Claim your top 3 neglected filmmakers--

[Sven]

--okay, I'm redirecting this here. I love this impression of an obscurer, neglected, disrespected, fringey filmmaker so important to you that you feel the desire to claim them as your own. I think most film lovers (and music lovers, etc.) have this sense and want to flaunt it.

Call now, people! I hope to have my eyes opened here. Offer some thoughts, too, if you wanna. I'm certainly interested.

Mine are:

John Boorman
Jules Dassin
Ralph Bakshi

Thoughts to come later.

[D_Davis]

Kurosawa Fan (disrespected)
Ronny Yu (neglected)
Chang Cheh (fringey)

I guess...

But none of these dudes are really obscure, at least to film buffs. I don't think I watch many obscure movies. I guess some of the more low-pro Asian cinema might be considered obscure, but most of it has a pretty rabid, if niche, fan base.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Ummm...

G.W. Pabst
Russ Meyer
Robert Wise

I think that fits.

[Sven]

Robert Wise

It's so hard for me to see someone mustering up any passion for this guy's work (West Side Story, which is lovely, aside). Your other two choices, however, are brilliant.

[Noisotika]

Here are the links to Mike Kitchell's Essential Directors List (I'm not MK)

Link 1: http://murdermystery.livejournal.com/167253.html
+ ALAIN ROBBE-GRILLET
+ SHUJI TERAYAMA
+ WALERIAN BOROWCZYK

Link 2: http://murdermystery.livejournal.com/168308.html
+ HARRY KUMEL
+ DUSAN MAKAVEJEV
+ JEAN ROLLIN

Link 3: http://murdermystery.livejournal.com/169771.html
+ RUSS MEYER
+ RADLEY METZGER
+ JESS FRANCO

[Philosophe_rouge]

It's so hard for me to see someone mustering up any passion for this guy's work (West Side Story, which is lovely, aside). Your other two choices, however, are brilliant.
I'm ambivalent towards several of his films (ironically, West Side Story is among them), but I absolutely LOVE, The Set-Up, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Haunting, The Body Snatcher, and The Curse of the Cat People. More win than lose.

[Pop Trash]

Adrian Lyne
Kathryn Bigelow
Lasse Hallstrom
Philip Kaufman

I could say Allan Moyle and The Farrelly Brothers too but I'd be lying if I said I liked all of their films.

[DavidSeven]

Boorman
Jules Dassin

Creators of two of my absolute favorite films (Rififi and Point Blank), and a couple of guys who I've still managed to neglect altogether beyond the two masterpieces of theirs I've seen. Need to get on that.

[Pop Trash]

Creators of two of my absolute favorite films (Rififi and Point Blank), and a couple of guys who I've still managed to neglect altogether beyond the two masterpieces of theirs I've seen. Need to get on that.
Boorman's 80s output is underrated. The Emerald Forest and Hope and Glory are very good movies.

[Watashi]

I can't even think of one.

[monolith94]

Lev Kuleshov
Raoul Walsh (eh, kind of…)

I guess I can only get two? Yeah, there's Pabst, but Philosophe already got him.

[Raiders]

Jonathan Demme
Abel Ferrara
Robert Aldrich

Alternate:
William Friedkin

[Ezee E]

1) Mary Harron
2) Jacques Audiard
3) Ben Stiller (seriously... although I won't claim him as my own)

Now if Jonathan Glazer would get off his ass and direct some more films. I should see some more Peter Weir. And Philip Kaufman has already been named.

[D_Davis]

Adrian Lyne
Kathryn Bigelow


Great choices.

[Ezee E]

Great choices.
Yeah, I also considered Bigelow.

[Sven]

D7, I'm not sure how much you'll like much of Boorman's other stuff. He's definitely got an idiosyncratic sensibility that hadn't yet fully formed at the time of making Point Blank. Meaning, that picture's not so representative. I think Excalibur (also made in the 80s) is his definitive work. If you don't like that one, chances are you probably won't like much of it.

As for Dassin, Night and the City is absolutely terrifying and should be your next viewing of his (or Topkapi, which is a fanciful twist on the heist genre, the flipside of Rififi--Peter Ustinov gives an impossibly good performance). I've seen roughly ten of his films so far and none of them have been less than wonderful.

[Sven]

Adrian Lyne
Lasse Hallstrom

Lyne did excellently with Jacob's Ladder, but everything else he's ever done has been pretty dreadful. Wait, no. I liked his Lolita, too.

