Movie Directors' Top Films

[pauldrach]

Done.

[Dubrow555]

Looks good to me.

[pauldrach]

Page 3! I suggest the following updates:

Héctor Babenco
...
9. Foolish Heart (1998)
10. My Hindu Friend (2015)

(Two incorrect years.)

Lloyd Bacon
1. 42nd Street (1933)
2. Footlight Parade (1933)
3. Marked Woman (1937)
4. Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
5. The Fighting Sullivans (1944)
6. The Singing Fool (1928)
7. Knute Rockne, All American (1940)
8. A Slight Case of Murder (1938)
9. Wonder Bar (1934)
10. Larceny, Inc. (1942)

Roy Ward Baker
1. A Night to Remember (1958)
2. Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
3. Don't Bother to Knock (1952)
4. Asylum (1972)
5. The Vampire Lovers (1970)
6. The October Man (1947)
7. Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971)
8. Morning Departure (1950)
9. The One That Got Away (1957)
10. Inferno (1953)

Boris Barnet
1. By the Bluest of Seas (1936)
2. The Girl with the Hat Box (1927)
3. Okraina (1933)
4. The House on Trubnaya (1928)
5. Miss Mend [with Fedor Ozep] (1926)
6. Alyonka (1961)
7. Secret Agent (1947)
8. The Wrestler and the Clown [with Konstantin Yudin] (1957)
9. The Old Jockey (1940)
10. Dark Is the Night (1945)

Yevgeni Bauer​​​​​​​
1. The Dying Swan (1917)
2. Twilight of a Woman's Soul (1913)
3. After Death (1915)
4. Child of the Big City (1914)
5. A Life for a Life (1916)
6. Daydreams (1915)
7. For Happiness (1917)
8. Revolutionary (1917)
9. Children of the Age (1915)
10. Silent Witnesses (1914)

Noah Baumbach
1. Marriage Story (2019)
2. The Squid and the Whale (2005)
3. Frances Ha (2012)
4. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (2017)
5. While We're Young (2014)
6. Greenberg (2010)
7. Mistress America (2015)
8. Kicking and Screaming (1995)
9. Margot at the Wedding (2007)
10. White Noise (2022)

Mario Bava
1. Black Sunday (1960)
2. Black Sabbath (1963)
3. Blood and Black Lace (1964)
4. A Bay of Blood (1971)
5. The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963)
6. Kill, Baby, Kill (1966)
7. Planet of the Vampires (1965)
8. Danger: Diabolik (1968)
9. The Whip and the Body (1963)
10. Rabid Dogs (1974)

Michael Bay​​​​​​​
1. Transformers (2007)
2. Armageddon (1998)
3. The Rock (1996)
4. Bad Boys (1995)
5. Pearl Harbor (2001)
6. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
7. Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
8. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
9. The Island (2005)
10. Bad Boys II (2003)

Jacques Becker
1. Le trou (1960)
2. Casque d'or (1952)
3. Touchez pas au grisbi (1954)
4. Antoine et Antoinette (1947)
5. Edward and Caroline (1951)
6. Paris Frills (1945)
7. It Happened at the Inn (1943)
8. Rendezvous in July (1949)
9. The Lovers of Montparnasse (1958)
10. Rue de l'Estrapade (1953)

Marco Bellocchio
1. Fists in the Pocket (1965)
2. Vincere (2009)
3. The Traitor (2019)
4. Good Morning, Night (2003)
5. My Mother's Smile (2002)
6. Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara (2023)
7. Exterior Night (2022)
8. China Is Near (1967)
9. A Leap in the Dark (1980)
10. Devil in the Flesh (1986)

Bruce Beresford​​​​​​​
1. Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
2. Tender Mercies (1983)
3. Breaker Morant (1980)
4. Black Robe (1991)
5. Don's Party (1976)
6. Crimes of the Party (1986)
7. Double Jeopardy (1999)
8. Mao's Last Dancer (2009)
9. The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972)
10. Money Movers (1978)

Ingmar Bergman​​​​​​​
1. Persona (1966)
2. The Seventh Seal (1957)
3. Wild Strawberries (1957)
4. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
5. Cries and Whispers (1972)
6. The Virgin Spring (1960)
7. Scenes from a Marriage (1973)
8. Winter Light (1963)
9. Autumn Sonata (1978)
10. Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)

The rest can stay the same imo.

EDIT: I'll send the page 2 updates to lew.

[Dubrow555]

The entry for "The Meyerowitz Stories" should have a ")" after the word "selected"

Other than that....looks good!

[ManPerson]

I'm curious how Casque D'or and Le Trou compare.

[pauldrach]

I'm curious how Casque D'or and Le Trou compare.

You sure ask damn good questions.

"Casque d'or" takes critical acclaim. Or at least lasting critical acclaim, initial may be a tie. "Le trou" takes audience acclaim, or at least lasting audience acclaim, initial may be a tie. Industry acclaim seems to be about a tie as well.

"Le trou" takes lasting popularity. I don't find much about the initial popularity of either film but from the bits I found I assume "Le trou" takes initial popularity as well.

I don't think either film has that much influence.

