's ever done. He does a lot of his own writing, but not all. Platoon is my favorite Oliver Stone, that he wrote.
Terrance Malick - thank god he resurfaced with Thin Red Line, and he actually has a new movie out which I can't wait to see. Badlands is one of my favorites. Thin Red Line is obviously based on the James Jones novel...but still, I think he counts.
Terry Gilliam - Time Bandits, Fear and Loathing, Brazil - how could you not love the guy?
Kenneth Longergan - Because he made an absoulte gem as writer and director in 2000 with a film called, "You Can Count on Me". I was thrilled and unfortunately Gangs of New York was his "breakout hit." He's back in '06 with another movie he also wrote and directed, and I'm sure his second will be as good as his first.
Peter Weir - He's a controversial pick because he's done some real dogs. I like him though. See: The Cars that Ate Paris. You have to have a taste for the bizarre. He wrote and directed that.
Jim Jaramush - Down By Law, Mystery Train amazing movies. Don't like everything he's ever done though. Dead Man with Johnny Depp is my least fav.
Tim Burton - Another guy you can't help but love just for his sheer and undeniable talent for the fantasitical. He's got some writing credits. Does he count?
John Hughes - Can't we please forgive him his sins and enjoy Ferris Bueller's Day Off?
John Sayles - I will always love his stuff. Because its good. And for the same reason that I hate Elia Kazan. Silver City...if you haven't seen it, go rent it.

Bueller? Bueller? Oh yes, another absolute CLASSIC. :eek: ROFLAO.

And Tim Burton is, for the most part, magical. Edward Scissorhands! That's another that we love and has stood the test of repeat viewing pleasure. ;)
~phos

Otto- you can't hold it against me for liking Kevin Smith, you're not allowed to live in New Jersey if you don't ;)


but all kidding aside, I should have specified...i love the OLD Kevin Smith. Lately, he's a cheesey sell out. I think how he dropped out of school and used every penny he owned plus to make Clerks was a bold and daring move and I am a big fan of all his early movies. And a lot of people hate on Clerks, but it is raw life. That movie is so accurate of what goes on in a New Jersey convient store to a tee. I pee in my pants every time I watch it. But to each their own.

Now that I have more time, I'll tell ya why I love who I have chosen:


M. Night Shyamalan: He doubles more often than not as writer and director which I love. His movies are scary in an old fashion sense, dealing more with psych and suspense than with fake blood, special efffects and unbearable violence. I also love his sense of home town pride.

Tim Burton: He's so magical. He has a little kid's imagination, the intelligence of a genius and a huge bank account. If you can dream it, he can put it on the screen.

Sam Mendes: A lot of people like to make fun of him and call him over rated, but I am entitled to like him just like people are entitled to hate him. I love the beauty of his films. And the way he makes main stream pictures have an indie feel.

Spielberg: He's just classic. Can't help but enjoy so many of his films.

Sofia Coppola: Most people with famous family members just hang out in the lime light, but not Sofia, she took it to her own level. She's an inspiration female director and writer and her movies are just amazing...origional and captivating. The Virgin Suicides and Lost In Translation are two of my favorite movies of all time. It brings a smile to my face that someone whose family can afford to make a block buster would choose to do low budget films. Love her.

Kevin Smith: He was one of my big idols growing up him being from New Jersey and all. I loved the drive he had and how he put it all on the line to live his dream. I love the simplicity, comedy and truth of his early films. But I think the second he placed JLO in his movies, he went down hill.

Gus Van Sant: I loved him for such a long time...and I was so mad when he remade Psycho. I hate when people remake Hitch**** movies b/c they can never be as good as him. But Gus won back my love when he made Elephant. I felt like Elephant was an aplogy for his version of psycho. If you haven't seen Elephant you should, I can explain how moving it is.



Then of course my two favorites of all time are:


Alfred Hitch****: Rightfully, the master of suspense. I can't name something I didn't like about him.

And my home town hero, Todd Solodnz of Newark NJ: Todd could eat Kevin Smith for dinner. Todd is the master of dark comedy and symbolism. It seems like Todd can't relate to 99% of humanity and that is what makes him so great. His movies bring out the part of you that you feel like no one understands. He's not afraid to put contriversial issues in the face of the audience. He has the rare talent of being entertaining and artistic. If I could meet him, I'd faint. He's literally my idol.

NOW WE ARE TALKING PEOPLE....

