Top 5: Once Great Directors Who Lost Their Mojo
by John NolteJudging from the reaction a couple weeks back to my Happy Birthday open thread, there aren’t many Big Hollywood readers out there who share my hero worship of Muhammad Ali. When Breitbart starts Big Boxing, I’ll explain all of that but know that one of the most heartbreaking moments of my life occurred on October 2nd, 1980, as I watched my 38 year-old idol and shadow of his former self come out of a two-year retirement and take a terrible and humiliating beating at the hands of Heavyweight Champ Larry Holmes.
At that point Ali was beyond past his prime and had absolutely no business being in the ring with any heavyweight much less the Champion of the World. It was hubris and the lure of a quick payday and believing in his own press that caused The Greatest to embarrass himself in front of millions – which brings me to what it feels like to watch the latest theatrical releases* from these five (in order of my personal disappointment).
5. Barry Levinson: Between 1982 and 1991 this Academy Award winner enjoyed one helluva run: Diner, The Natural, Young Sherlock Holmes, Tin Men, Good Morning Vietnam, Rain Man, Avalon, and Bugsy. Not a single miss in the bunch … and then something went terribly wrong, and that something was titled, Toys. Ever since, other than a couple of not-embarrassments like Disclosure and Bandits, Levinson never recovered. Envy, Man of the Year, and Sphere all represent three of the worst films released in their respective years, and nobody cared about any of the others.
—–
4. Lawrence Kasdan: It’s almost impossible to believe that in the space of just a couple years this Academy Award-nominee penned the screenplays for Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Body Heat – which would mark his directing debut. Two hands-down masterpieces and what is probably the last true classic noir film to come out of Hollywood.
Kasdan would quickly follow Body Heat up with The Big Chill, Silverado, The Accidental Tourist, I Love You to Death, and Grand Canyon – all of which vary from very good to good. Then the wheels came off with the bloated Wyatt Earp, and then the wagon completely burned down with Kasdan’s dreadfully scripted and directed Dreamcatcher. That was seven years ago and no one’s heard from him since.
—–
Sucked.
3. Martin Scorsese: I don’t care what anybody says, The Departed sucks. You can bury the film in all the golden statues you can lay your hands on and line up every water-carrying film critic within 500 miles of Hollywood & Vine and it won’t change the fact that The Departed sucks, or that Scorsese hasn’t made a good film since Casino in 1996 — and a great film since The Age of Innocence in 1993.
Oh, Marty will be back with ‘Shutter Island.’ Well, I’ve been hearing that Marty will be back with this and that for forever now and all we’ve gotten instead of “back” is the dull Kundun, overblown Gangs of New York (worst third-act of the decade), Bringing Out the Dead (which I hardly remember) and the uninspired but always tedious Aviator.
Maybe Shutter Island will mark a comeback. No one wants that more than I do, and it would certainly prove my theory wrong that the first step of a Scorsese comeback must be unhitching his wagon from Leo.
—–
2. Steven Spielberg: There is nothing Spielberg can do to undermine his rightful place among the all-time great directors. Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler’s List, and Jurassic Park are astounding achievements that represent one of the best twenty-year runs in directorial history. There are some clunkers in there like Hook, Always and 1941 (which is currently going through what is sure to be another failed attempt at a revival), but there’s also the under-appreciated Color Purple and hugely entertaining Indiana Jones’ sequels.
The argument after 1993 is over Saving Private Ryan (which falls flatter and flatter after that unforgettable opening), and Artificial Intelligent: A.I. (a near-masterpiece). But is there an argument over what remains? Jurassic Park 2, Amistad, Minority Report, Catch Me if You Can, The Terminal, War of the Worlds, and Munich? The best of this lot, which ranges from fair to average, have their moments, but the magic is clearly gone.
Then there’s the latest from this two-time Oscar winner, the ghastly Indian Jones 4. And you can’t blame George Lucas alone for that travesty. Yes, the script and story were a disaster, but so was the direction, and that’s all on Spielberg.
