Total Film's 100 greatest directors

[LastSunrise1981]

Cher and Julia Roberts each have one more Oscar than Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa, and Alfred Hitchcock combined. And I know someone will bring up the argument that its actresses and directors, but my point can also be made with Costner, Redford, and Gibson. To say that the Academy is the end all, be all with movie recognition is beyond stupid.

Never was a fan of Julia Roberts at all. I never thought she was a good actress to begin with.

Cher, well, in my opinion the only performance I really liked her in was Mask. Eric Stoltz made that movie for me though. No one is saying the Academy is the end all of movie recognition. If that were the case Johnny Depp would already have an Academy Award and Martin Scorsese would've already had an Oscar before The Departed.

I'm just saying the Academy Award Board has made some great decisions and their recongition of LOTR is something that is never disputed.

 

[Gilpesh]

Tim Burton at 24?

Pffffffft. He is in the top 100, top 50... but not the top 25.

 

[C.F. Kane]

Oh yeah, they'll put Hitchcock on the cover and people will buy it because it looks prestigious and accurately done. Of course, once they get home and start reading it they'll realize how worthless the list is. And while they will make money, the magazine is going to get a lot of letters to the editor.

Actually Christian Bale was on the cover of that issue.

 

[Mr. Credible]

Academy mistakes? You do realize that there is no such thing as an Academy mistake right? But seriously Kevin Costner's Dances With Wolves is a brilliant film, I was never a fan of Redford, and Mel Gibson's Braveheart, Passion of the Christ, and Apocalypto are great films too.

I remember they said Marisa Tomei winning an oscar was a mistake, and it was proven that if it was a mistake they'd announce the correct winner immediately. So your theory of "academy mistakes" is thrown out of the window.

You don't sweep the Academy Awards by making a crappy film. The Lord of the Rings trilogy are critically acclaimed and are liked by almost everyone, not everyone likes them, but I have yet to meet a person that hates the movies.

nice to meet you.

and seriously, those crap boring movies didn't win for being good, then won for their (much undeserved) popularity with the fans. that's all the academy awards are: a popularity contest.

 

[Poetic Chaos]

nice to meet you.

and seriously, those crap boring movies didn't win for being good, then won for their (much undeserved) popularity with the fans. that's all the academy awards are: a popularity contest.

even though the combined gross of the Best Picture nominees is like $30 million every year.

 

[Warhammer]

I'm glad that Scorcese and Spielberg were so high (of course, they would've been, regardless ).

 

[LastSunrise1981]

nice to meet you.

and seriously, those crap boring movies didn't win for being good, then won for their (much undeserved) popularity with the fans. that's all the academy awards are: a popularity contest.

If it was a popularity contest then Brokeback Mountain would've won and so would've Heath Ledger. Brokeback Mountain was way more popular than Crash, and Heath Ledger's performance was more recognized than Hoffman's was in my opinion.

The LOTR trilogy didn't win anything because of the fans. It won because the crew worked hard on the films, the acting was great, the story was unique, and the the films in general convey a very powerful emotion that the Academy noticed and decided it deserved to be recognized for its achievement.

You're one person that hates it, but as I said, I have yet to meet more than one person who hates it. Some will say they're too long and can't sit down for that long period of time, however, many people I've spoken to say they liked what they saw they just can't sit for that long period of time. Either way it's a matter of opinion.

 

[Matt]

Bryan Singer, the next Speilberg? Please. When Speilberg was at the ten year point like Singer is in his career he had earned two Oscars and set two box office records.

Singer has made a couple successful popcorn movies, two **** movies, and a movie that really makes no sense because the twist negates it and is something college stoners watch and quote in coffee shops at 2 am to sound smart.

Hardly the next Speilberg.

 

[Warhammer]

nice to meet you.

and seriously, those crap boring movies didn't win for being good, then won for their (much undeserved) popularity with the fans. that's all the academy awards are: a popularity contest.

You obviously don't watch the Oscars if you believe that.
The only cases to that that I remember was for Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

 

[LastSunrise1981]

You obviously don't watch the Oscars if you believe that.
The only cases to that that I remember was for Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Titanic maybe, but Lord of the Rings: Return of the King? Both LOTR films didn't win any Academy Awards as far as I remember. So how could it be a popularity contest?

 

[Warhammer]

Because it sweeped 12 awards.

 

[Poetic Chaos]

I'm pretty sure the LOTR flicks before King won Oscars, just not any of the major ones like Directing or Best Picture.

 

[Mr. Socko]

Scorsese should not be at #2 or above Spielberg

I'd say reverse his and Spielberg's number. Marty @ 3, Berg @ 2.

Bryan Singer, the next Speilberg? Please. When Speilberg was at the ten year point like Singer is in his career he had earned two Oscars and set two box office records.

Singer has made a couple successful popcorn movies, two **** movies, and a movie that really makes no sense because the twist negates it and is something college stoners watch and quote in coffee shops at 2 am to sound smart.

Hardly the next Speilberg.

Completely agree. I don't see how anyone can say Singer is the next Spielberg with a straight face.

Because it sweeped 12 awards.

It certainly didn't deserve that many.

Peter Jackson is a good filmmaker, LOTR was good, but that doesn't justify Peter Jackson being named one of the "GREATEST DIRECTORS EVER." It is a complete insult to place him at #9 on that list. So he makes one good trilogy and everyone has to place their lips on his fat-turned-skinny ass now? For every great film Jackson has made, I can name two that Zemeckis has made.

