Top 30 Directors of All Time: Part 3

20. David Lynch - He, Robert Altman, and Alfred Hitcock top by list of directors who never won an Oscar, and were completely robbed. Lynch is one of those underrated directors, whose cult classics have become a distinct part of our culture, and have left us thinking long after we left the movie theater. Some of these classics include Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, and The Elephant Man. His 1986 crime masterpiece, Blue Velvet is still to me, one of the pinnacles of movie greatness.

19. Sidney Lumet - When I mentioned directors who had never won an Oscar, I forgot to mention this film genius. His movies are truly American, representing the judicial process (12 Angry Men, The Verdict), crime (Dog Day Afternoon), and made us all scream , "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!" (Network). Some of his other classics such as Before the Devil Knows Your Dead, Murder on the Orient Express, The Pawnbroker, Prince of the City, and even The Wiz, all added to a signature collection only Sidney Lumet could have created.

18. John Huston - Not many can be one of the best actors and the best directors of all time like John Huston. Despite this, I always felt his directing was his greatest strength. From his first film, which is not considered one of the greatest movies of all the, The Maltese Falcon, to the great Western, The Treasure of Sierra Madre, to a plethora of signature American movies including Prizzi's Honor, Moulin Rouge, Moby Dick, The Asphalt Jungle, The Red Badge of Courage, The Man Who Would Be King, and Reflections in a Golden Eye, that all showcase the ability and depth of Houston.

17. Mike Nichols - With one line, "Mrs. Robinson, I think you're trying to seduce me...", Mike Nichols was forever cemented in cinematic history. Not only did he create one of the greatest movies of all time in The Graduate, but he created a collection of movies that truly showcased his talent as a director. Films such as Working Girl, Silkwood, Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf?, The Remains of the Day, Closer, and Charlie Wilson's War, all showcase why Nichols is an American legend, pure and simple.

16. George Lucas - While many would argue that he only had one or two really great films, and merely produced, wrote, or at least oversaw the other movies that have his signature on it, I would ask them to take a gander at the impact of those few movies. American Graffitti was an underated teen drama that showcased the right of passage from a teenager to an adult. But then there was that one moment in time, a moment that had such an impact on film that we will be feeling its effects long after Lucas is gone. Two words: Star Wars.