Nothing would make me happier than a Spielberg comeback. I miss watching Steven Spielberg movies. His early films haven’t aged a day and still fuel the imagination. But the decline is undeniable.
—–
1. Oliver Stone: From 1986’s Salvador straight through to Platoon, Wall Street, Born on the 4th of July, JFK, The Doors, and Natural Born Killers, Stone never once helmed a film that didn’t offend something I believe to be true or good or both. But what a run of provocative, enthralling and compelling masterpieces that seized the conversation of an entire nation just as brilliantly as they seized all five of your senses while watching.
JFK is a pack of lies, but what lies! What brilliant, audacious, ambitious lies brought to life, constructed and presented by a genius and fevered filmmaker desperate to put them across. And in that respect the movie failed with a loud and clarifying backfire. (The interest Stone ginned up in the assassination came at exactly the right time in our technological world to prove once and for all that Oswald worked alone.) But what Stone didn’t fail at was making what might be the best film of its decade. As a pure piece of cinema, JFK is as masterful as it gets.
Stone’s fall, however, has been further than seemed possible. Nixon and U-Turn are both good films helped enormously by excellent performances but Alexander was the beginning of a creative free fall, a humiliating embarrassment — and there have been HBO movies that feel more like theatrical film than World Trade Center. Finally, politics aside, W. was most certainly Oliver Stone’s Indy 4.
Unfortunately, the future doesn’t look very bright for this two-time Oscar winner. His decision to ape his own past with Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps isn’t even an interesting choice.
Stone used to provoke, madden and anger me — especially because his talent was so damned undeniable. These days…
[*I’m focusing on narrative theatrical films. Not documentaries, what they might have produced or shepherded on television.]
Email this to a friend | Print |
Share on Facebook
| Tweet this
| 
Follow Us on Twitter
Subscribe via RSS
Got a Tip?
290 Comments
They don't make them like Muhammad Ali anymore. He is the Greatest!
I agree that "The Departed" was not Scorcese's best film, but you had no mention of "The Aviator". Marty should have won the Oscar for that film, not "The Departed".
I thought The Aviator was a thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing movie.
I also liked both Minority Report (except for the weak ending) and AI:Artificial Intelligence (yes, I know it's deeply strange, but somehow I enjoyed it).
The director who's lost the most mojo is M. Night Shyamalan. The Sixth Sense is a great film, and Unbreakable is at least highly intriguing. Even Signs has its moments, though the story makes little sense. Compare those efforts to The Village (surely one of the worst movies ever made), Lady in the Water (unwatchable) and The Happening (I didn't see it and neither did anyone else). O, what a mighty talent is hereby overthrown!
you're an idiot Nolte and your opinion is shallow and trite. Whats it like not having an original bone in your body and making populist dull statements
I like them both. Furthermore, I like watching DiCaprio movies. The boy can act–he's just a victim of James Cameron's PR people. The teen heartthrob label won't leave him, even though his acting chops rate up there with Hoffman. Compare "The Aviator", "What's Eating Gilbert Grape", "Blood Diamond"… The kid's got skill.
There. I said it. My fire extinguisher's pressurized and ready. Flame away.
"Natural Born Killers" a masterpiece? Did Stone make 2 versions? Because the one I saw was awful – bad acting, disjointed, pointless, and rediculous. I saw it in the theater when it came out and laughed out loud…at it – not with it.
This is meant to be ironic, right?
The counter-culture became the man. No need to make films anymore.
I understand those who hate the film — I really do — but I think it's pure genius and completely oroginal. Sure, it's hard to watch at times, but there's no other film like it and once it starts my eyes won't leave and I think about it for days.
Is NBK enjoyable? No, but it gets under your skin and stays there.
"The Departed" was dreck.
"Amistad" was powerful and a great history lesson.
Read again, he does mention Aviator
A.I. was more Kubrick than Spielberg. Good movie but deeply depressing.
If i were a betting man, two films i would gamble on eventually becoming recognized as pure masterpieces would be A.I. amd Watchmen. And if I can think of three more, that would make a good top 5!
