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RE: Best of times, worst of times - 27/6/2012 4:20:03 PM

Rob

Posts: 2434
Joined: 30/9/2005

It's also massively subjective...

Paul Thomas Anderson was one of my favourite directors; Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love...absolutely amazing

However, I absolutely detested There Will Be Blood. I suspect that I'm very much in the minority there and it certainly isn't considered a bad film by the masses....but then neither is Superman Returns.

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Post #: 61

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 27/6/2012 4:24:07 PM

Spaldron

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quote:

ORIGINAL: NCC1701A

I would take The Frighteners over any of the Lord of the Rings films any day.�

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Post #: 62

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 27/6/2012 4:31:18 PM

horribleives

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Joined: 12/6/2009
From: The North

There's a few directors who've gone to both extremes not just within a genre but an entire series - Wes Craven's generally regarded as doing two great Scream films and two shite ones, John McTiernan's Die Hard With A Vengeance is a damp squib and the least said about Lethal Weapon 4, Men In Black 2 and Spiderman 3 the better.

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Post #: 63

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 27/6/2012 4:47:14 PM

Spaldron

Posts: 10487
Joined: 6/10/2006
From: Chair

quote:

ORIGINAL: horribleives
John McTiernan's Die Hard With A Vengeance is a damp squib

Compared to the first one yes, compared to the other two sequels its a masterpiece.

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Post #: 64

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 27/6/2012 5:35:46 PM

Spaldron

Posts: 10487
Joined: 6/10/2006
From: Chair

quote:

ORIGINAL: NinjaShortbread212

Have you not read the thread's title? "To" means every film I listed before is (IMHO) the director's best and after "to", worst. Quite simple really. Order doesn't come into it, didn't know it had to really.

I kinda thought this too but didn't want to say anything.

< Message edited by Spaldron -- 28/6/2012 5:58:30 PM >

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Post #: 65

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 27/6/2012 7:05:12 PM

homersimpson_esq

Posts: 19969
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Springfield

quote:

ORIGINAL: Rob

It's also massively subjective...

Paul Thomas Anderson was one of my favourite directors; Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love...absolutely amazing

However, I absolutely detested There Will Be Blood. I suspect that I'm very much in the minority there and it certainly isn't considered a bad film by the masses....but then neither is Superman Returns.

*starts second list*

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Post #: 66

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 27/6/2012 7:08:08 PM

Rebenectomy

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Rob

However, I absolutely detested There Will Be Blood. I suspect that I'm very much in the minority there and it certainly isn't considered a bad film by the masses....but then neither is Superman Returns.

While I'll admit Superman Returns divides people and isn't universally disliked, it is certainly considered bad by a good number of people - I'll not take the thread too far off topic, there are pages and pages of discussion dedicated to it elsewhere on the boards, but yeah, it is considered pretty awful in some quarters.

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Post #: 67

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 27/6/2012 7:14:44 PM

homersimpson_esq

Posts: 19969
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Springfield

There Will Be Blood, on the other hand, is pretty much universally loved on here.

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Post #: 68

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 27/6/2012 7:15:43 PM

elab49

Posts: 52030
Joined: 1/10/2005

quote:

ORIGINAL: homersimpson_esq

quote:

ORIGINAL: Rob

It's also massively subjective...

Paul Thomas Anderson was one of my favourite directors; Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love...absolutely amazing

However, I absolutely detested There Will Be Blood. I suspect that I'm very much in the minority there and it certainly isn't considered a bad film by the masses....but then neither is Superman Returns.

*starts second list*

Surely that one's already around - I must be at the top of it.

quote:

quote:

ORIGINAL: NinjaShortbread212

quote:

ORIGINAL: grucl

quote:

ORIGINAL: NinjaShortbread212

Guillermo del Toro; Pans Labyrinth, The Devil's Backbone, The Orphanage, Hellboy & Hellboy 2 to Mimic

Peter Jackson; Heavenly Creatures, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lovely Bones & Braindead to The Frighteners

What do you mean "to"?
Both The Frighteners and Mimic came way before most of the other films. So it's the other way around, really.

