Non-Genre Directors

The term "genius" tends to get tossed around, however, I think that Woody Allen is one of the greatest filmakers of all-time ....

Actually, an argument could be made that he is the greatest single creative force in the history of film ...... He has written some brilliant films, directed brilliant films, and he's still known most for his presence on-screen ...

I'd love to see him get involved in making something disturbing ( film-wise that is ) ........ There's a scene in HANNAH AND HER SISTERS in which he is comtemplating suicide, and while the scene eventually makes it's way to slapstick, there are a few brief moments where he is holding the gun to his head that are somewhat creepy ....... and the whole murder element, and how it plays out with Angelica Houston, in CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS is disturbing ....

And while he does not appear onscreen, his film INTERIORS is a sobering and incredible drama ....

Not to turn this too far away, but I mentioned Shadows & Fog in another thread on B+W horror films. That's about as close as Allen has gotten. It has the lumbering strangler, Donald Pleasance as a scientist wanting to disect the killer in order to find the true nature of evil, a traveling circus and even a little bit of magic. Plus some creepy and very atmospheric sets and photography.

Dr, what happened to that thread ??? .... It was just there a day or so ago .... Equally as mysterious as a good b/w film is the disappearance of that thread

Getting back to Woody, ZELIG is downright bizarre ( and one of my favorites ) .....

I would have to say that the Robert Wise film The Haunting (1959) is one of the greatest ghost movies ever made. He is better known for The Sound Of Music but I've always believed that a great director is a great director, he need only like the subject.

As for Woody Allen. I think he is one of the most over rated actors/directors/writers in movie history. While I've not seen all of his movies I have seen 5 or 6 and find nothing entertaining at all about any of them. But what do I know, I also find Citizen Kane to be a bore.

You're right, I was looking for it earlier but didn't see it so assumed it went to the 2nd page. But it's not there or on the 3rd........it's disappeared. Very weird.

Kubrick.

Stanley was not a director who could be confined or defined by any particular genre, but his one and only entry into the field of horror "The Shining", remains one of genres defining moments.

I love Paul Verhoeven. Not sure any movie in particular could be considered horror (Starship troopers maybe??), but he's always over-the-top.

David Lynch is not considered a horror director by most people and he doesn't like that label (or that of any genre) himself but LOST HIGHWAY, MULHOLLAND DRIVE and TWIN PEAKS have some might disturbing things in them. LOST HIGHWAY is one of the best horror films of the 90ies as far as I'm concerned.

No, STARSHIP TROOPERS is just gory, satirical science-fiction. HOLLOW MAN (*ungh*) is probably the closest he's come to making a horror film so far. But I understand what you mean and I'd love for him to make a really disturbing, fucked up horror film one of these days. Sadly he seems to be more interested in period dramas and war films these days so we probably shouldn't be holding our breath.

I think Ang Lee could make a fine horror film if he should ever choose to. He loves using settings and visuals to tell a story.
Ang Lee presents "The Fall of The House of Usher" would rock the block.

Technically, Basic Instinct is a giallo. And The Fourth Man is an exercise in horror that if Polanski put his name to Repulsion and that was horror, would definitley qualify as such.

Charles Laughton - who knows how many pictures he'd have directed had the audiences of the 1950's not been so fucking fickle. Night Of The Hunter is a wonderful southern gothic horror fable.

Gus Vant Sant made the much derided but endlessly fascinating Psycho

Paul Schrader inflicted Cat People on Ed Begley's arm and the viewing public (and technically Witchhunt was a sequel to the Lovecraftian Cast A Deadly Spell, but was pretty light on the horror).

That he is remembered as a horror director is perhaps testament to William Friedkin's ability as displayed in The Exorcist as it's only one for two horror pictures he actually made - if you don't count thriller Rampage (The Guardian being the other and he did a Tales From The Crypt as well, but then which director of the 80s/90s didn't!)

Francis Ford Coppolla made Dementia 13 and Bram Stoker's Dracula

Robert Siodmak was best known for moody noirs and german dramas, but he directed arguably the first slasher picture, The Spiral Starcase in 1946 and Son Of Dracula in 1943. The fact his brother was Universal writer extraordinaire Curt Siodmak was probably a help.