And Hallstrom... just... no. Just no. The strength of his films ends at the photography.


Kathryn Bigelow

Did you see her Weight of Water? It was awful! However, because of her work on Strange Days and Point Break, she will always have a place in my heart. Near Dark and K19 had their good points too.


Philip Kaufman

Don't like his Euro-sex-art stuff (well, The Unbearable Lightness of Being was more tolerable than Henry and June at any rate), but his Invasion is superb and The Right Stuff is very fun.

[Russ]

John Paizs
Stanley Tucci
William Castle

HMs: Alan Rudolph, Jack Hill, Michael Cimino, Richard Rush...

[Russ]

Don't like his Euro-sex-art stuff (well, The Unbearable Lightness of Being was more tolerable than Henry and June at any rate), but his Invasion is superb and The Right Stuff is very fun.
If you haven't seen The Wanderers, you should get on that asap.

[Sven]

Alan Rudolph, Michael Cimino, Richard Rush

I toyed with these three as well. Cimino, unfortunately, made Year of the Dragon, for which I will never forgive him. Rush has simply made too few, Rudolph is a little too visually undistinguished.

Still, excellent choices. Love your inclusion of Tucci.

[Mysterious Dude]

1. Masahiro Shinoda

Eh, I can't think of any others.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I'm stealing Dassin from Sven, because he deserves John Carpenter instead (he's thought of as mediocre and washed up by most people, so he fits) and I've already picked Claude Chabrol in the FDT. My third... Inagaki or Richard Brooks, I guess.

[D_Davis]

I don't think John Carpenter counts. If he does then I would pick him, but I didn't because he doesn't, and stuff.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I don't think John Carpenter counts. If he does then I would pick him, but I didn't because he doesn't, and stuff.

I'm disrespecting him, so he counts. You pipe down.

[Spinal]

Errr ... Watkins, Breillat and I'm not sure Greenaway qualifies anymore with all the fans around here. Wait, what do I do after I claim them? Do I get to collect rent if someone lands on them? :confused:

[D_Davis]

I'm disrespecting him, so he counts. You pipe down.

Oh yeah? I'm disrespecting you.

Swap out Michael Bay for Kurosawa Fan on my list.

[Winston*]

Errr ... Watkins, Breillat and I'm not sure Greenaway qualifies anymore with all the fans around here. Wait, what do I do after I claim them? Do I get to collect rent if someone lands on them? :confused:

I'm pretty sure you're claiming them in the biblical sense.

[Spinal]

I'm pretty sure you're claiming them in the biblical sense.

OK, I'm switching my answer to Asia Argento.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Oh yeah? I'm disrespecting you.

Swap out Michael Bay for Kurosawa Fan on my list.

I'm a director! Where's my paycheck?

[Ezee E]

When I posted on CHUD, they used to do some bizarre "Movie Fantasy Draft" in which you drafted either an actor/actress or director. Maybe we can try that here. It was silly, but boring fun.

[Sven]

I'm stealing Dassin from Sven, because he deserves John Carpenter instead (he's thought of as mediocre and washed up by most people, so he fits) and I've already picked Claude Chabrol in the FDT. My third... Inagaki or Richard Brooks, I guess.

Tough beans, bitch. Dassin is mine. You get Inagaki and Brooks. Next time you mention Dassin, you owe me royalties.

[D_Davis]

I'm a director! Where's my paycheck?

In my pants.

[megladon8]

Jean-Pierre Melville
Kinji Fukasaku
Terence Fisher

And I'll second Robert Wise.

[soitgoes...]

Hiroshi Shimizu - Through no fault of his own. No region 1 DVDs exist.
Mikio Naruse - The forgotten Japanese master. Once again, left behind by the Region 1 market.
Max Ophüls - Just now getting Region 1 love.

All are great. I look forward to seeing more from each, and hope others would expose themselves to them. They wouldn't mind. ;)

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

Ermanno Olmi
Jean Gremillon
Marcel L'Herbier
Patrick Bokanowski

people can't seem to count and neither can I!

[Derek]

1) Mikio Naruse
2) Anh Hung Tran
3) Hal Hartley

Also considered Anthony Mann, Dusan Makavejev and Miklos Jansco, but went with the others since they're not talked about quite as much. Mann may be a stretch but considering how little his westerns are talked about in comparison to Ford's, I wouldn't feel too uncomfortable including him. Not that it matters because this is all arbitrary and completely up in the air...still fun though. :)

[Derek]

Mikio Naruse - The forgotten Japanese master. Once again, left behind by the Region 1 market.

