If Miller Is Off The Project...Who Is YOUR Director?

[biolumen]

I posted earlier that Ridley Scott would be my pick for a JLA movie, but then I re-read Webhead's original question.....if this project moved to Canada and Miller didn't follow, who would be your pick? Well, if it's this incarnation of the movie, then my answer is nobody BUT Miller. Either he makes this movie or it's cancelled and started from scratch at a later date by someone else. The worst case scenario is to have some hack come in and make what essential would be Miller's movie. Miller noted on several occasions that he had complete creative control over the movie, so his hand is in every aspect of it, and any directer who comes in at this point will have little time to make changes and will for the most part have to work with Miller's creative choices. That's not a very good recipe for success.

 

[Superhobo]

Hey, Biolumen.

Guess who this is.

 

[biolumen]

If our paths crossed before, it must have been on the IMDb boards, and since your blog indicates you're a big fan of Happy Feet, I think I can guess.

 

[Superhobo]

If our paths crossed before, it must have been on the IMDb boards, and since your blog indicates you're a big fan of Happy Feet, I think I can guess.

It's the Master BuffaloWilder himself, friend.

 

[FlawlessVictory]

I mean, Miller's long been one of those directors - like I said - that people feel hasn't gotten his due recognition, and this has been true of Scorsese also.

Both Scorsese and Miller have been nominated by the Academy several times, and both have been jilted. Both really only received their awards in '06 for films that, while both greatly deserving of said award, many feel weren't their best.

Let's review this. George Miller was nominated for Best Screenplay for Lorenzo's Oil and lost, best screenplay for Babe and lost, best picture for Babe (as a producer) and lost and won for best animated feature film for Happy Feet.

Martin Scorsese was nominated for best director for Raging Bull and lost, best director for The Last Temptation of Christ and lost, best director and best screenplay for Goodfellas and lost for both, best screenplay for The Age of Innocence and lost, best director for Gangs of New York and lost, best director for The Aviator and lost and won best director for The Departed.

Taxi Driver nominated for best picture and lost, Raging Bull nominated for best picture and lost, Gangs of New York nominated for best picture and lost, The Aviator nominated for best picture and lost, and The Departed won for best picture.


Scorsese is a director I consider masterful. Miller is not in the same league as Scorsese, therefore I don't consider Miller masterful. I don't even see how this is debatable.

 

[FlawlessVictory]

Many people - amazingly as it may sound - felt that "Happy Feet" should have been nominated for Best Picture in '06, and just as many felt it should have won.

Direct me to these articles please.

Now, as far as 'best directors of all time' goes, I'd say you probably won't find him on any lists - he isn't exactly a household name

Being a household name has nothing to do with being one of the greatest directors of all time. It's not about how popular one is, we are talking about quality of films. There are directors who consistently appear on greatest director lists of all times who are not household names.

 

[Maze]

I dunno about this articles but just know that hapy feet have been praised by some critics (and deservedly imo ) like Yannick Dahan ( a french critic )

That said he has an overall great tomatoemeter

http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/1044866-george_miller/filmography.php

now if you have seen his movies and you don't think that he is one hell of a director (including happy feet ), it's doubful that you will change your mind now and this is not the intent anyways.

I will just say that i garantee that a lot of people who doubt him will change their opinion after a Jl trailer. (if he stays on the movie)

 

[Maze]

Ps: that has nothing to do with anything but imo Scorcese should have won an oscar a long time ago and certainly not for the departed (a good film imo but that's it.)

 

[FlawlessVictory]

I dunno about this articles but i heard it from some critics (and i agree ) like Yannick Dahan ( a french critic )

That said he has an overall great tomatoemeter

http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/1044866-george_miller/filmography.php

now if you have seen his movies and you don't think that he is one hell of a director (including happy feet ), it's doubful that you will change your mind now and this is not the intent anyways.

