The hosts of The Film Thugs podcast, Jim Dirkes and Clarkson Campbell, asked listeners to send in the names of directors, actors or film people who they had given up on. People they liked but just could no longer support. Here are my choices:
I'm an optimist. I really don't break-up with directors but their films do fall in priority. Below is a list of 10 directors who went from must see opening weekend to will see in the theater to maybe I'll catch it on video. If I do see their films theatrically it is because I'm sneaking in after seeing something else. They will not get my money. I've limited myself to guys currently working. Hopefully some if not all of these guys will rebound.
Woody Allen's straight is writing but for the past decade or so it seems that his work could use a few more revisions. His pace of one film a year is admirable but maybe every idea isn't film worthy. The past few films seem like excuses to hang with Scarlett Johansson (I don't blame the dude as I would probably do the same if I was in his position)
Frances Fords Coppela has earned the right to make his small, personal, arty films like "Youth Without Youth" and "Tetro" but I don't have to watch them. Still they have to be better than his studio paycheck grabbing dreck like "Jack."
Peter Jackson His films have evolved into self indulgent chaos. A "King Kong" remake where it takes over an hour to see the fucking ape!? "The Lovely Bones" may have been a great screen saver in the '90s but it doesn't work as a melodrama. What happened to the fat, be-speckled, bearded film geek that we all loved so much?
Kevin Smith After "Jersey Girl" spectacularly failed he ran back to the security blanket of Jay and Silent Bob. He seems completely uninterested in growing as a artist. This one is a real shame for me as Smith and I are the same age. "Clerks" was one of the films that inspired me to become a regular at my local art house and for my money "Dogma" was one of the best films of the '90s. Now he is content to smoke weed, record podcasts and play to his loyal Stepford fans.
M Night Shamalan "The Sixth Sense," "Unbreakable" and "Signs" signaled a significant run for any director. But then he seemed to lose his head up his ass. The twist in "the Village" seemed tacked on and killed the film for me. I enjoyed the fairy tale aspect of "Lady in the Water" but the fact that he cast himself as the author of a world saving book signaled an out of control ego. That has only grown in recent years and "The Last Airbender" was unwatchable wreckage.
Roland Emmerich Yes that Roland Emmerich. Now hear me out. He made some fun popcorn films. "Moon 44" was a good low budget, direct to VHS sci fi. "Universal Soldier" is a good late night filler and every time I run across "Independence Day" on cable I get sucked into it for 20 minutes. Even his "Godzilla" film is adequate so long as you don't think of the main creature as Godzilla and you don't watch the "Jurassic Park" romp in Madison Square Garden. But these films are the apex of cinema when compared to "10,000 B.C." and "2012" Both of these films kill brain cells faster than huffing paint.
Barry Levinson Another guy who started with a bang and is now limping along. "Diner," "The Natural," "Young Sherlock Holmes," "Tin Men" and "Rain Man" fuck those are some incredible films. It is unfathomable that the same man produced "Jimmy Hollywood," "Toys," "Sphere" and "Bandits."
Brian DePalma A late night airing of "Sisters" was one of the first movies to scare the shit out of me. True I was only 11 at the time but I avoided watching the film for years due to the memory. I'm not a "Scarface" fan (too cartoony for me to take serious) but the rest of the man's filmography is incredible. "Blow Out," "Dressed to Kill," "The Untouchables," "Obsession" Hell I even like "Raising Cain" and "The Bonfires of the Vanaties" is the kind of grand disaster only a genius could produce. But after the success of "Mission: Impossible" he's been in the shitter. "Snake /Eyes," "Mission to Mars" "Femme Fatle" "The Black Dahlia" not a single watchable film in the bunch. I haven't even bothered to see "Redacted"
Barry Sonenfeld After starting his career as the Coen Brothers cinematographer he directed amusing, stylish films before letting the abomination that "Wild Wild West" on the world. Since he's worked less releasing such bombs as "Big Trouble" and "Men in Black II" Now he's returning with the completely unneccessary third Men in Black. God help us.
Oliver Stone This one's a cheat since I just paid to see "Wall Street" Money Doesn't Sleep" but since Stone didn't write the script it seems like a paycheck movie for him. Stone's early career is incredible but after "Talk Radio" his personal agenda gets in the way of the storytelling. Tom Cruise gave a stirring performance in "Born on the Fourth of July" but Stone's visuals took me out of the film. The visuals work to add to the paranoia in "JFK" but I think "Natural Born Killers" is simply a well made piece of shit. Plus I'm still angry that I paid to see "Alexander" in the theater plus he has the balls to release three versions of this crapfeast on DVD including one that runs 3 1/2/hours. Who would want to sit through more of Angelina Jolie's Boris Badanov's accent and Colin Farrell's black hole of charisma lead performance.
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