Great pick. I'm not giving him up, so you've gotta share.

[MadMan]

Yeah I'm not sure I have one, although some of the names mentioned in this thread have made films I highly enjoy. Does Joe Dante count? Cause I really love him, and he doesn't seem to get much mention/love around here (I think iosos or davis really digs his work too though).

[Derek]

Yeah I'm not sure I have one, although some of the names mentioned in this thread have made films I highly enjoy. Does Joe Dante count? Cause I really love him, and he doesn't seem to get much mention/love around here (I think iosos or davis really digs his work too though).

He has his fans (Jonathan Rosenbaum, for one, loves him) but I'd say he certainly qualifies.

[Grouchy]

Terence Fisher
Robert Aldrich
William Friedkin

All three of them already mentioned, but hell, I gotta stick to what I like.

[MadMan]

He has his fans (Jonathan Rosenbaum, for one, loves him) but I'd say he certainly qualifies.Yey! I'm sure I'm one of the handful of people who's a fan of Piranha, for one thing. And Gremlins is a huge favorite of mine. I should track down more of his movies, especially Matinee and his Masters of Horror segment Homecoming.

[The Mike]

Damn, I just mentioned Friedkin and Fisher in the other thread.

I'll add Jack Arnold, John McTiernan, and Brad Silberling.

And, if he makes more stuff, Ray Lawrence will be my number one pick.

[soitgoes...]

Great pick. I'm not giving him up, so you've gotta share.I'm willing to share him with everyone here. :)

[Grouchy]

I'd also like to draft Robert Fuest and Freddie Francis.

Battle of the neglected filmmakers? Anyone?

[Grouchy]

If I have to keep only one, then it's gotta be Aldrich.

He directed the best war film I've ever seen. I'm not talking about films about the war, I mean actual action-packed war pictures. Without compromising his integrity, of course.

[Grouchy]

And John Sturges!

I like this idea a lot more than discussing whether Mishima is obscure or not for our enlightened souls.

[MadMan]

If I have to keep only one, then it's gotta be Aldrich.

He directed the best war film I've ever seen. I'm not talking about films about the war, I mean actual action-packed war pictures. Without compromising his integrity, of course.Didn't he direct The Dirty Dozen? That movie rules.

I'm a huge fan of John McTiernan. Its a shame that his career has gone south. I also like Richard Donner a lot as well.

[baby doll]

Albert Brooks, Leos Carax and Elaine May are the first three that come to mind.

[origami_mustache]

Sergei Parajanov
Mikhail Kalatozov
Victor Sjöström

hm: Edward Yang

[Boner M]

Maurice Pialat
Jerzy Skolimowski
Don Siegel

I'm tempted to mention Chabrol but his neglect seems curiously limited to this place, nor does he really define my sensibilities as much as the aforementioned three. Maybe Frank Borzage once I see more of his.


Leos Carax.
Great choice. I love Lovers on the Bridge and really like Boy Meets Girl, and have Mauvais Sang and Pola X at my disposal.

[Yum-Yum]

Don Siegel

Pudgy comedian Patton Oswalt just screened Charley Varrick and The Lineup as part of his "Sitting in the Dark with Patton Oswalt" festival at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-g-Fvr1w9g

[Boner M]

Pudgy comedian Patton Oswalt just screened Charley Varrick and The Lineup as part of his "Sitting in the Dark with Patton Oswalt" festival at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-g-Fvr1w9g
Awesome! I love Oswalt and Varrick is the film that really convinced me of Siegel's greatness. Still looking for The Lineup...

[Ezee E]

I'll also take John Frankenheimer.

[balmakboor]

Jack Hill - Coffy, Switchblade Sisters, Foxy Brown
Allan Arkush - Rock 'n' Roll High School, Get Crazy
Jonathan Kaplan - Truck Turner, Over the Edge, Heart Like a Wheel

Also, I'll second (or third or whatever) Philip Kaufman - mostly for The Wanderers and The Right Stuff.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Tough beans, bitch. Dassin is mine. You get Inagaki and Brooks. Next time you mention Dassin, you owe me royalties.


In my pants.

Dassin. One second...

*reaches into Davis' pants*

Where... the... hell....





















































Son of a....