I will just say that i garantee that a lot of people who doubt him will change their opinion after a Jl trailer. (if he stays on the movie)

Maze, I believe Miller is a talented filmmaker and has the ability to make a very good to possibly great film (not necessarily referring to JLA). My beef has never been with him but the choices I have heard for the roles in the film. However, I don't believe Miller is a masterful filmmaker and is not in the same class as Kubrick, Scorsese and Hitchcock to name a few who I consider to be masterful. That led to the going back and forth between myself and Superhobo.

 

[Maze]

yep sorry flawless i was not that clear

i had understood that you don't think that hes a masterful director.I know that you think he is talented .i read you say it multiple time

i will just say that imo, i don't think he is in their league too but that he is not far from them.Imo he lacks some more movies to have true recognition. ( not that he need it particularly imo )

now as a director of enteirtainement i will certainly put him above Verbisnki and Emerich ,nice directors who can be visually aresting (especially Emerich) but who don't push the envellope, they don't "reinvent" the wheel..And they're not not that good at storytelling (especially Verbinski).. i will put him even above a Bay: like Bay he can push the envellope visually, but unlike him he is a true storyteller.Bay is at best mediocre (but can be good imo as proven with The Rock )Imo he is pratically onpar with James Cameron and Peter Jackson. ( and Cameron as a filmmaker is not far from a Scorcese imo )

as for his choices of actors like you i can't undestand them and i hope that he will change them. but at the same time i'm prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt even with thIs cast because imo he has proven to be a visionnary many time ( i will exclude thunderdome despite some nice moments) .

 

[Superhobo]

Let's review this. George Miller was nominated for Best Screenplay for Lorenzo's Oil and lost, best screenplay for Babe and lost, best picture for Babe (as a producer) and lost and won for best animated feature film for Happy Feet.

Martin Scorsese was nominated for best director for Raging Bull and lost, best director for The Last Temptation of Christ and lost, best director and best screenplay for Goodfellas and lost for both, best screenplay for The Age of Innocence and lost, best director for Gangs of New York and lost, best director for The Aviator and lost and won best director for The Departed.

Taxi Driver nominated for best picture and lost, Raging Bull nominated for best picture and lost, Gangs of New York nominated for best picture and lost, The Aviator nominated for best picture and lost, and The Departed won for best picture.

You're forgetting the Awards he's won outside America, and the Academy. No doubt Scorsese has countless more if we bring in those, but to wit:

Two nominations from AFI for Mad Max, Best Director and Best Screenplay

A win from AFI for The Road Warrior, Best Director

A total sweep of the Avoriaz Film Festival for The Road Warrior

Two nominations for The Road Warrior at the Saturn Awards, for Best Screenplay and Best Director

Two nominations for Thunderdome, Best Director and Best Screenplay from the Saturn Awards

Two nominations for Thunderdome, Best Director and Best Screenplay from the ASF (Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films)

A sweep of the BAFTA's for Babe

One nomination for Best Screenplay at the Saturn Awards

Awarded Order of Australia for distinguished service to Australian Cinema

Nominated Best Screenplay by The Writer's Guild of America for Lorenzo's Oil


One win (Best Picture) and one nomination at the children's BAFTA's for Happy Feet.

Nominated Best Producer of the Year by the Producers Guild of America for Happy Feet.

One win for Happy Feet at the Saturn Awards.

One win for "Flirting" from AFI, shared with Doug Mitchell and Terry Hayes for Best Film.

One win for "The Year My Voice Broke" from AFI.

The Chauvel award from BIFF (Brisbane Awards).

Nominated for Humanitas for "Babe."

Happy Feet placed high on the American Film Institute's Best of 2006. The Departed was strangely absent.

I'm missing some, I know I am.

Scorsese is a director I consider masterful. Miller is not in the same league as Scorsese, therefore I don't consider Miller masterful. I don't even see how this is debatable.

Well, to each his own, I guess.

 

[Showtime]

Miller has not made a relevant Live Action movie since Lorenzo's Oil right?

