Directors' Best, Worst Movies

[Fearless Freep]

You have to be careful when making any work of art in making your position clear. Not just for the Elite, or your little circle, but for everyone who might view the work.

Problem is that many 'elite' don't really care what the average folk think and the fact that they don't 'get it' just proves why the average folk are..well..average and reinforces the eliteness of the elite.  It's a rather self-deceptive but self-satisfying viewpoint

On a totally unrelated point is that some people seem to like a director's earlier 'b' stuff and not his later stuff.  I see this a lot in musicians where a musician is accused of either selling out or going soft.  As a muscian myself, one thing I'm aware of is how my own tastes have changed, both in playing and in listening.  I don't enjoy playing some of the stuff I did 15 years ago, and I play stuff I wouldn't have liked to even listen to at that time.  I think director's, etc.. are the same way.  As you grow in your craft, what you want to do and what you enjoy doing changes, or you stagnate.  Maybe your 'true fans' don't mind you churning out the same stuff every year, but if you are really trying to improve and develop, you may end up growing in ways your 'fans' don't like.  This doesn't mean you've sold out or anything, it's just means you've changed.

[Cullen]

Bold for comments from Fearless Freep.  Regular font for me.

Problem is that many 'elite' don't really care what the average folk think and the fact that they don't 'get it' just proves why the average folk are..well..average and reinforces the eliteness of the elite. It's a rather self-deceptive but self-satisfying viewpoint

This is so true.  Always has been, always will be.

Depressing, isn't it?

When you have to explain your work, it put you in a position of power, a teacher to student type thing.  Giving wisdom from on high sort of thing.

It's bogus.  If your work can't speak for itself, if it needs defenders and explinations, then it's a failure.  And if it says things you don't intend, well...that's a failure, too.

I know that people bring their own baggage to EVERYTHING.  Someone's BOUND to interprit things diffrently than you do.  That's unavoidable.  What you have to do is keep you're work accessable, and to not cram it with diffrent interpritations.

Unless ambigous is what your trying for.  That's a whole nother can of worms.

On a totally unrelated point is that some people seem to like a director's earlier 'b' stuff and not his later stuff.

Never stopped to look at that, but I think you're right.

As you grow in your craft, what you want to do and what you enjoy doing changes, or you stagnate. Maybe your 'true fans' don't mind you churning out the same stuff every year, but if you are really trying to improve and develop, you may end up growing in ways your 'fans' don't like. This doesn't mean you've sold out or anything, it's just means you've changed.

I agree with this statement whole heartedly.

I do think, however, that artist can grow lazy and set in their ways, whihc affects their output.  I also think that sometimes a person can get lucky, and never have that luck hit him (or her) again.  

Case in point: Tobe Hooper.  His first film, Texas Chainsaw Massacre was a genre masterpiece.  A powerful work.

Nothing he's done since has been as good.  (And I'm a Lifeforce fan).
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[Chadzilla]

Very valid indeed, I agree across the board.  Not much else I can add to it other than that.

[Haze]

Sam Raimi
Best- Evil Dead Trilogy
Worst- Probably For the Love of the Game

Steven Spielberg
Best- Jaws
worst- There are way to many.

Del Toro
Best- Blade 2 and Devil's Backbone are good.
Worst- Mimic, still a good film but lower than the rest.

Tobe Hooper
Best- Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Worst- from what I have seen, Salem's Lot was an over blown and petty waste

[mark chopper]

since where in the film is the context of date rape mentioned? it's just a f**king wolf screwing some chick, i think you're reading WAY to deep into it.

[Cullen]

It's not just some wolf screwing a chick (although, funny enough, that's the scene I was thinking of.)  It's when the wolf screwing the chick (Lucy) turns to the chick's friend (Mina) and COMMANDS her to forget (using the Vampire's fabled mind control powers).

It calls into question ever action Mina has after that.  Does she go after Dracula at the end of her free will?  Does she have a choice?  Or has Dracula stripped her off her will (ala all of those date-rape drugs)?

The problem is, is that whole Wolf Scene was a Cool Scene, there soley because some one thought it was cool.  They had Mina forget so they could dwell on this supposed romance between her and Dracula without having nasty little questions hang  about.  Unfortunately, they left nasty little questions they hadn't even considered

It was not well thought out in the context of the film.  Epescially since the film was about the "romance" between Mina and Dracula.

Now, if you don't see this, cool beans.  No harm no foul, right?  There are plenty of people who think Coppola's Dracula is an excellent movie.

However, in my opinion, these things are true.  They didn't MEAN it to be there, but they're there nonetheless.
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Cullen, who might have spent too much time thinking about this

[Lee]

Sammo Hung: Best-Eastern Condors, Pedicab Driver, and Prodigal Son are definatley running neck-neck and neck.
Worst-Without a doubt Once Upon A Time In China And America. So bad it's not even funny. Crappy action(most of the time), horrindous acting, and what's up with the camera and editing?!

Robert Clouse: Best-Enter The Dragon(do I really need to explain?).
Worst-Game Of Death. What he did to what was going to be a true bar raiser by the man himself is so criminal I'm wondering if he should have been allowed on a set after this.

Yuen Woo-Ping: Best-it's up for grabs but I'd say it's between Magnificent Butcher and Dreadnaught(with Drunken Master lurking just behind them).
Worst-can't say I've seen a bad movie directed by Woo-Ping.

[peter johnson]

Dracula has very definitely tried to strip Mina entirely of her will, a point that I hope will be emphasized somewhat when "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" is brought to the screen sometime soon.  Mina only recovers enough of her determination to fight via the attention and care of the friends and lovers who surround her.  What made the scene especially evil and effective for me, is that Lucy was attracted to the carnal in life (Remember the brief scene where she shows the little oriental porno book to Mina?) and love and yearns for a physically exciting relationship with a man.  This makes the wolf-rutting scene all the more perverse and demonic, and therefore effective.
peter johnson