[dreamdead]

In terms of French New Wave, Rohmer seems undervalued even against someone like Varda, though obviously more people have seen at least one of his than of Chabrol's.

Kore-eda doesn't get the attention today that he should receive.

And I'll second Derek's Anh Hung Tran.

[Pop Trash]

Lyne did excellently with Jacob's Ladder, but everything else he's ever done has been pretty dreadful. Wait, no. I liked his Lolita, too.

And Hallstrom... just... no. Just no. The strength of his films ends at the photography.



Did you see her Weight of Water? It was awful! However, because of her work on Strange Days and Point Break, she will always have a place in my heart. Near Dark and K19 had their good points too.



Don't like his Euro-sex-art stuff (well, The Unbearable Lightness of Being was more tolerable than Henry and June at any rate), but his Invasion is superb and The Right Stuff is very fun.

See the thing is...most director's that have a long streak of winners aren't "underrated" so I had to go with people that I think are intelligent people that made some very good films then maybe fell into some crappiness sometimes.

Lyne is a smart guy who is one of the few commercial filmmakers that isn't afraid of emotionally charged eroticism, which is something mostly French filmmakers dwell on with sincerity instead of irony. I like that he only cares about making movie for adults that are about the cost of desire and such.

Hallstrom isn't that interesting but he did make three of my faves: My Life as a Dog (which might be my favorite coming of age movie ever) What's Eating Gilbert Grape? and The Cider House Rules. I like his unjudgemental humanism which of course unsentimental types dismiss as schmaltzy.

Bigelow made Near Dark, which is a really cool vampire movie, and one of the most awesome movies ever: Point Break. The Hurt Locker is supposed to be good as well. Plus I think it's interesting that a female made these unapologeticly awesome action films.

Kaufman is an interesting guy who seems to be good at adapting other material and making it cinematic. I saw his profile on "The Directors" series on the Reelz channel and he seemed like a pretty sharp guy.

[Raiders]

I would say Lyne's Unfaithful is a better film than Jacob's Ladder.

[Pop Trash]

I would say Lyne's Unfaithful is a better film than Jacob's Ladder.

I disagree but Unfaithful wasn't bad. I especially like that scene with Diane Lane riding on the train thinking about her affair. Although anything good about Unfaithful has to do as much with Diane Lane as Lyne IMO.

[Grouchy]

Didn't he direct The Dirty Dozen? That movie rules.
Exactly. Same for Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

Siegel and Frankenheimer should also grace my list.

[balmakboor]

I have a special place in my guilty pleasures drawer for Flashdance.

[Raiders]

I have a special place in my guilty pleasures drawer for Flashdance.

I have a special place in my spank bank for Jennifer Beals.

[Arthur Seaton]

Michael Winterbottom?

[Spinal]

All of the filmmakers in this thread have now received too much attention. I am going to choose a new list of three neglected filmmakers and then keep it to myself so that they do not risk losing their underappreciated status.

[D_Davis]

All of the filmmakers in this thread have now received too much attention. I am going to choose a new list of three neglected filmmakers and then keep it to myself so that they do not risk losing their underappreciated status.

Typical elitist European bull shit.

[Grouchy]

What the fuck is Mishima?

[Pop Trash]

I also call Lukas Moodysson as one of my token underrated filmmakers.

[Robby P]

Laurent Cantet doesn't seem to be talked about much on these boards.

[Ezee E]

Kaufman fans are forgetting Quills.

[The Mike]

Kaufman fans are forgetting Quills.
As if that wasn't forgettable enough, take a look at Twisted. :eek:

[Russ]

All of the filmmakers in this thread have now received too much attention. I am going to choose a new list of three neglected filmmakers and then keep it to myself so that they do not risk losing their underappreciated status.
My new three neglected filmmakers haven't even been born yet.

Nyaa.

[D_Davis]

I don't watch movies anymore.

[The Mike]

My new three neglected filmmakers haven't even been born yet.

Nyaa.

Oh yeah, well mine were aborted! :cry:

[Sven]

Kaufman fans are forgetting Quills.

No, we're ignoring Quills.

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

I don't watch movies anymore.

I don't even know what movies are.

[Spinal]

The playscript for Quills is sooo much better than the screenplay.

[D_Davis]

The playscript for Quills is sooo much better than the screenplay.

I saw a one-woman play of it that was even better than the original playscript. Way more obscure, too.

