Dave's Blog

As in part 2, a list of 10 directors with 1 to 3 masterpieces each.

James Cameron

If Cameron gets some help with the script on his Avatar sequels, they could be interesting. In terms of science fiction action, Aliens is one of the top 2.

• Masterpiece
  • Aliens
• Great movies
  • The Abyss
  • Terminator 2: Judgment Day
  • Titanic
• Good movie
  • The Terminator
• Movie that was great the first time in 3D but not so much the second time
  • Avatar

Alfonso Cuarón

Cuarón gave us new ideas about what could be filmed with his masterpiece Gravity — which looks like it was filmed in space.

• Masterpiece
  • Gravity
• Great movie
  • Children of Men
• Worth watching once
  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Guillermo del Toro

Del Toro is a Mexican director, whose movie Pan’s Labyrinth is one of the best fantasy movies ever made.

• Masterpiece
  • Pan’s Labyrinth
• Good movies
  • Hellboy
  • Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Clint Eastwood

Eastwood is obviously hugely successful as both an actor and a director. He’s only 85 so he probably hasn’t retired yet.

• Masterpieces
  • Changeling
  • Gran Torino
  • Mystic River
• Good movie
  • Space Cowboys

Peter Jackson

I don’t think anyone could have done a better job than Jackson with the Lord of the Rings movies. The Hobbit movies, on the other hand — it was a bit of a mistake expanding one small book to three long movies.

• Masterpieces
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• Good movies
  • The Frighteners
  • The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
  • The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
• Mediocre movie
  • The Lovely Bones

Rian Johnson

Johnson has only made 3 movies so far but at least 2 of them are well worth watching.

• Masterpiece
  • Looper
• Great movie
  • The Brothers Bloom

Sam Mendes

The 2 movies I’ve seen by Mendes have both been masterpieces.

• Masterpieces
  • American Beauty
  • Skyfall

Ridley Scott

Scott hasn’t made a masterpiece in a while, but his movies usually hold some interest. He set new standards for the look of a science fiction movie 3 times — with Alien, Blade Runner, and Prometheus.

• Masterpiece
  • Blade Runner
• Great movies
  • Gladiator
  • Matchstick Men
  • Robin Hood
  • Thelma & Louise
• Good movies
  • Alien
  • Kingdom of Heaven
  • Prometheus
• Not-so-good movie
  • Legend

Matthew Vaughn

Vaughn’s Stardust is one of the best fantasy movies ever made — one of these days he may produce another masterpiece.

• Masterpiece
  • Stardust
• Great movie
  • X-Men: First Class
• Mediocre movie
  • Kick-Ass

Joe Wright

Wright has taken on some difficult tasks, and come out with a masterpiece more often than not in the 3 movies of his I’ve seen.

• Masterpieces
  • Atonement
  • Pride & Prejudice (2005)
• Good movie
  • Hanna