The single greatest director of the past 10 years?

[Black Narcissus]

He might be in text books one day. But he won't be in most people's collections. That's what I'm getting at. You can be important to the history of film and be mostly forgotten. For instance, how many people outside of cinephiles know who D.W. Griffith is? Nobody outside of cinephiles.

Hanecke is already on the list of best film makers of all time....chosen by thousands of film critics. You seem to be obsessed with box office success to even matter.

 

[weezerspider]

He might be in text books one day. But he won't be in most people's collections. That's what I'm getting at. You can be important to the history of film and be mostly forgotten. For instance, how many people outside of cinephiles know who D.W. Griffith is? Nobody outside of cinephiles.

Yeah, but those directors are the directors who influence future filmmakers who then influence other future filmmakers. Their contribution to film will forever be relevant and influential, which will in turn influence the general public without them knowing. Every time a modern general audience member watches a shot where the camera moves they are being influenced by D.W. Griffith without even realizing it.

 

[Black Narcissus]

Noice!!!



You lost me there. The Sight & Sound Directors Poll in 2012 had Taxi Driver ranked as the #5 greatest film ever. Rocky wasn't even on the list.

He didn't even know of Hanecke before he was brought up.

I'm done wasting my time.

Nolan is God.

There.

 

[scatterax]

Noice!!!



You lost me there. The Sight & Sound Directors Poll in 2012 had Taxi Driver ranked as the #5 greatest film ever. Rocky wasn't even on the list.

So in an audience of only directors then. I'm talking about the audience at large. Your view on films is more elitist, I take it. I'm talking about which film is a bigger part of pop culture. Both are big in pop culture for sure. But rocky. Rocky. Need I say more? De Niro's character doesn't exactly have a statue now does it? While that poll you listed may be relevant to those who know to look for it (those who study film) rocky has transcended the realm of motion pictures even more so than taxi driver.

 

[scatterax]

Yeah, but those directors are the directors who influence future filmmakers who then influence other future filmmakers. Their contribution to film will forever be relevant and influential, which will in turn influence the general public without them knowing. Every time a modern general audience member watches a shot where the camera moves they are being influenced by D.W. Griffith without even realizing it.

And that is why he is important. But sadly he is overlooked. That's all I'm saying.

 

[weezerspider]

So in an audience of only directors then. I'm talking about the audience at large. Your view on films is more elitist, I take it. I'm talking about which film is a bigger part of pop culture. Both are big in pop culture for sure. But rocky. Rocky. Need I say more? De Niro's character doesn't exactly have a statue now does it? While that poll you listed may be relevant to those who know to look for it (those who study film) rocky has transcended the realm of motion pictures even more so than taxi driver.

Influencing directors is as big of a deal as you can get. As I said:

Yeah, but those directors are the directors who influence future filmmakers who then influence other future filmmakers. Their contribution to film will forever be relevant and influential, which will in turn influence the general public without them knowing. Every time a modern general audience member watches a shot where the camera moves they are being influenced by D.W. Griffith without even realizing it.

 

[scatterax]

He didn't even know of Hanecke before he was brought up.

I'm done wasting my time.

Nolan is God.

There.

You keep talking about this man. I don't think his films play in the theatre I go to. There.

Edit- do you know who Michael Bay is?

 

[DA_Champion]

Can Christopher Nolan become the Stephen King of Hollywood?

When King was starting out, he was derided as being too popular and dismissed by literary snobs. 30 years later, he has becone the dean of American arts and letters.

 

[Black Narcissus]

You keep talking about this man. I don't think his films play in the theatre I go to. There.

Edit- do you know who Michael Bay is?

I'm sure Michael Bay is better known than a guy like Fernando Meirelles, but Meirelles made one of the greatest films of the new millenium: City of God.

Which is my point with Hanecke v Nolan

 

[DA_Champion]

You keep talking about this man. I don't think his films play in the theatre I go to. There.

Edit- do you know who Michael Bay is?

Most movie theatres in English-speaking countries never play subtitled movies.

 

[scatterax]

Influencing directors is as big of a deal as you can get. As I said:

I see your point of view. But that's sort of an indirect way to be a big deal. It's sort of like how a woman can be an influence for a hit song, but she isn't the artist of that song, and most people won't even know who she is in real life. Just because you influenced a generation of directors doesn't mean you are the one who takes credit for their talent. You may be a contributing factor, but that is all.

 

[Black Narcissus]

Can Christopher Nolan become the Stephen King of Hollywood?

When King was starting out, he was derided as being too popular and dismissed by literary snobs. 30 years later, he has becone the dean of American arts and letters.

But most film snobs love Nolan. He has the best of both worlds. I think the beef is that they won't proclaim him as the best these past years, which is totally fine.

 

[scatterax]

I'm sure Michael Bay is better known than a guy like Fernando Meirelles, but Meirelles made one of the greatest films of the new millenium: City of God.

Which is my point with Hanecke v Nolan

So explain to me your criteria. Because it sounds like it's just your personal preference for a directors body of work. You like one guys movies better than the other. Is there anything else? Or is that your entire process?

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Noice!!!



