Dave's Blog

This list continues from part 7.

I’m making an assumption that these directors have retired, since they haven’t made a movie in years.

Roberto Benigni

Benigni wrote and acted in all of these movies. It seems he retired after the public didn’t care for his last one or two movies.

• Masterpiece
  • Life is Beautiful
• Great movies
  • Johnny Stecchino
  • The Monster
  • The Tiger and the Snow

Kevin Costner

Although primarily known as an actor, he did direct one of my favourite movies — Dances with Wolves.

• Masterpiece
  • Dances with Wolves
• Not-so-great movie
  • The Postman

Frank Darabont

Darabont created the TV show The Walking Dead and was a writer on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

• Masterpieces
  • The Green Mile
  • The Shawshank Redemption
• Great movie
  • The Majestic

Richard Donner

Donner was the first director on Superman II but was replaced — a version with all of his scenes put back in was made 26 years later.

• Masterpiece
  • Maverick
• Great movies
  • 16 Blocks
  • Conspiracy Theory
  • Ladyhawke
• Good movie
  • Scrooged
• Thought it was great as a kid
  • The Goonies
• Worth watching once
  • Superman

Milos Forman

Forman’s masterpiece about Mozart might not be a completely true story but it’s brilliant.

• Masterpiece
  • Amadeus
• Great movies
  • Man on the Moon
  • One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Jonathan Frakes

Frakes played Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation. His career as a movie director was cut short, but he continues to direct episodes of various TV shows. He should have been given the job of directing Star Trek: Nemesis.

• Masterpieces
  • Star Trek: First Contact
  • Star Trek: Insurrection

George Lucas

Lucas wrote or co-wrote the scripts for the Indiana Jones and Star Wars movies, as well as Willow. Is the original Star Wars movie a masterpiece? I’m sure I thought it was great the first time I saw it, but on rewatch it’s a bit less interesting. The Empire Strikes Back is certainly brilliant — although Lucas didn’t direct it, he definitely had a large hand in it.

• Movie I am very fond of
  • THX 1138
• Movie that was brilliant the 1st time
  • Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
• Movie for people who grew up in the 1960s
  • American Graffiti
• Bad movies
  • Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
  • Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
  • Star Wars Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith

John McTiernan

McTiernan’s masterpiece stars Sean Connery as a Russian submarine captain.

• Masterpiece
  • The Hunt for Red October
• Great movie but violent
  • Die Hard
• Good movie
  • Medicine Man
• Not-so-great movie
  • The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)

Hayao Miyazaki

Miyazaki is generally thought of as the master of Japanese anime. Certainly my favourite anime movie is Spirited Away.

• Masterpiece
  • Spirited Away
• Great movies
  • Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
  • Porco Rosso
  • Princess Mononoke
• Good movies
  • Howl’s Moving Castle
  • Kiki’s Delivery Service
  • My Neighbor Totoro

Frank Oz

Oz worked as a puppeteer with Jim Henson, and provided the voice for the characters Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal — and Yoda.

• Masterpiece
  • Bowfinger
• Great movies
  • Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
  • In & Out
• Thought it was great as a kid
  • The Dark Crystal