Dave's Blog

The directors in this list, like the ones in part 1, have a good chance at bringing new amazing stories to the screen. Each of these 10 directors has directed between 1 and 3 masterpieces.

J.J. Abrams

In TV land Abrams created Alias, Lost, and Fringe.

• Masterpieces
  • Mission: Impossible III
  • Star Trek (2009)
• Great movies
  • Star Trek Into Darkness
  • Super 8

Brad Bird

Bird also worked on The Simpsons (whatever “executive consultant” means).

• Masterpiece
  • The Incredibles
• Great movies
  • Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol
  • Ratatouille
  • Tomorrowland

The Coen Brothers

Ethan and Joel Coen have a certain quirkiness that’s different from anyone else’s quirkiness.

• Masterpieces
  • The Big Lebowski
  • Fargo
• Great movies
  • Barton Fink
  • Burn After Reading
  • The Man Who Wasn’t There
  • O Brother, Where Art Thou?
  • Raising Arizona
  • True Grit (2010)

Pete Doctor

In addition to directing the brilliant movies below, Doctor also helped write Toy Story 1 and 2 and WALL-E. The first 5 minutes of Up is a masterpiece and the rest of the movie is just slightly less than a masterpiece.

• Masterpieces
  • Inside Out
  • Monsters, Inc.
• Great movie
  • Up

David Fincher

Fincher’s first movie Alien3 likely would have been better without studio interference. I started watching The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but it was too disturbing for me.

• Masterpiece
  • Gone Girl
• Great movies
  • The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  • The Game
  • Panic Room
  • The Social Network
• Good movie
  • Alien3

Spike Jonze

Jonze has also directed a bunch of music videos, such as Fatboy Slim’s “Weapon of Choice” (starring Christopher Walken).

• Masterpieces
  • Adaptation.
  • Being John Malkovich
  • Her
• Mediocre but still interesting
  • Where the Wild Things Are

John Lasseter

Lasseter also contributed to the story of Toy Story 3.

• Masterpieces
  • Toy Story
  • Toy Story 2
• Good movies
  • A Bug’s Life
  • Cars

Tom McCarthy

McCarthy’s first three movies were brilliant. He then directed a little-known Adam Sandler movie, which seems odd.

• Masterpieces
  • The Visitor
  • Win Win
• Great movie
  • The Station Agent

Andrew Niccol

Although Niccol’s first movie was his one masterpiece so far, his 2011 movie In Time had a brilliant premise. He also wrote The Terminal and The Truman Show. He also directed The Host, which even though it stars Saoirse Ronan I refrained from seeing it because it seemed like it wouldn’t be good.

• Masterpiece
  • Gattaca
• Great movies
  • In Time
  • Lord of War
• Worth watching once
  • S1m0ne

Joss Whedon

Whedon spent many years in TV land — he created Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse. He also wrote In Your Eyes, The Cabin in the Woods, and Alien: Resurrection.

• Masterpieces
  • Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
  • Serenity
• Great movies
  • The Avengers
  • Much Ado About Nothing (2012)
• Slightly less than great movie
  • Avengers: Age of Ultron