The Criterion Collection

[mja345]

Isn't there some kind of expression like, "Judge how well someone is known by if the average suburban mom knows who he/she is"? Obviously a strange criteria, but the more I think about it, Tyler Perry is probably way more well-known than someone like Bay, Nolan, Snyder, even Tarantino, etc. because of his appearances on talk shows and stuff the average person consumes.

[UltraMario9]

Ang Lee is pretty famous

[WrathOfHan]

I'd add in Ridley Scott to this conversation. He's made some of the most influential films in recent decades and has plenty of big hits under his belt.

[moviflicilm]

Originally Posted by mja345

Isn't there some kind of expression like, "Judge how well someone is known by if the average suburban mom knows who he/she is"? Obviously a strange criteria, but the more I think about it, Tyler Perry is probably way more well-known than someone like Bay, Nolan, Snyder, even Tarantino, etc. because of his appearances on talk shows and stuff the average person consumes.

Tyler Perry was mentioned earlier through my post, and I agree. It doesn't hurt that he's also someone who has a million dollar entertainment production that been doing theater and tv alongside the film stuff. Plus the Medea persona, no matter how cringe-worthy many of us find it, has popular cache with many average viewers.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by mja345

Isn't there some kind of expression like, "Judge how well someone is known by if the average suburban mom knows who he/she is"? Obviously a strange criteria, but the more I think about it, Tyler Perry is probably way more well-known than someone like Bay, Nolan, Snyder, even Tarantino, etc. because of his appearances on talk shows and stuff the average person consumes.

Originally Posted by moviflicilm

Tyler Perry was mentioned earlier through my post, and I agree. It doesn't hurt that he's also someone who has a million dollar entertainment production that been doing theater and tv alongside the film stuff. Plus the Medea persona, no matter how cringe-worthy many of us find it, has popular cache with many average viewers.

Call me crazy, but I like Tyler Perry. Big caveat in that statement though: I have never seen a Madea movie and probably never will. I am genuinely curious why cross-dressing as old women seems to be such a cultural comedic touchstone in the African-American community though. We've seen it with Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, and now Tyler Perry, so there's obviously something to what I'm saying. Then again, maybe it has nothing to do with race, and it's simply that the other two saw Eddie or Martin do it (whoever did it first) and decided it was funny?

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by WrathOfHan

I'd add in Ridley Scott to this conversation. He's made some of the most influential films in recent decades and has plenty of big hits under his belt.

Great call. Regarding the Cameron discussion his Aliens blows Alien away IMHO but Alien is still great. It really seems that when people bring up Scott its strictly Blade Runner and Alien not mentioning all of the other excellent films he's done.

[78deluxe]

Originally Posted by moviflicilm

Although you can't deny Ford influence on filmmakers, he's not as known to the general public as other directors. The movie stars overshadow him, though you can say that about any other director, which is why we're having this discussion.

One filmmaker that should be added to that famous deceased list is Stanley Kubrick. His films still penetrate pop culture.

I agree with the Ford assessment.

However, Hitchcock is more well known than actors and actresses in his films and yes - he used some big names at the time.

[javy]

Originally Posted by MassiveMovieBuff

Great call. Regarding the Cameron discussion his Aliens blows Alien away IMHO but Alien is still great. It really seems that when people bring up Scott its strictly Blade Runner and Alien not mentioning all of the other excellent films he's done.

Matchstick Men and American Gangster.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by javy

Matchstick Men and American Gangster.

You're forgetting his best film after Blade Runner - The Counselor.

[MeMynonsense]

Beaver review of The Breaking Point is up! now if only Aug 8th was within the B&N sale window.

[cjamescook]

As for great directors, how about Howard Hawks?

Or, David Lean?

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by javy

Matchstick Men and American Gangster.

Check and Check!

[MassiveMovieBuff]

Originally Posted by iScottie

You're forgetting his best film after Blade Runner - The Counselor.

Finally! Somebody else who sees the greatness with The Counselor!

[moviflicilm]

Originally Posted by joy-division

Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Brannagh not A listers? Ok Brannagh - possibly Murphy too - may not be the biggest stars but they're not nobodies

And I will tell you a reason why a lot of people will see this film who wouldn't otherwise - Harry Styles is in it

Thanks for the listing. What was in my post was worded wrongly, even as if I was making a point about most of the cast not selling the film to a wider audience. Of course how could I forget Harry Styles, even if we don't know how big of a role his character plays in the film.

Originally Posted by Bolo Seagull

I think there's just a steady audience for WW2 films. Most people will see it because of interest in the subject matter and because it appears to have large scale battle scenes.

Hacksaw Ridge did pretty decently at the box office, which was about WWII. Normally, you don't see this type of film released in the summer, as studios would throw them into the fall season for award contention. Though you did have Saving Private Ryan and Pearl Harbor released in the summer, both becoming box office smashes. We shall see.

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

I don't think the average filmgoer knows the difference between Zack Snyder and Chris Nolan, and I think that studios continue to employ them for similar reasons (they make profitable movies at a blockbuster level and don't have unreasonable budget overages).

I think those who are younger will know the difference between Snyder and Nolan. As I keep bringing up his fanbase is numerous, with many of his own fans being devoted to whatever upcoming project he takes. The studios always known that Nolan has the fanbase while retaining good relations through budgeting and the genre of the picture.

[thatguamguy]

If audiences identify Nolan as the director of his big hit movies, then why do the advertisements still say "From the director of" instead of using his name? I think that Chris Nolan *could* be famous if he wanted to, but he seems to deliberately eschew that as long as Hollywood knows who he is.

Another one we all forgot -- I think Tim Burton should be listed as a name people recognize, though lower than many of the ones we've settled on.

[Darth Marcus]

Originally Posted by iScottie

You're forgetting his best film after Blade Runner - The Counselor.

[moviflicilm]

Just looking through the posters, his name doesn't show up on the top but "from the director of The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, and Interstellar." This could be Nolan own way of letting the films speak out or marketing team not confident enough in his selling power.

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by mja345

Most people would have no idea who a director is unless a particular director is so famous that it becomes impossible not to know who he/she is.

I tracked down the article over my lunchbreak -- the thing I had forgotten, for Spielberg, it was "Jurassic Park". He asked ten people, 5 got it right, 5 got it wrong (2 said "Stephen King"). I'm not saying people are wrong for not caring, but I think we who do care under-estimate how little people who don't care care.

[78deluxe]

Originally Posted by cjamescook

As for great directors, how about Howard Hawks?

Or, David Lean?

Among the best but not house hold names outside of film buffs. Certainly dwarfed in mass "popularity" compared to the leading stars they used.

But yes, you brought up two men that are among the most important directors in film history.

[joy-division]

Originally Posted by UltraMario9

Ang Lee is pretty famous

Yeah, Ride with the Devil featuring Jewel!