Good directors, bad movies (or bad directors, good movies)

[retrorussell]

On occasion a good director makes a bad movie.  On occasion a bad director makes a good movie.

Some examples:
John Huston, who won Oscars for his classic movies like TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, directed a piece of s**t called PHOBIA (1980).  You would never know a great director was behind that movie.
Peter Bogdanovich directed classics like TARGETS, THE LAST PICTURE SHOW and PAPER MOON, then bombed with the musical turkey AT LONG LAST, LOVE.

Surely there are examples of the flip side where a bad director made a good movie, but I can't think of one right now.  Maybe you can help me.

Any other examples, people?

[Rev. Powell]

John Boorman made ZARDOZ and EXORCIST II in-between DELIVERANCE and EXCALIBUR. What a wild swing in quality!

[ChaosTheory]

Good director, bad movie:

John Carpenter, GHOSTS OF MARS
Rob Reiner, NORTH
Alfred Hitchcock, UNDER CAPRICORN
David Lynch, DUNE



Bad director, good movie:

Paul W.S. Anderson, EVENT HORIZON
Roland Emmerich, STARGATE
Steven Daldry, BILLY ELLIOT
Joel Schumacher, 8MM, THE LOST BOYS
John Singleton, BOYZ N THE HOOD

[HappyGilmore]

In which category could we put Kevin Smith? He's not a great director, but he's had good films: Clerks, Chasing Amy, DOGMA.

He isn't terrible, but did a couple clunkers too: Jersey Girl, Mallrats, that Bruce Willis cop movie that wasn't Die Hard.

[voltron]

I'm not familiar with Argento's post-Tenebre output - I've heard he's got a few stinkers there, but I really did not like his Cat O' Nine Tails film. Definately sub par for him. Also, I wouldn't call Fulci a "bad" director, but Don't Torture A Duckling was a brilliant effort and blows away his more popular films which I think are a tad overrated IMHO.

[fulci420]

I'm not familiar with Argento's post-Tenebre output - I've heard he's got a few stinkers there, but I really did not like his Cat O' Nine Tails film.

Cat O Nine Tails is far from Argento's worst movie. Look for his 1998 version of Phantom of the Opera to see how low he would go. In fact most of the italian horror directors would start to produce lower quality stuff into the later 80's and early 90's.

I'm a big fan of most of David Cronenburg's stuff but his last film Cosmopolis was probably the worst movie I saw last year. I couldn't get through 10 minutes of A Dangerous Method either.

Tarantino made the unbearable Death Proof, thankfully he is back in top form with Django Unchained.

Now as for the bad directors...

Uwe Boll's Rampage, Stoic and Heart of America range from good to great.

Paul WS Anderson made the best video game movie of all time Mortal Kombat.

Kevin Smith has a lone interesting film on his filmography "Red State"

Joel Schumacher is dare I say it a bit underrated. Aside from the two previously mentioned films 8mm and the Lost boys he also has: Phone Booth (excellent pacing and direction in this thriller), Falling Down (Thoroughly ridiculous and yet undeniably entertaining), and Flatliner's. 

[zombie no.one]

If we discount Argento's post Terror At The Opera work, which is mostly horrible, then I would single out Four Flies On Grey Velvet as being uncharacteristically poor considering the quality of the rest of his 70s stuff.

also I liked Cat 'O Nine Tails quite a lot...

[The Burgomaster]

Bad director, GREAT movie:  Michael Cimino - THE DEERHUNTER

Good director, bad movie: Stuart Rosenberg - LET'S GET HARRY and THE AMITYVILLE HORROR

[BoyScoutKevin]

Interesting question.

Can a "bad" director make a "good" movie? Yes. Probably. If one makes enough movies, then one should strike paydirt at least once. The problem I have is how do I define "bad." There are alot of directors I "dislike," but that is more because I think they are "overrated" than "bad." But . . .

M. Night Shyamalan
"Sixth Sense"

It is probably not totally fair to call his newest films "bad," and not in a "good" way, but I do think it is fair to say that there has been a decline in the quality of his movies since his "best" movie.

