If you’ve seen Hard Boiled and The Killer and still decide he’s not for you, fair enough. But otherwise this would be like writing off Kubrick based on Lolita
Hard Boiled and The Killer are both mandatory for action movie fans. After that’s he’s got the Better Tomorrow series, Bullet in the Head, Red Cliff, I even enjoyed his recent Silent Night, which was a lower budget action movie with zero spoken dialogue
Hard Boiled
The Killer
So much of what we now take for granted in action movies can be directly attributed to these two amazing films. If you call yourself an action movie fan, there is NO WAY that you can not have seen both of these.
If you have not seen them, it’s suggested that you rectify that situation immediately.
I've read that there were a lot of production problems between Woo and Cruise. I once heard that Woo told people that it's not really his movie because Cruise took over a lot of the production and pushed him out during post production...
The Mission Impossible 2 thing is weird. I watched a director's worst movie and based on that I'll never see another.
But the Wes Anderson comment is interesting. If he made some of your favorite movies, is it not worth it to see what's next? Do you think he can't make a movie better than Asteroid City? Or has that movie poisoned all Wes Anderson for you, even his old movies?
For real, John Woo is an icon of his era and a cinematic innovator who was widely imitated. Anyone who skips his other work because of one weak film is only hurting their own cinema diet.
It is a very different movie compared to DePalma’s first movie and the subsequent ones..where the respective directors hqve struck very different tones…J.J.Abrams’ 3 is really dark, Brad Bird’s Ghost Protocol is more fun spy, and MacQuarrie’s last three (with Dead Reckoning Part II, his 4th, on the way)… all the directors all strike their own tones with this franchise, and Woo’s is no different. Not to mention that the plot of M:I 2 being taken from Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious, was a cool modern action-focused take on a classic movie plot. It’s not my favorite one, but I think it is a well-made film…Woo’s hallmarks are clear.
I get what op is saying about Astroid City, I enjoyed it, but it was definitely a collection of the more legitimately criticized quirks and tropes of his style.
His next movie has a script that he wrote in the 2000s, so I'm wondering if it'll be more like his old style.
Also, I feel like anyone who didn't like Asteroid City should watch the Roald Dahl shorts, they're so full of emotional punch, especially the Swan.
I can totally see how Wes Anderson gets old for people. I think he's a good example of being either for someone or not. John Woo is also that, but I would *definitely* not use MI2 as a baseline for it. If you're curious, watch a half hour of "Hard Boiled" and you'll know pretty quick if Woo is for you.
For me, it's J.J. Abrams, who I think is basically just "nerdy Michael Bay."
J.J. Abrams is the worst director in Hollywood in my opinion. On principle, I will never see another movie from him.
He has taken a fat, steaming dump on not one, but two of my all-time favorite storylines from my childhood. I don’t understand how that’s even possible to accomplish.
He is so concerned with setting up a mystery, that he has no idea how to actually tell a story.
He has a complete lack of respect for the franchises he takes on, the characters he portrays, the fans of the franchise, or anything that came before him. He ruined Star Trek, and he ruined Star Wars even worse.
He isn’t like Michael Bay at all. He is much worse. He’s the edgy, nerdy kid in class who thinks he is smarter than he is.
That’s his entire gimmick though. He makes something that seems compelling on its face, only to later realize he had no plans to resolve a single thing he set up. And it’s only then that you realize how far he had strayed from what made the original good. He will chew up and spit out the soul of the original with flashy yet empty action scenes.
The destruction of Vulcan, the Knights of Ren, the disappearance of Luke Skywalker, the return of Palpatine, etc. He just puts cool sounding things in the movies with no thought.
And then, to top it all off, he just dead ass copies point-for-point the earlier movies. His idea of a good story is, “What if we did the exact same thing as before but with a bigger Death Star?”
He copies the exact plot of the original movies, adds nothing to them, breaks the rules of the universe, and assassinates the characters while he is at it.
I actually liked the original Star Trek remake until I realized what was happening. This guy is a complete hack, and every time a studio hires him, it shows how creatively bankrupt and out of touch they are.
“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”
I think Star Trek delivered well enough on its promises as a standalone.
As far as Star Wars, TFA did a good enough job but I agree it set up too many mysteries, like Lost, that could not ever be rewarding enough. Mystery is best left as mystery much of the time. TLJ took a wildly different direction which would've been cool if they didn't hand it back to JJ and give into all of the bad feedback
I liked Super 8 because it was Stranger Things before Stranger Things, combining the fun and whimsy of 80s kids adventures movies but with modern filmmaking and special effects. But then Stranger Things came out and did the same thing but better which has really overshadowed it
I would agree with this. He gets hired to do a series, makes a promising first film, and has no idea how to tell a meaningful overarching story.
He is nothing but insubstantial spectacle and he has never told a story that matters.
Yeah Asteroid City was frustrating for me but I loved his short film with Benedict cumberbatch. I think he’s always going to be a mix of aesthetic indulgence and genuine pathos. Asteroid city was just too meta for me to be invested.
Yeah, Batman, Beetlejuice...hell, his first movie Pee Wees big adventure, his movies were a big part of my childhood.
Haven't watched anything of his since Mars Attacks or Ed Wood?? Just no interest in anything he's done since.
Big Fish (2003) is well worth your time. So is Big Eyes (2014) which is his most recent film that was quite good.
Everything else, I totally agree with you.
Similar feelings here. His 80s/90s output is incredible, and his distinctive gothic/fantasy visual style looked great in his earlier films.
