"Tyrannical" directors

[cardiac161]

Re-watched Cimino's Year of the Dragon with his commentary on, most famous directors with reputations of tyrannical behavior are incredibly astute and have distinct, unwavering perspectives to how their films should be.

Whether displaying apathy to actors with dozens of takes, or disregard to ballooning*budgets, I find fascination with these filmmakers who are incredibly strong-willed to get their vision on-screen.

I recall Coppola saying to some extent that a filmmaker may be one of the last vocations that validates being dictatorial.

Wondering which film directors you feel are iron-handed and maybe examples of their behaviour.

[snipemonkey]

Michael Mann has a reputation as being a perfectionist and a "dictator," as well as generally an all-around bastard.

I took a screenwriting class one time (more than 20 years ago) that was taught be a guy who had written one or more episodes of Miami Vice and he told us some interesting stories about what an a**hole Michael Mann was.

But then this is pretty common knowledge. I just got through listening to a podcast that had an interview with director Gary Sherman -- who at one time had briefly been in business with Michael Mann and Jonathan Demme in the early 70s in England -- and he called him "one of the most objectionable people he's ever met in his life". He didn't elaborate except to say that he had loads of terrible Mann stories he could tell.

[RossyG]

John Guillermin was an underrated director who ended his career with a flop (King Kong Lives) but made some good, solid, entertaining films, including Town on Trial, two of the better Tarzan pics, The Towering Inferno, Death on the Nile and the 1976 King Kong.

But even the tie-in Making Of paperback that accompanied the release of the latter said that his crew more respected than liked him and that he could lose his temper very quickly.

Lois Chiles had a bit part in the film and is quoted as saying: "Guillermin was not very nice to me. On my very first day when I questioned a direction I didn't understand, he stood there swearing at me. It was awful."

[oubukibun]

Instantly popped in my head when I read the thread title.

My apologies...

[HipsterTrash]

David O Russell is a notorious jerk. I Heart Huckabbes wasn't the only time he's snapped and it sure as hell wasn't the last.
And you wait, the guy will probably be cancelled. there's been lots of things said about his character.

[slumcat]

Apparently Lars von Trier. Paul Bettany wowed to never work with him again. Not that Lars is asking.

Fincher sounds tyrannical to me. I could never do a scene 200 times. It would drive me up the walls.

[cardiac161]

Originally Posted by HipsterTrash

David O Russell is a notorious jerk. I Heart Huckabbes wasn't the only time he's snapped and it sure as hell wasn't the last.
And you wait, the guy will probably be cancelled. there's been lots of things said about his character.

Wasn't there news previously that him and George Clooney duked it out while filming Three Kings?

[JDub1]

I heard Jim Cameron is difficult. I once read that Ed Harris punched Cameron in the face while filming The Abyss for endangering lives on set.

[Al_The_Strange]

Surprised nobody's brought up Kubrick yet. Seems like the more I hear about his films (the sheer number of takes he uses, the way he treats his actors), the more I see him as a tyrant.

William Friedkin pushed things hard while making The Exorcist.

Originally Posted by JDub1

I heard Jim Cameron is difficult. I once read that Ed Harris punched Cameron in the face while filming The Abyss for endangering lives on set.

Was about to mention Cameron too. The Abyss sounds like one of the harshest production environments of them all--the stuff Mary Elizabeth Mostrantonio put up with during the CPR scene was brutal. Also can't help but to recall the story where Cameron nailed cellphones to a wall during Avatar's filming.

[HipsterTrash]

Originally Posted by slumcat

Fincher sounds tyrannical to me. I could never do a scene 200 times. It would drive me up the walls.

That's the gig. They usually get paid well enough for it.
Plus it's not literally 100-200 takes of the same angle/shot. It's different set-ups, doing the same bit.
Plus Fincher's take is that anywhere to as little of $500,000 is being spent on the day. That's a lot of money. Why waste it not shooting something?

Originally Posted by cardiac161

Wasn't there news previously that him and George Clooney duked it out while filming Three Kings?

Yes. True.
And there's a rumor that he treated the lovely Amy Adams like dirt.
And Annie Mumolo, the co-writer on Joy, was alluding to his horrid behaviour, without directly saying it. I'm sure she fears him or the blowback she could receive.

[snipemonkey]

Otto Preminger was reportedly a notoriously awful person to work with.

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Surprised nobody's brought up Kubrick yet. Seems like the more I hear about his films (the sheer number of takes he uses, the way he treats his actors), the more I seem him as a tyrant.

A lot of actors swear Kubrick was a great and wonderful man but all you have to do is watch Vivian Kubrick's behind-the-scenes documentary on The Shining to understand why Shelley Duvall ain't so keen to sing his praises. It doesn't paint a flattering picture at all.

[HipsterTrash]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

William Friedkin pushed things hard while making The Exorcist.