Have you not read the thread's title? "To" means every film I listed before is (IMHO) the director's best and after "to", worst. Quite simple really. Order doesn't come into it, didn't know it had to really.

It's what Reb said in the top post, though

quote:

I'm talking reached really excellent heights and then plummeted

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Post #: 69

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 27/6/2012 8:00:49 PM

homersimpson_esq

Posts: 19969
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From: Springfield

Peter Jackson still works then. From Heavenly Creatures to The Lovely Bones...

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Post #: 70

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 27/6/2012 10:05:00 PM

adambatman82

Posts: 11156
Joined: 15/12/2005
From: Sheffield

quote:

ORIGINAL: homersimpson_esq

Peter Jackson still works then. From Heavenly Creatures to The Lovely Bones...

And from The Frighteners to LOTR...

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Post #: 71

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 27/6/2012 11:47:55 PM

Biggus

Posts: 7611
Joined: 2/10/2005
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I thought Joe Carnahan was the director to watch after Narc. Then he goes and churns out Smokin' Aces and The A Team. The Grey, however, was a definite return to form and the promise he showed with Narc i.e. a director of intense, muscular thrillers with tragedy-bitten central characters is pleasing to see re-emerge.

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Post #: 72

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 12:17:00 AM

Lazarus munkey

Posts: 1651
Joined: 20/3/2006
From: out of nowhere

quote:

ORIGINAL: Biggus

I thought Joe Carnahan was the director to watch after Narc. Then he goes and churns out Smokin' Aces and The A Team. The Grey, however, was a definite return to form and the promise he showed with Narc i.e. a director of intense, muscular thrillers with tragedy-bitten central characters is pleasing to see re-emerge.

Smokin' Aces was a mess but I was pleasantly surprised by The A Team. Mindless fun.

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Post #: 73

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 1:28:45 AM

NinjaShortbread212

Posts: 4542
Joined: 26/4/2011
From: Edinburger, Scottyland

quote:

ORIGINAL: elab49

It's what Reb said in the top post, though

quote:

I'm talking reached really excellent heights and then plummeted

Ah, yes I see. It was so early when I posted it, that I literally just skimmed over the OP and assumed everyone was just puting down a director with their favourite work from them and then their least favourite. Like the title suggests.

As you were.

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Post #: 74

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 9:57:12 AM

st3veebee

Posts: 2354
Joined: 3/9/2006
From: 9303 Lyon Drive

I have the ultimate one, perhaps said alread:

Spielberg : From Jaws, CEotTK, Raiders, Last Crusade, Jurassic Park, SPR, Minority Report ....to.............

Indy 4.

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Post #: 75

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 10:25:42 AM

Rob

Posts: 2434
Joined: 30/9/2005

That's probably the best shout so far.

Managing to hit the spectacular highs and lows all in the same series. I think someone also mentioned Raimi with Spider-man 2 - Spider-man 3 but the last Indy film made Spider-man 3 look like Citizen Kane. Truly dreadful.

I know that There Will Be Blood is loved on here and by critics at large but for me it's simply a case of a director disappearing up his own posterior. If there's a list for people like me...I'm proud to be on it!

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Post #: 76

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 10:45:14 AM

grucl

Posts: 2434
Joined: 11/2/2008

Renny Harlin deserves a mention.

After Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger he made Cutthroat Island which single hadedly destroyed Carolco pictures. After a short return to form with Long Kiss Goodnight and Deep Blue Sea his career took a nosedive with films like Driven, the Exorcist prequel (one of them, anyway) and Mindhunters.

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Post #: 77

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 11:15:27 AM

adambatman82

Posts: 11156
Joined: 15/12/2005
From: Sheffield

quote:

ORIGINAL: st3veebee

I have the ultimate one, perhaps said alread:

Spielberg : From Jaws, CEotTK,�Raiders, Last Crusade,�Jurassic Park, SPR, Minority Report ....to.............