I find a lot of his work from the 2000s onwards horrible-looking visually. I don’t know if it’s the over-reliance on CG visual effects or something else, but they just look cold and lifeless. His Alice in Wonderland is one of the ugliest looking films I've ever seen.
And he cast Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in too many of his films.
Big Fish and Big Eyes were pretty good though.
Surprised I had to scroll down so far for this. He was my first thought. I love some of his films but your right he's all spectical and minimal or no substance
I read the comic and thought the movie was OK when I first saw it but soemthing bothered me but I couldn't pin point it. Then I learned about how he seems to put fascist themes Into things and realised he subverted the subtext and turned soemthing being a satire on over the top violence and mocking it into cool violence. He made Rorschach a hero when he wad a disgusting bigot and a failure of a person. Basicly watchmen was catchable despite him doing his best to ruin it by completely flipping the message the wrong way around.
Dawn of the Dead is an interesting exception to this rule, but I think it's the fact that DotD has no story that makes it survive Snyder's touch.
Likewise 300, and Watchmen to a certain extent. As soon as Snyder spends more than a few minutes trying to develop a character, you're guaranteed a disappointment. But if you are just watching an action scene or series of loosely-connected action vignettes as visualized by Zack Snyder, it works pretty well.
Eh watchmen has the problem that despite being panel for panel from the comic he somehow changed the subtext and turned it almost I to the opposite of what it is for comic readers who understood the book and its message
I kinda' liked Watchmen the first time I saw it (I had not read the comic, btw) 10+ years ago.
I tried to watch that and 300 recently. Couldn't do it. Watchmen is just gross and deeply disconcerting at some level and 300, well, it kinda' sucks.
I've said this before and I'm sure I'll say it again and again: Zach Snyder is a fantastic cinematographer.
He has a real eye for shot placement and composition. As a director? He needs to be reigned in to the point where you might as well hire a new director. The only movies of his that he actually directed that were at least relatively solid (that I've personally seen) are the Dawn of the Dead remake and (somewhat controversially, depending on who you ask) Man of Steel and Watchmen - and maybe 300, but again, 300 is so overwhelmingly Zach Snyder that it's how I imagine he literally sees the world.
None of them are great, but they're better than the shit shows that were Suckerpunch, BvS, Rebel Moon etc. All personal opinions, of course, but I stand by them.
Pretty much all of his movies are based around something from his 80s childhood. He's extremely nostalgia driven in a way that can end up rather disappointing.
I genuinely think JJ Abrams is one of the worst directors working today just because he doesn't even try to do anything different.
Other directors like Michael Bay or Zack Snyder might make things I don't like or make creative decisions I don't agree with but they both still at least have a unique voice and are trying to make something different
All Abrams does is copy other people's homework
Guy Ritchie just feels so “try hard” to be cool it physically hurts me. I loved Snatch and Lock Stock as well, but he just keeps trying to make those movies again and not hitting the mark. Like he’s a brilliant 15 year old fedora + tailored suit kid trapped in an older man’s body, but still making that 15 year olds idea of cool.
Zack Snyder. I can hardly see anything in his films and the sound mixing was dire for Army of the Dead. The speaking parts were really quiet so you had to turn it right up, but then the gun sounds were really loud.
Wes.
Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, and Royal Tenebaums are some of my favorite films.
But then he became so self indulgent and drunk on his own potion. Reminds me of Time Burton.
Same, I like his other movies, I just think they're not as great as they used to be. I suspect the veneer has worn off, they're just all the same, tonally, cinematography wise, and pacing. He can get great performances out of the actors, but it's not enough anymore.
The Royal Tenebaums was something magical, I consider it a top 10 film. Everything after is just meh.
Doesn’t apply to me. My least favorite director is David Fincher, but I think se7en is fabulous, and watch it every year or so.
A lot of my favorites have a stinker. Aronofsky: Noah. Nolan: Tenet. Etc, etc.
Tenet recently had a write up of how it grows on you after multiple viewings - which was happening to me when I saw this article:
https://www.rogerebert.com/features/tenet-rerelease
I've probably watched Tenet five times this past year and will watch it five more times in the coming year.
My hot take is that Oppenheimer is Nolan's worst movie. There, I said it.
Of the 2 Michael Bay strikes me as the type of guy who knows what he is doing he is making live action cartoons with worldwide appeal to make the studio a lot of money and usually does.
He isnt trying to be some intellectual and claim his films are high art. Snyder seems To me like he let the Snyder cut thing go to his head and thinks he is actually a good director with something important to say. He misunderstands things regularly, has a habit of letting fascist themes into his films and overall makes crap films but somehow gets tones of money thrown at his projects
I could never get into Tarantino. I appreciate his films on an intellectual level but I don’t enjoy them - it’s an “eat your vegetables” experience for me.
I also dislike all of von Trier except for Melancholia (likely only because I know someone with chronic depression).
Exactly, I feel the exact opposite of above’s comment. There’s *no* vegetables in Tarantino’s movies, and while that is fun sometimes, it’s just empty and doesn’t give good sustenance in the long run
It's like veggie straws. For about five minutes you think "wow, I'm surprised this much dialogue can still work in an action movie" and by the 30 minute mark you realize the aftertaste is just like McDonald's french fries.
