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Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 8:49:39 PM

homersimpson_esq

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

There are directors that are excellent, and everybody knows they are excellent - Kurosawa, Wilder, Welles, etc - and nobody really questions the quality, even if the individual films might not be to their taste. "I can see that x is a really great film, I just don't like it." That sort of thing.

This thread is not about those directors.

This is those directors who you know are kinda average, not one of the greats, but whose output you have a soft spot for all the same. I have a real soft spot for Robert Rodriguez. Even his lesser output, like say Machete, I like. And I freakin' love From Dusk til Dawn and Sin City.

And Steven Soderbergh, too, who is variable. Haywire I thought was great. I've not seen Magic Mike yet...

One might argue that Tony Scott came under this sort of heading. People knew his films weren't going to challenge the greatest films ever lists, but people kinda loved them all the same.

Some trollish people might say that Ridley Scott came under this heading, but his quality output takes him out of this category.

Who do you have a soft spot for?

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RE: Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 8:50:19 PM

homersimpson_esq

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From: Springfield

I guess it could extend to actors too, actually.

I'll watch most stuff with Sandra Bullock in, cos, well, she's Sandra Bullock, and she's lovely.

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RE: Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 8:59:16 PM

matty_b

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From: Outpost 31 calling McMurtle.

Shyamalan. Even if his films tend towards cruddy, the sheer 'out there' nature of his concepts and the occasionally striking image means I'll happily sit through most of his output.

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RE: Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 9:11:17 PM

DancingClown

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From: The Lot

Tough one this.

I'm tempted to say Ron Howard, but then I don't want to damn with faint praise because I think he's made some excellent films. There have been average ones as well, of course, but there are also ones that other people seem to hate that I don't. So I won't nominate him, although I'm sure someone else will which'll just annoy me as usual.

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RE: Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 9:49:37 PM

clownfoot

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quote:

ORIGINAL: homersimpson_esq

I guess it could extend to actors too, actually.

I'll watch most stuff with Sandra Bullock in, cos, well, she's Sandra Bullock, and she's lovely.

Yes. She is. Really lovely. Normally I'd bulk at the likes of Miss Congeniality, but its actually quite marvellous.

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RE: Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 9:56:58 PM

Shifty Bench

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I don't find Sandra Bullock attractive but I love Miss Congeniality, I think it's great fun

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RE: Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 9:58:32 PM

adambatman82

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quote:

ORIGINAL: homersimpson_esq

And Steven Soderbergh, too, who is variable. Haywire I thought was great. I've not seen Magic Mike yet...

Gotta object to Soderbergh: he's one of America's most decorated filmmakers (and how many other filmmakers from anywhere have won a Palme d'Or and the Oscar for Best Direction?). I think if you're gonna exempt Ridders then Soderbergh ought to at least be one step ahead of him. Even Haywire was very much a critics/aficionado's movie ahead of a crowd-pleaser. Oh, and Magic Mike is ace, and very much in the tradition of Midnight Cowboy/American Gigolo/Light Sleeper as opposed to something like The Full Monty or an Ashton Kutcher comedy, as per the awful marketing campaign.

I'd stick Verhoeven to the list myself, and Peter Berg who got a lifetime pass from me for Friday Night Lights. Taking this further than director's or actors, I'd also vouch for anything associated with Marvel Studios. I don't expect every film to be The Avengers, but I'll watch it anyway.

< Message edited by adambatman82 -- 20/11/2012 10:00:15 PM >

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RE: Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 10:02:14 PM

OPEN YOUR EYES

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Interms of Directors I'll probably go for Tarantino.
His earlier works were very good,lively fun while his newer pieces seem to lack edge and generally lack the right pacing in my opinion ie Inglorious Bastards,Kill Bill,and yet I'll probably still watch them.

Actors:
Keanu Reeves........