Richard Attenborough scared the tit's off puppet-fanciers with Magic

Bearded used-to-be-funny man Rob Reiner made Misery.

Ancient Brit Lewis Gilbert, of Shirley Valentine, James Bond and Ealing comedy fame, fucked up James Herbert's Haunted

Playwright turned director Neil LeBute is tackling the Wicker Man remake.

And William Wyler, director of such Academy Award winning pictures as Ben Hur and Mrs Miniver made psycho horror picture The Collector with Terence Stamp in 1965 during his twilight years.

I agree but I still think it's more of a thriller than a horror film but I think the same way about most gialli. And that brings us back to that eternal question of how to define horror and what belongs into the genre and what not. Probably better not to go there yet again ...

It's also testament to the steaming piles of shit he's made since the glory days of FRENCH CONNECTION and THE EXORCIST. Good for him, I guess, that peole remember him for the one or two worthy films he's made and not for, say, JADE or RULES OF ENGAGEMENT ...

Good call. True pros like that can direct just about anything. Don't forget his Audrey Rose though...

More:

Waris Hussein, The Possession of Joel Delaney

John Schlesinger, The Believers

Adrian Lyne, Jacob's Ladder

Alan Parker, Angel Heart

Jonathan Demme, Silence of the Lambs


Of course, sometimes these "serious" directors end up doing better jobs than the dedicateds, just because they're superior filmmakers. Although that doesn't always guarantee that they will bring anything new to horror (see Kubrick's The Shining or Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later)

and if you include directors who start off in horror but are using it as a springboard to get more respectable work later, then you'd have a whole list covering everyone from Sam Raimi to Oliver Stone...

It's THE Silence of the Lambs, isn't it.

Only the script, I believe. Not as director.

Damn your editorial skillz.

Let's not forget James Whale was a musical's and stage adaptation director who plopped into the director's chair for horror only four times out of twenty one pictures made.

Musicals? The stage? Good thing he got out of that and into horror movies. The theatre's full of poofters.

James Whale's gay?!!

(we've done this before haven't we...)

How can anyone what a James Whale movie and not know he was gay? Dr. Pretorious could be on Will & Grace. Remember Bride of Frankenstein is about two men that create life.

Back on topic. I want to bring up "Flesh & Blood" which was also directed by Paul Verhoeven. A very violent and bloody movie set in 1510 about a warrior played by Rutger Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh. This may be as close as he has come to horror.

(we have done this before I was right, and I got the same reply as well...It's just like Pavlov's Dog)

The Fourth Man is the closest he's come to horror.

I'll have to look for The Fourth Man.

Gore Verbinski - The Ring

Gus Van Zant did a shot-for-shot remake of Psycho. I don't think anyone considers that a testament of his filmmaking abilities.

How about two of the scariest Hollywood movies ever made? Spielberg's Jaws, and Ridley Scott's Alien.

I don't really rate Verbinski as highly as others, so I'd be loathe to include THE RING in any category celebrating good directors.

However, I'll throw in Spielberg (I didn't see him mentioned before). JAWS is a defining horror picture, and POLTERGEIST is another classic (especially if you're more on the 'Spielberg directed it' side).

Also, Michael Mann with the best of the Lecktor flicks, MANHUNTER.

Prior to 1960, Michael Powell was best known for films such as BLACK NARCISSUS, RED SHOES, and THE ELUSIVE PIMPERNAL ....

In 1960 he made one of the most shocking ( certainly to that date ) horror films ever in PEEPING TOM ... In addition to the extremely warped character and disturbing violence in the film, Powell created a stir by casting his real-life son and wife in what was supposed to be a home movie shown in the film ... His wife was filmed as if she were dead, and his son ( who was supposed to be the film's villian ) was subjected to what was considered child abuse ......

PEEPNG TOM was absolutely blasted by critics and in all reality put an end to Powell's great career ....

It's a brilliant film, and IMHO was the first true modern horror film ....