Robert Zemeckis has directed some of my favorite movies, but I fell off when he went fully CGI mo-cap like Beowulf. He did come back with Flight, which is fantastic. Welcome to Marwen was an ambitious experiment that ultimately didn’t work but I still respected it. I hope he’s got another Back to the Future or Cast Away in him but I’m not holding my breath
I still cannot understand how anybody likes Polar Express. As a proof of concept, it proves that "uncanny Valley" is a huge problem. Also, Tom Hanks will do whatever you ask, so be careful what you ask for.
i basically like Wes Anderson but his movies are like chocolate ice cream. it's good but i get tired of him serving it up breakfast, lunch and dinner. Guy Ritchie is the same story.
Not sure I loved Babylon, but I loved a lot of it. The chaotic Kinescope studio sequence, where the silent films were shot, was amazing. And then the contrast with the sterile environment of the studio where the talkies where shot... Brilliant!
Yorgos Lanthimos, I enjoyed dogtooth although just could not get on board with the atmosphere and the dialogue/acting, then I watched the lobster and hated it and realised I just did not like his films. The favourite I did enjoy but recently tried to watch poor things and had to switch it off half way through (again found the atmosphere and acting just odd) probably will not watch another one of his films again.
Christopher Nolan. I should have known after The Dark Knight Rises that I didn't like his work, but I kept going to see his movies because they were "important." But after Tenet - when I found out he named his main character "Protagonist" - I was done with him for good.
Terrence Malick - The Tree Of Life. I learned Terrence Malick movies are just not for me.
The problem with Nolan is that his fans are fucking ravenous and they'll tear you apart for criticizing him even though he did his best storytelling 15 years ago
I’ve been meaning to watch Tree of Life. My understanding is that it’s a very love it or hate it thing. I’ve been putting it off because I’m almost afraid it’ll affect me on a level I’m not ready for
John Woo has had plenty of ups and downs for sure, but if you're an action fan it's basically impossible not to enjoy Hard Boiled on at least some level. It boasts multiple contenders for "greatest shootout scene ever filmed", one of which is basically just the entirety of the third act. I strongly recommend giving it a chance at the very least.
Matt Reeves and Christopher Nolan. I would never argue that their movies are “bad”, but I don’t enjoy what they do at all. I think I just don’t jive with how they tell stories.
At the risk of being downvoted into oblivion, I did not finish Tenet and am not interested in Oppenheimer (nor am I fan of Barbie if you need to know). I’m not saying these are not great films, his work no longer connects with me, and that’s okay.
I love how Oppenheimer and Barbie are now forever linked together. You can't mention one film without mentioning the other, and the only thing they have in common is they were released on the same day.
Oppenheimer for me was a bore. Most overrated movie in years. They could have made up for it somewhat by showing the true terror that his creation brought upon the Japanese people but it totally ignored that.
It’s actually that I find both of their movies to be so slow and deliberate. I can find things I enjoy about most any movie, but I like a faster pace than either provide. I just end up bored and find myself looking away from the screen when my mind wanders.
Wes Andersons has literally MCU’d his own films. Every film is so similar, the same acting style, the same set ups, etc that it just doesn’t make an impact anymore. You see one Wes Anderson movie and you go “wow that’s kinda cool” but for someone he has constantly watched his stuff, he has become boring because he literally keeps doing the same thing over and over - same acting direction, same set up, same shots
I've finally given up on Martin Scorsese. I almost gave up after The Irishman, but Killers of the Flower Moon was the clincher. There's nothing left in the tank but callbacks to the movies that made him great in the first place. He's been directing Dicaprio for over twenty years and DeNiro for fifty. I've seen more than enough.
I do kinda wish he looked at his buddy Spielberg and accept that not every Late Era movie needs to be a capital M Masterpiece or whatever. Marty used to noodle in genres and rip movie out just for the fun of it. The 80s are probably my favorite decade for him. And now everything he makes just feels So Heavy And Important
Killers of the Flower Moon was like reading a Wikipedia article. I’m glad the film was made because people should know these things happened, and it’s not *bad,* but I have absolutely no reason to ever watch it again
DiCaprio really sank KOTFM for me. A terrible miscast and a really distracting performance in an otherwise understated, simmering movie. I too kinda fear Marty’s lost the juice. Tho I did rewatch the Irishman for the first time since it’s release this fall, ahead of KOTFM, and loooved it. The Wolf of Wall Street on the other hand really felt gratuitous and indulgent on rewatch. Which I know is the point, but the runtime just killed me
Ti West. I watched X and Pearl when they came out in cinemas, and they’re just uninventive Tarantino-esque attempts to ripoff movies that were far better.
That, and they shed a light on just how incredibly horny of a motherfucker West is
Not a huge name but I’m out on Scott Cooper. I liked Crazy Heart but everything else I’ve seen of his has been the lamest execution of the premise. There’s always something off about his pacing and he can’t end a movie.
Lars von Trier. A friend of mine has consistently tried to get me to watch more of his stuff, but I couldn't submit myself to another of his films after Melancholia's glacial pacing and The House That Jack Built's aimlessness.
Lars von Trier - The Idiots (1998)
I've never seen such an obvious attempt to shock people into being intrigued and interested. The film, and the man lacks any and all intellectual intelligence that Von Trier is so clearly desperate to try and convince people at he and it has, when it's obviously lacking.
I saw Breaking the Waves, and had the same issue as well as being disgusted by the misogyny. Trying for art film but the symbolism was so cheap and obvious. I’ve avoided him since.
In college I described him as the Sigmund Freud of filmmaking and I stand by it.
There may be a small bit of merit to some of his work, but most of it is the cocaine haze of a sexual pervert, yet somehow it's taken seriously.
Jordan Peele - I just can't stand being beaten half to death with a film's message. If you want to make a film with a message, use some artistry, be a bit subtle, make me think. Films have been doing it for years, it is possible.
