The Top 10 "Modern-Era" Directors
|
Written by: Ryan McNally
For those of you who enjoyed Doug Kelker's look at the top 10 "modern-day" directors, here is an alternate list of the top 10 directors since 1970. One quick note: Before you write in demanding to know how the hell Meathead could be picked over the great Stanley Kubrick, I wish to merely state that for the purpose of this article I limited myself to directors who had helmed at least seven films post-1970. For better or worse, that left Kubrick off the list, as well as some promising newcomers (e.g. Quentin Tarantino). With that in mind, here's the list... |
||
| 1. |
Woody Allen
A six-time Oscar nominee for Best Director, Allen first tasted Oscar gold with his classic 1978 comedy Annie Hall, about a neurotic New Yorker (Allen) and his up-and-down relationship with women (most notably Diane Keaton). The Woodman has shown signs of slipping recently, but from the mid-'70s to early '90s he delivered numerous comedic gems featuring his unique brand of dialogue and memorable characters to spare. Other career highlights: Manhattan, Crimes & Misdemeanors, Hannah and Her Sisters |
|
| 2. |
Francis Ford Coppola
Start with the epic Godfather trilogy, the ultimate movie experience that no true film lover can refuse. Add in one of the best war films ever, Apocalypse Now. And don't forget another of the best films of the '70s, the haunting thriller The Conversation, starring Gene Hackman in one of his finest performances. Tally them up and you have five Best Picture nominations and four Best Director nods. Other career highlights: Dracula, The Outsiders |
|
| 3. |
Clint Eastwood
After making his directorial debut with the influential 1971 thriller Play Misty For Me, Clint delivered two classic westerns in the '70s: High Plains Drifter and The Outlaw Josey Wales. In the '80s, Eastwood began experimenting with smaller, more personal films, highlighted by the award-winning jazz biopic Bird. The '90s brought more experimentation and more great films, including A Perfect World, The Bridges of Madison County, and the Oscar-winning Unforgiven. And the upcoming Mystic River may be one of Clint's best yet. Other career highlights: White Hunter, Black Heart; Tightrope; Sudden Impact |
|
| 4. |
Spike Lee
Fearless, confrontational and experimental, Spike has delivered some of the most controversial films of the last 20 years. At the top of the list is Do The Right Thing, a brilliant examination of racial tensions in an NYC neighborhood that manages to be thought-provoking and highly entertaining. His later biopic of civil rights leader Malcolm X was a triumph, as was 4 Little Girls, his powerful documentary about the Birmingham church bombing that killed four blacks in 1963. Other career highlights: Clockers, He Got Game, She's Gotta Have It |
|
| 5. |
Sidney Lumet
He directed a bevy of pre-1970s classics, including the courtroom drama 12 Angry Men. In the '70s, he teamed with Al Pacino for the memorable thrillers Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon, and also helmed the scathing television satire Network, which earned him a Best Director nomination. In the '80s Lumet scored two more Best Director nominations (bringing his total to five), for 1981's Prince of the City and 1982's The Verdict, starring Paul Newman. Other career highlights: Running On Empty, Murder on the Orient Express |
|
| 6. |
Rob Reiner
While delivering a handful of directorial duds (see: North) Reiner has also delivered a surprising number of classics in a wide variety of genres: fantasy/romance (The Princess Bride), coming-of-age (Stand By Me), comedy/mockumentary (This Is Spinal Tap), romantic comedy (When Harry Met Sally), horror (Misery) and thriller (A Few Good Men). Plus, he gets bonus points for starring as Meathead on the '70s TV show "All in the Family." Other career highlights: The Sure Thing, The American President |
|
| 7. |
Martin Scorsese
With the explosive Mean Streets, the DeNiro-Scorsese combination was born. Other classic collobarations would follow, including the disturbing story of a psychotic cab driver (Taxi Driver), a brutal B&W biopic of boxer Jake Lamotta (Raging Bull) and a new gangsta classic (Goodfellas). But Scorsese has also branched out from the tough-guy genre successfully, taking a controversial look at Jesus Christ (The Last Temptation of Christ), directing a period piece (Age of Innocence), and depicting the collapse of Tibet (Kundun). Other career highlights: Casino, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Gangs Of New York |
|
| 8. |
Ridley Scott
Scott has been somewhat inconsistent, and he may have tarnished Silence of the Lambs' legacy with the dreadful Hannibal. But look at his triumphs: a terrifying thriller set in outer space (Alien), a futuristic sci-fi classic (Blade Runner), a brutal war pic (Black Hawk Down), and a controversial feminist drama (Thelma & Louise). And we haven't even mentioned his Best Picture winner, the epic Roman blockbuster Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe. Other career highlights: Matchstick Men, The Duellists |
|
| 9. |
Steven Spielberg
After kick-starting the summer blockbuster craze with Jaws, Spielberg went on to deliver plenty more edge-of-your-seat thrills with the Indiana Jones trilogy, Minority Report, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and more. He also tackled more serious subject matter with the African American drama The Color Purple, the war pic Saving Private Ryan and the devastating Holocaust drama Schindler's List. After six Best Director nominations and two wins, what more can you say? Other career highlights: ET: The Extra Terrestial, Catch Me If You Can, Empire of the Sun | |
| 10. |
Peter Weir
Buzz is hot for his upcoming Master and Commander, starring Russell Crowe. But Weir's been making his mark for more than 25 years, starting with the eerie Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975) and the war drama Gallipoli (1981), co-starring a young Mel Gibson. Best Director nominations would follow for his Amish murder thriller Witness (1985), his powerful story of non-conformity Dead Poets' Society (1987), and his reality-TV satire/drama The Truman Show (1998). Other career highlights: Fearless, The Year of Living Dangerously Honorable Mention: Milos Forman (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest), Roman Polanski (The Pianist), Stanely Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange), David Lynch (Blue Velvet), Oliver Stone (Platoon), James Cameron (The Terminator), Brian DePalma (Carrie), Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs), John Sayles (Lone Star), Michael Mann (Heat). Quickly Building Their Resumes: Cameron Crowe (Say Anything), Steven Soderbergh (Traffic), Kevin Smith (Clerks), M. Night Shamalyan (The Sixth Sense), Neil Labute (In The Company of Men), David Fincher (Seven), Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) and many more. Check out our related list of the Top 10 Directors Under 35... Did we overlook your favorite modern-day director? Drop us a line and tell us which selections you agreed with, and which directors you think we missed. For buying info on any of the Top 10's "Essential Films" (see below), click on the director head shots above or on the movie names below: 1) Woody Allen: Annie Hall. 2) Francis Ford Coppola: The Godfather. 3) Clint Eastwood: Unforgiven. 4) Spike Lee: Do The Right Thing. 5) Sidney Lumet: Dog Day Afternoon. 6) Rob Reiner: The Princess Bride. 7) Martin Scorsese: Taxi Driver. 8) Ridley Scott: Alien. 9) Steven Spielberg: Jaws. 10) Peter Weir: Dead Poets' Society. All director head shots are courtesy of the Internet Movie Database, where you can read director bios and filmographies. |
|
Send any comments/ feedback to the author.