But I recognize that dazzle. Unlike Shapiro's list, I don't argue these are not great directors. What I do recognize is how far they have fallen.
And I do think AGE OF INNOCENCE is a masterpiece and deserves to be recognized as one. And I can't stand RAGING BULL.
Mr. Nolte, submitted for your approval a director who could easily top the 6-10 portion fo the list. I give you Brian De Palma. From 1976 through 1993 he helmed thoroughly enjoyable flicks including Carrie, Scarface, Dressed to Kill, Casualties of War, Carlito's Way, and the best of the lot The Untouchables. Costner's best performance. DeNiro in fine form as Capone. And need I mention Connery. But since the first Mission Impossible film, a film that was formulaic and uncertain of whether it was serious or campy, and tried to be both he's been flailing at a target he can't even see. Now reduced to Redacted.
Mr. Nolte,
Only someone who has never read Malmud's 'The Natural' would buy into Levinson's version; both he and Redford should be slapped… really hard.
And every movie of Stone's that you cite is a "pack of lies", including Platoon. You do not forgive that. Well, maybe you do, but I don't.
You hit the nail on the head with Scorsese. The Departed really, REALLY SUCKS! Thank you for acknowledging what should be so painfully obvious. Gangs of New York could have been a masterpiece had it focused on just one storyline, instead of three. And not had Leo in it. Can't Marty find another Italian actor he likes?
As for Spielberg, I had almost convinced myself Indy 4 didn't actually exist. Thanks for the reminder. I used to see everything Spielberg made, no matter what. Now, I just don't care.
I don't think you can limit this list to just five. I also nominate Brian De Palma. The Untouchables is probably my favorite movie, but The Black Dahlia was almost of satire of a bad De Palma movie. I'm wishing he would disappear like Kasdan.
I did read it. John Nolte referred to "The Aviator" as "the uninspired but always tedious Aviator". I believe it is Scorcese's greatest film.
I do agree that Kasdan and Levinson's best work is behind them, although I disagree about "Disclosure". Dennis Miller's greatest acting performance is in "Disclosure".
Invariably, directors lose their mojo when they start chasing Oscars. Scorsese is the worst example. I remember a New Yorker profile/interview a few years back where they tiptoed around the issue for at least 4 pages. Hilarious.
Try watching The Departed and the original Chinese film Infernal Affairs back to back. Not only is the dialogue almost spot on (allowing for translation, of course), but even the camera angles are near duplicates. I can't help thinking that at least 70% of Departed is just the original script run through Babelfish with a Boston accent.
Even worse, Lau and Mak were barely credited for the story, listed in small print after the stuntmen. On Oscar night, no one associated with the film mentioned the original writers by name, with the notable exception of the warm thanks of William Monahan.
Yeah, The Departed gets my hackles up.
Silly me, I thought you would post something about Brian dePalma, Francis Ford Coppola, or Stephen Soderbergh. Then again, I wonder, had this been written in 1981, you would have included Billy Wilder and Stanley Donen, who ended on career lows (Buddy Buddy and Saturn 3 anyone?)…
I believe Stone's work has suffered since the invention of the "Avid".
No Francis Ford Coppola? He WAS the 70's in American cinema. And now….didn't he direct "Jack"?
If Shymalan would have replaced the aliens' weakness with ANYTHING besides water, Signs would have been a solid A+ experience in my book.
Hasn't Spielberg been getting this sort of treatment from the critical establishment for-forever? His trio of sci-fi post9/11 films are all controlled masterpieces-and I agree A.I. is truly great, but so was War of the Worlds and Minority Report. The little capra-esque two-fer of Catch Me and The Terminal were just about perfect examples of great cinema given the light touch. Munich's critics don't like to ponder the idea of revenge as something detrimental to the soul (so much so they won't give credit to the perfect amounts of suspense and catharsis dished displayed in the film.) Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was the biggest statement made against Darwinism by a major Hollywood director yet. He always seems to be losing it because some people refuse to contemplate artistic growth (not to devalue his earlier work-growth just changes things.) I don't expect the haters to magically change their views-just give the ones you didn't care for another viewing in the future.