 

[cerealkiller182]

Neither has Cameron since Titanic

 

[Black Zodak]

In a perfect world, it would be Christopher Nolan. I would like to see someone who respects these characters at the helm.

 

[Showtime]

Neither has Cameron since Titanic

Lorenzo's Oil wasn't Titanic.

 

[Superhobo]

Maze, I believe Miller is a talented filmmaker and has the ability to make a very good to possibly great film (not necessarily referring to JLA). My beef has never been with him but the choices I have heard for the roles in the film. However, I don't believe Miller is a masterful filmmaker and is not in the same class as Kubrick, Scorsese and Hitchcock to name a few who I consider to be masterful. That led to the going back and forth between myself and Superhobo.

Fun, too.


Perhaps I should rephrase my opinion - he's certainly a better filmmaker than Lucas, and in the same league as Gilliam, who I also consider a 'masterful' director (you can actually find him on a couple of 'Best' lists). The reason for this is, like I've said, you can find his movies on 'Best' lists, even if you don't find him.

He's really a much more kinetic director, readily comparable to Jackson or those guys - but, come on. He's far above Cameron - as he's shown with his ability to branch out.

His stuff's 'critically' comparable to Kubrick's or Scorsese's stuff (I'm not sure about Hitchcock's) - but again, their films and respective styles are so drastically different from one another that it makes no sense to compare them - selah.

 

[Superhobo]

Miller has not made a relevant Live Action movie since Lorenzo's Oil right?

The Babe films. Happy feet was about a tenth live action.

 

[cerealkiller182]

Well,i think it is silly to discredit Miller on the basis of Babe or Happy Feet. This isnt like hiring someone who has done nothing but blaxploitation comedies to do a superhero flick, Miller has done an array of different genres and he shouldnt be faulted for it.

 

[Superhobo]

Well,i think it is silly to discredit Miller on the basis of Babe or Happy Feet. This isnt like hiring someone who has done nothing but blaxploitation comedies to do a superhero flick, Miller has done an array of different genres and he shouldnt be faulted for it.

Who's discrediting him? Those were great films, all.

 

[cerealkiller182]

Who's discrediting him? Those were great films, all.

I wasnt talking about you, your post was added while i was typing

 

[Orin]

In a perfect world, it would be Christopher Nolan. I would like to see someone who respects these characters at the helm.

Nolan? For Justice League? That perfect World really scares me.

 

[FlawlessVictory]

Yea, I like Nolan but he is not right for JLA. We need someone willing to go all out with the fantasy aspects of this film. I think Miller is capable of that but the rumored casting choices get me nervous, particularly Cotrona.

 

[Webhead2006]

Yea i have said this before he is a capable director but his casting decisions and the reports its cause of him with all the rewrites in the film and changing alot in the script he might not be the right choice now.

 

[Dotten]

In a perfect world, it would be Christopher Nolan. I would like to see someone who respects these characters at the helm.

The characters would talk themself to death. I like Nolan, but his style would be utter boring for a Justice League movie, IMO. And on the other side of the fence, Michael Bay would be wrong for the opposite reasons.

Go all crazy, give it to Sylvester Stallone and for the love of god don't make it PG13. That could be awesome.

To be honest, I don't think a JL movie will work if not made into a trilogy. Too many characters for one movie alone.

Personally, and I know this will get med flamed, i would think Singer should be the man. He did a lot wrong with Superman Returns, but he did pull of an ensemble of superheroes in X-Men and I think he could do the same with Justice League. If he just finds his way again, he got a little lost with Superman Returns. Just to toss the idea out there. And now I'm going into hiding

 

[Showtime]

The Babe films. Happy feet was about a tenth live action.

Happy Feet and Babe were both cute and entertaining. Happy Feet was pleasing to the eye and ear. Miller has tallent, no doubt about it.

However, I would say, if JLA had no director at this point and you did a poll of whom would make a good director for this project, people in the industry and people on the street would not include Miller in the top 10.