i'm gonna say scorcese, but spike is a very close second

Spike Lee and Quenton Tarantino

Those were the first three names that came to mind.

I'm sure you can probably make an argument for a lot of foreign directors but my quick list (I'm sure I forgot some people):

1: Spielberg
2: Scorcese
3: Spike
4: Tony Scott
5: Clint Eastwood

I've never been a Woody Allen fan so he's not there. Rob Reiner is a dark horse but he hasn't made crap lately. Still, his run from 84 to 95 was a good one.

for starters, NOTHING in the past 25 years was better directed than schindler's list...

along with being one of the most prolific major directors of the past 25 years with alot of iconic films under his belt from the remaining indiana jones films to jurassic park to the color purple

i mean he should of been given this title from the opening scene of "saving private ryan" alone...

and not much else.

Yeah, he has the classic Hollywood style on lock, too, but it's hard to say where he's really innovated or what exactly his fingerprint is besides, like I said, being a master of emotional manipulation and making his audience "feel good" despite making films about dark subjects.

I wouldn't be mad with Spielberg in the Top 5 simply for being such a master of the Hollywood style, basically setting the bar on that, but I'd take Spike and Marty in a heartbeat over them for ACTUAL INNOVATION and CHALLENGING movies.

The CGI of Jurassic Park and the beginning of Saving Private Ryan have been more innovative than pretty much anything Marty or Spike have done. They are great directors but they are hardly innovators. Yes, they have their own "style" but that's not what makes someone innovative.

And I really don't think Marty is even ahead in the challenging films either since Spielberg has The Color Purple, Schindler's List, and even Munich.

I agree that Spielberg's fallen off hard in the last few years but this post reeks of hate.

He didn't really do anything in that opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan that really "belonged" to him. He more or less just assembled a lot of different techniques and tricks (mastefully, even my hater's heart can admit) to put together an incredible sequence.

Yes, it was mastefully done.
Yes, it was a high water mark for cinema.

But "innovative"? To me, that means new or unique. Much like Indy Jones is just one of the best action-adventure films ever made, Private Ryan represented the finest bit of war film ever made, but besides the Spielberg polish, I didn't see much I would call "new" or "unique."

Guys like Peter Berg basically cribbed their whole style from that scene and it basically set the new template for how to shoot battle scenes. If you don't consider that innovative because "He more or less just assembled a lot of different techniques and tricks" and gave it "the Spielberg polish" then I don't see how you can consider anything Scorcese or Spike has ever done as really being innovative because it's not like they are inventing any new techniques or technology.

I mean, if that's your definition of innovation then Robert Zemeckis and James Cameron should be at the top of your list.

I'll admit that a large problem I have with his work is ideological and sort of relates to my personal philosophy on what film "should" and "shouldn't" do. Speaking on technique, I know Spielberg is gifted.

Mainly I get sick of his mainstream cred as this "pre-eminent" director, when there's lots of similarly talented people working and making movies, they just don't go for the American tear jerker in order to get audiences to go gaga.

If I can suffer through the graveyard bookend again, I might give it another shot ... I just remember being impressed, but not completely blown away.

Thin Red Line, as an example, is a war film that I say ultimately mops the floor with Private Ryan and shows why Malick is an infinitely more gifted director than Spielberg.

with each one taking a bit more influence depending on the project.

Its the reason he is such a good filmmaker and why people hate to love him so.

and he ain't nowhere near as edgy as hitchcock

Spielberg has masterfully brought a lot of different film languages together, but he hasn't necessarily invented one all his own. That's what I'm missing with him.

Personally, I like the original and unique voices the best, even if they don't quite hit the same high notes as a big budget, classic Hollywood style, mainstream director like Spielberg might hit. Yeah -- Spielberg can put a show on in a crowded theater, but he's not really pushing the envelope as much as other people I would rate above him.

even his half-ass films are way better than the average director

we criticize spielberg MORE than any other director, because it's like the nas "illmatic" factor...our standards tend to be high when it comes to him...

the last indiana jones is a great example...had this been some unknown director coming out with this movie for the 1st time, we would of praised it....but BECAUSE we hold it to the standard of "raiders of the lost ark"...speilberg WILL get trashed on (and personally justifiably so)

it's whut inspired "band of brothers" which further expands the look and feel originated from that movie


it's hardly "overrated" and spielberg deserved that oscar

Thin Blue Line and Fog of War are high water marks for directing inside the genre if you ask me.