Was Scorsese ever great? I'm sorry, I just don't get it. Spielberg was great up until Raiders of the Lost Ark (original), but he was self-indulgent and indulged his director friends (Club Obi Wan anyone?).
I'll never forget the part where the old indian guy – who doesn't speak english – is sitting around with Woody Harrelson (awful) and Juliette Lewis (worse) and sees the words like "demon" and I forget what else projected across them. The guy can't speak english but he can read it when magically lit up on people? All these years later it still cracks me up.
It would've been a better movie if Ollie hadn't committed the sin of rewriting the script. When Tarantino hands you a screenplay and you say "I think I can improve this," you'd better be able to back it up… I don't think he could or did.
I liked Minority Report a great deal (the PKD story shines through the adaptation, much as it does with Total Recall or A Scanner Darkly), and I think I'm pretty much alone in really liking Toys. I found the magritte-inspired imagery and allegorical parable aspect fascinating, and you really can't go wrong with LL Cool J.
I kinda think Copola deserves to be on the list more than Marty. Godfather I and II to Godfather 3 and Jack is quite a fall.
I thought Minority Report was great, but War of the Worlds was only ok. One film I'm surprised to see omitted from the Spielberg collection is Empire of the Sun, which was beautiful, even if it was too long.
DePalma could fit on this list but his fall wasn't as far as these five (and I wanted to limit it to 5). Coppola too, but it's been thirty years since Apocalypse Now. He's just off the radar.
As always, Mr. N, you have written a very provocative, thought-inducing article.
Barry Levinson: Snappy dialogue and direction in Diner and Tin Man; The Natural an entertaining adaptation; and Rain Man a lucky break; and then nothing.
Lawrence Kasdan: Like Levinson, this screenplay writer turned director had some solid credits, and then he turns into Terrence Malick.
Martin Scorsese: Sheer audacity mixed with nihilism and irony – Ragging Bull, Goodfellows, Casino. Age of Innocence an off-beat anomaly. The Departed a disappointing retread.
Stephen Spielberg: Supreme showman who defined pop cinema, then pursued artistic validation, and now believes his press. There may me hope that get bets his bliss back.
Oliver Stone: Too damn political and in your face, although Wall Street still works for me.
I'd have to put George Lucas on the list. How one goes from "Star Wars" to "The Phantom Menace" is like watching ego in action. He went from focusing on the story and the acting to making it all about the CGI. I know he redeemed himself somewhat with " Revenge of the Sith" but I don't think I'll ever forgive him for inflicting Jar Jar Binks on an unsuspecting public.
A.I. is just awful, and the most derivative film of this generation. The first third of "2001…", the second of "Blade Runner" and the final third of Spielbergs own, much better, "Close Encounters…". It's total trash and I dare you to watch it again all the way through and disagree with my analysis.
"Any Given Sunday" is still an awful lot of fun.
Empire of the Sun is stunning-I was only referring to his aught era. Hell I find The Lost World to be more substantial and entertaining as the years pass (and its genre innovations are still being cribbed today-by video games no less-I'm looking at you Uncharted 2.)War of the Worlds contains some amazing set pieces perfectly distilling what terrorism has done to the American psyche through a horror/sci-fi hybrid. I EAGERLY await its availability on blu-ray.
Steven Spielberg still has it– Munich is morally illiterate but incredibly directed and moving (sans the humping-the-wife-while-flashing-back-to-an-event-you-didn't-witness malarkey). He just chooses to invest in a lot of stupid, stupid movies, like Transformers and War of the Worlds.
Am I the only one here who doesn't think Sphere (at least the first half) is that bad?
Re: Spielberg, I enjoyed The Terminal (it's a silly little trifle), A.I. (I'm still conflicted over it), and Minority Report. The Lost World was okay (and probably better than I remember it – it's been a while), I'm indifferent towards Amistad, and War of the Worlds was a great demo reel for ILM and the camera crew but, like The Lost World, was merely okay.
