Top-10 Directors Working Today.

[The Stingray]

By "Today" I'm really looking at movies released 2000-present.

10. Steven Spielberg

High points - Minority Report, War of the Worlds, Munich

9. J.J. Abrams

High points - Mission: Impossible 3, Star Trek

8. Danny Boyle

High points - 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Slumdog Millionaire

7. Coen brothers

High points - No Country for Old Men, True Grit

6. Martin Scorsese

High points - The Aviator, The Departed

5. Paul Thomas Anderson

High points - There Will Be Blood, The Master

4. Darren Aronofsky

High points - Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, Black Swan

3. Christopher Nolan

High points - Memento, Batman Begins, Inception

2. Quentin Tarantino (if Django Unchained turns out as good as IB, I'm bumping him to number 1)

High points - Kill Bill Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Inglourious Basterds

1. David Fincher

High points - Zodiac, The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

And the worst...

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0. Michael Bay (sorry, Baumer )

Low points - Pearl Harbor, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Edited November 29, 2012 by Don Niam The Stingray

[baumer]

Top 10 director's working today is kind of tough for me as some of the best director's to me haven't changed since the 80's. So imo, you don't lose your skills. The way you are desciribing it, it sounds more like a "Name the best films from these very good directors."

[The Stingray]

Top 10 director's working today is kind of tough for me as some of the best director's to me haven't changed since the 80's. So imo, you don't lose your skills. The way you are desciribing it, it sounds more like a "Name the best films from these very good directors."

Its a question of form, Baumer. For example, Spielberg's form nowadays is nowhere near what it was in the 80s or even 90s. He's just not as good as he used to be.

[4815162342]

Top 10 director's working today is kind of tough for me as some of the best director's to me haven't changed since the 80's. So imo, you don't lose your skills. The way you are desciribing it, it sounds more like a "Name the best films from these very good directors."

You have to base it solely on their work product in the 2000s. So for example, while Cameron may be your favorite director of all time, you can only judge him in this thread based on Avatar.

[baumer]

You have to base it solely on their work product in the 2000s. So for example, while Cameron may be your favorite director of all time, you can only judge him in this thread based on Avatar.

Ok, fair enough. That makes it a little tough then.....but I will soldier on.

[baumer]

Its a question of form, Baumer. For example, Spielberg's form nowadays is nowhere near what it was in the 80s or even 90s. He's just not as good as he used to be.

I happen to disagree with that. He is taking more risks now than he did 20 years ago. That doesn't make him any less of a director.

[4815162342]

I'm going to try to tackle this but with a limitation:I must have seen at least 3 films by the director in the timespan (2000-present). Anything less isn't a suitable body of work to judge someone on in a decade's span. So since PTA has only made 3 films in that timeframe, and I haven't seen Punch-Drunk Love or The Master, he's ineligible. This also excludes up-and-coming directors like Duncan Jones who haven't made 3 films yet.

[Hatebox]

Artistically, PT Anderson. Technically, Fincher or the Coens. Commercially, Nolan. (He doesn't make the most money, of course, but I think he makes the most interesting Big Films.)

[Jake Gittes]

I also haven't seen Punch Drunk Love and The Master, but I have the former on DVD and hopefully the latter I'll get to see sooner than later - as much as I'd like to, I probably won't make my top until I've seen both. PTA is too major and - based on his other 4 films - too strong a filmmaker to ignore here.David Lynch is an interesting case already. On the one hand, he's been active in the 2000's and Mulholland Dr. is incredible. On the other hand, he seems to be pretty much retired now, rather than working, and I still haven't seen Inland Empire.Tarantino would be my #1 though, with Scorsese, Coens, PTA and Fincher almost definitely comprising the rest of the top 5 (don't know in which order, though). More interesting is who's below that line.

[baumer]

I too am limiting this to a director with at least 3 films on his resume.

11) Marcus Nispel (TCM 2003, Friday the 13th): Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003 is enough to have him on this list, all by itself. The ingenuity in that film was truly awesome. His idea to film the hole in the head of the hitchhiker, using a mini camera on a piece of fishing wire was pure genius.

10) David Fincher (Zodiac, TSN, Girl With Dragon Tattoo): He showed how good he is with Seven

and then kept it going with films like the ones in brackets. A keen eye for detail and able to pay homage to some of the international greats like Dario Argento. Will win an oscar one day.

9) Sylvester Stallone (Rocky Balboa, The Expendables, Rambo): Few people can direct action like Stallone. Rocky Balboa, imo, was worthy of a slew of awards including best director and picture.

8) Ridley Scott (Gladiator, American Ganster, Body of Lies): Gladiator is one of the best of the last decade.