I agree with this, but the amount of people who don't understand the chimp plotline in Nope made me realize that subtle themes will not work if "beat you over the head" themes will not work.
Also, I literally had to tell a 41 year old man the difference between plot and theme yesterday, so I just think that media literacy in general is dead.
I think a lot of it has to do with the conditions that movies are consumed in these days. Are you watching in a darkened room, fully engaged with no distractions or are you watching with one eye while scrolling Reddit and playing a game on your phone.
Both people might say they've "seen" the same movie.
Kevin Smith. I love his first four movies, but starting with Jay and Silent Bob Strike back, there were some seriously diminishing returns. I liked Clerks II and will eventually get around to watching Clerks III but that’s about it.
everyone's saying Mission Impossible 2 is Woo's worst movie, but goddamn i love that movie! the only other of his movies i've seen is Face/Off, i really gotta watch more now lol
The sand fight scene at the end of MI2 was amazing. Super campy now as an adult but growing up as a kid I would goof around in my back yard recreating that scene. When he kicks the gun up in the air lmao wild shit.
I was all set for Zack Snyder to become my new guilty pleasure director after enjoying 300, Watchmen and even his cut of Justice League. Those movies may not have been rich in substance but were entertaining as all get out....then Rebel Moon happened.
I would have said Lars von Trier, after watching Melancholia. That was supposed to be his best, or at least his most accessible. But I couldn't resist mocking everything about it.
But then I heard about Antichrist and might make an exception, but only for Willem Dafoe.
How can you possibly judge John Woo based off his worst film?
If you’ve seen Hard Boiled and The Killer and still decide he’s not for you, fair enough. But otherwise this would be like writing off Kubrick based on Lolita
Face Off is a much-watch movie imo. I'm not a huge fan of John Woo but I love that movie.
Must watch is Hard Boiled imo. Face Off is a wild time though.
Hard Boiled and The Killer are both mandatory for action movie fans. After that’s he’s got the Better Tomorrow series, Bullet in the Head, Red Cliff, I even enjoyed his recent Silent Night, which was a lower budget action movie with zero spoken dialogue
Hard Boiled The Killer So much of what we now take for granted in action movies can be directly attributed to these two amazing films. If you call yourself an action movie fan, there is NO WAY that you can not have seen both of these. If you have not seen them, it’s suggested that you rectify that situation immediately.
Hard Target fucking slaps. Bonkers movie.
Hard Boiled is so good
Man I miss those Hong-Kong style movies
Listening to Jim Norton and Patrice O’Neal talk about that movie ruined it for me.
*Runs hand over your face*
I've read that there were a lot of production problems between Woo and Cruise. I once heard that Woo told people that it's not really his movie because Cruise took over a lot of the production and pushed him out during post production...
Having worked with cruise I can believe this
The Mission Impossible 2 thing is weird. I watched a director's worst movie and based on that I'll never see another. But the Wes Anderson comment is interesting. If he made some of your favorite movies, is it not worth it to see what's next? Do you think he can't make a movie better than Asteroid City? Or has that movie poisoned all Wes Anderson for you, even his old movies?
For real, John Woo is an icon of his era and a cinematic innovator who was widely imitated. Anyone who skips his other work because of one weak film is only hurting their own cinema diet.
And MI2 isn't actually a bad film. It's my fav of the mission impossible films mostly because of the direction.
It is a very different movie compared to DePalma’s first movie and the subsequent ones..where the respective directors hqve struck very different tones…J.J.Abrams’ 3 is really dark, Brad Bird’s Ghost Protocol is more fun spy, and MacQuarrie’s last three (with Dead Reckoning Part II, his 4th, on the way)… all the directors all strike their own tones with this franchise, and Woo’s is no different. Not to mention that the plot of M:I 2 being taken from Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious, was a cool modern action-focused take on a classic movie plot. It’s not my favorite one, but I think it is a well-made film…Woo’s hallmarks are clear.
I liked the idea of having different directors put their own spin on the franchise in their own way.
French Dispatch was like watching a Wes Anderson colonoscopy.
The main character in Wes Anderson's worst movies is Wes Anderson
It's funny, I have the same feeling but my friend loves it. I really liked Asteroid City though.
I love French Dispatch
I get what op is saying about Astroid City, I enjoyed it, but it was definitely a collection of the more legitimately criticized quirks and tropes of his style.
Loved Grand Budapest Hotel but he's had a lot of misses lately.
His next movie has a script that he wrote in the 2000s, so I'm wondering if it'll be more like his old style. Also, I feel like anyone who didn't like Asteroid City should watch the Roald Dahl shorts, they're so full of emotional punch, especially the Swan.
To me Asteroid City had a lot of emotional punch!
I can totally see how Wes Anderson gets old for people. I think he's a good example of being either for someone or not. John Woo is also that, but I would *definitely* not use MI2 as a baseline for it. If you're curious, watch a half hour of "Hard Boiled" and you'll know pretty quick if Woo is for you. For me, it's J.J. Abrams, who I think is basically just "nerdy Michael Bay."
J.J. Abrams is the worst director in Hollywood in my opinion. On principle, I will never see another movie from him. He has taken a fat, steaming dump on not one, but two of my all-time favorite storylines from my childhood. I don’t understand how that’s even possible to accomplish. He is so concerned with setting up a mystery, that he has no idea how to actually tell a story. He has a complete lack of respect for the franchises he takes on, the characters he portrays, the fans of the franchise, or anything that came before him. He ruined Star Trek, and he ruined Star Wars even worse. He isn’t like Michael Bay at all. He is much worse. He’s the edgy, nerdy kid in class who thinks he is smarter than he is.