You lost me there. The Sight & Sound Directors Poll in 2012 had Taxi Driver ranked as the #5 greatest film ever. Rocky wasn't even on the list.

Agreed. Rocky is my all time favorite movie and even I can't make that argument that Rocky is more respected in film circles. What film school teaches Rocky over Taxi Driver?

However, in terms of pop culture, Rocky is way more popular than Taxi Driver. Scatterax is confusing high culture and pop culture. Taxi Driver is a much more respected movie in terms of high culture.

Oh, and that's a low blow to John Avildsen, man. He's made some classics like Rocky, The Karate Kid and also Lean On Me. I'd call that a successful career even despite Rocky V.

 

[weezerspider]

Can Christopher Nolan become the Stephen King of Hollywood?

When King was starting out, he was derided as being too popular and dismissed by literary snobs. 30 years later, he has becone the dean of American arts and letters.

Or maybe you guys just aren't very well versed film viewers so you go with the most popular good director of the time? Samuel Jackson and I have both expressed our love for Nolan in this thread. He's great. But others are greater. Many of the other names mentioned here are quite popular too. Fincher, Spielberg, Scorsese. Popularity has nothing to do with this.

 

[scatterax]

But most film snobs love Nolan. He has the best of both worlds. I think the beef is that they won't proclaim him as the best these past years, which is totally fine.

This is my whole point with Nolan vs anybody. He has the best of both worlds. That's my criteria. Period. I like symmetry and balance in most things, so my opinions favor those who achieve that.

 

[scatterax]

Or maybe you guys just aren't very well versed film viewers so you go with the most popular good director of the time? Samuel Jackson and I have both expressed our love for Nolan in this thread. He's great. But others are greater. Many of the other names mentioned here are quite popular too. Fincher, Spielberg, Scorsese. Popularity has nothing to do with this.

But how do you decide greater outside of your own personal opinion? What's your criteria?

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

If people like Nolan the most, they like Nolan the most. He's not #1 on my list, but I don't see any problems with him being #1 on others.

 

[weezerspider]

Agreed. Rocky is my all time favorite movie and even I can't make that argument that Rocky is more respected in film circles. What film school teaches Rocky over Taxi Driver?

However, in terms of pop culture, Rocky is way more popular than Taxi Driver. Scatterax is confusing high culture and pop culture. Taxi Driver is a much more respected movie in terms of high culture.

Oh, and that's a low blow to John Avildsen, man. He's made some classics like Rocky, The Karate Kid and also Lean On Me. I'd call that a successful career even despite Rocky V.

"You Talkin' to Me?! You Talkin' to Me?" is pretty damn close to the stair climb in Rocky....and yeah I guess it seemed harsh. Avildsen's not bad, and I like most of his work(The original Rocky is incredible), but he's no Scorsese.

 

[DA_Champion]

Quentin Tarantino also has the best of both worlds.

 

[Black Narcissus]

So explain to me your criteria. Because it sounds like it's just your personal preference for a directors body of work. You like one guys movies better than the other. Is there anything else? Or is that your entire process?

All of this is a personal preference, my opinion and yours. I personally try to take into account everything and everyone. I love films and I watch quite a lot of them. Nolan makes my top ten of the decade though.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

"You Talkin' to Me?! You Talkin' to Me?" is pretty damn close to the stair climb in Rocky....and yeah I guess it seemed harsh. Avildsen's not bad, and I like most of his work(The original Rocky is incredible), but he's no Scorsese.

Sure the quote is remmebered, but I wonder how many people know to s a that it originated from Taxi Driver? (Hypothetical question, I don't have an answer to it)

I know many people today still know where the stair climb came from.

 

[scatterax]

Most movie theatres in English-speaking countries never play subtitled movies.

Which is why I won't con cider a non English speaking director. Because I can only comment on film makers who's work I have seen. If it doesn't play in Theatres or netflix, and I'm not required to watch a directors work for film class I have no reason to watch that movie. Is it a limited way to watch movies? Yes. Is it rational reasoning? Yes. Do I like America's lack of foreign films outside of only select Theatres in the biggest cities? Not. At. All. It's saddens me to think that the only reason I know a movie like old boy exists is because it had to be remade by an American but that's the market I live in.

 

[Black Narcissus]

If people like Nolan the most, they like Nolan the most. He's not #1 on my list, but I don't see any problems with him being #1 on others.

Oh, I'm not trying to change his mind...all this is a matter of opinion. I simply tell him the other side of the coin, the one who thinks a guy like Hanecke or PTA is much better director, but he is in his right to claim Nolan as his number one.

 

[weezerspider]

But how do you decide greater outside of your own personal opinion? What's your criteria?

It's literally impossible to decided outside of your personal opinion. No one can be 100% objective. I mean, it's your personal opinion that B.O. numbers and 'popularity' matters when that stuff has literally nothing to do with directing. No point in trying to decide outside of your own personal opinion because it is impossible. The best director is the director who directed the best films the past ten years and There Will Be Blood is certainly the best film of the last ten years by miles IMO, with The Master up there as well. I look at the films themselves. Not the film's popularity or success, the film itself. How good is the film? That's the director's job. The job of selling the film and making it popular is up to producers and marketing gurus.