I'd have to say Spike or the Coens.

Off the top. That is, if we're counting documentarians.

I can't decide between them, though, Altman probably has the edge with 2 great films in the 2000s IMHO while Burnett has one and it's a tv documentary. Both of their greater works were in the 1983 to early/mid 90s period.

I think the only Scorsese works that belongs in the company of his masterpieces before 1984 is Goodfellas and Age of Innocence. In the company of those Scorseses from Altman are Secret Honor, Gosford Park, Short Cuts, The Player, and a bonus - the tv production Tanner '88. The Company doesn't have critical consensus behind it, but I think it belongs. I don't expect many to agree with me on that. Burnett has To Sleep With Anger and My Brother's Wedding. Bonus - tv productions Nightjohn and Nat Turner.

I've seen people here make a case for Leni Riefenstahl just on her filmmaking craft and artistry (overlooking the other stuff), and I don't see why some people can't apply that to Spielberg. Not saying he'd crack my top 5 or 10, but he really is masterful with visual storytelling - staging and editing.

saying they aren't up to his pre-83 work or that they contain the same stuff but of a lower quality?

At least I think it should count, and it's great

I really dug TOT. It's great, but just shy of being top-tier Altman; though, I can see that and Prairie Home Companion being thought of as top-tier or as movies to make a case for Altman.

But part of the reason for that is I always love to see when director's give their perspective on the medium itself, and especially considering I didn't know TOT was going to go that route I was very pleased with it.

For me, they count, though, I've seen people exclude documentaries for whatever reason as a criteria.

at least they are the ones that have put out the things most interesting to me.

ok, yeah he will.

Let the madness begin (c)Heltah Skeltah

------------------------------------------
"pepper jack LOVE fraggle rock!"
http://irreverentbastard.wordpress.com

.

...if they keep consistently putting out great material i'll agree but right now i can't put them at number one.

at least on here

granted, NCFOM is a instant classic....and fargo maybe them at their best

but, they're an acquired taste

JFK & NBK changed my life dogs

that said, i don't see him in the running

I don't agree,
but it isn't that far fetched.

Platoon and The Doors are my favorites by Stone.
Most of his movies, I'm not a fan of though, truth be told.



http://fuck-your.blogspot.com (MUSIC)
http://eatmybigfat.blogspot.com (FOOD)
http://www.myspace.com/insightclopediabrown
http://www.myspace.com/dumhi
http://www.youtube.com/group/okayplayer
http://www.last.fm/user/Dawgeatah

# M.O.N.Y. (2008) (TV)
# Lovers & Haters (2007)
# "Shark" (1 episode, 2006)
- Pilot (2006) TV episode
# "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts" (2006) TV mini-series
... aka When the Levees Broke (USA: short title)
# Inside Man (2006)
# All the Invisible Children (2005) (segment "Jesus Children of America")
... aka Enfants invisibles, Les (France)
# Jesus Children of America (2005)
# "Miracle's Boys" (2 episodes, 2005)
- Bond of Brothers (2005) TV episode
- New Charlie (2005) TV episode
# Sucker Free City (2004) (TV)
# She Hate Me (2004)
# 25th Hour (2002)
# Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet (2002) (segment "We Wuz Robbed")
# Jim Brown: All American (2002) (TV)
# Come Rain or Come Shine (2001)
# The Concert for New York City (2001) (TV) (segment "Come Rain or Come Shine")
# A Huey P. Newton Story (2001) (TV)
# The Making of 'Bamboozled' (2001) (V)
# Bamboozled (2000)
# The Original Kings of Comedy (2000)
# And Ya Don't Stop: Hip Hop's Greatest Videos, Vol. 1 (2000) (V) (video "Fight the Power")

