Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record

Follow @empiremagazine

Forum Home

Register for Free!

Log In

Moderator Tickets

FAQ

Users Online

Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record

Logged in as: Guest

Printable Version

All Forums >> [Film Forums] >> Movie Musings >> Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record

Page: [1] 2 3 next > >>

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 4:29:56 PM

ElephantBoy

Posts: 7314
Joined: 13/4/2006

Sure there must have been talk on here before about directors with a flawless series of films, but what about the opisite can you think of a director where every film he or she has ever directored has been bad? I think it would make sense to stick to those that have made at least say five fours.

The two I pick off the top of my head are Joel Schumacher and Michael Bay.

Schumacher is basically a one note hack who in the 80s was known for making dodgy cult films like the Lost Boys and Flatliners which have aged very badly today and has since made a number of misjudged clunkers such as camp disater which was Batman & Robin, the lame Veronica Guerin (an insult to his lead actress and the really life character it was based on), the stagey and dull version of Phantom of the Opera to the distasteful and badly acted 8MM. There is very little depth, or visually spark in any of his films, he goes for obverous too often and really is more of a stage director than film. The one case you could make for him doing a good film is Falling Down which I did see the other week and it is decent but it still has flaws so cannot be considered a good film. Still have not seen Phone Booth which is the other Schumacher film people seem to rate.

Bay is even worse in some ways making mindless trash which fails to even be entertaining or well put together for its target audience. Watching a Bay Film is like being in a empity void for a family long time and being smacked over the head while you are there. The plots are badly written, the characters bland and offensive and the direction all over the place.

McG (god I hate typing that

) is another one who came too mind but I was not sure how many films he has done certainly through so far he has a perfect record

Post #: 1

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 4:41:21 PM

elab49

Posts: 51538
Joined: 1/10/2005

Homer'll love this thread.

It's mainly subjective though, isn't it? Lots of people still enjoy Lost Boys, I'm one of them. I'd say your bigger problem with Schmacher is Tigerland which, IMO, is not remotely a bad film (and one I was very surprised to see coming from Schumacher).

_____________________________

Lips Together and Blow - blogtasticness and Glasgow Film Festival GFF13!

Films watched 2012

What are your top 10/25 films of 2012? Vote in the forum Annual Poll now! Deadline is Sunday.

(in reply to ElephantBoy)

Post #: 2

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 4:49:34 PM

ElephantBoy

Posts: 7314
Joined: 13/4/2006

quote:

ORIGINAL: elab49

Homer'll love this thread.

It's mainly subjective though, isn't it? Lots of people still enjoy Lost Boys, I'm one of them. I'd say your bigger problem with Schmacher is Tigerland which, IMO, is not remotely a bad film (and one I was very surprised to see coming from Schumacher).

Still have not seen that one. In fairness there are certain films he has done which seem at least passible The Client for example it is quite dull and predictable but would have been much worse without the fine cast.

(in reply to elab49)

Post #: 3

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 5:09:00 PM

Lucky Day

Posts: 851
Joined: 7/3/2012
From: Dundee

The Lost Boys & Flatliners were both very good. Falling Down and A Time to Kill are both excellent. As for Bay, Bad Boys is the greatest of buddy movies. Bad Boys 2 has at least one moment of genius. The Island was a solid film as was the Rock. It seems a little harsh to suggest the output of either of these directors is entirely without merit.

< Message edited by Lucky Day -- 4/8/2012 8:00:06 PM >

_____________________________

Feed the birds and what have you got? Fat birds.

(in reply to ElephantBoy)

Post #: 4

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 5:52:25 PM

DancingClown

Posts: 3544
Joined: 8/1/2006
From: The Lot

Lost Boys and Flatliners are great, the former is still hugely popular. Don't think it's sporting that you want to dictate which directors should be discussed without assuming that others will disagree. It's too subjective. What's the point in defending a "shit" director if one doesn't consider him/her to be "shit"?

The only consistently shit director I can think of anyway is someone like Uwe Boll, but he obviously still has his fans.

Bollocks thread. Hey-ho.

