Blu Ray.com Community's TOP 20 DIRECTORIAL FEATURE DEBUTS

[Dailyan]

You know the old saying "first is the worst" but sometimes first IS the best. The debut film is the most important for a director; it sets up the style, tone, and trademarks that pop up in later films.
Criteria:
No shorts

The first theatrical full length feature they have released, at least sixty minutes or more

Duos will be considered, however both must be their feature length debuts

Animation directors are welcomed

Documentarians will be considered only if they first recieved some sort of theatrical release first so people such as Michael Moore. In the case of a narrative filmmaker making a documentary as their first, unless that doc had some significant impact or is generally good, I’d personally go with narrative. As long as they are not listed twice (One for documentary debut and one for narrative debut).

Director must of fully directed debut (James Cameron for Piranha 2 will not count as he was let go after a week)

Made for television films will not count, even if they received a limited theatrical run (Steven Spielberg's Duel for example)

So what are some of the strongest debut films?

The point system, I take inspiration from Juels Winnfield.
Points:
#1 50 points
#2 45 points
#3 40 points
#4 35 points
#5 30 points
#6 25 points
#7 20 points
#8 15 points
#9 10 points
#10 5 points
#11 4 points
#12 3 points
#13 2 points
#14 and below 1 point

Please list director next to feature

Deadline is 06/08, happy voting!

[esteban²]

[reserved]

Instead of taking the first movies of all my favorite directors, I'm really going to think about first features that really impressed me and gave a lot of hope for the future ... The ones that made me go "Damn, give this director a new project right now!"

- Mean Creek (Jacob Aaron Estes)
- Moon (Duncan Jones)
- American Beauty (Sam Mendes)
- The Iron Giant (Brad Bird)
- (500) Days of Summer (Marc Webb)
- The Secret of NIMH (Don Bluth)
- The Dark Crystal (Frank Oz)
- Little Miss Sunshine ( Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris)
- Gattaca (Andrew Niccol)
- Nick Park (Chicken Run)
- The Nightmare before Christmas (Henry Selick)
- Billy Elliot (Stephen Daldry)
- A Single Man (Tom Ford)
- Brick (Ryan Johnson)
- Swiss Army Man (Daniels)
- Tron Legacy (Joseph Kosinski)
- ...

[Cremildo]

01) Citizen Kane (Orson Welles)
02) American Beauty (Sam Mendes)
03) Blood Simple (Coen brothers)
04) Marty (Delbert Mann)
05) Sex, Lies and Videotape (Steven Soderbergh)
06) The Lion King (Rob Minkoff & Roger Allers)
07) The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont)
08) House of Games (David Mamet)
09) Beauty and the Beast (Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise)
10) The Lion in Winter (Anthony Harvey)
11) Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly)

[DanTheMan]

Reserved

[imsounoriginal]

For now:

1. Citizen Kane
2. American Beauty
3. Layer Cake
4. Toy Story
5. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
6. The Shawshank Redemption
7. In Bruges
8. Gone Baby Gone
9. Reservoir Dogs
10. Thief
11. John Wick
12. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
13. The 40-Year-Old Virgin
14. V for Vendetta
15. sex lies and videotape
16. Say Anything...
17. Mission: Impossible - III
18. Bad Boys
19. Ted
20. Grease

[dallywhitty]

Reserved pls <3 <3 <3

[filmbuffTX]

01. American Beauty (1999) - Sam Mendes
02. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - Frank Darabont
03. Toy Story (1995) - John Lasseter
04. Eraserhead (1978) - David Lynch
05. Boyz n the Hood (1991) - John Singleton

06. The Iron Giant (1999) - Brad Bird
07. Night of the Living Dead (1968) - George A. Romero
08. Clerks (1994) - Kevin Smith
09. Cruel Intentions (1999) - Roger Kumble
10. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) - Joe Johnston

11. Sixteen Candles (1984) - John Hughes
12. Billy Elliot (2000) - Stephen Daldry
13. Lady Bird (2017) - Greta Gerwig
14. Donnie Darko (2001) - Richard Kelly
15. In The Bedroom (2001) - Todd Field

16. Citizen Cane (1941) - Orson Wells
17. Christmas Vacation (1989) - Jeremiah S. Chechik
18. Grease (1978) - Randall Kleiser
19. Re-Animator (1985) - Stuart Gordon
20. Easy Rider (1969) - Dennis Hopper