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RE: Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 10:12:39 PM

adambatman82

Posts: 11156
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From: Sheffield

quote:

ORIGINAL: OPEN YOUR EYES

Interms of Directors I'll probably go for Tarantino.
His earlier works were very good,lively fun while his newer pieces seem to lack edge and generally lack the right pacing in my opinion ie Inglorious Bastards,Kill Bill,and yet I'll probably still watch them.

Actors:
Keanu Reeves........

Again, Tarantino has won a Palme d'Or and being nominated for a couple of best director Oscar's, which is pretty much an pretty achievement, especially when one considers how long his success has lasted (his most recent film is his most nominated, and for my money his masterpiece). Personal feelings towards his films aside, surely it's fair to recognise that from an objective perspective he's a pretty successful filmmaker? Even his lowest RT-scoring flick, Death Proof sits at 65%, with everything else running higher than 85%.

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Post #: 9

RE: Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 10:15:53 PM

OPEN YOUR EYES

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quote:

ORIGINAL: adambatman82

quote:

ORIGINAL: OPEN YOUR EYES

Interms of Directors I'll probably go for Tarantino.
His earlier works were very good,lively fun while his newer pieces seem to lack edge and generally lack the right pacing in my opinion ie Inglorious Bastards,Kill Bill,and yet I'll probably still watch them.

Actors:
Keanu Reeves........

Again, Tarantino has won a Palme d'Or and being nominated for a couple of best director Oscar's, which is pretty much an pretty achievement, especially when one considers how long his success has lasted (his most recent film is his most nominated, and for my money his masterpiece). Personal feelings towards his films aside, surely it's fair to recognise that from an objective perspective he's a pretty successful filmmaker? Even his lowest RT-scoring flick, Death Proof sits at 65%, with everything else running higher than 85%.

Well,..that's me stumped.

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RE: Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 10:16:20 PM

clownfoot

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quote:

ORIGINAL: adambatman82

quote:

ORIGINAL: homersimpson_esq

And Steven Soderbergh, too, who is variable. Haywire I thought was great. I've not seen Magic Mike yet...

Gotta object to Soderbergh: he's one of America's most decorated filmmakers (and how many other filmmakers from anywhere have won a Palme d'Or and the Oscar for Best Direction?). I think if you're gonna exempt Ridders then Soderbergh ought to at least be one step ahead of him. Even Haywire was very much a critics/aficionado's movie ahead of a crowd-pleaser. Oh, and Magic Mike is ace, and very much in the tradition of Midnight Cowboy/American Gigolo/Light Sleeper as opposed to something like The Full Monty or an Ashton Kutcher comedy, as per the awful marketing campaign.

On the basis of The Limey (which is a quite wonderful film) I may have to object as well... really need to catch Haywire.

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RE: Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 10:17:23 PM

clownfoot

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From: The ickle town of Fuck, Austria

quote:

ORIGINAL: Shifty Bench

I don't find Sandra Bullock attractive but I love Miss Congeniality, I think it's great fun

What in the blue hell is wrong with you?

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RE: Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 10:25:23 PM

UTB

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I'll always have a soft spot for Tony Scott and remain gutted that he isn't here anymore.

I understand he was never a critically successful director but when you needed a bit of popcorn fun he always delivered. I'd actually planned to do a film-by-film on him on these very forums (and may just might still) but thought doing it following his death would seem like one of the post-death u-turns that seem to have popped up since (not on the forums, in the media).

I'll even admit (as I have done before) that I love Domino. Yes its a mess, but understanding what the intention was is half the fun, and if you listen to the audio commentary from Tony you can't help but go along with it. And its got some cracking performances and set pieces (never will Tom Jones sound more sinister than in that trailer...). Pelham 123 too... Maybe I will write that retrospective

On an actor note, I could watch anything with Woody Harrelson in. And he's becoming a fantastic 'older' actor. See The Messenger and Rampart for the evidence...

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RE: Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 10:38:23 PM

adambatman82

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

quote:

ORIGINAL: UTB

On an actor note, I could watch anything with Woody Harrelson in. And he's becoming a fantastic 'older' actor. See The Messenger and Rampart for the evidence...