< Message edited by DancingClown -- 4/8/2012 5:55:31 PM >

_____________________________

Astronomic Tune Boy

'The town knew darkness, and darkness was enough.'

"Storm just bleeewwww me away..."

(in reply to ElephantBoy)

Post #: 5

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 6:38:35 PM

elab49

Posts: 51538
Joined: 1/10/2005

I think you may have misread the first post before your 'contribution'. Elephant Boy asked if anyone cared to make a case for their worst directors - the 3 in the first post are just his choices. The only restriction he suggests is that they've made 5 films, which is arbitrary, but fair enough.

_____________________________

Lips Together and Blow - blogtasticness and Glasgow Film Festival GFF13!

Films watched 2012

What are your top 10/25 films of 2012? Vote in the forum Annual Poll now! Deadline is Sunday.

(in reply to DancingClown)

Post #: 6

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 6:55:35 PM

vad3r

Posts: 4209
Joined: 3/9/2010
From: Close to Mod HQ

Schumacher and Bay should be nowhere near this thread.

Schumacher has Lost Boys, Phonebooth, 8mm, A Time to Kill and most importantly Falling Down (excellent film).

Bay has The Rock. One of the greatest action films ever. Also, the first Transformers film is pretty good and Bad Boys is good fun.

_____________________________

Single Virgin

Mod Candidate 2013

quote:

ORIGINAL: horribleives
To paraphrase the great man himself:

Vad3r won't go anywhere near this.

(in reply to elab49)

Post #: 7

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 7:00:04 PM

vad3r

Posts: 4209
Joined: 3/9/2010
From: Close to Mod HQ

Perfect bad record?

Aaron Seltzer
Jason Friedberg
Uwe Boll

_____________________________

Single Virgin

Mod Candidate 2013

quote:

ORIGINAL: horribleives
To paraphrase the great man himself:

Vad3r won't go anywhere near this.

(in reply to vad3r)

Post #: 8

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 7:06:01 PM

horribleives

Posts: 4178
Joined: 12/6/2009
From: The North

Apart from Dark Of The Moon and Pearl Harbour I've enjoyed everything Bay's done, especially Bad Boys and The Rock.
So there.

_____________________________

www.hollywoodunbound.co.uk - some nonsense about alien film directors and musclebound man-children.

(in reply to vad3r)

Post #: 9

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 7:09:17 PM

Scott_

Posts: 3480
Joined: 26/6/2008
From: Leeds

Plus Bad Boys II is the best film ever.

_____________________________

"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."

Check out my top 21 films - http://www.empireonline.com/forum/tm.asp?m=3188740

360 Gamertag - SmokinFuzz

(in reply to horribleives)

Post #: 10

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 7:11:30 PM

Shifty Bench

Posts: 14550
Joined: 30/9/2005

Yeah, Bay is exempt because he made The Rock. I'm not a Bay fan by any means but The Rock is a great film.

Uwe Boll has fans who like his films ironically. If you think about if any his flicks are actually any good, the answer is no to every one of them.

Oh, and-

quote:

The one case you could make for him doing a good film is Falling Down which I did see the other week and it is decent but it still has flaws so cannot be considered a good film.

What? By that logic, no film can be considered good because no film is flawless.

_____________________________

quote:

ORIGINAL: matty_b
You have a nice face, Shifty. A face I would have a cup of tea with.

quote:

ORIGINAL: porntrooper
Shifty said it best

(in reply to vad3r)

Post #: 11

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 7:45:53 PM

DancingClown

Posts: 3544
Joined: 8/1/2006
From: The Lot

quote:

ORIGINAL: elab49

I think you may have misread the first post before your 'contribution'. Elephant Boy asked if anyone cared to make a case for their worst directors - the 3 in the first post are just his choices. The only restriction he suggests is that they've made 5 films, which is arbitrary, but fair enough.

