State of the Race: Animated Feature

Yesterday, it was announced that one of the 16 potential animated films was deemed ineligible. This is significant because in this incredible year of animation, now we will most likely have only 3 nominees instead of 5 (maybe something out of nowhere will save the day!) So in terms of three nominations here are my current predictions:

Up

The Princess and the Frog

The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Maybes: Ponyo, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Coraline, Astro Boy, and Mary and Max.

Up I feel is a lock, at least for a nomination, and I think it is the best chance for an animated film to get nominated for Best Picture. The next two slots are tricky. I'll probably regret not including Ponyo considering the Academy's love of Hayao Miyazaki, but for now, I feel it may be swallowed up by bigger contenders. Coraline was an incredible movie, but it's early release date (Up has Pixar behind it, early release date means nothing) may really hurt its chances. Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs was a surprise critical favorite and box office hit, and it may be rewarded with a spot. However, I feel that the quirky Fantastic Mr. Fox (which has good early word), which has names like George Clooney and Meryl Streep behind it, could see itself in the finals. The final spot, in my opinion may go to The Princess and the Frog. Disney's return to classic animation combined with an old-fashioned story with a new twist, and chocked full of upbeat Randy Newman songs, might just be the perfect combination.

Those Who Didn't Make the Cut

I would like to start off saying...I personally apologize for the exlusion of Ingmar Bergman.

Now that that's out of the way, here is a short list of other potential directors that didn't make the cut....Maybe soon I will revise my list, tweak it, etc. But for now I wanted to recognize these directors for being finalists.

Ingmar Bergman
John Cassavetes
Joel and Ethan Coen
Roger Corman
Cameron Crowe
George Cukor
Michael Curtiz
Cecil B. De Mille
Jonathan Demme
Walt Disney
Howard Hawks
Ron Howard
Peter Jackson
Stanley Kramer
David Lean
Spike Lee
Jerry Lewis
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Michael Mann
Lewis Milestone
Mike Nichols
Alexander Payne
Tyler Perry
Sydney Pollack
Ridley Scott
Peter Weir
Sam Wood

Top 30 Directors of All Time: Part 7

1. Alfred Hitchcock - Was there really ever any question of who was going to be number 1? With most horror movies being considered absolute failures nowadays (This year Drag Me to Hell and Paranormal Activity were the exceptions), it makes us want to go back and be in the glory days of film, especially with the horror movies of Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock has many nicknames to his greatness such as, "British Master of Manipulative Terrors and Thrillers", "Master of Suspense", and "The Most Imitated Director of All Time". But for me, I'll go with the Tina Turner song, "[Simply] the Best". His classics include the greatest thriller/horror movie of all time, Psycho. No one, with the exception of Hitchcock, could have created such a widely popular, and psychotic character as Norman Bates, and none have ever since. Combined with that brilliant masterpiece, you have the greatest collection of films. These include: The Lodger, Blackmail, Murder!, Rich and Strange, The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Thirty-Nine Steps, Sabotage, Secret Agent, Young and Innocent, The Lady Vanishes, Jamaica Inn, Foreign Correspondent, Rebecca, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Suspicion, Saboteur, Shadow of a Doubt, Lifeboat, Spellbound, Notorious, The Paradine Case, Rope, Under Capricorn, Stage Fright, Strangers on a Train, I Confess, Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, The Trouble With Harry, To Catch a Thief, The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Wrong Man, Vertigo, North by Northwest, The Birds, Marnie, Torn Curtain, Topaz, Frenzy, and Family Plot. To put it simply, No one has done more for cinema and popular culture than Alfred Hitcock, and to think, he never won an Oscar....

Top 30 Directors of All Time: Part 6

4. Martin Scorsese - I know most people would not have put him this high of the list, so this is a personal favorite for me. I love Marty's movies. They are brutal, engaging, hard to watch, and go down like ice cream at the same time. He combines his signature style, which is engaging, and adapts it to the times. His gangster classics like GoodFellas, Casino, The Departed, The Color of Money, and Mean Streets show his Coppola-esque quality. Combine that with a horror (Cape Fear), religion (The Last Temptation of Christ), sports (Raging Bull), compelling dramas (Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore), and history (The Aviator, Gangs of New York), and you have a signature American collection.