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by filmbuffTX

01. American Beauty (1999) - Sam Mendes
02. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - Frank Darabont
03. Toy Story (1995) - John Lasseter
04. Eraserhead (1978) - David Lynch
05. Duel (1971) - Steven Spielberg

06. Boyz n the Hood (1991) - John Singleton
07. The Iron Giant (1999) - Brad Bird
08. Night of the Living Dead (1968) - George A. Romero
09. Clerks (1994) - Kevin Smith
10. Cruel Intentions (1999) - Roger Crumble

11. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) - Joe Johnston
12. Sixteen Candles (1984) - John Hughes
13. Billy Elliot (2000) - Stephen Daldry
14. Lady Bird (2017) - Greta Gerwig
15. In The Bedroom (2001) - Todd Field

16. Citizen Cane (1941) - Orson Wells
17. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) - Jeremiah S. Chechik
18. Pretty in Pink (1986) - Howard Deutch
19. Re-Animator (1985) - Stuart Gordon
20. Easy Rider (1969) - Dennis Hopper

I like the list! Unfortunately, "The Sugarland Express" is Spielberg's first true theatrical debut. Also I believe you meant Roger Kumble for "Cruel Intentions" not Roger Crumble the comic artist.

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

I have a question - shorts don't count. Does that mean that if the debut of the director was a short said director can't be listed at all or that what counts is the first feature-length film he made?

01) Citizen Kane (Orson Welles)
02) American Beauty (Sam Mendes)
03) Blood Simple (Coen brothers)
04) Marty (Delbert Mann)
05) Sex, Lies and Videotape (Steven Soderbergh)
06) The Lion King (Rob Minkoff & Roger Allers)
07) The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont)
08) House of Games (David Mamet)
09) Beauty and the Beast (Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise)
10) The Lion in Winter (Anthony Harvey)
11) Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly)

Whatever counts as their first feature-length film.

[AaronJ]

If Citizen Kane doesn't win, I'm quitting life. Just wanted to make that clear.

So, in progress ... and this order is no way indicative of anything final ...

1) Citizen Kane (Orson Welles)
2) Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard)
3) The Virgin Suicides (Sofia Coppola)
4) The 400 Blows (Francois Truffaut)
5) sex lies and videotape (Steven Soderbergh)
6) Gone Baby Gone (Ben Affleck)
7) Serenity (Joss Whedon)
8) Clerks (Kevin Smith)
9) Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino)
10) Sexy Beast (Jonathon Glazer)
11) Being John Malkovich (Spike Jonze)


Oh, and btw, we're not even one page in and I see some people have already broken the rules!

Tom Ford has only directed two features, so A Single Man is ineligible. Unfortunately.

Duel was a made-for-TV and is this ineligible.

[Hucksta G]

1. American Beauty (Sam Mendes)
2. Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabondt)
3. American History X (Tony Kaye)
4. Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly)
5. Amores Perros (Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu)
6. Easy Rider (Dennis Hopper)
7. Nightcrawler (Dan Gilroy)
8. In Bruges (Martin McDonagh)
9. The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)
10. Dances with Wolves (Kevin Costner)
11. Gone Baby Gone (Ben Affleck)
12. V for Vendetta (James McTeigue)
13. Animal Kingdom (David Michod)
14. This is Spinal Tap (Rob Reiner)
15. Hunger (Steve McQueen)
16. Sling Blade (Billy Bob Thornton)
17. (500) Days of Summer (Marc Webb)
18. The Chaser (Na Hong-jin)
19. Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich)
20. The Lookout (Scott Frank)

And please let me know if any of these don’t count, thanks

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by AaronJ

If Citizen Kane doesn't win, I'm quitting life. Just wanted to make that clear.

So, in progress ... and this order is no way indicative of anything final ...

1) Citizen Kane (Orson Welles)
2) Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard)
3) The Virgin Suicides (Sofia Coppola)
4) The 400 Blows (Francois Truffaut)
5) sex lies and videotape (Steven Soderbergh)
6) Gone Baby Gone (Ben Affleck)
7) Serenity (Joss Whedon)
8) Clerks (Kevin Smith)
9) Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino)
10) Sexy Beast (Jonathon Glazer)
11) Being John Malkovich (Spike Jonze)


Oh, and btw, we're not even one page in and I see some people have already broken the rules!

Tom Ford has only directed two features, so A Single Man is ineligible. Unfortunately.