Erm, what? I think I was perfectly justified in my response thank you very much, and I have not misread the first post at all. He didn't proffer three directors that were simply his worst directors, he offered three directors that he thought were shit and seemed to want everyone else to agree with these suggestions as just prime examples, which is hugely presumptuous.

quote:

Sure there must have been talk on here before about directors with a flawless series of films, but what about the opisite can you think of a director where every film he or she has ever directored has been bad? I think it would make sense to stick to those that have made at least say five fours.

The two I pick off the top of my head are Joel Schumacher and Michael Bay.

The fact that I and several others leapt to the defence of Schumacher exposes the somewhat flawed premise of the thread itself as surely defending a director against what others are saying is not necessarily its point? Like you, I, and several others have said, it's too subjective. Basically you just have a thread of people going "I think so and so's shite" and others saying "hey, so and so's not shit, you don't know what you're talking about!" and so on, descending no doubt into just another mindless cluster-fuck, therefore negating the thread's original, somewhat threadbare premise.

I've defended Schumacher, as others have done, so I don't think there's anything wrong with my "contribution" as you so sarcastically and condescendingly called it.

_____________________________

Astronomic Tune Boy

'The town knew darkness, and darkness was enough.'

"Storm just bleeewwww me away..."

(in reply to elab49)

Post #: 12

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 7:53:15 PM

horribleives

Posts: 4178
Joined: 12/6/2009
From: The North

quote:

ORIGINAL: DancingClown
He didn't proffer three directors that were simply his worst directors, he offered three directors that he thought were shit and seemed to want everyone else to agree with these suggestions as just prime examples

How on earth does he sleep at night?

_____________________________

www.hollywoodunbound.co.uk - some nonsense about alien film directors and musclebound man-children.

(in reply to DancingClown)

Post #: 13

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 7:58:59 PM

elab49

Posts: 51538
Joined: 1/10/2005

quote:

ORIGINAL: DancingClown

quote:

ORIGINAL: elab49

I think you may have misread the first post before your 'contribution'. Elephant Boy asked if anyone cared to make a case for their worst directors - the 3 in the first post are just his choices. The only restriction he suggests is that they've made 5 films, which is arbitrary, but fair enough.

Erm, what? I think I was perfectly justified in my response thank you very much, and I have not misread the first post at all. He didn't proffer three directors that were simply his worst directors, he offered three directors that he thought were shit and seemed to want everyone else to agree with these suggestions as just prime examples, which is hugely presumptuous.

quote:

Don't think it's sporting that you want to dictate which directors should be discussed without assuming that others will disagree.

Elephant Boy offered his choices and asked for others. If posters chose to address his choices before offering their own, it doesn't change the premise of the original post and there is nothing stopping you offering up your own suggestions. Rather than just 'bollocks thread'. If it was simply an anti-thread for three specific directors it would have been locked and the poster directed to individual discussion threads in Actor/Auteurs.

I'm kind of confused where you think someone should start a thread like this and not be allowed to give examples of their own - similar to the 'flawless' thread referenced in the original post.

_____________________________

Lips Together and Blow - blogtasticness and Glasgow Film Festival GFF13!

Films watched 2012

What are your top 10/25 films of 2012? Vote in the forum Annual Poll now! Deadline is Sunday.

(in reply to DancingClown)

Post #: 14

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 8:18:12 PM

DancingClown

Posts: 3544
Joined: 8/1/2006
From: The Lot

quote:

ORIGINAL: elab49

I'm kind of confused where you think someone should start a thread like this and not be allowed to give examples of their own - similar to the 'flawless' thread referenced in the original post.

Yes, they're his choices. But he's using them as examples by which other suggestions should be measured, that's how he has presented them. It's a flawed concept because although he wants others to make their own suggestions the other responses will simply be defending the directors others are saying are shit, as opposed to furthuring the original thrust of the thread, which is kinda self-defeating. This has been proved by the content of the responses thus far, which have been in defence of his choice of Schumacher, as opposed to a continuation of the thread's original idea, which is somewhat muddled. If the thread had been titled something like "defend my least favourite directors" then maybe it would make more sense. Or perhaps "make a case for my least favourite directors" which at least accommodates for subjectivity and offers more room for appropriate discussion.