Indy 4.

Spielberg's had a whole bunch of misses tho, 1941 being the grand failure. The decline in quality from Close Encounters to 1941 is probably the greatest in his career.

Equally the leap in quality from Hook to Jurassic Park is pretty great, as is the jump from The Sugarland Express to Jaws. And as someone who believes War Of The Worlds to be one of the best blockbusters of the 00's, I'd say the difference in quality between that and The Terminal is far greater than that of Indy 4 and either of the films around it.

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Post #: 78

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 12:31:35 PM

pauljthomas

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Post #: 79

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 12:36:46 PM

NCC1701A

Posts: 3834
Joined: 12/3/2011
From: Space Dock

quote:

ORIGINAL: grucl

Renny Harlin deserves a mention.

After Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger he made Cutthroat Island which single hadedly destroyed Carolco pictures. After a short return to form with Long Kiss Goodnight and Deep Blue Sea his career took a nosedive with films like Driven, the Exorcist prequel (one of them, anyway) and Mindhunters.

12 Rounds was quite good that was the last thing that I saw that he directed which I think he did after Mindhunters.

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Post #: 80

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 12:45:59 PM

The Big Guy

Posts: 47
Joined: 29/12/2011

quote:

ORIGINAL: adambatman82

quote:

ORIGINAL: st3veebee

I have the ultimate one, perhaps said alread:

Spielberg : From Jaws, CEotTK,�Raiders, Last Crusade,�Jurassic Park, SPR, Minority Report ....to.............

Indy 4.

Spielberg's had a whole bunch of misses tho, 1941 being the grand failure. The decline in quality from Close Encounters to 1941 is probably the greatest in his career.

Equally the leap in quality from Hook to Jurassic Park is pretty great, as is the jump from The Sugarland Express to Jaws. And as someone who believes War Of The Worlds to be one of the best blockbusters of the 00's, I'd say the difference in quality between that and The Terminal is far greater than that of Indy 4 and either of the films around it.

The Terminal is a much better film than War of the Worlds.

The drop in quality between Tintin and War Horse is quite pronounced, I would say.

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Post #: 81

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 1:02:11 PM

great_badir

Posts: 4206
Joined: 6/10/2005
From: A breaking rope bridge in the middle of the jungle

quote:

ORIGINAL: Rob
I know that There Will Be Blood is loved on here and by critics at large but for me it's simply a case of a director disappearing up his own posterior. If there's a list for people like me...I'm proud to be on it!

You can apply that to PTA's entire catalogue bar Hard Eight, if you ask me.

I found There Will Be Blood excruciating to watch from beginning to end - Daniel Day Lewis is a fine actor to be sure, but he does seem to have developed a penchant to massively over-act of late. You're not on a theare stage now, Daniel - tone it down a smidge, yeah?

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Post #: 82

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 1:17:13 PM

adambatman82

Posts: 11156
Joined: 15/12/2005
From: Sheffield

quote:

ORIGINAL: The Big Guy
The drop in quality between Tintin and War Horse is quite pronounced, I would say.

Nah, there's nothing between them on Rotten Tomatoes (well, 2%).

Incidentally the five worst received Spielberg's by consensus are -

1. Hook (29%)
2. 1941 (33%)
3. The Lost World (52%)
4. The Terminal (60%)
5. Always (61%)

Funnily enough Indy 4 is right up there in the high 70's, and has the same rating as War Horse. Jaws is the highest rated with 100%.

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Post #: 83

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 1:32:31 PM

MattTheBadger

Posts: 101
Joined: 23/4/2006

Good to see that this thread contains (a) some love from Superman Returns and (b) some proof that it wasn't just me who was so upset by Indy 4. Far more infuriating than Phantom Menace.