7) Sam Mendes (MI3, Skyfall, Revolutionary Road): I thought Skyfall was good, not great, but directing wise, it is stunning. I'm not sure how he filmed the opening train scene. Add in the quiet and subtle brilliane of RR and he cements his status and lives up to the genius of American Beauty.

6) Clint Eastwood (Mystic River, Gran Torino): Clint should have won best director for Mystic River. Gran Torino is one of the most entertaining films of the decade. At 135 years old, Clint is not slowing down.

5) Martin Scorcese (Hugo, Shutter Island, The Departed) Finally won an oscar for The Departed and it was long overdue.

4) Gore Verbinski (POTC, The Ring) Pirates 1 was fantastic and 3 was good. I hated 2 but the reason he ranks so high is The Ring is the best horror film perhaps in 15 years.

3) Steven Spielberg (Lincoln, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal, War of the Worlds): Not much needs to be said. He has an imitable style and 37 years after Jaws he is still making brilliant films.

2) Christopher Nolan (Memento, BB, TDK)It doesn't matter what he has done, TDK is one of this generations defining films. Robbed at the oscars, it will be remembered in the same vein as Jaws and Star Wars, films that should have won but will remain in the pysche for years to come.

1) Michael Bay (Tranformers, Pearl Harbor, Transformers 3): No one is more entertaining that Bay. His style cannot be duplicated. He runs his set like a general on a battle field and the results are explosive, literally and figuratively. He will win an oscar one day. Transformers is a hit because of his style. A visonary and a genius.

Edited November 29, 2012 by baumer

[4815162342]

I also haven't seen Punch Drunk Love and The Master, but I have the former on DVD and hopefully the latter I'll get to see sooner than later - as much as I'd like to, I probably won't make my top until I've seen both. PTA is too major and - based on his other 4 films - too strong a filmmaker to ignore here.

In terms of "working today" I can't count pre-2000 films for any direction, so until I see The Master and PDL I'm not considering PTA for the purpose of this thread.I'm still digging through directors, scoring all of the films I've seen, and the Top 3 for me currently is a little surprising.

[baumer]

I had to put 11, couldn't decide on just ten.

[The Stingray]

Interesting list, Baumer.

I had a few good chuckles reading through it.

"Rocky Balboa, imo, was worthy of a slew of awards including best director and picture."

"1) Michael Bay (Tranformers, Pearl Harbor, Transformers 3): No one is more entertaining that Bay. His style cannot be duplicated. He runs his set like a general on a battle field and the results are explosive, literally and figuratively. He will win an oscar one day. Transformers is a hit because of his style. A visonary and a genius."

Of course, your opinion is your opinion.

[baumer]

^{Yep, if we all agreed on everything, wouldn't it be boring?}

[Jake Gittes]

I probably like more Michael Bay films than I dislike, but one thing he's never going to do is win a competitive Oscar, unless he accidentally happens to be a producer on a dramatic masterpiece. But a directing Oscar? I'll follow Werner Herzog and eat my shoe if that ever happens

[baumer]

I probably like more Michael Bay films than I dislike, but one thing he's never going to do is win a competitive Oscar, unless he accidentally happens to be a producer on a dramatic masterpiece. But a directing Oscar? I'll follow Werner Herzog and eat my shoe if that ever happens

I'll put money on it. Bay isn't hated in the industry like he is here and other forums. He has the respect of his peers, the movie moguls, studio owners and even other powerful directors. All he needs is a quieter film with a more serious subject and people will gush all over him. I'm not sure when that will be because he is very successful making the kinds of films he does. But it took Spielberg 18 years before he was taken seriously. It's been 17 years since he made Bad Boys. So this means he is due.

[The Stingray]

Again, comparing early Bay to early Spielberg...I laugh at that.As Jules Winnfield would have said, "Not the same ballpark, not the same league, not even the same fucking sport."

[The Stingray]

And execs, moguls, studio owners etc. respect him cause his movies make a tonne of money.Anyhow, I'm done with my Bay-bashing for now.

Edited November 29, 2012 by Don Niam The Stingray

[baumer]

Again, comparing early Bay to early Spielberg...

I laugh at that.

As Jules Winnfield would have said, "Not the same ballpark, not the same league, not even the same fucking sport."

I don't think they are the same either. Spielberg has no equal imo. But their box office success is similar.....that's all I'm saying.

You guys can have your opinion of Bay, you are entitled to it. This place has freedom of expression, but your opinion of him or anyone else for that matter, is not anymore valid than mine.

I think including Anderson is enough to give me a great ab workout from laughing so hard. A pretentious twit who makes oscar bait films and fails miserably.

[baumer]

And execs, moguls, studio owners etc. respect him cause his movies make a tonne of money.Anyhow, I'm done with my Bay-bashing for now.

And you know this because you have spoken with them personally? Because guess what? I have spoken to a few of them.