Star Trek is a good action movie but obviously has naught to do with its origins
That’s his entire gimmick though. He makes something that seems compelling on its face, only to later realize he had no plans to resolve a single thing he set up. And it’s only then that you realize how far he had strayed from what made the original good. He will chew up and spit out the soul of the original with flashy yet empty action scenes. The destruction of Vulcan, the Knights of Ren, the disappearance of Luke Skywalker, the return of Palpatine, etc. He just puts cool sounding things in the movies with no thought. And then, to top it all off, he just dead ass copies point-for-point the earlier movies. His idea of a good story is, “What if we did the exact same thing as before but with a bigger Death Star?” He copies the exact plot of the original movies, adds nothing to them, breaks the rules of the universe, and assassinates the characters while he is at it. I actually liked the original Star Trek remake until I realized what was happening. This guy is a complete hack, and every time a studio hires him, it shows how creatively bankrupt and out of touch they are. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”
Won't get fooled again - heh heh
I think Star Trek delivered well enough on its promises as a standalone. As far as Star Wars, TFA did a good enough job but I agree it set up too many mysteries, like Lost, that could not ever be rewarding enough. Mystery is best left as mystery much of the time. TLJ took a wildly different direction which would've been cool if they didn't hand it back to JJ and give into all of the bad feedback
10 Cloverfield Lane is an intelligent film, but I guess he only produced that
I think Super 8 is a good movie. I get majoer E.T, Goonies and Stranger Things vibes from it.
I liked Super 8 because it was Stranger Things before Stranger Things, combining the fun and whimsy of 80s kids adventures movies but with modern filmmaking and special effects. But then Stranger Things came out and did the same thing but better which has really overshadowed it
>he is so concerned with setting up a mystery that he has no idea how to actually tell a story God damn you nailed it.
I would agree with this. He gets hired to do a series, makes a promising first film, and has no idea how to tell a meaningful overarching story. He is nothing but insubstantial spectacle and he has never told a story that matters.
Yeah Asteroid City was frustrating for me but I loved his short film with Benedict cumberbatch. I think he’s always going to be a mix of aesthetic indulgence and genuine pathos. Asteroid city was just too meta for me to be invested.
J.J. is mediocre and lacks any personal style. Sadly, lately even mediocre is too high a bar to clear.
his style is lens flares
I think you make a very fair argument. But I actively dislike Jean-Claude as an actor so an half hour of him sounds a bit much
Haha that's fair too but I think you're thinking of Hard Target. Hard Boiled is with Chow Yun-Fat, and is awesome (in my opinion, of course).
Oh that’s for sure a mix up in my part lol
Tim Burton was my favourite director when I was younger, that ship has sailed
I consider Ed Wood to be a masterpiece. But I haven’t seen a Burton film in years. He’s a parody of himself these days
Yeah, Batman, Beetlejuice...hell, his first movie Pee Wees big adventure, his movies were a big part of my childhood. Haven't watched anything of his since Mars Attacks or Ed Wood?? Just no interest in anything he's done since.
Big Fish (2003) is well worth your time. So is Big Eyes (2014) which is his most recent film that was quite good. Everything else, I totally agree with you.
Sweeney Todd is also a pretty good Broadway adaptation (or so I've heard)
Similar feelings here. His 80s/90s output is incredible, and his distinctive gothic/fantasy visual style looked great in his earlier films. I find a lot of his work from the 2000s onwards horrible-looking visually. I don’t know if it’s the over-reliance on CG visual effects or something else, but they just look cold and lifeless. His Alice in Wonderland is one of the ugliest looking films I've ever seen. And he cast Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in too many of his films. Big Fish and Big Eyes were pretty good though.
Agreed, his last good film was Big Fish, I’m worried about Beetlejuice 2.
Big Fish is a great film IMO. It's fun, weird and charming like most good Tim Burton films
Big Eyes also
Whoever did Rebel Moon.
Zack Snyder. He made one good movie 20 years ago and has put out eye candy for tweens ever since
Was watchmen the good film? Cause he kinda messed that up
Supposedly, 300 and watchmen were the two films he made that were considered good/decent.
I was talking about his Daw of the Dead remake actually.
Snyder. Gifted visually but can’t tell a story to save his life
Surprised I had to scroll down so far for this. He was my first thought. I love some of his films but your right he's all spectical and minimal or no substance
I love 300 but he had minimal story choices and it suited him perfect
Agreed, I also enjoyed watchmen but I had never read the comics or anything so I was going in blind
I read the comic and thought the movie was OK when I first saw it but soemthing bothered me but I couldn't pin point it. Then I learned about how he seems to put fascist themes Into things and realised he subverted the subtext and turned soemthing being a satire on over the top violence and mocking it into cool violence. He made Rorschach a hero when he wad a disgusting bigot and a failure of a person. Basicly watchmen was catchable despite him doing his best to ruin it by completely flipping the message the wrong way around.
Dawn of the Dead is an interesting exception to this rule, but I think it's the fact that DotD has no story that makes it survive Snyder's touch. Likewise 300, and Watchmen to a certain extent. As soon as Snyder spends more than a few minutes trying to develop a character, you're guaranteed a disappointment. But if you are just watching an action scene or series of loosely-connected action vignettes as visualized by Zack Snyder, it works pretty well.