He was the best thing about The Hunger Games and 2012. On a related note I'd nominate Harrelson's Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer too. Both that and 30 Minutes Or Less were a lot of fun, and Gangster Squad looks to be in the same vein.

A filmmaker who I think could go either way (auteur or workaday consistent filmmaker) is Ben Wheatley. Both Kill List and Down Terrace were nice little subversive flicks, while A Field In England and this months Sightseers looks to be much the same thing.

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Post #: 14

RE: Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 10:41:07 PM

clownfoot

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From: The ickle town of Fuck, Austria

Owing to The Ice Pirates, I can pretty much watch anything Ron Pearlman pops up in...

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RE: Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 11:13:21 PM

homersimpson_esq

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From: Springfield

Fair point about Soderbergh, I get the impression that he's not as well-liked by many as he is by me, hence me putting him in here. The Limey is indeed phenomenally great. I really need to watch Poor Cow.

I have a soft spot for the sequels to Planet of the Apes (the original four sequels, I mean) and Dirty Harry. Classic first entry, lesser subsequent entries. Some work better than others, none reach the heights of the respective originals. But I'm really fond of them all. Some of the POTA sequels are great, some less so, but none is a CLASSIC like the first one is. Same with Dirty Harry. Some of the sequels are great fun, but they're not classics.

On a similar note, I also have a soft spot for the Bond sequels and the Star Trek sequels, because of the collective association. I take the rough with the smooth. Some of the Bond films are not great, ditto Trek, but I watch them all, and they get a pass because of that soft spot.

Re Friday Night Lights - that is a great, GREAT film. Take note Oliver Stone: that's how you make a sports movie interesting to people not interested in the sport.

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RE: Soft Spot - 20/11/2012 11:39:23 PM

great_badir

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Yeah, I was going to say Soderbergh was a bit of an odd choice given some of the stuff he's made in the past, as well as his versatility in several genres.

As I, perhaps naively, think most directors have at least one great film in them (Paul W S Anderson has Event Horizon and Joseph Sargent has The Taking of Pelham 123, as examples), I'm struggling to think of a director who fits the bill in my mind.

But actors - I immediately go to Chevy Chase. Ignoring his apparent real-life persona as a prick (although from what I've read and seen over the last couple of years, he seems to have mellowed), I just love the guy and can watch pretty much anything he's in. Some may argue that even he doesn't fit, given that he has been in several A-grade classics, but I think he does fit because he's just playing himself (or, rather, the screen version of himself) in every single film he's ever been in. Admittedly there are one or two films of his that I can't sit through again, but even they had a moment or two of Chevy greatness (Zoom and Man of the House spring to mind).

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RE: Soft Spot - 21/11/2012 2:33:58 AM

Tidus

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Joined: 13/10/2012

I'll happily watch anything with Arnie and I can't help but think that Keanu is the fucking man.

I must admit I have a soft spot for Zak Snyder, I think Watchmen was totally brilliant, Dawn of the dead was good fun, 300 was oddly kinda lame and awesome at the same time??? Suckerpunch is very strange and reminded me of a cross between Pans Labyrinth and Scott Pilgrim and although it's not the best movie out there it has such badass imagery.
Really looking foward to Man of Steel. oh and I haven't seen the Owl movie.

Also I can't help but love Godfrey Ho, read his wiki page and then watch Ninja Terminator and tell me you don't love it.

< Message edited by Tidus -- 21/11/2012 2:34:23 AM >

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RE: Soft Spot - 21/11/2012 6:14:08 AM

homersimpson_esq

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

quote:

ORIGINAL: great_badir
Paul W S Anderson has Event Horizon

Death Race, too.

Zack Snyder is a great shout. I really like 300, Sucker Punch... Legends of the Guardian is one of those films that sneaked under the radar because it had a silly idea - HERO OWLS - but, in actuality, is excellent. Really excellent. I mean, not stone cold classic excellent, but still, enough to give me a soft spot for him. Watchmen is the exception, but I watched it very close to reading the graphic novel for the first time, and that was my mistake. I am going to give it another chance, distanced from having read the source novel, and see how it holds.