3. Francis Ford Coppola - Speaking of the Coppola-esque quality, this is the man that transformed the gangster movie into the greatest film series in our history. In my opinion, no movie tops The Godfather, it is the center of movie perfection, and is the pinnacle of movie greatness. Not only that, it gives us the greatest performance of our time by the late, great Marlon Brando. Ok, so maybe I am going a little over the top here, but it is a great movie. Part II showcases the rare occurence where the sequel is actually incredible, and even Part III was better than most of the trash coming out. Throw in classics like Apocalypse Now, The Conversation, The Outsiders, The Rainmaker, Rumble Fish, and Dracula, and you see why he is "the Godfather" of movies.

2. Frank Capra - Probably the most popular American director, Frank Capra's movies were American classics that showcased great performances, incredible movie moments, and always left us feeling better about ourselves. Some of his collection was funny and romantic. Hits like Arsenic and Old Lace, Lady for a Day, It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, and You Can't Take It With You, were some of the first blockbuster comedies in America. Then, in my opinion, you have to include probably his two greatest films, starring the great Jimmy Stewart, being Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and the Christmas classic, It's a Wonderful Life. These to me, are some of the best movies you can possibly see. They are inspiring, heroic, and epic in the sense of pure joy. Capra was a legend.

Top 30 Directors of All Time: Part 5

7. Orson Welles - He is known for his uncompromising nature, his veracity, and his pure talent as an actor, writer, and director, and there is no one else quite like Orson Welles. His smaller, lesser known movies such as The Lady from Shanghai, The Magnificent Ambersons, The Trial, Macbeth, Othello, are all eceletic and show his pure talent and uncompromising nature. However, nothing in this list even compares to Citizen Kane, the American Film Institution's Number 1 movie (my personal # 2). It has been overtly studied, consistently watched, and constantly praised. It is considered the peak of movie greatness, and has cemented Welles' name in history.

6. Billy Wilder - With 21 Oscar nominations, and 6 wins (2 directing), no list is complete without his name on it. In my opinion, all the great comedic directors (Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Judd Apatow) all owe their careers to this brilliant man. His films like Some Like It Hot, The Fortune Cookie, The Apartment, Sabrina, Stalag 17, and Ball of Fire were absolutely hilarious. Don't think that he didn't have a dark side too. His classics like Sunset Boulevard, Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend, and Witness for the Prosecution were simply brilliant, and showcased the fact that this man was a chameleon with a gift for film.

5. Steven Spielberg - Some people just never grow up. Thank God for us that Steven Spielberg was one of those people. In modern film, no name has quite the prestigous or honored recognition as Steven Spielberg. He is the Michael Jordan of movies. He proves that horror, sci-fi, and a story about an alien that teaches us all a little something about life can not only be huge blockbusters, but also timeless films. Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the Indian Jones movies, E.T., Jaws, and the Jurassic Park movies, all prove that he is still a kid at heart. But no one has also done for for historical dramas than Steven as well. Munich, Saving Private Ryan, Amistad, Schindler's List, and Catch Me if You Can, all proved that he is capable of compelling, factual, and incredible drama.

Top 30 Directors of All Time: Part 4

10. Woody Allen - No one is quite as weird, or talented as Woody Allen, while his off-screen personal life has made our eyebrows raise, his genius behind the camera is enough to forget all about that other stuff. I know what your saying...he is more of a writer than a director. That may be true, but since he does double duty most of the time, you can't mention one without the other. Allen has always had a way to make us laugh, and his quirky character dissections are the stuff of legends. With films like Manhattan, Annie Hall, Mighty Aphrodite, Bullets Over Broadway, Vicky Christina Barcelona, Sweet and Lowdown, Deconstructing Harry, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Hannah and Her Sisters, and Match Point, and hopefull many more to come, Allen has given us a unique and undeniably-Woody collection.

9. Stanley Kubrick - If you think Woody Allen's weird, you have never seen a Stanley Kubrick film. He is first and foremost known for his science fiction dissections (A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dr. Strangelove) that went so much further than the average sci-fi romp, and made us truly question our own lives. They wer controversial, political, and brilliant. Many also forget his looks at history and war such as Full Metal Jacket, Barry Lyndon, Spartacus, and Paths of Glory, his mysteries like The Killing, and his horror classic The Shining. I don't think this man ever made a bad movie.