I'll swap them.

[pauldrach]

Proposed page 4 updates:

Bernardo Bertolucci
1. The Conformist (1970)
2. Last Tango in Paris (1972)
3. The Last Emperor (1987)
4. 1900 (1976)
5. The Spider's Stratagem (1970)
6. Before the Revolution (1964)
7. The Dreamers (2003)
8. The Sheltering Sky (1990)
9. La luna (1979)
10. Besieged (1998)

Luc Besson​​​​​​​
1. Léon: The Professional (1994)
2. The Fifth Element (1997)
3. La femme Nikita (1990)
4. Lucy (2014)
5. The Big Blue (1988)
6. Subway (1985)
7. Le dernier combat (1983)
8. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
9. Dogman (2023)
10. Angel-A (2005)

Susanne Bier
1. After the Wedding (2006)
2. In a Better World (2010)
3. Open Hearts (2002)
4. The Night Manager [season 1] (2016)
5. Brothers (2004)
6. The Undoing (2020)
7. Things We Lost in the Fire (2007)
8. Bird Box (2018)
9. The Perfect Couple (2024)
10. The One and Only (1999)

Kathryn Bigelow
1. The Hurt Locker (2008)
2. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
3. Near Dark (1987)
4. Point Break (1991)
5. Strange Days (1995)
6. Detroit (2017)
7. The Loveless [with Monty Montgomery] (1981)
8. Blue Steel (1990)
9. K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)
10. The Weight of Water (2000)

J. Stuart Blackton
1. The Enchanted Drawing (1900)
2. Humorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906)
3. Princess Nicotine; or, the Smoke Fairy (1909)
4. The Haunted Hotel (1907)
5. The Life of Moses (1909)
6. The Thieving Hand (1908)
7. The Humpty Dumpty Circus (1898)
8. Tearing Down the Spanish Flag (1898)
9. Lady Godiva (1911)
10. The Automobile Thieves (1906)

Bertrand Blier
1. Going Places (1974)
2. Buffet froid (1979)
3. Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (1978)
4. Beau-père (1981)
5. Ménage (1986)
6. Too Beautiful for You (1989)
7. The Clink of Ice (2010)
8. Merci la vie (1991)
9. Our Story (1984)
10. 1, 2, 3, Sun (1993)

Budd Boetticher​​​​​​​
1. Ride Lonesome (1959)
2. Seven Men from Now (1956)
3. The Tall T (1957)
4. Comanche Station (1960)
5. Decision at Sundown (1957)
6. Buchanan Rides Alone (1958)
7. The Killer Is Loose (1956)
8. The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960)
9. Bullfighter and the Lady (1951)
10. The Man from the Alamo (1953)

Peter Bogdanovich
1. The Last Picture Show (1971)
2. Paper Moon (1973)
3. What's Up, Doc? (1972)
4. Targets (1968)
5. Mask (1985)
6. Noises Off (1992)
7. They All Laughed (1981)
8. Saint Jack (1979)
9. The Cat's Meow (2001)
10. Texasville (1990)

John Boorman
1. Deliverance (1972)
2. Point Blank (1967)
3. Excalibur (1981)
4. Hope and Glory (1987)
5. Hell in the Pacific (1968)
6. The Emerald Forest (1985)
7. The General (1998)
8. Zardoz (1974)
9. The Tailor of Panama (2001)
10. Beyond Rangoon (1995)

Frank Borzage
1. 7th Heaven (1927)
2. The Mortal Storm (1940)
3. Street Angel (1928)
4. Lucky Star (1929)
5. A Farewell to Arms (1932)
6. Humoresque (1920)
7. Three Comrades (1938)
8. History Is Made at Night (1937)
9. Man's Castle (1933)
10. Desire (1936)

The rest can stay the way they are imo. I'll also send the page 3 updates to lew.

[ManPerson]

I'd probably have Strange Days > Detroit on Kathryn Bigelow's list
Initial Acclaim: Detroit
Lasting Critical Acclaim: Strange Days
Lasting Audience Acclaim: close
Initial Popularity: Leaning towards Strange Days
Lasting Popularity: Strange Days
Influence: I don't think either has much

[pauldrach]

I'd probably have Strange Days > Detroit on Kathryn Bigelow's list
Initial Acclaim: Detroit
Lasting Critical Acclaim: Strange Days
Lasting Audience Acclaim: close
Initial Popularity: Leaning towards Strange Days
Lasting Popularity: Strange Days
Influence: I don't think either has much

How does initial popularity go to Strange Days when Detroit clearly grossed more and was somewhat less of a box office disappointment? Also, I'm not sure it's particularly fair to really measure lasting critical acclaim since Detroit couldn't have gathered that much yet.

IMO lasting popularity is the only criterion that may go to Strange Days with initial popularity and acclaim clearly going to Detroit.

[ManPerson]

According to Wikipedia, Detroit grossed 24 million while Strange Days grossed 17 million and after adjusting for inflation that's at least pretty close, though it's true that Strange Days had a much higher budget.

For lasting critical acclaim, even if you adjust for a disadvantage newer films may have, Strange Days is top 40 for its year on TSPDT while Detroit is barely top 100.