[Spinal]

I saw a one-woman play of it that was even better than the original playscript. Way more obscure, too.

I was being serious. :sad:

[Sven]

I saw a one-woman play of it that was even better than the original playscript. Way more obscure, too.

I think I saw a dance interpretation of that one-woman show. It was okay.

[Winston*]

I saw a one-woman play of it that was even better than the original playscript. Way more obscure, too.
I am the real Marquis De Sade.

[Spinal]

I've got to stop posting on casual Fridays.

[D_Davis]

I was being serious. :sad:

:)

Just to be clear, I wasn't.

[Winston*]

Stupid escalation jokes > Real film discussion

In any and all cases IMO.

[soitgoes...]

I've got to stop posting on casual Fridays.You can be sure that when Daniel Davis, Sven and Winston* respond to your post in close succession that it doesn't matter what day it is, you're bound to receive sarcasm. :lol:

[Sven]

:)

Just to be clear, I wasn't.

Wait, but I was.

[D_Davis]

Wait, but I was.

Awe shit. I'm so confused now.

[Sven]

Awe shit. I'm so confused now.

:lol:

[Spinal]

I'm still recovering from Raiders using the phrase 'spank bank'.

[Qrazy]

1. Aleksei German
2. Kaneto Shindo
3. Mario Monicelli

[Raiders]

I'm still recovering from Raiders using the phrase 'spank bank'.

Sorry. At any time, I like to rhyme.

[Spinal]

Sorry. At any time, I like to rhyme.

It wasn't the rhyming that I found disturbing.

[Ezee E]

Remember, Spinal's the old man here. He's more of a "whack pack" kinda guy.

[Watashi]

I think I found one: Bryan Singer.

He's negleted, right?

[SirNewt]

Anthony Asquith




Mizoguchi is far from unknown but he's still too underwatched, even around here.

[megladon8]

I think I found one: Bryan Singer.

He's negleted, right?


Good one. Great stylist.

[MadMan]

Exactly. Same for Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

Siegel and Frankenheimer should also grace my list.That one is on my infamous "To See" list.


I'll also take John Frankenheimer.Yes.

Also Don Siegel rules. I must view more of his films. The decent handful I have viewed have ranged from decent to awesome.

I for one approve of the turn this thread has taken :lol:

Also I think I may have found one no one else has mentioned: Jacques Tourneur. His work with Val Lewton is awesome, and he also made the classic film noir Out of the Past. There's a bunch of other movies he's made, but I probably won't be able to get my hands on all of them.

[The Mike]

Gary Sherman.

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

Pete Sampras
Andre Agassi
Boris Karloff

[chrisnu]

Monte Hellman
John Sayles
Matthew Barney

[megladon8]

Oh, I'll throw in Terence Young.

[eternity]

Jake Kasdan is the only one that comes to mind.

[trotchky]

If we're counting Bryan Singer can we count Richard Kelly?

edit: seconding William Friedkin

[Pop Trash]

If we're counting Bryan Singer can we count Richard Kelly?
edit: seconding William Friedkin

I thought about him but he's only directed two films: one of which is indeed horribly underrated but the other is deservedly one of the biggest cult films to emerge in the last ten years.

[trotchky]

I thought about him but he's only directed two films: one of which is indeed horribly underrated but the other is deservedly one of the biggest cult films to emerge in the last ten years.

True, but that's sort of why I was thinking of him in the first place--Southland Tales has sort of tarnished his reputation universally, even though Donnie Darko is still a masterpiece.

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

Southland Tales is dogshit.

[Pop Trash]

Southland Tales is dogshit.
I completely hate to get into this round-and-round again but what is it with ST that brings out the vitriol in people? Why does a remake of Funny Games and fucking Speed Racer get such a pass on here but ST is so despised (which even if you hate it, at least it is wholly original creation, not a director sitting on his creative laurels by remaking his own fucking movie shot for shot or a movie based on a 60s cartoon that for half it's running time features race after endless race that makes you feel like you are watching someone else play a video game and/or a fat kid with chocolate on his face running around with a chimpanzee) :frustrated:

[Grouchy]

a movie based on a 60s cartoon that for half it's running time features race after endless race that makes you feel like you are watching someone else play a video game and/or a fat kid with chocolate on his face running around with a chimpanzee
That's 10 times better than all the contrived nonsense in Southland Tales.

[The Mike]

A wholly original turd is still a turd. Thus is Southland Tales.