Who's your favorite DIRECTOR(s) - and why?

[K. Forman]

I agree with John... Usually it's only the French that seem to appreciate Jerry Lewis. Myself, I never enjoyed anything he was in without Deano.

[Zac Stein]

Kieth,

Yeah his sentiment was very reminisant of french cinema, but i did enjoy his work. He did some things with space, setup and payoff and relations to worlds within worlds which were ingenious, and i really respect him for that.

Zac

[John Locke]

LOL... well, I'm a Texan...at least technically...and I adopted some Yiddish slang while living in NYC...and, well now that you mention it, I DO look like Dr. Phil...but on a bad hair day.

I was just taking a jab at you because you seem to be a rather Francocentric lad. To be honest, I haven't seen anything with/by Jerry Lewis since the 70s. Maybe I should give him another shot...based on your suggestion.

[Robert Knecht Schmidt]

As long as we're generating a list, I don't think anybody's mentioned Bogdanovich yet, whose The Last Picture Show is a director's film if ever there was one.

[John Locke]

Good one! I've been wanting to read the story about him during the filming of "Last Picture Show." Supposedly an interesting story. The town and countryside in the film look amazingly similar to where I grew up.

[Robert Knecht Schmidt]

Is there a book? Only thing I remember about it is Bogdanovich started an affair with his lead Cybill Shepherd. And that its sequel, The Lastest Picture Show, was directed some 20 years later.

[John Locke]

Sorry...not a book...turns out it's a documentary on DVD. I've had it saved on my wish list at Amazon for so long, forgot what format it was in.

Here's the link to it.

[Christopher C. Murphy]

John, I see "Picture This" is on Netflix..save yourself some cash and join! I'm going to rent Last Pic Show and also Pic This - haven't seen either yet.

Murph

[John Locke]

Methinks the postage would be a tad pricey, Christopher. ;)

Good suggestion, though. Wish I knew of something like that over here.

[Kevin Lee]

I'll add a few from my neck of the woods.

1. Zhang Yimou
- Raise The Red Lantern, Red Sorgum, Ju Dou and my least favourite Hero - shot by Chris Doyle. If you aren't familiar, give one of his title a go. Truly poetic.

2. Wong Ka Wai
- Happy Together, In The Mood For Love & the great "ChungKing Express"

3. Ang Lee - Pre-Hulkywood. Fans of Chinese/Asian food will love his opening sequence in "Eat, Drink, Man, Woman."

4. Akira Kurosawa - "Ran" the epic.

And other favourites:...

5. David Lynch - Who killed Laura Palmer?
Weird & Wonderful

6. Tarrintino - Dogs & Pulp Fiction. Defining.

7. Stanley Kubrick - Truly an Odyssey

8. Coen Brothers - Fargo'ing Brilliant.

9.Spike Jonze - Being John Malkovich

[K. Forman]

I'm not overly familiar with Ang Lee's prior works, but I can understand your dissappointment with the Hulk. In my opinion, it would have been a much better film, except for Ang Lee bringing too much family melodrama into it. Nuke him, and let the Hulk rage on, and leave out his Father issues. A simple perspective, from a simple mind.

I guess I have been sheltered, by not being able to enjoy a vast number of foreign films. I hate subtitles, and don't have the desire to learn different languages. I do however, enjoy anime. The storylines and animation are often times far superior to some of the actual cinema released over here.

[Christopher C. Murphy]

Oops, sorry John...forgot where you live!

Why are you there if you don't mind me asking? Judging by your name - you're not from Japan!

Murph

[Barry Gribble]

Here are a few of my fav directors (in no order):

Stanley Kubrick: This man can create a mood that no one else can come close to... truly an auteur. Full Metal Jacket, The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut... they breathe with his vision

Robert Altman: Actors fall over themselves to work with this guy for a reason - he creates some of the most real characters of anyone out there. Short Cuts, Cookies Fortune, Kansas City, Gosford Park.. these movies have characters that just come out of the screen... Even when he is working with over the top characters such as in The Player or Prêt-à-Porter, he still infuses them with a real-life core. He is a true master... I was very surprised to not see him elsewhere in this thread.

Terry Gilliam: Boy I like his vision and energy, but occaisionally I think he should let the studios win some of the legendary fights about making his films more palatable. I have more of his DVDs than any director though... The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is my personal fav.

Coen Brothers: Nice to see these delightfully sick minds getting traction in the mainstream. Their combination of silly humour and darkness is very compelling... The funnier ones are my favorites...Raising Arizona, Hudsucker Proxy, etc., but I also love the darkness of Fargo, Barton Fink, etc, and I don't know where to put Oh Brother Where Art Thou, but I loved it too. From what I understand, though one is listed as producer, one as director, they seem to be side by side for every step... it is amazing to me that they have kept that relationship throughout...

Steven Spielberg: He brings such a youthful energy to his pieces... he is the hands-down master of the genre he basically fathered... has also showed his amazing breadth with Shindler's List and Saving Private Ryan.... the only time I didn't like him is in AI when he tried to direct like Kubrick... got lost in a world between two visions....

Krzysztof Kieslowski: When I'm in the heady mood... Blue, White, and Red were masterpieces... the Double Life of Veronique was great too... All great mood pieces... but with strong characters and interesting plots...

Baz Luhrmann: Another Auteur... Strictly Ballroom, Romeo & Juliet, and the incomparable Moulin Rouge.... this is a man whose vision stretches well beyong the ordinary...

There a others too.... Tim Burton, Sam Mendes, Gus Van Sant (minus Cowgirls) etc.... lot's of good work going on out there....

[John Lee]

Another one I thought of: Richard Attenborough, who only occasionally directs...

I haven't seen all of his films but I loved A Bridge Too Far, Shadowlands, and of course, Ghandi.

[J. Clayton Stansberry]

For those that have done it, thank you! But, could others of you who have not posted any of the director's films do so? Thanks...just making a list of what to check out!