Anyway, time for my meds....

< Message edited by DancingClown -- 4/8/2012 8:47:56 PM >

_____________________________

Astronomic Tune Boy

'The town knew darkness, and darkness was enough.'

"Storm just bleeewwww me away..."

(in reply to elab49)

Post #: 15

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 10:54:44 PM

tommyjarvis

Posts: 6609
Joined: 2/11/2005
From: Caught somewhere in time

Michael Bay is a hero.

Armageddon

I was going to suggest Paul WS Anderson but then I remembered he did Death Race, which is great fun, so he'd have to be exempt.

_____________________________

"I've been too honest with myself, I should have lied like everybody else"

My Top 101 Rock Songs - The first Audiophile list to actually get completed!

(in reply to DancingClown)

Post #: 16

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 11:27:37 PM

Shifty Bench

Posts: 14550
Joined: 30/9/2005

quote:

ORIGINAL: tommyjarvis

I was going to suggest Paul WS Anderson but then I remembered he did Death Race, which is great fun, so he'd have to be exempt.

I'd personally add Event Horizon too, that's two of his films I like

_____________________________

quote:

ORIGINAL: matty_b
You have a nice face, Shifty. A face I would have a cup of tea with.

quote:

ORIGINAL: porntrooper
Shifty said it best

(in reply to tommyjarvis)

Post #: 17

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 11:32:25 PM

vad3r

Posts: 4209
Joined: 3/9/2010
From: Close to Mod HQ

Event Horizon is third greatest sci-fi horror ever after The Thing and Alien.

< Message edited by vad3r -- 4/8/2012 11:57:08 PM >

_____________________________

Single Virgin

Mod Candidate 2013

quote:

ORIGINAL: horribleives
To paraphrase the great man himself:

Vad3r won't go anywhere near this.

(in reply to Shifty Bench)

Post #: 18

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 11:36:34 PM

Shifty Bench

Posts: 14550
Joined: 30/9/2005

I was going to say that I wouldn't go that far but I can't actually think of another sci-fi horror film that I enjoy

_____________________________

quote:

ORIGINAL: matty_b
You have a nice face, Shifty. A face I would have a cup of tea with.

quote:

ORIGINAL: porntrooper
Shifty said it best

(in reply to vad3r)

Post #: 19

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 11:48:03 PM

directorscut

Posts: 9823
Joined: 30/9/2005

Dennis Dugan.

My evidence: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0240797/#director

I rest my case.

_____________________________

Member of the TMNT 1000 Club.

(in reply to Shifty Bench)

Post #: 20

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 11:48:54 PM

Hood_Man

Posts: 11267
Joined: 30/9/2005

Event Horizon is a damn fine film. To be honest I actually don't mind the first Resident Evil, it was an enjoyable enough film.

Even Mortal Kombat is probably, by default if anything, the second best videogame based movie.

(in reply to Shifty Bench)

Post #: 21

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 11:56:01 PM

vad3r

Posts: 4209
Joined: 3/9/2010
From: Close to Mod HQ

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hood_Man

Event Horizon is a damn fine film. To be honest I actually don't mind the first Resident Evil, it was an enjoyable enough film.

Even Mortal Kombat is probably, by default if anything, the second best videogame based movie.

I'd say Silent Hill is the best video game based movie. Prince of Persia would also be up there.

_____________________________

Single Virgin

Mod Candidate 2013

quote:

ORIGINAL: horribleives
To paraphrase the great man himself:

Vad3r won't go anywhere near this.

(in reply to Hood_Man)

Post #: 22

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 11:56:31 PM

Shifty Bench

Posts: 14550
Joined: 30/9/2005

quote:

ORIGINAL: directorscut

Dennis Dugan.

My evidence: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0240797/#director

I rest my case.

I was going to say 'Happy Gilmore is not that bad' then I saw he directed Jack and Jill. So, nevermind.....