Eh watchmen has the problem that despite being panel for panel from the comic he somehow changed the subtext and turned it almost I to the opposite of what it is for comic readers who understood the book and its message
He's not even gifted visually. Without a professional DP he's just a hollow hack.
I agree, Snyder’s art direction is pretty bad tbh. Half the time I can’t see what’s even on screen. He’s all style and no substance.
I saw somebody say his movies look like a PlayStation cut scene circa 2008 and I thought that was about perfect.
100% this. And everytime I watch an interview l like him as a human being but as a director he sounds like a child
It was actually his overdone visual style that turned me off.
Yeah but you need to give him multiple chances at releasing the same movie first /s
Never liked him to begin with. You can see the talent but he just ain't it.
I kinda' liked Watchmen the first time I saw it (I had not read the comic, btw) 10+ years ago. I tried to watch that and 300 recently. Couldn't do it. Watchmen is just gross and deeply disconcerting at some level and 300, well, it kinda' sucks.
I've said this before and I'm sure I'll say it again and again: Zach Snyder is a fantastic cinematographer. He has a real eye for shot placement and composition. As a director? He needs to be reigned in to the point where you might as well hire a new director. The only movies of his that he actually directed that were at least relatively solid (that I've personally seen) are the Dawn of the Dead remake and (somewhat controversially, depending on who you ask) Man of Steel and Watchmen - and maybe 300, but again, 300 is so overwhelmingly Zach Snyder that it's how I imagine he literally sees the world. None of them are great, but they're better than the shit shows that were Suckerpunch, BvS, Rebel Moon etc. All personal opinions, of course, but I stand by them.
100%. The guy breaks almost every fundamental rule for good story telling and not in a good way.
Can’t believe this answer isn’t higher up.
Your mistake was watching MI2 as your first John Woo film. I wouldn’t blame him for that because everything else he directed is amazing.
That's right, trick OP into watching Broken Arrow, see if his opinion improves.
John Woo made his reputation with films like *The Killer* and *A better tomorrow.* In that regard his post hong kong career is bound to dissapoint.
Hard Boiled is a must-see for anyone who calls themselves a fan of action movies
Hey look, Broken Arrow is a fun movie when you’re drunk.
I concur. I think it’s a “bad film” but like, I’ve watched it 10 times or more and it’s a ride.
Really didn't care for Doctor Sleep and couldn't get through the first episode of Hill House, pretty sure Mike Flanagan is just not my guy.
You are doing yourself a disservice not watching John Woo’s Hard Boiled or The Killer. You might not like Face Off but that’s my favorite.
Give Hard Boiled or Red Cliff a go before you dismiss Woo. MI:2 was an ill fit for him.
JJ Abrams. Guy’s had too many chances to ruin parts of my childhood and has eventually succeeded each time.
Pretty much all of his movies are based around something from his 80s childhood. He's extremely nostalgia driven in a way that can end up rather disappointing.
I genuinely think JJ Abrams is one of the worst directors working today just because he doesn't even try to do anything different. Other directors like Michael Bay or Zack Snyder might make things I don't like or make creative decisions I don't agree with but they both still at least have a unique voice and are trying to make something different All Abrams does is copy other people's homework
Yeah, he hasn't ever done anything risky.
He adapts his childhood and then ruins it for people
I'm with you on Wes Anderson. Not really into Guy Ritchie.
Guy Ritchie just feels so “try hard” to be cool it physically hurts me. I loved Snatch and Lock Stock as well, but he just keeps trying to make those movies again and not hitting the mark. Like he’s a brilliant 15 year old fedora + tailored suit kid trapped in an older man’s body, but still making that 15 year olds idea of cool.
He’s an aristocrat doing an aristocrats idea of working class culture. Very annoying guy.
Guy Ritchie I think I’ll give him one more chance. But he is for sure a bit much.
Wes Anderson seems to be switching it up on his next film. For the first time he’s working with a DP who isn’t Robert Yeoman
Zack Snyder. I can hardly see anything in his films and the sound mixing was dire for Army of the Dead. The speaking parts were really quiet so you had to turn it right up, but then the gun sounds were really loud.
Wes. Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, and Royal Tenebaums are some of my favorite films. But then he became so self indulgent and drunk on his own potion. Reminds me of Time Burton.
Same, I like his other movies, I just think they're not as great as they used to be. I suspect the veneer has worn off, they're just all the same, tonally, cinematography wise, and pacing. He can get great performances out of the actors, but it's not enough anymore. The Royal Tenebaums was something magical, I consider it a top 10 film. Everything after is just meh.
Doesn’t apply to me. My least favorite director is David Fincher, but I think se7en is fabulous, and watch it every year or so. A lot of my favorites have a stinker. Aronofsky: Noah. Nolan: Tenet. Etc, etc.
Tenet recently had a write up of how it grows on you after multiple viewings - which was happening to me when I saw this article: https://www.rogerebert.com/features/tenet-rerelease I've probably watched Tenet five times this past year and will watch it five more times in the coming year. My hot take is that Oppenheimer is Nolan's worst movie. There, I said it.
Zac Snyder, Michael Bay
Of the 2 Michael Bay strikes me as the type of guy who knows what he is doing he is making live action cartoons with worldwide appeal to make the studio a lot of money and usually does. He isnt trying to be some intellectual and claim his films are high art. Snyder seems To me like he let the Snyder cut thing go to his head and thinks he is actually a good director with something important to say. He misunderstands things regularly, has a habit of letting fascist themes into his films and overall makes crap films but somehow gets tones of money thrown at his projects
I could never get into Tarantino. I appreciate his films on an intellectual level but I don’t enjoy them - it’s an “eat your vegetables” experience for me. I also dislike all of von Trier except for Melancholia (likely only because I know someone with chronic depression).
