30 Best Directors Working Today

MagicMarker

http://www.imdb.com/list/FpOnpwRQdSw/

I was just having a browse through this list and the thing that surprised me was at number 20, above the likes of Spielberg, Cameron, Mann, Rodriguez and Del Toro was....... James L. Brooks.

And even worse again is De Palma, Darabont and Coppola ahead of all the the above..... ?

Ugh, the list is all over the place.

Okay I just realised the list was compiled by no one of any importance, but still, it's worthy of a mention just because of how shíte it is.

I agree somewhat with the top 10. It's good that Darren Aronofsky is getting recognition.

missingtime

Was Anderson is much better than Baz Luhrman in my opinion.

Bubs101

Someone post the list there, IMDB is banned in CHina

Hank_Jones

Seems to be a list of directors that have had some good films, as opposed to the actual 30 best directors working today.

M. Night Shaylaman hasn't directed a film that could be considered in any way good in over 10 years.

Matthew made a bit of a boob with that list, whoever he is.

Sidney Lumet is brilliant, or at least he was 30 years ago.

Hank_Jones

Is some random imdb user's list really in need of a dedicated thread?

Seriously though I think that you have to remember that it is just an ordinary guys list and as such it's subjective, the beauty of cinema is such that while you or I may scoff at some of his choices, (Brookes is a questionable entry on anyones list) he genuinely may love their work. If every list was as safe as an Empire best of list then cinema would be a very boring thing to discuss.

Hank_Jones wrote: »

Sidney Lumet is brilliant, or at least he was 30 years ago.

He's still a master. Just rewatched Before the Devil Knows You're Dead for the umpteen time and it remains one of the best films of all time, a pure masterclass in cinema. It's almost unbelievable to think that Lumet was 84 when he made the film, an age when most people have trouble going to the bathroom on their own yet he made one of the best films of his career, aswell as his first shot on digital film.

Hank_Jones

Deleted User wrote: »

He's still a master. Just rewatched Before the Devil Knows You're Dead for the umpteen time and it remains one of the best films of all time, a pure masterclass in cinema. It's almost unbelievable to think that Lumet was 84 when he made the film, an age when most people have trouble going to the bathroom on their own yet he made one of the best films of his career, aswell as his first shot on digital film.

I'm certainly not in any way trying to say that Sidney Lumet isn't a fantastic director, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is a good film, but it's just that his best work is behind him, a long way behind him, which seemed to be a staple of that "list".

The man directed The Verdict, Dog Day Afternoon, 12 Angry Men, Serpico.
He's one of the greatest ever in my book.

Hank_Jones

Hank_Jones wrote: »

I'm certainly not in any way trying to say that Sidney Lumet isn't a fantastic director, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is a good film, but it's just that his best work is behind him, a long way behind him, which seemed to be a staple of that "list".

The man directed The Verdict, Dog Day Afternoon, 12 Angry Men, Serpico.
He's one of the greatest ever in my book.

I know you weren't, i was merely saying that on the strength of Before the Devil Knows You're Dead he's still a master of his craft. Much of his output over the past two dEcades has been poor but he did end his carter with one very good film and one truly great one.

Basq

Meh, it's a list of popular primarily-US directors.

I've some serious problems with the order too. Baz Luhrman at #8.. while Frank Darabont, David Fincher and Wes Anderson sit at #16, #17 and #22 respectively. Really?! :eek:

Also take Zack Snyder off it.. he's no place there whatsoever!

JP Liz V1

No Woody Alllen, Tim Burton, Terrence Malick, David Cronenberg and Ang Lee

Cactus Colm

Basq wrote: »

Meh, it's a list of popular primarily-US directors.

I've some serious problems with the order too. Baz Luhrman at #8.. while Frank Darabont, David Fincher and Wes Anderson sit at #16, #17 and #22 respectively. Really?! :eek:

Also take Zack Snyder off it.. he's no place there whatsoever!

I was going to agree with you about Zack Snyder, just on the basis of 300, which is a film I've come to hate. But I don't think there's a director on that list who could have done a better job on Watchmen then he did.

And as far as 300 goes, I guess it's just not to my tastes.

Terry Gilliam though, he could easily be slotted out of that list. Has only made okay films since Twelve Monkeys.

Top 5 for me would've been Fincher, Nolan, PT Anderson, Spielberg, Eastwood. Not necessarily in that order, and possibly with Aronofsky replacing Eastwood.

johnny_ultimate

Well, IMO this random IMDB user hasn't seen enough films to justify claiming to list the "30 Best Directors Working Today". The fact there isn't a single foreign language director - well, that's a lie, but Del Toro, Gondry and Rodriquez are primarily Hollywood players these days - on the list goes to show we can automatically fob this list of as entirely redundant.

Bodhidharma

I'm surprised Peter Jackson isn't in it. I'd agree with the top 4, have QT instead of Lumet and complete the top ten with Mann, Eastwood, Stone, Lee and Gondry.

Its really a sign of the times that Spielberg and Ridley Scott are placed so low. I expected Cameron to be a lot higher too considering how much money he makes.

Syferus

Bodhidharma wrote: »

I'm surprised Peter Jackson isn't in it. I'd agree with the top 4, have QT instead of Lumet and complete the top ten with Mann, Eastwood, Stone, Lee and Gondry.

Its really a sign of the times that Spielberg and Ridley Scott are placed so low. I expected Cameron to be a lot higher too considering how much money he makes.

It depends on your definition of 'working' - for me, Finicher, Nolan or Aronofsky all would easily rank far above Spielberg or De Palma based on their recent output. Good once doesn't mean good forever. The Godfather is one of the most timeless films ever made but I'm hardly waiting on tenterhooks for what Coppola does next.

I'm not in the camp that thinks Ridley Scott has fell off the quality map and I'm now quite interested to see where he takes the Alien prequel, having watched Alien for the first time last night.

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Well, IMO this random IMDB user hasn't seen enough films to justify claiming to list the "30 Best Directors Working Today". The fact there isn't a single foreign language director - well, that's a lie, but Del Toro, Gondry and Rodriquez are primarily Hollywood players these days - on the list goes to show we can automatically fob this list of as entirely redundant.

As you said, it's a random user and just a personal list. No one's personal experience is 'entirely redundant' - how would you like if someone who had seen every last Criterion/Janus release scoffed at you if you produced a list? Isn't the very idea of discussion to bring differing viewpoints together; how much fun would a place like this be if everyone revered the exact same directors and films?

If there's a minimum amount of foreign films or directors that a personal list most include to be valid doesn't it entirely stop the list from being, well, personal?

johnny_ultimate

Syferus wrote: »

As you said, it's a random user and just a personal list. No one's personal experience is 'entirely redundant' - how would you like if someone who had seen every last Criterion/Janus release scoffed at you if you produced a list? Isn't the very idea of discussion to bring differing viewpoints together; how much fun would a place like this be if everyone revered the exact same directors and films?

If there's a minimum amount of foreign films or directors that a personal list most include to be valid doesn't it entirely stop the list from being, well, personal?

Well it's more in the difference between favourite and best. If someone listed top 30 favourite directors, that's a different matter altogether. But the guy who composed the list's fairly narrow variety claims these are the best directors working today, which is different from listing his favourites. I don't know if anyone at all is in the position to name the best contemporary directors in fact. But to make that claim and then have a list that ignores all but one country's output is what adds to the redundancy IMO!

There's always room for peoples opinions, but there's a difference between stating one's opinions and making bold claims.

Anyway it's just one random person's public list, and not worth getting worked up about!