10. PHILIP KAUFMAN
AKA: The Lothario
BORN: October 23, 1936 Chicago, IL
STRENGTHS: Explores American society through both epic and intimate tales of culture clash and sexual politics.
WEAKNESSES: Hasn't made many films, and most of them haven't been particularly financially successful.
ESSENTIAL WORKS: The Right Stuff, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The Unbearable Lightness Of Being
YOU CAN SKIP: Twisted, Rising Sun
9. JOHN HUSTON
AKA: The Adventurer
BORN: August 5, 1906 Nevada, MO
DIED: August 28, 1987 Middletown, RI
STRENGTHS: Brought his vaudeville, painting, and "hard living" experience to bear in stories of real men doing real things.
WEAKNESSES: Often bucked the system, infuriating his producers. Somewhat inconsistent.
ESSENTIAL WORKS: The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre, The Maltese Falcon, The Asphalt Jungle
YOU CAN SKIP: Casino Royale (1967), The Bible: In The Beginning
8. DAVID LYNCH
AKA: The Dreamer
BORN: January 20, 1946 Missoula, MT
STRENGTHS: Can send the viewer into a liminal state between reality and fantasy. Films are dreamlike in nature, sometimes shifting suddenly into intense nightmares. Wholly one-of-a-kind; "Lynchian" has become a term for anything undefinably odd.
WEAKNESSES: Made an interesting play at mainstream entertainment, which could have led to a more diverse "One for me, one for them" kind of career, but has since retreated back into the comfortable solidarity of Lynchworld.
ESSENTIAL WORKS: Blue Velvet, Eraserhead, Dune, The Elephant Man
YOU CAN SKIP: Inland Empire
7. JOHN FORD
AKA: The Cowboy
BORN: February 1, 1894 Cape Elizabeth, ME
DIED: August 31, 1973 Palm Desert, CA
STRENGTHS: Productivity - The dude made over 100 films in his lifetime, ranging from good to brilliant. A visual innovator, and, most likely, the favorite director of your favorite director.
WEAKNESSES: Kinda hung up on westerns.
ESSENTIAL WORKS: The Searchers, Stagecoach, The Grapes Of Wrath, My Darling Clementine, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
YOU CAN SKIP: Mogambo
6. SIDNEY LUMET
AKA: The New Yorker
BORN: June 25, 1924 Philadelphia, PA
STRENGTHS: An "Actor's Director" with a background in the theater. Makes New York based, and flavored, films outside the stifling influence of Hollywood.
WEAKNESSES: Low-key stories have left him under the radar of mainstream audiences.
ESSENTIAL WORKS: 12 Angry Men (1957), Network, Dog Day Afternoon
YOU CAN SKIP: Q&A, Guilty as Sin
5. ROBERT WISE
AKA: The Chameleon
BORN: September 10, 1914 Winchester, IN
DIED: September 14, 2005 Los Angeles, CA
STRENGTHS: The Lon Chaney of directors; he could alter his style completely based on the material, leaving almost no trace of himself. Equally adept at musicals as he was at sci-fi or horror.
ESSENTIAL WORKS: The Haunting (1963), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), West Side Story, The Sound Of Music, The Sand Pebbles
YOU CAN SKIP: Rooftops, Audrey Rose
4. ORSON WELLES
AKA: The Thespian
BORN: May 6, 1915 Kenosha, WI
DIED: October 10, 1985 Los Angeles, CA
STRENGTHS: Has the distinction of being considered one of the greatest directors of all time AND one of the greatest actors of all time. His debut film, Citizen Kane, is usually pointed to as "the greatest film of all time".
WEAKNESSES: Had studio trouble from day one, and ended up working from the margins for the rest of his career. If he'd been able to make more films, or ones that the studios didn't end up chopping to pieces, he would most certainly rank even higher on here.
ESSENTIAL WORKS: Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil, F for Fake, Othello, The Lady From Shanghai
YOU CAN SKIP: Nothing. Even hacked up, his films are brilliant.
3. MARTIN SCORSESE
AKA: The Historian
BORN: November 17, 1942 New York City, NY
STRENGTHS: Vast knowledge of film history mingled with a fiery passion for storytelling. Displays more energy in his ripe old age than most of the thirty-something directors out there.
WEAKNESSES: Despite range, tends to get stuck on certain themes, which occasionally get stale.
ESSENTIAL WORKS: Taxi Driver, After Hours, Gangs of New York, The King Of Comedy, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Departed, Mean Streets, The Last Temptation of Christ
YOU CAN SKIP: Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Cape Fear (1991)
2. JOEL AND ETHAN COEN
AKA: The Odd Ducks
BORN: November 29, 1954 (Joel) and September 21, 1957 (Ethan) St. Louis Park, MN
STRENGTHS: I'm the first guy in the room to say "Too soon". That's how fucking good these guys are. And their "lesser" works are often the ones that I like the most, like A Serious Man. Their dialogue, casting, story choices, and camerawork are always unique and fascinating.
WEAKNESSES: Snarkiness bordering on a complete lack of sentimentality at times.
ESSENTIAL WORKS: The Big Lebowski, Blood Simple, Miller's Crossing, Raising Arizona, Barton Fink, No Country For Old Men, Fargo
YOU CAN SKIP: The Ladykillers (2004)
1. STANLEY KUBRICK
AKA: The Photographer
BORN: July 26, 1928 New York City, NY
DIED: March 7, 1999 Harpenden, Hertfordshire UK
STRENGTHS: Absolute mastery of lighting and framing. Interest in diverse, and boundary-pushing, types of stories. Elevated the medium to new heights. Often imitated, but never duplicated.
WEAKNESSES: Slow pace left too many potential masterpieces unmade. Spielberg directed his unmade treatment, A.I., embarrassing everyone in the process.
ESSENTIAL WORKS: 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Dr. Strangelove, Barry Lyndon, Lolita (1962)
YOU CAN SKIP: Spartacus
That's it, kids. Did I leave anybody out? Write me back!
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