It's nice to see I'm not the only one who enjoys Temple of Doom and Last Crusade. My initial reaction after Crystal Skull was, "Ooh, so close." A film school friend of mine hated it and has already written Spielberg and Lucas off. As for 1941, I want to like it, but I can't. The jitterbug contest is excellent as is John Williams' score (and Aykroyd and Belushi are worth watching) but the movie is just a bloated mess
John, what did you think of Empire of the Sun?
"Populist" is the new Popular word……trite and shallow…used by the dull and unoriginal
Also, I just watched Stone's "Talk Radio." It was a pointless, should-have-been-made-for-TV waste of my time.
I agree on every single one of them. However, Spielberg for me is at number 1, because he not only has lost his mojo, he is best at hiding it with slick, industrial no-risk projects.
Redeemed himself somewhat with "Revenge of the Sith"? Are you kidding me???
A.I. would have been a masterpiece if Spielberg had left well enough alone and simply kept the boy David sitting on the bottom of the Hudson River staring at the statue for eternity. It would be have a classic Kubrick ending. Unfortunately, his "E.T." radar took over and completely ruined the ending.
I really liked Gangs of New York. I thought the cinematography and set designs did a wonderful job of bringing the historical aspects to life.
I just don't remember Empire of the Sun. I do remember it was longish, but nothing has ever drawn me back to give it another try.
SPHERE is one of the first movies I saw on DVD. It was one of five freebies you got when you purchased a player. I didn't make it through the second half. Even on the lastest groovy-ass technology I couldn't finish it.
Empire of the Sun is sophomoric dreck. "They're bombing the docks at Shanghai!" is one of the most unintentionally hilarious lines (in context) you'll ever see in such a self-important mess with no story.
there's just something about SUNDAY that doesn't work as a whole, though. Can't put my finger on it. It also feels very look-at-me with the way the football action is shot. Show-offy. Self-conscious.
I have to disagree with John regarding 2 Spielberg movies. AI was an absolute disaster of a movie – boring and without a single believable moment. Minority Report on the other hand is a true classic and one of my all time favorites. The characters, plot, themes and special effects all combined into one of the most satisfying movie experiences ever.
Scorsese films have always seemed to me to be brain dead. Nevertheless in Raging Bull, Goodfellas and Casino his passionate portrayal of the world that formed him, the world of urban Italian-Americans, overcame that brainlessness. Take away that insider's identification and you get The Departed.
Not sure why so many dislike "The Village" but I enjoyed it.
How about Slim Whitman music?
After savoring many a Classic film (and living a checkered life) -less IS more. As with a vintage wine -stress mellow those that rise to a challenge. No limits seem to destroy. When there is a strict timetable many times there is a poem of a film. When there is a tight budget the imagination is unleashed. I think of Orson Wells after "Citizen Kane".
I agree, but at least TR was an INTERESTING choice. Stone could see something bubbling in that world and wanted to make a statement about it. And it was a gutsy choice — trying to craft a theatrical film out of what is essentially a one-location story.
Compare the man who did that to the man who did W. and Wall Street 2… Different man altogether.
At least Mr. Nolte understands the basic grammar rules for capitalization.
See, I think that last turning point when the aliens show up is one of the great turning points ever. It gives the film a scope and dare I say majest, it wouldn't have had otherwise. That moment takes my breath away. David's journey SOMEHOW continues.
the part of AI that's most damaging is the tired Robin Williams' schtick as that answer guy. It's completely out of place and leaves a very bad taste.
I liked "Toys" mainly for its shots of the rolling green fields out in the middle of nowhere…..a kinda-ethereal quality to those images. Plus, those images of the rolling hills were shot near my school, University of Idaho.
Breitbart's Big Boxing…I'm there.
