Most overrated directors

DKelly · 05-01-2010, 11:18 PM

Basically, which directors out there currently do you think aren't quite as deserving of the amount of praise that they are given and why?

For me,

Ridley Scott - Admittedly, he has directed some brilliant movies, particularly Alien and Blade Runner, but outside of that, I find him to be a very hit-or-miss filmmaker.

Tony Scott - Outside of True Romance and the nostalgic feeling Top Gun has for me, I don't think I've ever seen a film from Scott that I loved and could heartily recommend to someone.

Clint Eastwood - For the most part, I love this guy, but, IMO, he really has a tendency to phone in some of his films sometimes.

Christopher Nolan - I'll be the first to admit that he's made some very good films (Memento was fantastic and is still my favorite film of his, I very much enjoyed Insomnia, and I'm certainly looking forward to Inception), but I get annoyed sometimes because of so many people who say that, because of The Dark Knight, he automatically deserves to be in the top all-time ranks as a director. Honestly, I don't think he deserves to be put in the same class as Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and the like.

**bread man** · 05-01-2010, 11:43 PM

Quentin Tarantino is definitely at the top of my list. Everything he's made other than Pulp Fiction is only slightly above average. Fellini is another director I've never been able to get into but I don't know if overrated is the right word to describe him. More like I feel like I should like his work but I just don't get into it.

I feel like I should have more names as I'm taking some more film units at uni this year but nothing else comes to mind.

Napoleon17 · 05-01-2010, 11:44 PM

Quentin, Clint, and Ronnie Howard. Don't really like any of their movies. But Tim Burton is the all-time most overrated "movie" director ever. He sucks.

Any director who has ever directed Nic Cage is automatically overrated because he got to make a movie starring Nic Cage - no one should be allowed to do that.

DKelly · 05-01-2010, 11:52 PM

I agree that Burton is a little overrated, at least in regards to what he's churning out nowadays.

Napoleon17 · 05-01-2010, 11:57 PM

I've fallen asleep at a few movies, but most of the time it was due to a lack of sleep. I was forced to see Alice in Wonderland and about 45 minutes into the movie I fell asleep even though I seriously was not tired. It was like 3pm, and there was really nothing of interest going on in the movie, so I just took a nap, and woke up to good 'ol johnnie depp dancing like an idiot right before the end of the movie. True story.

conceived in fire · 05-02-2010, 12:19 AM

People who base Nolan's reputation on The Dark Knight are sad because Memento is his best film.

I saw his first "real" film yesterday (it's Following, but IMDB has a short from him listed on the page) and will continue to argue he's always been varying degrees of excellent. If Death Proof didn't exist, the same could be said of Tarantino.

Wes Anderson is the only one I can think of. Unless you absolutely adore dry humor (or whatever is supposed to be entertaining in his films), there's nothing truly special about them, and his movies (excluding Fantastic Mr. Fox, which I haven't seen) are all extremely alike - in a bad way.

I almost want to say James Cameron (who's made three of the best sci-fi movies ever) based on Titanic + Avatar (the latter of which I like, btw), but those seem to be hated as much as enjoyed. He's out, imo.

***Art*** · 05-02-2010, 12:23 AM

I enjoyed Memento as much as the next guy, but I really find that film to be overrated. It is a decent story that was edited extremely well. But that's just, like, my opinion, man.

**bread man** · 05-02-2010, 12:35 AM

Death Proof is my second favourite Tarantino film. I like it a lot. Totally agree with Wes Anderson and Tim Burton though. Those two, I definitely should have thought of.

Ax · 05-02-2010, 12:37 AM

I agree with most of what's been said but i'd like to add:
m. knight shyamalan (don't even respect him enough to capitalize his name)
and Michael Bay.

Also,
I like Burton's old stuff... though I'd agree with you guys on his newer movies...

Clint's new movies were mostly crap, but he's directed a few that were amazing (Unforgiven is one of the best movies of the 90s)... Other notables: The Outlaw Josey Wales, Sudden Impact, Pale Rider...

And Sam Raimi is a terrible director in movies that he takes seriously... Spiderman... god those were terrible...

**nbfan** · 05-02-2010, 07:13 AM

Uh... James Cameron.

Napoleon17 · 05-02-2010, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AX

m. knight shyamalan (don't even respect him enough to capitalize his name)

I was going to say the same thing, then I remembered that no one cares about him anymore, so he is not really overrated anymore. No one likes him. I think his last two movies were Lady in the Water, which I heard was terrible, and that one movie with Marky Marky and the one dude from The Matrix, which I also heard was terrible.

conceived in fire · 05-02-2010, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Napoleon17

I was going to say the same thing, then I remembered that no one cares about him anymore, so he is not really overrated anymore. No one likes him. I think his last two movies were Lady in the Water, which I heard was terrible, and that one movie with Marky Marky and the one dude from The Matrix, which I also heard was terrible.

No one from The Happening is in The Matrix, unless I'm forgetting a random supporting cast member. His first three "major" films (starting with The Sixth Sense) were excellent, and the latter were varying degrees of disappointing, with Lady in the Water being best. Since the adaptation of Avatar - The Last Airbender's coming out, I think people are gonna remember who he is, for bad or worse.

Quote:

Death Proof is my second favourite Tarantino film.

Quote:

and Michael Bay

Maybe among people who adore action and explosions, but for everyone else I think it's cool to hate Michael Bay (besides The Rock and perhaps Armageddon, his movies are all guilty pleasures at best).

Ax · 05-02-2010, 09:47 AM

See, I don't take Tarrantino seriously enough to call him overrated. I love his movies because they're so bad.

earlessdog · 05-02-2010, 10:01 AM

James Cameron (no comment)
Michael Bay - One word, Transformers.

For the record, I still think Tim Burton is one of the best directors out there, though I do wish he would do something like Edward Scissorhands again, or Corpse Bride (yes I love that movie).

rock_show_host · 05-02-2010, 11:19 AM

Paul Thomas Anderson. I just don't really care for his style.

And maybe this is unfair since I'm more interested in writing than directing, so I'm basing my judgment off of his screenplays as much as his directorial style. But I honestly hate the way he writes scenes sometimes.