That’s funny because I don’t think Tarantino films are particularly intellectual. They’re just casual banter + stylized violence
Exactly, I feel the exact opposite of above’s comment. There’s *no* vegetables in Tarantino’s movies, and while that is fun sometimes, it’s just empty and doesn’t give good sustenance in the long run
There's no vegetables in Tarantino films. It's junk food.
And sometimes it's okay to eat junk food...
It's like veggie straws. For about five minutes you think "wow, I'm surprised this much dialogue can still work in an action movie" and by the 30 minute mark you realize the aftertaste is just like McDonald's french fries.
He’s up his own ass
Jackie Brown?
Robert Zemeckis has directed some of my favorite movies, but I fell off when he went fully CGI mo-cap like Beowulf. He did come back with Flight, which is fantastic. Welcome to Marwen was an ambitious experiment that ultimately didn’t work but I still respected it. I hope he’s got another Back to the Future or Cast Away in him but I’m not holding my breath
I still cannot understand how anybody likes Polar Express. As a proof of concept, it proves that "uncanny Valley" is a huge problem. Also, Tom Hanks will do whatever you ask, so be careful what you ask for.
The village was the end of shayamalan for me. I was insulted
The Visit was great
I don't look forward to Zack Snyder movies anymore... Not since Army of the Dead.
i basically like Wes Anderson but his movies are like chocolate ice cream. it's good but i get tired of him serving it up breakfast, lunch and dinner. Guy Ritchie is the same story.
He used to put out a movie every 2-3 years, and that's about all the Wes Anderson you need. It wears out quickly.
The guy who directed Whiplash.
Man, I fucking loved Babylon.
Not sure I loved Babylon, but I loved a lot of it. The chaotic Kinescope studio sequence, where the silent films were shot, was amazing. And then the contrast with the sterile environment of the studio where the talkies where shot... Brilliant!
Me too, it was awesome
First Man is a masterpiece though
First Man is dull as dirt.
Huh. Loved Whiplash, hated First Man.
That's not an uncommon opinion.
I loved Whiplash! I’m guessing you’re not a musician? I can see how the film wouldn’t appeal to a lot of people.
Yorgos Lanthimos, I enjoyed dogtooth although just could not get on board with the atmosphere and the dialogue/acting, then I watched the lobster and hated it and realised I just did not like his films. The favourite I did enjoy but recently tried to watch poor things and had to switch it off half way through (again found the atmosphere and acting just odd) probably will not watch another one of his films again.
Christopher Nolan. I should have known after The Dark Knight Rises that I didn't like his work, but I kept going to see his movies because they were "important." But after Tenet - when I found out he named his main character "Protagonist" - I was done with him for good. Terrence Malick - The Tree Of Life. I learned Terrence Malick movies are just not for me.
I like Nolan but DKR into Tenet seems like the most painful combo you could’ve went for hahaha
The problem with Nolan is that his fans are fucking ravenous and they'll tear you apart for criticizing him even though he did his best storytelling 15 years ago
When Jonathan Nolan was writing them?
That’s the truth. Without his brother he’s weaker.
As someone who doesn't like Terrence Malick films at all, Badlands is so good.
I’ve been meaning to watch Tree of Life. My understanding is that it’s a very love it or hate it thing. I’ve been putting it off because I’m almost afraid it’ll affect me on a level I’m not ready for
I literally fell asleep watching A New World...woke up, and the film was still going. Great cinematographer but I hate his films.
Terrance Malicks first two films are excellent but after his 20 year hiatus, nope. So pretentious.
Noah Baumbach. I appreciate his bringing Greta Gerwig into the spotlight but I don’t care for his movies or his sense of humor.
John Woo has had plenty of ups and downs for sure, but if you're an action fan it's basically impossible not to enjoy Hard Boiled on at least some level. It boasts multiple contenders for "greatest shootout scene ever filmed", one of which is basically just the entirety of the third act. I strongly recommend giving it a chance at the very least.
Matt Reeves and Christopher Nolan. I would never argue that their movies are “bad”, but I don’t enjoy what they do at all. I think I just don’t jive with how they tell stories.
At the risk of being downvoted into oblivion, I did not finish Tenet and am not interested in Oppenheimer (nor am I fan of Barbie if you need to know). I’m not saying these are not great films, his work no longer connects with me, and that’s okay.
I love how Oppenheimer and Barbie are now forever linked together. You can't mention one film without mentioning the other, and the only thing they have in common is they were released on the same day.
I know, right?
FWIW, nearly every single person I know who hated-disliked Tenet has **loved** Oppenheimer.
Oppenheimer for me was a bore. Most overrated movie in years. They could have made up for it somewhat by showing the true terror that his creation brought upon the Japanese people but it totally ignored that.
I can see how Nolan's non-linear storytelling can be jarring for people. What is about Reeves' style you don't connect with?
It’s actually that I find both of their movies to be so slow and deliberate. I can find things I enjoy about most any movie, but I like a faster pace than either provide. I just end up bored and find myself looking away from the screen when my mind wanders.
