Thank you for having an opinion :)
It’s all a matter of personal taste, no one should get upset.
I would have to say that while I don’t necessarily think that his films are horrid I immediately thought Spielberg… for all of the reasons mentioned above (especially the point about ’stealing from other directors) as well as the fact that when I think of over-rated I think about directors who have an excessive amount of fame who seem to create films that when I see them I leave feeling the same or a bit let down… IE) directors whose films leave me un-moved yet get praised as if they are the best films since Citizen Kane (or something in that vein), and that also applies for directors who shamelessly use heart string tugging techniques which are extremely transparent…
Anywho, while I don’t agree with a lot of the names dropped, such as Wong Kar Wai, Kubrick etc…. I understand, and agree wirth 5 (i think 5 said it at least) that you are more than welcome to have these opinions, but you sound more intelligent if you at least make some sort of attempt at forming an argument as to why they are overrated… it would make this interesting thread actually live up to it’s potential! fun stuff!
BERGMAN and TARKOVSKY
GRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!
I think I’m enjoying Bergman a little more though.
The reasons behind 5’s gripes are the same any other film lover has been thinking about. This is a unique, wonderful website. By posting random threads about overrated this and that or listing names does nothing for anyone. The idea is to discuss films and film artists with some sort of intelligent (or otherwise) response. Or else the site will become a cluttered mess. A fast food discussion forum like IMDB.
Eff that.
I’m so very sorry that I may have my own opinion on what I think is great cinema. If cinema was about believing in what other people to believe is good, than there is no point to even watch anything. I figured you wouldn’t be able to post anything against an aforementioned master of cinema. I acknowledge the fact that Ozu is a master, but that doesn’t mean I necessarily like his films. there is one thing about watching an Ozu though. There are certain aspects of a single film that you cannot get over. I hated the fact that he rarely inserts a pan or a tracking shot, but he makes up for that in creating amazingly layered shots. If I have to choose any of his films that I consider to be my favorite, it would either be Tokyo Story or Good Morning. And I agree on MAO’s opinion on the forums on imdb. I stopped paying any attention to them after people began telling each other what they should watch and how they’re supposed to watch them. I’m sick and tired of people telling each other what is good and what is bad. It is that reason as well that I dropped out of film school, b/c it’s just a bunch of garbage.
Joel Schumacher who we all probably now is an obvious one. Harmony Korine and also alejandro gonzalez inarritu(though i liked babel). Alan Rudolph.
I second Harmony Korine!
I second Ozu, but I may just be thinking Floating Weeds. Did anyone else feel that Criterion’s treatment of that film was less than what we’ve come to expect from them?
Tarantino blah.
I don’t think Harmony Korine is really able to be overrated, simply because I don’t think many people give him much regard. The only positive thing I can think of having ever read about the guy was in The Name of this Book is Dogme 95 book by Richard Kelly (not the director – at least I don’t think so) in which the Dogme crowd praised him for Julien Donkey Boy.
As to overrated directors- I will also call Spielberg to the mat. Sentimental claptrap and borrowed Classical Hollywood style. War of the Worlds really confirmed his place in hackdom for me. Before that, I considered him somewhat overrated, but of the kind that can be tolerated for his few good moments, namely Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List, and the Indiana Jones trilogy. But WotW was just terrible.
M. Night S…. does pretty well at the box office (I think). His movies really don’t interest me too much though.
Top 5 overrated directors: Welles, Spielberg, Kubrick, Haneke, Anderson,
I have to say that Spielberg is by far my favorite filmmaker. I’ll have to nominate Spike Lee. And anyone who doesn’t like ET doesn’t have a soul. Sorry.
Hitchcock, yeah I said it… and Kubrick.
oh, the blasphemy. hitchcock, the single greatest director who ever lived!
Sergio Leone and Robert Altman…blow (sorry)
Fredo, you are sooooooooo wrong
Though I agree his work is good, I never took a liking to Martin Scorsese. I feel he spends a great deal of energy and effort trying to paint a masterpiece, only to take a dagger and slash the canvas into a million pieces in the last 5-10 minutes of his work.
i think scorsese’s best years are surely behind him. the newest film of his i liked was “gangs of new york”. even that wasn’t on the level of his masterworks.
To explain my earlier post:
This is probably just me, but I’ve never understood what Spike Lee did that was so different/cutting edge/new. I’ve seen Do the Right Thing and a few others, and in each film, nothing new is brought to the table. He repeats the same message over again, and although it makes me feel a bit guilty as a white woman, his films just aren’t cinematically good enough to be even in the same group as some of the other auteurs. Again, all my opinion.
I agree with picking Quentin Tarantino as the most overrated film director.
Even what are called his “trademarks”, non-linear the narrative speech, silly dialogues between his characters, multicultural collages on a single scene, are not characteristics of his “own”.
Here’s a comparison I would suggest anyone to make, let’s find similarities between Jim Jarmusch’s plots, characters, secuences, from Tarantino’s.
Mystery Train (1984) with Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Ghost Dog (1999) with Kill Bill (2002).
I’ll have a quarter pounder, some french fries and a diet coke, please.
Don’t forget the smile baby, cos it’s on your face.
Burton…plain and simple.
forget about “do the right thing” (which is also a masterpiece, to be sure). when you think of spike lee, think of “x”. that’s a modern american masterwork.
Tim Burton.
Easy to answer: all these Oscar winners—
Ron Howard
Anthony Minghella
Kevin Costner
Warren Beatty
James L. Brooks
Robert Zemeckis
Franklin Schaffner
Delbert Mann
George Stevens
Leo McCarey
Frank Lloyd
Frank Capra
RIDLEY SCOTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Since the 80’s, he’s had one decent film (and it’s not Gladiator).
Instead of just added a name to the thread, how about a personal thought on why, rather than looking for a Thumbs Up/Down?
For example:
Steven Spielberg because for too many years I was compared to James Van Der Beek in Dawson’s Creek and he like Spielberg…. so naturally I think Spielberg is the antichrist. That and he poo-poo’d Kubrick’s A.I. dreams, despite Stanley telling Steven that he could tell the better story.
I agree with Jake – Robert Altman. I only liked MASH, Nashville, and The Player, but walked out of “Quintet” and “Buffalo Bill and the Indians”, and hated “McCabe and Mrs. Miller”. You wouldn’t believe how hard my arm had to be twisted to watch “The Player” before I relented. Okay, it was good, but if I saw Robert Altman’s name on the credits, you knew I wouldn’t be in THAT line to buy tickets……..
ROBERT BRESSON, ALAIN RESNAIS, ERIC ROHMER, David Fincher, PT Anderson, Christopher Nolan, Howard Hawks (yeah, I said it)
ruby stevens
wong kar wai. don’t hate me :P