Directors Who Forgot How to Direct List

[toddly6666]

Is lack of funding for their films really a reason for the crappy last films? All because they cant get enough funding for their films? Hard to believe.


Francis Ford Coppola
Walter Hill
Brian de Palma
John Carpenter
Jean-Luc Goddard
Terry Gilliam

[Bobbyjoe766]

Dario Argento.

[toddly6666]

Joe Dante

[CelluloidPal]

I wouldn't say Terry Gilliam belongs on that list. He showed his signature form with The Man Who Killed Don Quiote, despite some script and pacing issues. Coppola just hasn't done much in many years.
It's better to say that some directors have lost their edge over time than forgetting how to direct.

[oilers73]

If we are talking directors who started off strong but their last several films have been bad, and they are still alive/working (or have worked recently), these names come to mind:

Tim Burton
Ron Howard
Ivan Reitman
John Carpenter
John Landis

[CelluloidPal]

Originally Posted by oilers73

If we are talking directors who started off strong but their last several films have been bad, and they are still alive/working (or have worked recently), these names come to mind:

Tim Burton
Ron Howard
Ivan Reitman
John Carpenter
John Landis

Well, Ron Howard's Rush was really good and Burton's more inconsistent recently than outright bad.

[Aclea]

Ulli Lommel. Hard to square Tenderness of Wolves and his work with Fassbinder with his later schlock unless amnesia was a factor.

[CelluloidPal]

Originally Posted by Aclea

Ulli Lommel. Hard to square Tenderness of Wolves and his work with Fassbinder with his later schlock unless amnesia was a factor.

Schlock is an major understatement there. The Boogeyman, at least, was an galliant effort where it wound up being something.

[DR Herbert West]

Renny Harlin

[BluBonnet]

Oliver Stone may not have completely forgotten how to direct, but certainly seems to have forgotten how to direct interesting movies. He used to be one of the most controversial directors in Hollywood

[RodChester]

George Lucas. Although I suppose you could argue that he never really knew how to direct in the first place.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by RodChester

George Lucas. Although I suppose you could argue that he never really knew how to direct in the first place.

5 of the 6 movies he directed were huge BO blockbusters, and all were full of technological innovation. It would be more accurate to say some people simply didn't get Lucas

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

5 of the 6 movies he directed were huge BO blockbusters, and all were full of technological innovation. It would be more accurate to say some people simply didn't get Lucas

The triple threat of THX, Graffiti and Star Wars are three genuine American classics. He may not have been the greatest director in terms of every single thing that a director does, but as a filmmaker his talent was extraordinary.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

The triple threat of THX, Graffiti and Star Wars are three genuine American classics. He may not have been the greatest director in terms of every single thing that a director does, but as a filmmaker his talent was extraordinary.

I would definitely agree with that, and as much as I enjoyed the SW movies he was personally responsible for, I still can't help but wonder about what amazing movies of a very different kind he might have made if SW had just broken even and he hadn't felt it was necessary to make any sequels.

On top of all of that, he also brought us Indiana Jones, THX sound for auditoriums, Industrial Light & Magic, etc. A true wunderkind!!

[RodChester]

Yeah I agree, Lucas made some great movies and I really like them. But as for being a good or great director I don’t know. He seems to have a very difficult time directing actors and that seems to be the bulk of the job. I’d almost liken Lucas to Michael Bay. Their films are all quite visually interesting and impressive, but mostly all lack much depth.

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by oilers73

If we are talking directors who started off strong but their last several films have been bad, and they are still alive/working (or have worked recently), these names come to mind:

Tim Burton
Ron Howard
Ivan Reitman
John Carpenter
John Landis

Landis, good choice.

Burton and Howard have been consistent - nothing that off with their output.

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by RodChester

George Lucas. Although I suppose you could argue that he never really knew how to direct in the first place.

He hasnt done really enough to judge. All the few movies he directed have been all entertaining, even the prequels.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by RodChester

Yeah I agree, Lucas made some great movies and I really like them. But as for being a good or great director I don’t know. He seems to have a very difficult time directing actors and that seems to be the bulk of the job.

Having seen all of the movies he directed (dozens of times each), I would have to totally disagree. He gets it, he knows what the movie needs, and he gets what he needs out of his actors. He even knew how to get a great performance out of a puppet!

[toddly6666]

Lucas’ prequels are not even in the same category as these other director’s last movies. There is something seriously wrong when these director’s last films look like the worst kind of amateurish direct-to-video or on demand film with no depth, texture or soul.

[XavierTheaterPotato]

M. Night Shyamalan. We can Sit here and debate which film he started going downhill, as well as when he regained it.