As for a "good" director making a really "bad" movie, that is probably harder for me to list. Not the "good," but the "bad."

John Ford
"Gideon of Scotland Yard"

He made alot of what we can call "mediocre" films in his career, but this is the only film of his that I have seen that others called "poor." Based on the character created by John Creasy, I haven't seen it, so I can't comment on the quality of it.

Sam Fuller
"Shock Corridor"

If you had most people in 1963, what was his "worst" film, most people would have said this. Almost everyone hated it. Audiences. Critics. But after some time had passed, and it was re-evaluated, it was decided that it was not so much "bad," but ahead of its time. A film that most audiences and critics, at that time it was released,  just could not understand.

Alfred Hitchcock
"Marnie"

For along time, it was thought that this was the "worst" movie that Hitchcock had ever made, but again after some time had passed and a re-evaluation, it was decided it was not so "bad" after all. I have seen it, and I agree. It may not be the "best" film he ever made, but I can't see that it is that "bad" neither.

George Pal
"Doc Savage: Man of Bronze"

The only film of his that he produced and/or directed that I have seen and disliked, but that does not mean I can call it a "bad" film. It has its moments. I thought he was the director on this, but he was only the producer. The director was . . .

Michael Anderson

Maybe not a "great" director like the others, but a journeyman who normally turned out a workable product. I can say that, looking at his output, he did have one "bad" movie in his career.

"Orca"

One of the few films that I have ever seen that was almost unwatchable.

Ken Russell
"Whore"

A controversial director whose every film seems to render a split decidison whether it is "good" or "bad," but the concensus among those who watch his films is this is the "worst" film he ever made.

Martin Scorsese
"The Aviator"

Again, the only film of his that I have ever disliked, but not so much "bad," as even Scorsese can not make a character--here Howard Hughes--a character I find dislikable likable.

Again, an interesting question, for which I doubt I have a "good" answer.

[voltron]

Ken Russell
"Whore"
A controversial director whose every film seems to render a split decidison whether it is "good" or "bad," but the concensus among those who watch his films is this is the "worst" film he ever made.

I like Whore a lot. Didn't know it wasn't as well liked as his other films. Shame it hasn't gotten a dvd release yet.

[ChaosTheory]

I'm not familiar with Argento's post-Tenebre output - I've heard he's got a few stinkers there, but I really did not like his Cat O' Nine Tails film.

Cat O Nine Tails is far from Argento's worst movie. Look for his 1998 version of Phantom of the Opera to see how low he would go. In fact most of the italian horror directors would start to produce lower quality stuff into the later 80's and early 90's.

I'm a big fan of most of David Cronenburg's stuff but his last film Cosmopolis was probably the worst movie I saw last year. I couldn't get through 10 minutes of A Dangerous Method either.

Yeah, I would say of the ones I've seen, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is Argento's worst -- although I love PHENOMENA so I might not be the best judge there.

I like Cronenberg a lot too but SPIDER was the one I couldn't stand/get through. (Haven't attempted to see COSMOPOLIS.)



John McTiernan - I'm not sure whether he'd be listed under "good" or "bad" but he directed both the awesome DIE HARD and the horrendous ROLLERBALL remake.

[RCMerchant]

William Beaudine,who made such stinkers as THE APEMAN (1943),THE FEATHERED SERPENT (1948),BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA (1952),BILLY THE KID VS DRACULA and JESSE JAMES MEETS FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER (both 1966), made the near classic quasi-horror film SPARROWS (1926) with Mary Pickford! Heck,film historian William K. Everson even included it in his book Classics of the Horror Film!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg8aPgdSOzE

[bob]

Francis Ford Coppola directed Jack.

[Zapranoth]

Ridley Scott made that opulent ordure of a film, "Prometheus."

[Trevor]

My friend and mentor Jans Rautenbach (his birthday is today) also made one of these stinkers in addition to making classic South African films like JANNIE TOTSIENS, KATRINA and DIE KANDIDAAT: he made the horror known as NO ONE CRIES FOREVER.