Duel was a made-for-TV and is this ineligible.

Luckily they have until June to change their entries. I made three the magic number because I believe that's enough where people can go something along the lines of "Richard Kelly's first film is much better than his second, third or later stuff". If that makes any sense.

[AaronJ]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

Luckily they have until June to change their entries. I made three the magic number because I believe that's enough where people can go something along the lines of "Richard Kelly's first film is much better than his second, third or later stuff". If that makes any sense.

No, makes sense.

I'm trying to go for a combination of films I feel were important to cinema, like Citizen Kane and Breathless, films I just really enjoy Clerks, and films by directors whose work as a whole I feel stands out like Being John Malkovich.

This will be a long, arduous process.

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by Hucksta G

1. American Beauty (Sam Mendes)
2. American History X (Tony Kaye)
3. Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly)
4. Amores Perros (Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu)
5. Easy Rider (Dennis Hopper)
6. Nightcrawler (Dan Gilroy)
7. In Bruges (Martin McDonagh)
8. The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)
9. Dances with Wolves (Kevin Costner)
10. Gone Baby Gone (Ben Affleck)
11. V for Vendetta (James McTeigue)
12. Animal Kingdom (David Michod)
13. This is Spinal Tap (Rob Reiner)
14. Hunger (Steve McQueen)
15. Hustle & Flow (Craig Brewer)
16. Sling Blade (Billy Bob Thornton)
17. (500) Days of Summer (Marc Webb)
18. The Chaser (Na Hong-jin)
19. Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich)
20. The Lookout (Scott Frank)

I left off Shawshank because it appears Darabondt directed another feature before it, please let me know if that one doesn’t count.

And please let me know if any of these don’t count, thanks ��

Darabont's first was a television film, so I consider "Shawshank" his theatrical debut (I mentioned in the criteria for theatrical debut). Unkrich, Frank and Gilroy unfortunately have only two features thus far (even then, Unkrich was a credited co-director on Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo).

[esteban²]

Ow, I didn't notice the '3 movies' rule. Hm, that makes it even harder. Need to check some of my choices.

[filmbuffTX]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

I like the list! Unfortunately, "The Sugarland Express" is Spielberg's first true theatrical debut. Also I believe you meant Roger Kumble for "Cruel Intentions" not Roger Crumble the comic artist.

Thanks, I updated my list. I removed Spielberg and added Randall Klieser for Grease. He actually directed 2 made for TV films prior, so I didn't include him since I thought TV films counted.

[Hucksta G]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

Darabont's first was a television film, so I consider "Shawshank" his theatrical debut (I mentioned in the criteria for theatrical debut). Unkrich, Frank and Gilroy unfortunately have only two features thus far (even then, Unkrich was a credited co-director on Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo).

Right have updated my list.

[UltraMario9]

1. Little Odessa
2. In Bruges
3. The Shawshank Redemption
4. The Iron Giant
5. Brick
6. Whiplash
7. V For Vendetta
8. 12 Angry Men
9. Bound
10. The Guard
11. Reservoir Dogs
12. Dog Soldiers
13. Bad Taste
14. Hard Eight
15. Gone Baby Gone
16. Nightcrawler
17. Knife in the Water
18. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
19. Layer Cake
20. Evil Dead

[Grethiwha]

1. Vampire's Kiss (Robert Bierman)
2. It's Such a Beautiful Day (Don Hertzfeldt)
3. American Beauty (Sam Mendes)
4. Eraserhead (David Lynch)
5. Being John Malkovich (Spike Jonze)
6. The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont)
7. Mary and Max (Adam Elliot)
8. Control (Anton Corbijn)
9. The Chaser (Hong-jin Na)
10. Ocean Heaven (Xiao Lu Xue)
11. Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman)
12. Three Outlaw Samurai (Hideo Gosha)
13. Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino)
14. In Bruges (Martin McDonagh)
15. The Lion King (Rob Minkoff & Roger Allers)
16. Pitfall (Hiroshi Teshigahara)
17. Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly)
18. No Man's Land (Danis Tanovic)
19. Roar (Noel Marshall)
20. Sincere Heart (Masaki Kobayashi)

[Hazel Motes]

Damn, and here I was gonna put The Night of the Hunter at Numero Uno.

Also, I've noticed no one has cited The Maltese Falcon or Badlands yet. Cmon guys, get with it!

I'll start my list tomorrow.