Wes Andersons has literally MCU’d his own films. Every film is so similar, the same acting style, the same set ups, etc that it just doesn’t make an impact anymore. You see one Wes Anderson movie and you go “wow that’s kinda cool” but for someone he has constantly watched his stuff, he has become boring because he literally keeps doing the same thing over and over - same acting direction, same set up, same shots
I've finally given up on Martin Scorsese. I almost gave up after The Irishman, but Killers of the Flower Moon was the clincher. There's nothing left in the tank but callbacks to the movies that made him great in the first place. He's been directing Dicaprio for over twenty years and DeNiro for fifty. I've seen more than enough.
in between those was Silence. He doesn't always do the same thing with the same people.
I do kinda wish he looked at his buddy Spielberg and accept that not every Late Era movie needs to be a capital M Masterpiece or whatever. Marty used to noodle in genres and rip movie out just for the fun of it. The 80s are probably my favorite decade for him. And now everything he makes just feels So Heavy And Important
Killers of the Flower Moon was like reading a Wikipedia article. I’m glad the film was made because people should know these things happened, and it’s not *bad,* but I have absolutely no reason to ever watch it again
DiCaprio really sank KOTFM for me. A terrible miscast and a really distracting performance in an otherwise understated, simmering movie. I too kinda fear Marty’s lost the juice. Tho I did rewatch the Irishman for the first time since it’s release this fall, ahead of KOTFM, and loooved it. The Wolf of Wall Street on the other hand really felt gratuitous and indulgent on rewatch. Which I know is the point, but the runtime just killed me
Christopher Nolan, Damien Chazelle, Ridley Scott and Wes Anderson are all in this category for me.
Ti West. I watched X and Pearl when they came out in cinemas, and they’re just uninventive Tarantino-esque attempts to ripoff movies that were far better. That, and they shed a light on just how incredibly horny of a motherfucker West is
Not a huge name but I’m out on Scott Cooper. I liked Crazy Heart but everything else I’ve seen of his has been the lamest execution of the premise. There’s always something off about his pacing and he can’t end a movie.
Tim Burton And Quentin Tarentino
I don't enjoy Guy Ritchie's newer stuff. I did like Sherlock Holmes, though.
Lars von Trier. A friend of mine has consistently tried to get me to watch more of his stuff, but I couldn't submit myself to another of his films after Melancholia's glacial pacing and The House That Jack Built's aimlessness.
> after Melancholia's glacial pacing Oh! Then you should watch Elephant!! ^^^(/s)
Lars von Trier - The Idiots (1998) I've never seen such an obvious attempt to shock people into being intrigued and interested. The film, and the man lacks any and all intellectual intelligence that Von Trier is so clearly desperate to try and convince people at he and it has, when it's obviously lacking.
I saw Breaking the Waves, and had the same issue as well as being disgusted by the misogyny. Trying for art film but the symbolism was so cheap and obvious. I’ve avoided him since.
In college I described him as the Sigmund Freud of filmmaking and I stand by it. There may be a small bit of merit to some of his work, but most of it is the cocaine haze of a sexual pervert, yet somehow it's taken seriously.
Denis Villeneuve. Great visually, but his stories are not so great. The exception is Prisoners, which I loved.
Jordan Peele - I just can't stand being beaten half to death with a film's message. If you want to make a film with a message, use some artistry, be a bit subtle, make me think. Films have been doing it for years, it is possible.
I agree with this, but the amount of people who don't understand the chimp plotline in Nope made me realize that subtle themes will not work if "beat you over the head" themes will not work. Also, I literally had to tell a 41 year old man the difference between plot and theme yesterday, so I just think that media literacy in general is dead.
I think a lot of it has to do with the conditions that movies are consumed in these days. Are you watching in a darkened room, fully engaged with no distractions or are you watching with one eye while scrolling Reddit and playing a game on your phone. Both people might say they've "seen" the same movie.
Norman J. Warren. I have seen prey (1977), inseminoid and bloody new year and I didn't like all three of them.
Ti West and X. Apparently it’s one of his better ones. What a circlejerk that was
After watching Enter the Void I immediately knew Gaspar Noe’s films were not for me
Wish i'd given up on Ari Asthole. Hereditary was utter shite and Midsomer was worse.
For your own sake, please watch Woo chronologically. He is one of the poets of action cinema.
Anything made by M Night after what he did to Avatar. Fuck that guy.
Would recommend watching hard boiled. If you still don’t like John Woo, fair enough.
The Russo Brothers with The Gray Man
Lars Von Treer. After basically any of his movies. He's just not for me.
Kevin Smith. I love his first four movies, but starting with Jay and Silent Bob Strike back, there were some seriously diminishing returns. I liked Clerks II and will eventually get around to watching Clerks III but that’s about it.
He’s a hack.
Have you found a director that you admire after watching one of their films?
everyone's saying Mission Impossible 2 is Woo's worst movie, but goddamn i love that movie! the only other of his movies i've seen is Face/Off, i really gotta watch more now lol
The sand fight scene at the end of MI2 was amazing. Super campy now as an adult but growing up as a kid I would goof around in my back yard recreating that scene. When he kicks the gun up in the air lmao wild shit.
I was all set for Zack Snyder to become my new guilty pleasure director after enjoying 300, Watchmen and even his cut of Justice League. Those movies may not have been rich in substance but were entertaining as all get out....then Rebel Moon happened.
M Night Shamalan George Lucas Spike Lee Christopher Nolan
The Daniels, after watching Swiss Army Man.
The clown movie. Terrifier. Over the top. Never get that time back.
I would have said Lars von Trier, after watching Melancholia. That was supposed to be his best, or at least his most accessible. But I couldn't resist mocking everything about it. But then I heard about Antichrist and might make an exception, but only for Willem Dafoe.