The story of Muhammad Ali is a great one, I'll give you that. (Let's not forget him as Cassius Clay and his cameo
in one of my all-time favorites, "Requiem For A Heavyweight") Your analogy to Ali at the end of his career and these heavyweights of film is appreciated.
Much like your hero worship of Ali, Scorsese is 'the man' for me. As I've written here at Big Hollywood, "Mean Streets" was the film that turned my life around. It was personal. The Catholic thing. DeNiro. Who knows? All I know is after that film, I set my sights on becoming an actor. And I did.
I disagree, I liked Gangs.
Maybe it's because I'm a history nut, but I thought the sets and costumes really made history leap off the page in that movie.
As for DiCaprio, I could take him or leave him. Daniel Day-Lewis owned that film.
To me, its deliberate un-sublety is why it's so much fun. Pacino & Woods scenery chewing, and the overly loud football grunts and thuds help make a pretty standard "star is born" story work for me. And I think the casting was wonderfully campy: Ann-Margaret as boozy mom, a regal Charlton Heston, Clifton Davis as the unctuous mayor, a pretty good perf from Lawrence Taylor, and a damn fine job from Jaime Foxx…plus Jim Brown–maybe it's a guilty pleasure, but it's a pleasure for me nonetheless.
Liberalese definition of "populist": liked by the great unwashed, inbred masses who enjoy sites with the modifier "big" in the name.
Although Martin Scorsese might be at the end of directing career, I think because of his directing perspective, he's an awesome film historian. Every time I see some kind of movie documentary with him in it, he knows what he's talking about and I like to hear what he was to say.
And the "turn off your cell phone" spot he does is great too. You know, the one where a little girl and a mom is talking on a cell phone to the father just before bedtime, and Scorsese comes in and directs the girl and mom on how to act as they're talking on the phone? Classic.
I take umbrage with you, sir, over "Always."
Too many reasons to list why that is such a fantastic film!
Compared to the "The Phantom Menace", "Revenge of the Sith" was a masterpiece.
I think the only thing I disagree with John Nolte and pretty much half the people on this comments section is The Departed. I loved it, the style, the music, the performances, the writing. Well, to each their own.
Pretty much everything else I'll give a thumbs up to. Nolte's take on JFK is what I've been telling people for years. The movie's a load of bull, but one so awesomely made that I don't care.
I'll have to rewatch A.I. I've always thought the beings at the end of the movie
were descendants of the robots that survived after the Humans died off. That
would have made more sense than aliens.
A lot people like to point out JACK as an example of how Coppola has fallen, but he bounced back with THE RAINMAKER, and his most recent film, TETRO, which stars Vincent Gallo, is a masterpiece that belongs next to his classic films. Coppola hasn't fallen, he just tripped and he picked himself back up again.
Lol! I had to throw that qualifier in because the fanboys get vicious with me if I don't. Personally? I think the whole trilogy was a waste of time.
In fact, it was a one man play wriiten by Eric Bogosian, who Stone cast in the lead. The very talented, Michael Wincott, steals the friggin' movie IMAO.
That was my "You've got to be fecking kidding!" moment too. That "Spielbergism" is my personal near-top entry in the "Bad" column. It might have been a solid movie otherwise.
By contrast, Minority Report, Catch Me if You Can were much better movies.
The first because it was jam-packed with cool future technology ideas. The original, somewhat nutty PK Dick story needed fiddling with to be believable, and Spielberg didn't make a hash of it.
The second because it was a simple caper story told in a straight and concise manner, which let the story itself do the talking. He didn't get in the road like he did in AI.
My comment continued:
No one, and I mean no one has been more disappointed in the work of Marty Scorsese at this stage of his life than yours truly. Talk to my wife, she'll tell you how I went on and on for days about how much I hated, "The Departed." Ugh. And giving the guy the Academy Award on top of it? It was like when they gave the Academy Award to Paul Newman for "The Color of Money" after passing on all the great work he did from "Hud" right up on through "The Verdict."
Don't get me started.