# Summer of Sam (1999)
# Pavarotti & Friends 99 for Guatemala and Kosovo (1999) (TV)
# Pavarotti & Friends for the Children of Liberia (1998) (TV)
# Freak (1998) (TV)
# He Got Game (1998)
# 4 Little Girls (1997)
# Michael Jackson: HIStory on Film - Volume II (1997) (V) (video "They Don't Care About Us")
# Get on the Bus (1996)
# Girl 6 (1996)
# Lumière et compagnie (1995)
... aka Lumière and Company (International: English title)
... aka Lumiere y compañía (Spain)
# Clockers (1995)
# Crooklyn (1994)
# Malcolm X (1992)
... aka X (USA: poster title)
# Jungle Fever (1991)
# Mo' Better Blues (1990)

# Do the Right Thing (1989)
# School Daze (1988)
# She's Gotta Have It (1986)
# Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983

# Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
# Munich (2005)
# War of the Worlds (2005)
# The Terminal (2004)
# Catch Me If You Can (2002)
# Minority Report (2002)
# Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)
... aka A.I. Artificial Intelligence (USA: poster title)

# The Unfinished Journey (1999)
# Saving Private Ryan (1998)
# Amistad (1997)
# The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
# Steven Spielberg's Director's Chair (1996) (VG)
# Schindler's List (1993)
# Jurassic Park (1993)
... aka JP (USA: promotional abbreviation)
# Hook (1991)
# The Visionary (1990) (V) (segment "Par for the Course")

# Always (1989)
# Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
# Empire of the Sun (1987)
# The Color Purple (1985)
# "Amazing Stories" (2 episodes, 1985)
... aka Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories (USA: complete title)
- The Mission (1985) TV episode
- Ghost Train (1985) TV episode
# "Strokes of Genius" (1984) TV mini-series (introductory segments) (uncredited)
# Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
# Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) (segment 2)

# ... aka To Each His Cinema (International: English title)
# No Country for Old Men (2007)
# Paris, je t'aime (2006) (segment "Tuileries")
... aka Paris, I Love You (Hong Kong: English title)
# The Ladykillers (2004)
# Intolerable Cruelty (2003) (uncredited)
# The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) (uncredited)
# O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) (uncredited)
... aka O' Brother (France)

# The Big Lebowski (1998) (uncredited)
# Fargo (1996) (uncredited)
# The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) (uncredited)
... aka Hudsucker - Der große Sprung (Germany)
# Barton Fink (1991) (uncredited)
# Miller's Crossing (1990) (uncredited)

# Raising Arizona (1987) (uncredited)
# Blood Simple. (1984) (uncredited)

# Shine a Light (2008)
... aka Shine a Light: The IMAX Experience (USA: IMAX version)
# The Key to Reserva (2007)
... aka Clave Reserva, La (Spain)
# The Departed (2006)
# No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005)
# The Aviator (2004)
... aka Aviator (Germany)
# Lady by the Sea: The Statue of Liberty (2004) (TV)
# Michael Jackson: Number Ones (2003) (V) (video "Bad")
# "The Blues" (1 episode, 2003)
- Feel Like Going Home (2003) TV episode
# Gangs of New York (2002)
... aka Gangs of New York (Germany)
# The Concert for New York City (2001) (TV) (segment "The Neighborhood")

# Bringing Out the Dead (1999)
# Mio viaggio in Italia, Il (1999)
... aka My Voyage to Italy (USA)
# Kundun (1997)
# Casino (1995)
... aka Casino (France)
# Michael Jackson: Video Greatest Hits - HIStory (1995) (V) (video "Bad")
# A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995) (TV)
# The Age of Innocence (1993)
# Cape Fear (1991)
# Goodfellas (1990)
... aka GoodFellas (USA: promotional title (video box title) (poster title))
# Made in Milan (1990)

# New York Stories (1989) (segment "Life Lessons")
# The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
# Location Production Footage: The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) (V)
# Bad (1987) (V)
# The Color of Money (1986)
# "Amazing Stories" (1 episode, 1986)
... aka Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories (USA: complete title)
- Mirror, Mirror (1986) TV episode
# After Hours (1985)

but really, that's all he's got

million dollar baby and mystic river don't hold up to repeat viewings very well.

flags of our fathers was painfully average.

what else is there?

________________________________________________________________________
<---- 2008 Best Picture (so far). Be fucking mad.

but he's not for this post

1986
________________________________________________________________________
<---- 2008 Best Picture (so far). Be fucking mad.

~~~~
When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries.
~~~~

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