Then there's things like placing Sofia Coppla on the list? And George Lucas? I'm a fan of Lucas, but as a "director," he doesn't deserve to be anywhere near a list of "best ever." There's a big difference between coming up with a really good story and being able to direct one. Don't even get me started on Raimi being on that list.

 

[AhabTheArab]

kubrick not number 1? scorsese number 2? this list is flawed. but its an opinion, so whatever.

 

[Matt]

Completely agree. I don't see how anyone can say Singer is the next Spielberg with a straight face.

I don't see how a guy whose best movie is The Usual Suspects for godsakes deserves to be on a best director list, period.

 

[66 Face]

That top 10 list is a joke! How is Akira Kurosawa not in the top 3 nevermind top 10???

 

[Penismightier]

nice to meet you.

and seriously, those crap boring movies didn't win for being good, then won for their (much undeserved) popularity with the fans. that's all the academy awards are: a popularity contest.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one. Seriously, thinking like that makes me want to be your friend.

 

[LastSunrise1981]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one. Seriously, thinking like that makes me want to be your friend.

It's not a popularity contest. Brokeback Mountain was a hell of a lot more popular than Crash, Heath Ledger's performance got more media coverage than Hoffman's, and Haley Joe Osmont would've won for his performance in the Sixth Sense if it was a popularity contest.

Actors, actresses, and directors don't win Academy Awards because the fans say so. If fans had their way Morgan Freeman would've won one way before Million Dollar Baby, Johnny Depp would've already won one, and Joaquin Phoenix would've won for Walk The Line and I feel he deserved that one.

Bottom line is there is no such thing as a popularity contest for the Academy Awards. Just because Return of the King swept them doesn't mean anything other than that it was a great film and deserved it. Now if ALL of them swept the Academy Awards then I'd agree with you, but since it didn't happen the theory of it being overrated and a popularity contest is thrown out the window.

 

[Penismightier]

Titanic maybe, but Lord of the Rings: Return of the King? Both LOTR films didn't win any Academy Awards as far as I remember. So how could it be a popularity contest?

They did win some Oscars. They just didn't sweep like hardcore fans wanted. And, the Oscars aren't exactly a popularity contest. There are certain films that are Oscar fodder. Action movies and comedies are almost never considered, hence why Little Miss Sunshine won a lot of other Best Picture awards, but not the Oscar. This is also why Chariots of Fire beat out Raiders of the Lost Ark. The Academy loves certain things. They love, love, love period pieces. Besides period pieces, they love "prestige pictures". That is, films that won't make money but are dramatic and often boring. They also love documentaries about the Holocaust. And as far as acting is concerned, they love it when a big star goes ugly or plays a hooker. Also, if a big enough star wants an Oscar, they can campaign pretty hard for one. So it's not so much a popularity contest as it is really, really political.

 

[Penismightier]

Just because Return of the King swept them doesn't mean anything other than that it was a great film and deserved it.

I don't need the Academy or it's Oscars to tell me what a great movie is. If I went by that I would have no other choice but to think that Chariots of Fire is a better movie than Raiders of the Lost Ark because it won the Oscar.

 

[Karem-Knight]

Total Film is a poor man's Empire.

 

[LastSunrise1981]

They did win some Oscars. They just didn't sweep like hardcore fans wanted. And, the Oscars aren't exactly a popularity contest. There are certain films that are Oscar fodder. Action movies and comedies are almost never considered, hence why Little Miss Sunshine won a lot of other Best Picture awards, but not the Oscar. This is also why Chariots of Fire beat out Raiders of the Lost Ark. The Academy loves certain things. They love, love, love period pieces. Besides period pieces, they love "prestige pictures". That is, films that won't make money but are dramatic and often boring. They also love documentaries about the Holocaust. And as far as acting is concerned, they love it when a big star goes ugly or plays a hooker. Also, if a big enough star wants an Oscar, they can campaign pretty hard for one. So it's not so much a popularity contest as it is really, really political.

Exactly my point. I can agree with it being political now, but I definitely don't agree with it being a popularity contest. For example, I feel Denzel Washington should've won an Academy Award for Malcon X. If anything his performance in that film was great, if not, better than his role in Training Day which was good but Malcom X is his finest performance in my opinion.

Another example is Jeff Bridges, who in my opinion, is one of the greatest and most underrated actors in cinema. His role in Starman was amazing as he perfectly portrayed an alien from space that cloned himself into a widow's dead husband. He was nominated for the role and didn't win the Academy Award. Anytime I mention the film it's ignored and people blow it off because they want aliens blowing **** up rather than a great dramatic realistic sci-fi love story.

It's the only John Carpenter film that has been nominated for an Oscar.

But yes, I do agree that it's very political. For instance I felt Alan Arkin didn't deserve to win over Eddie Murphy.

 

[Penismightier]

Jeff Bridges is a woefully underrated actor, but Starman isn't as good as some of Carpenter's stuff. Like Halloween, Escape from New York, The Thing, Big Trouble, etc. It's so sad that he just stopped being talented. If Jeff Bridges was going to win for anything it would have been for The Dude.

 

[Tempest19]

Spielberg should definitely be #2!!!!

 

[Mr. Socko]

Just because Return of the King swept them doesn't mean anything other than that it was a great film and deserved it.

I stopped reading right there.

The fact that Raging Bull didn't win Best adapted screenplay, best Director, nor best Picture in it's respected year, while Return of the King did, shows just how credible the Oscars are.

What were you saying again?