Scorsese isn't as good as he used to be…one director whose films have fallen longer and harder than his are George Lucas'. He went from THX 1138, AMERICAN GRAFFITI, and STAR WARS to THE PHANTOM MENACE and ATTACK OF THE CLONES. A lot people say REVENGE OF THE SITH was a comeback, but really SITH was like the girl you meet at the bar after a long night of drinking and partying and two consecutive cases of blue balls. It just looks good comparatively after a string of disappointments.
"No one wants that more than I do, and it would certainly prove my theory wrong that the first step of a Scorsese comeback must be unhitching his wagon from Leo."
I jumped all over the Top Ten Over-rated Director's list (not Nolte's) of a few weeks ago for including Scorsese, but I can't disagree with Marty's inclusion on this list.
Scorsese apparently views DiCaprio as his New DeNiro and All-Around Go-To Guy, and this is a catastrophic miscalculation on Scorsese's behalf.
No, Mr. Nolte, unfortunately the poster is an idiot.
Thoughts on Empire of the Sun?
I think in regards to the goals Empire sets out-showing how damaging war is to the human condition, the bliss found in connecting to others, and an artists tunnel vision for what inspires him (jamies love of planes,) all make your off the cuff remark rather…well. And really can we save the word dreck for-ohh i dont know-eli roth movies or something.
P-51 CADILLAC OF THE SKIES!!!
I’ll throw Rob Reiner into the mix. Not one bad film in the 80s (all great in my book) and first half of the 90s, too (North being the only non-great, but I do like it, mainly for Bruce Wilis’ charm). Since American President, though? While I haven’t seen Ghosts of Mississippi, one meandering snoozer after the next.
As for Scorsese, I can only hope being around music and doing the Stones' Shine a Light and the Dylan documentary re-energized his narrative mojo. Shutter Island? Let's see.
Great art done large? A shooting scheme that gave M Night Shamalan sp? his whole directorial style? The only other great movie besides Rescue Dawn that Chrsitian Bale was in (I havent seen the new world yet-shame on me.)
Scorsese phones it in these days, I love hearing him talk about movies, but like you said, he wanted that damn Oscar, and his art suffered for it. He seems to be more interested in being Martin Scorsese than actually making real films. A guy I know in the industry told me that he doesn't even scout his own locations anymore. Sad.
Blame Jar Jar on the Ewoks, the first sign of Lucas' ego gone amuck.
Avatar proved that Cameron doesn't care any more. Sure he's making money, but he's lost his mojo and become a real sell-out and joke.
I´ve always said DiCaprio can be very good. I thought he was good in Catch me if you can which I think may be the best of Spielberg´s later movies. But if you want to see what The Aviator could have been, watch the brief appearence of Terry O´Quinn as Howard Hughes in The Rocketeer. He is only on screen for a few seconds, but he is a more charismatic and believable Hughes by far.
I agree with 3/5 of that list. I am still a huge fan of "The Departed" and Spielberg still has a deft touch in my book. "Minority Report" is still one of the best pieces of Sci-Fi I've seen in ages. However, there is one glaring omission from your list……Rob Reiner. This is the man who gave us "Spinal Tap," "Princess Bride," "Stand by Me" "When Harry Met Sally," and "Misery." The last good movie he made was "American President" and that was over a decade ago. Ever since he's made nothing but a string of embarassing failures.
He must have distanced himself from Sofia, the not-so-magic touch involved with his tripping (New York Stories segment and Godfather III).
Agree! Leo has a baby face, he can't scare or be taken seriously no matter how hard he tries.
Admittedly small roles, but also great stuff from Ellen Greene, Baldwin and McGinley.
I cringe to think that he made more than the original trilogy (and regrettably "remade" them), and I will second your vote for him to be added to the list. Stick to your guns and forget the fanbois. Lucas may have endeared himself to a new generation, but he jumped the shark with the second trilogy. The threat of redoing the original trilogy again in 3D has me worried that he can't leave well enough alone.
