SwanShadow Thinks Out Loud

A recent conversation about the works of Alfred Hitchcock got me thinking about some of my other favorite directors. It’s a challenging subject, because I don’t often think of myself as a fan of a particular director as opposed to specific films. After all, the fact that I’ve enjoyed certain of a director’s works ought not to obligate me to like every film in his or her oeuvre.

Let’s not think of this, then, as a list of my favorite directors. Instead, it’s a list of eight filmmakers who’ve made multiple movies that resonated with me in a memorable way. Even if some of their work just didn’t do it for me.

For each director, I’ve noted what I consider to be his absolute must-see films (in order of preference), other examples of his work that I also enjoyed, a hidden gem — a lesser-known picture that I personally think ranks with the director’s best work — and, where appropriate, a film or two that I didn’t like all that much (or even outright detested).

Spike Lee

• Must see: Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Inside Man, 25th Hour
• Also enjoyed: Mo’ Better Blues, Clockers, Get on the Bus, He Got Game
• Hidden gem: School Daze
• Not a fan: Jungle Fever, Girl 6

David Mamet

• Must see: The Spanish Prisoner, Heist, Homicide, House of Games
• Also enjoyed: Oleanna, State and Main, The Winslow Boy
• Hidden gem: Spartan
• Not a fan: Things Change

Christopher Guest

• Must see: Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, Waiting for Guffman
• Also enjoyed: For Your Consideration
• Hidden gem: The Big Picture
• Not a fan: Almost Heroes

Paul Schrader

• Must see: Auto Focus, Light Sleeper, Cat People
• Also enjoyed: Hardcore, Blue Collar
• Hidden gem: Light of Day
• Not a fan: American Gigolo

Quentin Tarantino

• Must see: Jackie Brown, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs
• Also enjoyed: Kill Bill: Volume 2
• Hidden gem: Death Proof (which I actually don’t think is a good movie at all, but if you like Tarantino’s other work, you should see it once)
• Not a fan: Kill Bill: Volume 1

Clint Eastwood

• Must see: Unforgiven, Mystic River, The Gauntlet, Bronco Billy, Bird
• Also enjoyed: Sudden Impact, Play Misty for Me, Pale Rider
• Hidden gem: Breezy
• Not a fan: Eastwood has directed quite a few forgettable films during his lengthy career, but in 1990 he phoned in two of his worst — White Hunter, Black Heart and The Rookie.

Steven Soderbergh

• Must see: Out of Sight, Ocean’s Eleven, Traffic
• Also enjoyed: Sex, Lies and Videotape, Ocean’s Thirteen
• Hidden gem: The Limey
• Not a fan: Solaris, Full Frontal

Walter Hill

• Must see: Streets of Fire, The Warriors, 48 Hrs., Crossroads
• Also enjoyed: The Long Riders, Trespass, Last Man Standing
• Hidden gem: Undisputed
• Not a fan: Another 48 Hrs., most of his Westerns and pseudo-Westerns (Extreme Prejudice, Southern Comfort, Geronimo: An American Legend, Wild Bill)

This entry was posted on November 5, 2009 at 4:31 am and is filed under Aimless Riffing, Celebritiana, Cinemania, Listology. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.