[pauldrach]

All good points. I'm good with swapping them.

[Dubrow555]

everything looks good to my eyes.

[pauldrach]

My proposed updates for page 5, which happens to be quite the page:

Danny Boyle​​​​​​​
1. Trainspotting (1996)
2. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
3. 28 Days Later (2002)
4. 127 Hours (2010)
5. Shallow Grave (1994)
6. Sunshine (2007)
7. Steve Jobs (2015)
8. Yesterday (2019)
9. T2 Trainspotting (2017)
10. Millions (2004)

Stan Brakhage​​​​​​​
1. Dog Star Man (1961-1964)
2. Mothlight (1963)
3. Window Water Baby Moving (1959)
4. The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes (1971)
5. Songs (1964-1969)
6. Scenes from Under Childhood (1967-1970)
7. The Text of Light (1974)
8. Anticipation of the Night (1958)
9. The Art of Vision (1965)
10. The Dante Quartet (1987)

Kenneth Branagh
1. Henry V (1989)
2. Hamlet (1996)
3. Belfast (2021)
4. Cinderella (2015)
5. Thor (2011)
6. Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
7. Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
8. A Haunting in Venice (2023)
9. Dead Again (1991)
10. Death on the Nile (2022)

Catherine Breillat
1. Fat Girl (2001)
2. Last Summer (2023)
3. The Last Mistress (2007)
4. Romance (1999)
5. Anatomy of Hell (2004)
6. A Real Young Girl (1976)
7. 36 fillette (1988)
8. Sex Is Comedy (2002)
9. Abuse of Weakness (2013)
10. Brief Crossing (2001)

Robert Bresson​​​​​​​
1. A Man Escaped (1956)
2. Au hasard Balthazar (1966)
3. Pickpocket (1959)
4. Diary of a Country Priest (1951)
5. Mouchette (1967)
6. L'argent (1983)
7. The Devil Probably (1977)
8. Les dames du bois de Boulogne (1945)
9. Lancelot du Lac (1974)
10. Four Nights of a Dreamer (1971)

Martin Brest
1. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
2. Scent of a Woman (1992)
3. Midnight Run (1988)
4. Meet Joe Black (1998)
5. Going in Style (1979)

Mel Brooks
1. Young Frankenstein (1974)
2. The Producers (1968)
3. Blazing Saddles (1974)
4. Silent Movie (1976)
5. Spaceballs (1987)
6. High Anxiety (1977)
7. History of the World, Part I (1981)
8. The Twelve Chairs (1970)
9. Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
10. Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)

Richard Brooks
1. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
2. In Cold Blood (1967)
3. Blackboard Jungle (1955)
4. Elmer Gantry (1960)
5. The Professionals (1966)
6. Deadline – U.S.A. (1952)
7. Sweet Bird of Youth (1962)
8. Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)
9. Lord Jim (1965)
10. Bite the Bullet (1975)

Clarence Brown
1. National Velvet (1944)
2. Flesh and the Devil (1926)
3. Anna Karenina (1935)
4. The Yearling (1946)
5. The Last of the Mohicans [with Maurice Tourneur] (1920)
6. Anna Christie (1930)
7. The Eagle (1925)
8. A Free Soul (1931)
9. Intruder in the Dust (1949)
10. The Human Comedy (1943)

Tod Browning
1. Dracula (1931)
2. Freaks (1932)
3. The Unknown (1927)
4. The Unholy Three (1925)
5. London After Midnight (1927)
6. Outside the Law (1920)
7. The Devil-Doll (1936)
8. West of Zanzibar (1928)
9. Mark of the Vampire (1935)
10. The Blackbird (1926)

Tim Burton
1. Batman (1989)
2. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
3. Ed Wood (1994)
4. Big Fish (2003)
5. Beetlejuice (1988)
6. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
7. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
8. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985)
9. Alice in Wonderland (2010)
10. Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Michael Cacoyannis
1. Zorba the Greek (1964)
2. Stella (1955)
3. Iphigenia (1977)
4. Electra (1962)
5. A Girl in Black (1956)
6. A Matter of Dignity (1958)
7. Windfall in Athens (1954)
8. The Trojan Women (1971)
9. Attila '74: The Rape of Cyprus (1975)
10. Our Last Spring (1960)

James Cameron
1. The Terminator (1984)
2. Titanic (1997)
3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
4. Avatar (2009)
5. Aliens (1986)
6. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
7. The Abyss (1989)
8. True Lies (1994)
9. Ghosts of the Abyss (2003)
10. Piranha II: The Spawning (1982)

I'll send the page 4 updates to lew.

[ManPerson]

I'd argue for Beetlejuice > Sweeney Todd
Initial Acclaim: Sweeney Todd
Lasting Critical Acclaim: Beetlejuice close
Lasting Audience Acclaim: Beetlejuice close
Initial Popularity: close
Lasting Popularity: Beetlejuice fairly easily

[pauldrach]

I don't really care so I'm good with swapping them.

[Dubrow555]

Everything looks good to me (I'd also be fine with Beetlejuice > Sweeney Todd)