DEBATE FODDER: EW’S 25 GREATEST WORKING DIRECTORS

I don't understand the criteria at all. Are they saying David Fincher is a better director than Martin Scorsese? Or, if they're only going by how their latest work has been, how is Malick on the list at all, since he hasn't released a film since 2005? Such a vague concept for a list.

Michael Mann is the biggest one to me and I would put him in over Bigelow. Alfonso Cuaran over Mike Leigh. And I would've put Ridley Scott in over JJ Abrams....not really sure how Abrams made it in. For Star Trek??....but this is only a list of 25. cant include everyone.

Is there even an acknowledgment they didn't include anybody who makes films in a language other than English?

 

Also, JJ Abrams?  Jesus fucking christ.

 

edit- I missed Pedro... but still.  How about, I dunno, one person from Asia maybe?

I would guess it'd be something like "if they were releasing a movie tomorrow, who would you be most excited for?"

I really don't understand why David Fincher is number one, and I like Fincher. Actually, I do understand. It's a nigh arbitrary list mixing up your still active, influential, and popular old vanguard guys, with your "of the moment", currently in the public consciousness guys. There you go, that's about it.

Oh, well isn't that just typical? No love at ALL for anyone who directed a film prior to 1970. Sheesh.

There are no criteria with this list, that's why there seem to be several glaring omissions. It woul stand to reason that to make this list you would need to be actively making fil s and have more hits than misses on the resume. And being more recent would seem to fit as well. Under this criteria I would say missing are Michael Mann, Steven Soderbergh, Paul Greengrass, Alfonso Cuaron, Ben Affleck and I think one could even make a case for a guy like John Favreau.

Abrams is close based on the strength of his two theatrical features, but Bigelow is an easy drop. Hurt Locker is it for the better part of a decade and a half for her. Granted she rolled in the 80's and 90's. I wouldn't call much of her output then disappointing. I will always defend Near Dark, Blue Steel, Point Break and even Strange Days.

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If the criteria are along those lines, I think the JJ Abrams placement is justified.  The guy is such a hype machine, and between Star Trek, Super 8, and the eventual Star Trek sequel, hes got a lot of high profile stuff on his plate.     

 

I'd like to see Sam Raimi and Chan-wook Park on here though.  Not sure who they'd replace.  Do people still get excited for Clint Eastwood movies?  Even the people who saw Hereafter?  

How many people who directed films prior to 1970 are still doing so? And of those, who can be considered "great" (whatever that means)? Of all their omissions (and ignoring Asian and other non-Hollywood based directors is a big omission), this seems pretty understandable, since the criteria is people still making films.
 

So they mention JJ Abrams and not one of the shitload of Asian directors who could wipe the floor with him...

It... it was a joke. One that was deliberately a little too dry. Carry on, everyone.

My bad for missing it. Combination of a bad cold hazing my senses and being mostly focused on work.

 

It was nicely done, though.

Cronenberg. Those idiots left out someone who is still turning out incredible and original work. Even if his latest stars "The forehead."

Whoa yeah, totally forgot about Cronenberg.

Prestige misses:  Cronenberg, Gasper Noe, Ridley Scott

 

Genre misses:  Sam Raimi, Neil Marshall, DePalma

 

No Woody Allen?? 

While thinking of this I quickly made a list of 16 directors that still work, used to be great, and only suck these days. It depressed me.

 

Decent list, but like you all have said, Cronenberg is a huge over site.

 

Other folks missed:

Álex de la Iglesia

Ang Lee

Zhang Yimou

Bong Joon-ho

Werner Herzog

Hayao Miyazaki

I tried to do this based on the idea of choosing people at the height of their powers, but it just became too murky to make a distinction between, say, Lars von Trier and Gaspar Noe, or David Fincher and Paul Thomas Anderson.  The best I could do was a top four.

 

1) Coens- Their sensibility just matches with mine- and I think they've made the best American film just about four years running.  The only year that might not have been the case was when...

2) Tarantino put out Inglourious Basterds, which I probably give the edge to over A Serious Man for 2009.  And that's not even QT's best film. He's six for six in my book, so he gets the two spot.

3) Charlie Kaufman- This is a bit of a cheat since obviously he's more a writer- but still, when I hear a Kaufman movie is coming out, I'm there ASAP. So far he's been the driving voice behind four absolute classics.

 

4) Park Chan-Wook- If I was making a list of the filmmakers of the last decade, he'd probably be second only to the Coens.  JSA, the Vengeance trilogy, I'm a Cyborg, But That's Okay, and Thirst is a hell of a run.

 

Clare Denis?

Alexander Payne. Based on his last four films Eastwood should be nowhere near this. If RIdley Scott can be booted for his cruddy 21st century output then so can Eastwood. No Ben Affleck either? P'shaw.

GDT's dead center, but I'd rate him higher personally.