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RE: Soft Spot - 21/11/2012 11:31:54 AM

Whistler

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Zack Snyder could be one of mine too, although I really didn't take to Sucker Punch. Really didn't. But I'm a fan of everything else he's done, and I like the look of MoS so far.

Actor soft spot, probably Shia LaBufty. I know everyone hates him, and he may not be the greatest actor ever, but I've always found him really watchable and entertaining.

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RE: Soft Spot - 21/11/2012 12:02:44 PM

adambatman82

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

Yep, I'd go for Snyder too actually. I actually liked SP. I thought it was a major step up from Watchmen at least. Dawn Of The Dead is a legitimately great movie too.

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RE: Soft Spot - 21/11/2012 12:10:53 PM

UTB

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Another vote for Snyder, though I found SP to be utter bobbins. Loved Watchmen.

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RE: Soft Spot - 21/11/2012 12:13:24 PM

Harry Tuttle

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Another vote for Snyder here. His films are visually interesting enough that I can forgive any other shortcomings. I quite enjoyed SP and Watchmen.

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RE: Soft Spot - 21/11/2012 12:47:48 PM

OPEN YOUR EYES

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Dawn Of The Dead and 300 and that's where the buck stops for me concerning Snyder.

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RE: Soft Spot - 21/11/2012 12:55:13 PM

Tidus

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Can't believe the hate for watchmen, I've read the comic and I think the movie is insanely excellent and it was cast so perfectly.

Everything about it reeks of epic, I even love the ultimate cut version which clocks in at 3hr 35min. Fair enough I know some people don't like it but I think they should.

SP is a weird one, I need to watch it again it does have awesome bits though.

Any else think that 300 was kinda lame and awesome at the same time?

Is it bad to admit that I have all of his dvds so far? not the owl one but thats only because I didn't know it existed until a few weeks ago, but I will find it and buy it ready for MOS dvd release.

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RE: Soft Spot - 21/11/2012 1:05:42 PM

Russ Whitfield

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Paul WS Anderson really does deliver for me. I love (most) of his movies.

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RE: Soft Spot - 21/11/2012 1:44:08 PM

Tidus

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Russ Whitfield

Paul WS Anderson really does deliver for me. I love (most) of his movies.

Never heard of this guy but just imdb'd him and turns out I've seen most of his movies.
I haven't seen that Death Race 2000 remake and tbh I don't really want.
I mean I didn't want to when I knew Jason Statham was in it and I really don't want to after looking up some of the movies this guy has directed, if it comes on tv I might check it out i suppose.

"Shopping" does look interesting though I might check that one out.

Some of his movies can be fun if you're in the right mood though. :)

I personally love almost anything with Van Damme in, I watched Kickboxer the other night that is all kinds of epic

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RE: Soft Spot - 21/11/2012 1:48:37 PM

Russ Whitfield

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I'll watch anything with Seagal - or used to until he just started bringing out stuff from his TV show on DVD.

WS Anderson gets a bad rap because he had the poison challice of AvP. In retrospect, its not a bad film at all - considering all the hate directed at Prometheus...and that was from "the master" himself.

Also, as you've seen, he's behind the Resident Evil adaptations. Widely hated yet widly successful. For the record, I love 'em.

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RE: Soft Spot - 21/11/2012 1:51:47 PM

DONOVAN KURTWOOD

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I have a big soft spot for:

Renny Harlin
Michael Bay
Stephen Sommers

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RE: Soft Spot - 21/11/2012 1:58:36 PM

Tidus

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Russ Whitfield

WS Anderson gets a bad rap because he had the poison challice of AvP. In retrospect, its not a bad film at all - considering all the hate directed at Prometheus...and that was from "the master" himself.

I my opinion AvP is probably his best movie that I've seen, I rank it way higher than any of the Resident Evils.

Resident Evil does have Milla Jovavich though.....mmmmmm

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