8. William Wyler - While this name may not be recognizable to many modern movie lovers, the films and stories he created may ring a bell. The epic, Ben-Hur, the horror of The Collector, the romantic Roman Holiday, The Heiress, and The Best Years of Our Lives, the western Friendly Persuasion, the mysterious Detective Story, the dramatic Mrs. Miniver, and of course The Little Foxes, The Letter, Dodsworth, and Wuthering Heights. His films are timeless, romantic, epic and eclectic. The man was nominated for 14 Oscars, winning 3, and is one of our finest directors. Period.

Top 30 Directors of All Time: Part 4

15. Mel Brooks - In terms of comedy, no one even slightly compares to the talent and raunchy-ness that is Mel Brooks. While his only Oscar win came as writer, he has never even been nominated as a director, a travesty that has caused a scar on the Academy. From his take on Westerns (Blazing Saddles), to his spoof on a classic (Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs), to his dissection of Broadway (The Producers), and finally to his "historical" takes (HIstory of the World Part I, Robin Hood Men in Tights), only a person made of stone can sit through his collection without peeing in your pants from laughter.

14. Charlie Chaplin - While many remember Chaplin as the greatest silent film actor of all time, many forget that he is also one of the greatest silent movie directors as well. In modern society there is never enough love and respect for the silent movie, and that is a true travesty. Chaplin transformed our modern culture. He was a pioneer, and his films (The Great Dictator, City Lights, etc.) were the beginning of popular cinema as we know it today. Thanks Charlie!

13. Robert Altman - The father of ensemble-driven movies, no one could pull together a large cast, and many diverging stories together quite like the great Robert Altman, although that hasn't stopped people from trying. His films have become a signature American art form, and he is on that list of directors who never one an Oscar (seriously if the Academy looked at their history, they would hide in shame). Nashville, Short Cuts, Godsford Park, The Player, and M*A*S*H, are all treasures, and only prove why Robert Altman will be missed so much.

12. D.W. Griffith - To most people, this name means absolutely nothing in modern pop culture. However, to those of us who are movie dorks, this is the man that started it all. With his first film in 1908, he was the pioneer of film. Then in 1915 his most famous and controversial work The Birth of a Nation, was released to much success. While its blatant racism makes my liberal skin crawl, I have looked past it, considered the time period, and realized that it was the first full-length blockbuster in film history, and that's gotta count for something.

11. John Ford - The man who toppled Orson Welles. In 1941, not only did Ford beat Welles for director, his movie, How Green Was My Valley, also beat out what is considered the greatest movie of all time (not by me, but whatever), to win Best Picture. That year aside, Ford created a lasting collection of movies ranging from westerns (Stagecoach, The Searchers), to powerful dramas (The Informer, The Quiet Man), and a variety of movies that contain his signature. Plus the man won 4 Best Directing Oscars, that's got to count for something.

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.

Top 30 Directors of All Time: Part 2

25. Robert Wise – This is name a lot of people might not recognize of the top of their head, but Robert Wise is one of the most gifted, and chameleon directors. His films stretch across so many genres its hard to count. He created sci-fi classics such as The Day the Earth Stood Still (the original), Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and The Andromeda Strain. Along with that come some interesting and underrated dramas such as Executive Suite and Born to Kill. To mainstream audiences though, he might be remembered as one of the fathers of movie musicals with his two Best Picture winning classics West Side Story and The Sound of Music. Either way, he is one to remember.

24. Clint Eastwood – For most of his life, he was known as the bad guy of movies, with his stints in such classics as Dirty Harry. While he has been directing movies since the 70’s it wasn’t until his 1992 Western classic Unforgiven, that Clint suddenly became a directing legend. Since then he has directed another Best Picture Winner, Million Dollar Baby, and two other nominees, Letters from Iwo Jima and Mystic River. His compelling, and very dark dramas have become a staple in modern cinema, and his upcoming Nelson Mandela pic with Morgan Freeman should be another classic to add to his collection.