OK KEVIN SMITH FIRST...I HAVE bot seen clerks but have read the script its crude its raw its a lot of things BUT ITS SENSATIONALLY FUNNY...i mean the reason that i love kevin smith because of the dialogues...I LOVE WORDS ...AND HIS MOVIES ARE TOTALLY DIALOGUE DRIVEN...

THE movie that i have seen of his is Chasing Amy...which pretty damn good...


now about solondz i have seen much less only HAPPINESS...and i have heard that he does visit some fobidden stuff in storytelling also...well solondz is a totally different kind of filmmaker...there were some parts of happiness which i couldn't watch...i mean the moments were that discomforting ...smith on the other hand is the opposite ...

anyways the fun with this is we can keep on discussing who is better...by the was has anyone seen kiss kiss , bang bang? i hear the dialogue in the movie is spot on....

i thought sam mendes' american beauty was ok,,,, but i kind of really liked parts of "the road to perdition" the opening scene with music as the young kid cycles...paul newman and tom hanks plasying the piano...jude law as the weird killer and clive owen as the son of newman...

does anyone have a list of movies that they are looking forward to in 2006?

and pls we need more lists of everything most loved movies of 2005, most wanted to watch movies ... etc etc

Oooh...Chasing Amy. That's one of those rare movies I couldn't finish. It wasn't going so well for me, but then Ben Affleck proposed a threesome, and I was like...ok, this is just silly. Click....off. That's one of the last movies I've not finished. The other being Team America, World Police. Which was just plain...not funny. I got through Dogma, but barely.

The movie I'm looking forward to is The New World.

I also liked the guy who Pi and Requiem for a Dream. Arnofsky or something like that. Reqiuem for a Dream was better, but I liked Pi too. I think that guy wrote both.

Oh yeah...two other writer/directors I don't like...for the sake of discussion...
Wes Anderson. In fact, I've seen like all his movies....thing is, I can't remember what happened in ANY of them. Basic plot lines...maybe.
Alexander Payne. I think was an insult to filmmaking that Sideways, and Election I think were both nominated for Academy Awards. I though Sideways was terribly boring borgouise movie. Maybe a man in search of himself refusing to drink Merlot is poingnant to some people. I just don't get it though.

you are absolutely right darrn oronofky wrote both pi and requiem, i think his next is the fountainhead

terrence mallick returns with the new world...HOW DID I FORGET HIM...

i liked the wes anderson movie in which there were a family of geniuses ...i liked the fact that there was a tremendous amount of momentum in the movie...

Anyone see the Skeleton Key over the summer??

I really enjoyed that. I like a nice psychological thriller in a generation and world filled with special effects and sensationalism. It's nice when a story alone can keep you interested.

i could not watch the skeleton key but i heard very nice things about it...has anyone seen "A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE"

JOSS WHEDON.

There. That felt better. ;)

Writer/Director of the Firefly series which later turned into the movie Serenity, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.

LOVE HIM. Witty, imaginative, incredible use of words and a GREAT storyteller.

~phos

"Ain't nothin' twixt my nethers weren't run on batteries."

I just finished watching Serenity and it was awesome! I've got to find the Firefly series on DVD somewhere. You are absolutely right when you say the characters are incredibly human. I was amazed over and over with how real they actually were.

Just one question Phos, is Firefly a prequel to Serenity or sequel?

Serenity is the culmination of where Joss wanted Firefly to go, had it not been canceled... so Firefly came first... 13 episodes of utter brilliance.

You can get a good deal on Amazon or Half.com for the Firefly series on DVD. They are SO much fun and totally worth it to get them. The dialogue can be so complex, you can watch them over and over and not bore of them, either. LOL. Me to Litical, "Did he just say wha???" REWIND. LOL.

I am a leaf on the wind! SHINY
~phos

John Waters
Kevin Smith
Mike Judge
Seth MacFarlane
Matt Stone and Trey Parker
Quentin Tarantino
Todd Solondz
Tim Burton
John Singleton
Martin Scorsese
The Farrelly brothers

That's all I can think of right now, but I know there's more

My all time favorit director is and will allways be Takeshi Kitano. He directs and plays in some of his movies. From drunken failed gangsters to blind samurais. His works are some of best movies i have seen. Like Brother where he plays a gangster thats forced to leave japan for killing leader of the yakuza. Or in Zatoichi where he plays a blind samurai with a unknown past. I would call him Japans Quentin Tarantino. So if you ever see his movie standing in a shelf get it ;)