My Top Three Directors

[Fredric]

My top three directors are Welles, Huston (as you can see from my avatar), and Frankenheimer. Welles has this great resource "Wellesnet", so I decided that Huston and Frankenheimer each need one. Since there is absolutely no discussion going on about Frankenheimer anywhere, I decided to create a Yahoo Group for him here.

Based on the success of this, a Huston group will follow. I've got three whole people right now (including me), so if anyone wants to join, I'd be most appreciative.

Thanks.

[Welles Fan]

Have you seen Frankenhiemer's BMW film?

[Fredric]

Not yet. Do you have a link?

[Harvey Chartrand]

I consider Seconds to be the ultimate John Frankenheimer film.
Since you're really into Frankenheimer, you might enjoy "Anyone for Seconds?" at http://www.horror-wood.com/seconds.htm.

[Welles Fan]

Harvey: I could not get the link to work, but will try later. Seconds is one scary-ass creepy movie, though!

Frederic: you should be able to see Frankenheimer's Ambush by clicking here. Several of the BMW films are fun.

[TheMcGuffin]

I definatly second that. Of all the BMW films his was the best. I used it and Ronin as great inspirations for one of my student films, that along with Wellesian deep focus photography.

Rob

[Lance Morrison]

I guess my top two are Orson Welles and Werner Herzog.......though Bunuel, Renoir, Murnau, Godard, and a few others might creep in there too once I see more of their films

[Welles Fan]

I guess after Welles, I'd go with Ford and Hitchcock, and maybe Kurosawa. They're the ones I have the most videos of, anyway.

[TheMcGuffin]

For me, Welles, Hitchcock and a tie between Kurosawa and Wilder (who really deserves more attention that he gets).

Rob

[Cole]

Hey Lance - glad to see there’s another Buñuel fan on this web board. Was he the smartest madman that God ever created, or what? From what I can tell, along with Welles he had to be the most intelligent person who had anything to do with making movies. I wish someone as ambitious as Jeff or Fred would create a forum devoted to Buñuel. The world wide web needs one badly.

And incidentally, I’m drinking a Buñuel martini as I write. I’m dead serious. They make me grin – sort of like that picture of Grisby over on the left.

[Lance Morrison]

Cole, I agree....though Incidentally I have only seen "The Discreet Charm Of the Bourgeosie", but I loved it soooooooo much, I felt the same watching it how I felt watching Kane or Touch Of Evil---this is a person enjoying himself when it comes to making film....I have Viridiana ordered right now and cannot wait. We definately need a discussion board for him.

And I want one for Herzog too....maybe I'll make one..I love the man so much, have seen 5 of his films...

Anyon like Bergman too? have seen two of his...

Anyone into silents? F.W. Murnau I love to death, but only four of his films are easily findable...at least 5 others are not available or are destroyed and (perhaps his greatest) Sunrise can only be obtained when you purchase 3 movies from Fox Studio Classics, you cant just buy it....SIGH

I know i havnt seen a lot of films, but ive only been into classic and foreign and artistic films for a couple months or so

[colwood]

For me, I'd have to say my favorites are Welles, followed closely by Kurosawa and Chaplin.

[Harvey Chartrand]

Curtis Harrington is tops in my books.

[Welles Fan]

Lance: Back in the early days of the Bravo® Channel-their glory days in the early 80's, when they were subscription only and showed uncut films-they used to show something called the International film Festival. I got to see more Herzog than I cared for, and That Obscure Object of Desire (only Buñuel I've seen) and pretty much all of Bergman. I had a little trouble getting through The Silence, Winter Light and Cries and Whispers, but I really enjoyed everything else of his.

[Noel Shane]

Bravo used to be the best channel on television. I remember them showing quite a bit of Kurosawa at the time too. Truffaut. Others. TCM has no competition for the crown now. Incidentally, they'll be showing Bergman's lovely Smiles of a Summer Night Friday night/Saturday morning at 2:00am.

I chicken out at list-making (at the exclusion of so many favorites); or at least I'd be forced to come up with silly sub-lists like "favorite American directors", "favorite silent directors", etc., to take the sting out of it. Rating intelligence is still murkier territory (though the conversation should include the names Jean Renoir, Roberto Rossellini, Stanley Kubrick, just for starters, as well as those mentioned), even casually, if only because it's such an amorphous quality in the artist, not least the filmmaker (a somewhat amorphous category in itself).

But this is an interesting thread, seeing who a few of the Welles fans like on the side. I never would have guessed Frankenheimer.