ONE SHOT DIRECTORS

[kornula]

George Lucas. 

American Grafitti is ...eh

Star Wars (the non special edition) is ..well, Star wars.

[Ash]

Michael Cimino - The Deer Hunter

[zombie no.one]

dare I say Spielberg?

looking at his filmography, and JAWS is the only one I'd intentionally want to watch again (even though I've seen it 1053 times). JURASSIC PARK was good in the cinema when it came out but I've never felt the need to rewatch it... DUEL I saw again recently and although my memory of it was great, the way Denis Weaver keeps giving himself pep-talks is silly...

I would almost agree with you. I do believe JAWS is a nearly flawless film. however, I also think RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARC IS just a teeny bit better...and still fun to watch on the big screen.  oh..and SCHINDLERS LIST is amazing.. though I don't want to watch it again.. only because I'd be drained emotionaly for a month afterwards.

sorry I only just noticed this reply.

I've never actually seen SCHINDLER'S LIST. even from short clips it looks draining. was never hugely into the Indiana Jones movies but I remember quite liking TEMPLE OF DOOM when I was a kid (which I think I read recently that Spielberg does not like that one?).

[zelmo73]

Directors who made only one good movie.
They could have made lots of movies! But only one or two are any good.

For example- Tobe Hooper.
The TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974) was Tobe Hoppers 2nd film. And it's a classic. Then he did EATEN ALIVE (1976) which was fantastic just because of Neville Brand, Robert Englund, and William Findlay. And of course Marilyn Burns- who was the only survivor of the TCM!
But after that- wtf? He lost his grit. They say he did POLTERGIEST, but that looks like Spielberg. After that- well, Texas Chainsaw II was gory enough! But he really only did 2 good movies. And the second wasn't because of him, it was good because the actors saved it.

Tobe Hooper also directed Salem's Lot (1979), the TV movie. I'm surprised that nobody has ever made a proper R-rated movie of Stephen King's story.

[RCMerchant]

Directors who made only one good movie.
They could have made lots of movies! But only one or two are any good.

For example- Tobe Hooper.
The TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974) was Tobe Hoppers 2nd film. And it's a classic. Then he did EATEN ALIVE (1976) which was fantastic just because of Neville Brand, Robert Englund, and William Findlay. And of course Marilyn Burns- who was the only survivor of the TCM!
But after that- wtf? He lost his grit. They say he did POLTERGIEST, but that looks like Spielberg. After that- well, Texas Chainsaw II was gory enough! But he really only did 2 good movies. And the second wasn't because of him, it was good because the actors saved it.

Tobe Hooper also directed Salem's Lot (1979), the TV movie. I'm surprised that nobody has ever made a proper R-rated movie of Stephen King's story.

That movie had some jump scares; and Reggie Nadler was scary as hell. James Mason was great, as usual.
But... it was a TV Movie, and you can't really put more bite into it (pun intended) on TV in 1979.
I was used to seeing Lance Kerwin on the TV show JAMES AT 15 at the time, and David Soul on Starsky and Hutch, so I knew they weren't gonna die. Kind of takes the 'who's gonna die?' factor out of it.
I dunno. It's good and fun.

[kornula]

this may be a contoversial choice but LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT is the only movie by Wes Craven that I like.

I get that he made some fairly original and even iconic movies (ELM ST, HILLS HAVE EYES). I just don't like them.

SCREAM gets way too much credit for apparently re-inventing the horror genre. there were 'self-aware' horrors that knowingly poked fun at the genre conventions way before that (and RETURN TO HORROR HIGH does it with a  sharper edge  imo)

I wholly agree.