23. Quentin Tarantino – One of my personal favorites, Tarantino is one of the most eclectic, outrageous, and brilliant directors in Hollywood today. His films are overdramatic, cheesy, violent, unnecessary gory, and, more importantly, purely Tarantino, and we love him for it. His hits such as Pulp Fiction, Reservoir dogs, and the Kill Bill movies have become cult classics, as well as box office draws, a combination so rarely seen today in modern cinema. Some of his other classics including Jackie Brown, From Dusk Till Dawn, Grindhouse, and the new Inglorious Basterds has only enhanced one of the most unique collections in Hollywood.

22. Elia Kazan – The man won two Oscars throughout his career, and I think I can safely say that they weren’t enough. While his name is not one that is thrown around a lot in modern conversations, his movies are. On the Waterfront, East of Eden, Gentlemen’s Agreement, A Streetcar Named Desire, America, America, Baby Doll, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and The Last Tycoon. Any of these ring a bell? From the looks of it Kazan had one of the most successful and acclaimed careers in the history of cinema.

21. Victor Fleming – In classic American cinema there are certain films that just stand above the rest. Such films as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Gone with the Wind, and The Wizard of Oz, are so synonymous with greatness that people tend to forget that one man was behind these classics. Starting from before the invention of sound in movies, Victor Fleming is considered a pioneer in the development of the modern motion picture. Not only did he create two of AFI’s top ten films of all time, but an enduring and passionate collection.

Top 30 Directors of All Time: Part 1

In the lull between end of summer/Emmy season, and the beginning of the fall/Oscar season, I decided to take on a similar project to the one I did early in the summer. This time I am naming my 30 favorite directors of all time. I hope you enjoy the list!

30. James Cameron – While it had been almost twelve years since he has made a major motion picture, we can all agree that we still have “My Heart Will Go On” ringing in our years. Not only did he create the highest grossing movie of all time, but he gave us an epic in Titanic, that has not been matched since. To the rest of the world this is his greatest accomplishment, but to those of us who love sci-fi movies, Cameron is genius and a legend. His creations including: Aliens, The Abyss, The Terminator, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day rank among the best in the industry. With Avatar coming up, we will soon see where his sci-fi streak can stay firmly intact.

29. Roman Polanski – While shunned from the United States, because of sex offender charges (and recently arrested), Roman Polanski has still managed to create some of the most interesting and infamous movies of our time. Way back in 1968 he brought us one of the most disturbing, and classic horror movies of our time in the form of Rosemary’s Baby. Since that time, he has become one of the most recognized directors in American cinema. His creations including the romantic Tess, the incomparable Chinatown, the underrated The Ninth Gate, and the film that gave him his Oscar, The Pianist. Through these works, we have seen a variety of portrayals that all have his signature style attached to them.

28. Wes Craven – While his inclusion on the list might make some laugh, everyone can agree that no one has done more for the horror industry, with the exception of Hitchcock of course, than Wes Craven. His movies have spawned sequels and remakes, including The Last House on The Left and The Hills Have Eyes. On top of that, his more recent efforts such as Scream, have not only given the genre a boost, but they have even made fun of themselves in an ironic, and stylish way. Other entries such as the underrated Red Eye, and the surprising Meryl Streep music-inspired Music of the Heart, have only added the mystery and range of Craven’s abilities. Love or hate him, you’ve gotta respect him.

27. Tim Burton – The fact that Tim Burton has never been nominated for an Oscar for directing is a shame only matched by the fact that Robert Altman never won one. Burton is so strange, and quirky that many people are turned off by his movies. But if you accept the mind-bending effects, and the psychedelic worlds of his mind, you can grow to appreciate his style, and talent, and realize that there is no one else like him. From his Batman movies, which are in their own right great movies, to his strange character dissections such as Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Beetlejuice, Big Fish, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, add a musical (Sweeney Todd), and you have collection so unique, even Burton himself would probably be surprised. Plus his upcoming Alice in Wonderland film looks incredibly cool.

26. Oliver Stone – While some can’t stand Stone for his ultra-liberal views on life, everyone can admit that there is something endearing about his vision and his movies. From his Presidential musings (JFK, Nixon, and W.), to his heartfelt military endeavors such has the Best Picture winning Platoon, and the Tom Cruise led Born on the Fourth of July, Stone has given us an endearing body of work, with his signature liberal style written all over it. I also personally like some of his more underrated films such as Any Given Sunday, Talk Radio, and World Trade Center.