He has gone on record saying he was a smug jerk who would never do the things he did during the filming of French Connection and The Exorcist again. There's a great video of him being interviewed by Refn and he states this. Good video too since he calls out Refn, a douchey filmmaker.

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Surprised nobody's brought up Kubrick yet. Seems like the more I hear about his films (the sheer number of takes he uses, the way he treats his actors), the more I seem him as a tyrant.

Originally Posted by snipemonkey

A lot of actors swear Kubrick was a great and wonderful man but all you have to do is watch Vivian Kubrick's behind-the-scenes documentary on The Shining to understand why Shelley Duvall ain't so keen to sing his praises. It doesn't paint a flattering picture at all.

I feel like Kubrick would apologize for his actions if he could reflect on them now. Maybe I'm saying that because he's one of my favourite filmmakers since my youth and will always hold a special place in my upbringing around film.
Yes, the way he treated Duvall was horrible. And it saddens me to see her get treated in such a way and the public not care for so many years. Plus it didn't truly help her performance, since it's evident that she's not really emitting much, most likely due to the trauma to Kubrick's wraith.
Look to her work with Altman and you'll truly see a shinning example of her acting. He knew how to treat her (and others) to get the best performances out.

[Jay H.]

William Friedkin would randomly fire guns on the set of The Exorcist to unnerve his cast. He also slapped the priest (his name escapes me) right before filming to get him in the right frame of mind when he gives someone last rites.

Some people will mention David Fincher, but as far as I know he doesn't yell or lay hands on anyone. Many love working with him; some think his perfectionism is absurd. He's been quoted as saying, "I love people. They stack well."

Oh, and many people on set say Clu Gulager threw an aerosol can at director Dan O'Bannon while making Return of the Living Dead. He'd had enough of O'Bannon's bulls***, I guess. (Gulager denies the story.)

[CreasyBear]

Friedkin back in the day, takes the cake.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by HipsterTrash

He has gone on record saying he was a smug jerk who would never do the things he did during the filming of French Connection and The Exorcist again.

The trouble is that he always did and would again today if he could still get work. It's telling that he never worked twice for the same studio management even when he had big hits until his wife became the head of Paramount Pictures - and after she stepped down the pattern repeated itself.

[Rzzzz]

Richard Brooks.



A real low life scum bag and a big tough guy as long as it was a woman he was hitting....

From Wikipedia but I have read and heard about this for ages from other sources...

"Brooks was developing a reputation as a hard-driving, difficult and perpetually angry man as early as his tenure with radio station WNEW in the late 1930s. He was not averse to quitting a job when in conflict with those in charge—as he did while directing at the Mill Pond Theater in 1940 and writing for Universal in 1943. At MGM he was known for almost daily eruptions of anger, often aimed at his crew and sometimes at his cast. That did not change even after he was the producer of his films, and he was known throughout the industry as a talented filmmaker yet a difficult man to deal with. Debbie Reynolds recounts that, while as a young and relatively inexperienced actress filming The Catered Affair (1956), Brooks hit her in the face and had to be pulled away from further assault by the assistant director. Later during filming, a heavy piece of equipment fell on his foot, breaking it, and the crew were noticeably slow in removing it which Reynolds attests to a general dislike of the director."

What that quote fails to mention is that he attacked her in full view of the cast and crew, according to Miss Reynolds. I have literally beat the shit out of people like him, albeit in my younger days....

[Foggy]

Werner Herzog.

[Aclea]

There's a half hour BBC documentary called Do It On the Whistle that was filmed on the set of Lord Jim that shows Richard Brooks screaming abuse at the extras, translator and crew. Which makes Eli Wallach's comments about what a great guy he is just laugh out loud funny.

[MisterPilgrim]

Surprised Michael Bay hasn't been mentioned.

[snipemonkey]

Originally Posted by HipsterTrash

I feel like Kubrick would apologize for his actions if he could reflect on them now. Maybe I'm saying that because he's one of my favourite filmmakers since my youth and will always hold a special place in my upbringing around film.
Yes, the way he treated Duvall was horrible. And it saddens me to see her get treated in such a way and the public not care for so many years. Plus it didn't truly help her performance, since it's evident that she's not really emitting much, most likely due to the trauma to Kubrick's wraith.
Look to her work with Altman and you'll truly see a shinning example of her acting. He knew how to treat her (and others) to get the best performances out.

I don't disagree. Pretty much everyone else on the planet who ever worked with him seems to think the world of him, so it may have just been a bad situation or negative chemistry or whatever on that set. No telling.

And, just to be clear about my own stance on this kind of thing (if anyone cares) -- being a "tyrant" or a difficult person to work with doesn't diminish the achievements of any of these artists. The work stands (or falls) on its own merits. Picasso was reportedly a right awful bastard and a sadist, but that doesn't make his work less masterful or important. For what it's worth.