_____________________________

quote:

ORIGINAL: matty_b
You have a nice face, Shifty. A face I would have a cup of tea with.

quote:

ORIGINAL: porntrooper
Shifty said it best

(in reply to directorscut)

Post #: 23

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 11:57:47 PM

Shifty Bench

Posts: 14550
Joined: 30/9/2005

quote:

ORIGINAL: vad3r

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hood_Man

Event Horizon is a damn fine film. To be honest I actually don't mind the first Resident Evil, it was an enjoyable enough film.

Even Mortal Kombat is probably, by default if anything, the second best videogame based movie.

I'd say Silent Hill is the best video game based movie. Prince of Persia would also be up there.

Way to change your post from a stupid question to a stupid statement, there

_____________________________

quote:

ORIGINAL: matty_b
You have a nice face, Shifty. A face I would have a cup of tea with.

quote:

ORIGINAL: porntrooper
Shifty said it best

(in reply to vad3r)

Post #: 24

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 11:59:07 PM

vad3r

Posts: 4209
Joined: 3/9/2010
From: Close to Mod HQ

Has anyone found better candidates than Seltzer/Friedberg?

_____________________________

Single Virgin

Mod Candidate 2013

quote:

ORIGINAL: horribleives
To paraphrase the great man himself:

Vad3r won't go anywhere near this.

(in reply to Shifty Bench)

Post #: 25

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 4/8/2012 11:59:32 PM

Hood_Man

Posts: 11267
Joined: 30/9/2005

quote:

ORIGINAL: vad3r

quote:

ORIGINAL: Hood_Man

Event Horizon is a damn fine film. To be honest I actually don't mind the first Resident Evil, it was an enjoyable enough film.

Even Mortal Kombat is probably, by default if anything, the second best videogame based movie.

I'd say Silent Hill is the best video game based movie. Prince of Persia would also be up there.

I've not seen SIlent Hill, but Persia is #1 in my eyes, then #2 Mortal Kombat.

Then... pfft! From what I've seen I'd have to put Street Fighter above Tomb Raider for example, at least 'Fighter had a sense of humour and Van Damme.

(in reply to vad3r)

Post #: 26

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 5/8/2012 12:02:09 AM

Shifty Bench

Posts: 14550
Joined: 30/9/2005

quote:

ORIGINAL: vad3r

Has anyone found better candidates than Seltzer/Friedberg?

I think it's a tie between them and Dennis Dugan.

_____________________________

quote:

ORIGINAL: matty_b
You have a nice face, Shifty. A face I would have a cup of tea with.

quote:

ORIGINAL: porntrooper
Shifty said it best

(in reply to vad3r)

Post #: 27

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 5/8/2012 12:02:19 AM

horribleives

Posts: 4178
Joined: 12/6/2009
From: The North

Miranda July.
I can't even bring myself to type the names of her films in case I throw up all over the keyboard.

_____________________________

www.hollywoodunbound.co.uk - some nonsense about alien film directors and musclebound man-children.

(in reply to Hood_Man)

Post #: 28

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 5/8/2012 12:05:16 AM

Shifty Bench

Posts: 14550
Joined: 30/9/2005

Great, give me work to do.....

Just looked and she doesn't qualify as she has only directed two features. And I haven't seen either so I can't comment.

_____________________________

quote:

ORIGINAL: matty_b
You have a nice face, Shifty. A face I would have a cup of tea with.

quote:

ORIGINAL: porntrooper
Shifty said it best

(in reply to horribleives)

Post #: 29

RE: Make a case for a Director with a perfect bad record - 5/8/2012 12:07:22 AM

vad3r

Posts: 4209
Joined: 3/9/2010
From: Close to Mod HQ

quote:

ORIGINAL: Shifty Bench

quote:

ORIGINAL: vad3r

Has anyone found better candidates than Seltzer/Friedberg?

I think it's a tie between them and Dennis Dugan.

Dennis Dugan: Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, NYPD Blue, Moonlighting.
Seltzer/Friedberg: Date Movie, Epic Movie, Meet The Spartans, Disaster Movie, Vampires Suck.

Clear winner.

_____________________________

Single Virgin

Mod Candidate 2013