One can always quibble – I thought Amistad and Catch me if you can were good (not great) later Spielberg movies while Jurassic Park 2 and A.I. were utterly horrible and Munich was a crime against humanity. What is undeniable is that Spielberg has become more pretentious and less interesting at the same time.
John Carpenter.
Halloween, The Fog, The Thing, Escape From New York…
Then…In The Mouth of Madness and Ghosts of Mars?
Damn shame.
I concur. Well said.
But it´s not much of a journey. As one blogger aptly put it:
"Pinocchio is a story of the moral education of boy, an education which when completed makes him human. A.I. is the story of the emotional retardation of a boy, a retardation which sees him live for thousands of years without ever progressing beyond a desperate need for his mommy's love. It may well be that both stories are about becoming human, but what they tell us about how our culture perceived humanity at these different times is rather depressing. In 1940, to be human was to be a moral being. In 2001, to be human is to fixate on your own emotional needs. "
source:
http://www.brothersjudd.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/...
I think that´s about right.
Amen. I also enjoyed most of it. The editing could have been better, but it's a joy to watch. Aviator is good, but it was a bit much in the acting area. But beyond that, it was also a good movie, and I can't take Leo and his BS.
I think we are being too kind to Scorsesse, Leo was actually admirable in The Aviator and Departed-it was the former's clunky length and pointlessness that wrecked that picture and the latter's mishandling of the original honk kong productions perfectly mounted tragedy-with a bloated running time and a miscast and tired Nicholson. Of course all these problems land directly at the feet of Marty- but to be somewhat positive since its initial release Bringing out the Dead gets better and better. Cage is a great and the energy and spirituality imbibed in every frame makes it one of his best.
God bless word of the day calendars. I think you need to re-examine the article. Mr. Nolte's take on these directors is far from shallow and trite. For the most part, he is dead on (sorry John).
DiCaprio blows a lot of hot air. And I do think his mocumentary on global warming was an abomination designed to do nothing but terrify people.
But when it comes to actually putting his money where his mouth is, he certainly seems to man up. So he gets props from me for that.
As far as acting, Blood Diamond could barely keep my attention other than his performance. In my opinion, he can act.
De Palma was never that great; good and bad movies are spread fairly evenly through his career (though I expect nothing good from him anymore).
A more interesting choice would be John Carpenter, but much as I love some of his work, he´s not quite in the league of these 5. Besides, he may still have a great B-movie like Vampires or Prince of Darkness in him.
I like "Any Given Sunday." It's Stone's only film that actually pushes a conservative theme — the brash, young QB has to learn teamwork and respect for the traditions of the game. It seems that pro football is the only American institution that Stone has any respect for.
To a lesser extent, the old coach has to learn to change with the times and the game — there's also a mild undercurrent of racial tension, but the whole "black quarterback question" was answered years before by Doug Williams (42-10!). It's really about accepting the best of the "new" without throwing out the best of the "old" — the long-lived foundations of the game.
It was the only Oliver Stone movie that didn't p*ss me off.
Oh, BTW, what the hell was up with all the weird Masonic imagery in the final game?
"I don’t care what anybody says, The Departed sucks. "
Rats. I agree. Did I mention Rats?
I'd add Ken Russell. His artistic sensibility resulted in some really amazing low-budget films in the 60's (Isadora Duncan: The Biggest Dancer in the World, Dante's Inferno, etc..) and some more mainstream ones in the 70's (The Music Lovers, Tommy, etc..). For the last 20 years or so, his films have become progressively more bizarre, incoherent, and nigh unwatchable (The Fall of the Louse of Usher).
Enough with the Marty basing, already.
"The Aviator" was a great film, period.
"Gangs of New York," not so much — but I am witholding final judgment until the director's cut comes out — it's missing about 45 minutes. "The Departed" — ok, certainly not "best picture" material, but watchable and entertaining, despite Jack's scenery-gnawing.
(Re: Kasdan — "The Big Chill" was a blatant rip-off of a low-budget — and far superior — indy film, "The Return of the Secaucus Seven." He should have been sued.)
You must be logged in to post a comment.