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Friday, November 30, 2007

My Christmas List: Top 5 Directors Whose Movies I'll See No Matter What

Two years ago we here at Cinema Romantico reveled in the beloved holiday season by concocting cinematic related Christmas lists (our favorite movie openings, movie cameos, and movie characters). Last year for reasons unbeknownst to even our most sober staffers we failed to make even one Christmas list. But this year we won't forget and we encourage all 5.2 million of our loyal readers to make their own lists in answer to ours. Each Friday leading up to Christmas I will reveal a new Top 5 List and I'll begin today with the 5 Directors Whose Movies - whenever they're released, whatever they may be, regardless of content or critical reception -I Will See No Matter What.

1. Michael Mann. Duh. Even if this guy adapted most the impossible-to-read James Fenimore Cooper novel ever to be....oh, wait....let me try again. Even if this guy made a Jessica Simpson biopic with Jessica Simpson playing herself and doing all her own singing, I'd go see it.

2. Cameron Crowe. He made "Almost Famous" and "Jerry Maguire" and therefore he's earned what I call the Pass For Life. This is why I went to "Vanilla Sky" the night it opened and why I went to his next movie the night it opened after enduring "Vanilla Sky". (And for the record, I liked "Elizabethtown". I liked it a lot. And I don't care what you think of me.)


3. Quentin Tarantino. No explanation necessary.

4. Woody Allen. I just can't help it, okay? Sue me. His 70's work is beyond compare, his 80's work was strong and I loved just about all his films in the 90's ("Deconstructing Harry" left me cold) but even I will admit he's slipped this decade and yet because of those first 30 years I will be there in my movie theater seat at his newest one and that's just the way it is. (Suggestion: for his next movie that requires a Woody Surrogate he should cast Topher Grace.)

5. Sofia Coppola. Yes, she's only made three films but she has earned my implicit trust with those three. She's serious-minded and makes the movies she wants to make. The wine which bears her name may not knock off your proverbial socks (though it is mighty cool to say "I'll have a glass of the Sofia") but it matters not. I have no idea what she's making next and it doesn't matter. I'll be there.

4 comments:

Wretched Genius said...

1. Martin Scorcese
2. Quentin Tarantino
3. David Fincher
4. Michael Mann
5. Kevin Smith

I'd include Robert Rodriguez, but he occasionally makes really bad children's movies, and I avoid those like the plague.

And I'd also like to note that Woody Allen WAS a great director, but is not anymore. He's fallen into such a rut that when he makes a movie that is just barely decent ("Match Point"), it gets heralded as his return to form. Barring some kind of miracle, I will probably never watch one of his films again (meaning the new ones, of course).

Rory Larry said...

1. Martin Scorcese
2. Michael Mann
3. Quentin Tarantino
4. Steven Soderbergh
5. Terrence Malick

granted Malick has made only four movies and only two in my lifetime but "Thin Red Line" means he gets a pass.

Wretched Genius said...

Soderbergh is another name that almost made my list, but I can't stand his pretentious experimental films that he does between studio pictures. "Bubble" and "Full Frontal" were terrible.

Rory Larry said...

note the criterion of the list

"whenever they're released, whatever they may be, regardless of content or critical reception -I Will See No Matter What."

Yes I found "Bubble" to be terrible too but I still went and saw it didn't I.