John Carpenter's had a few mentions but not for Ghosts of Mars - I kind of knew it was supposed to be rubbish but watched it on the strength of my fandom for Precinct 13, The Thing, Halloween etc... Ye Gods it was dreadful. Don't think I've ever seen a film where Courtney Love's inclusion would have improved matters.

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Post #: 84

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 1:52:05 PM

Harry Tuttle

Posts: 7618
Joined: 12/11/2005
From: Sometime in the future.

quote:

ORIGINAL: adambatman82

quote:

ORIGINAL: The Big Guy
The drop in quality between Tintin and War Horse is quite pronounced, I would say.

Nah, there's nothing between them on Rotten Tomatoes (well, 2%).

Incidentally the five worst received Spielberg's by consensus are -

1. Hook (29%)
2. 1941 (33%)
3. The Lost World (52%)
4. The Terminal (60%)
5. Always (61%)

Funnily enough Indy 4 is right up there in the high 70's, and has the same rating as War Horse. Jaws is the highest rated with 100%.

See, I reckon Lost World pisses all over pretty much everything he's done post Saving Private Ryan except for Tintin and possibly Catch Me If You Can. To be honest I don't really rate Lost World that highly I just think Spielberg's output this Millenium has been pretty poor by anyone's standards, not just his.

My contributions are my favourite directors. I give you Terry Gilliam who went from Fear and Loathing to Brothers Grimm and Tim Burton who gave us Ed Wood followed by Mars Attacks and then Sleepy Hollow followed by Planet of the Apes.

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RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 1:54:49 PM

matty_b

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Nothing wrong with Mars Attacks!

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Post #: 86

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 2:00:53 PM

Harry Tuttle

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From: Sometime in the future.

quote:

ORIGINAL: matty_b

Nothing wrong with Mars Attacks!

I reckon it's Burton's worst film till PotA. It's not awful or anything but it never manages to be anything but average and pales in comparison to Ed Wood (his masterpiece) IMO.

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Post #: 87

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 2:26:42 PM

matty_b

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Ed Wood is his masterpiece, I'd agree, but I'd still put Mars Attacks! up there with his better films.

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Post #: 88

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 2:52:54 PM

elab49

Posts: 52030
Joined: 1/10/2005

quote:

ORIGINAL: Harry Tuttle

quote:

ORIGINAL: adambatman82

quote:

ORIGINAL: The Big Guy
The drop in quality between Tintin and War Horse is quite pronounced, I would say.

Nah, there's nothing between them on Rotten Tomatoes (well, 2%).

Incidentally the five worst received Spielberg's by consensus are -

1. Hook (29%)
2. 1941 (33%)
3. The Lost World (52%)
4. The Terminal (60%)
5. Always (61%)

Funnily enough Indy 4 is right up there in the high 70's, and has the same rating as War Horse. Jaws is the highest rated with 100%.

See, I reckon Lost World pisses all over pretty much everything he's done post Saving Private Ryan except for Tintin and possibly Catch Me If You Can. To be honest I don't really rate Lost World that highly I just think Spielberg's output this Millenium has been pretty poor by anyone's standards, not just his.

Now there's a great argument for the problem with consensus scores. Terminal in the 60s, Indy 4 and War Horse in the 70s.

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Post #: 89

RE: Best of times, worst of times - 28/6/2012 3:52:50 PM

adambatman82

Posts: 11156
Joined: 15/12/2005
From: Sheffield

quote:

ORIGINAL: Harry Tuttle

See, I reckon Lost World pisses all over pretty much everything he's done post Saving Private Ryan except for Tintin and possibly Catch Me If You Can. To be honest I don't really rate Lost World that highly I just think Spielberg's output this Millenium has been pretty poor by anyone's standards, not just his.

I'm the opposite: I think the last ten years or so has been his most interesting period. I'm not a great fan of the earlier work, bar Close Encounters, and would consider Minority Report and War Of The Worlds to be the best films he's made.

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Post #: 90