UPDATE: Entertainment Weekly's Top 50 Active Directors List Has Some Weird Rankings
Is this how your list would have turned out?
NOTE: This list has been updated from the previous version which only believed EW's list was made up of 25 directors and not 50. A commenter has pointed out there is a list of directors 50-26 and they have now been added to the list below.
Entertainment Weekly has put together a list of the 25 Greatest Active Film Directors and obviously many of the names on the list are qualified additions, but the order in which they are presented and the fact names such as Tim Burton, Judd Apatow, Sam Raimi, Zack Snyder and Jon Favreau are on there really takes away from the quality of the list in my opinion. I'm not even sure Del Toro would make a list of mine or Ron Howard for that matter. On top of that having Spielberg and Jackson at the number one and two spots is is just wrong.
Below is the list from Entertainment Weekly and then below that are a few names they should have perhaps considered as replacements.
- Steven Spielberg
- Peter Jackson
- Martin Scorsese
- Christopher Nolan
- Steven Soderbergh
- Ridley Scott
- Quentin Tarantino
- Michael Mann
- James Cameron
- Joel and Ethan Coen
- Guillermo del Toro
- David Fincher
- Tim Burton
- Judd Apatow
- Sam Raimi
- Zack Snyder
- Darren Aronofsky
- Danny Boyle
- Clint Eastwood
- Ron Howard
- Ang Lee
- Paul Thomas Anderson
- Paul Greengrass
- Pedro Almodóvar
- Jon Favreau
- Woody Allen
- Brad Bird
- David Cronenberg
- Sofia Coppola
- Bryan Singer
- Sam Mendes
- Mel Gibson
- The Wachowski Brothers
- J.J. Abrams
- Alfonso Cuaron
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Mike Leigh
- Oliver Stone
- Roman Polanski
- Spike Jonze
- Richard Linklater
- Spike Lee
- David Lynch
- Wong Kar-Wai
- Wes Anderson
- Mira Nair
- Andrew Stanton
- Michael Moore
- Mary Harron
- Sidney Lumet
I love how for Favreau they use Elf as evidence and using Frost/Nixon as evidence for Ron Howard is like luring a five-year-old with a lollipop. Dawn of the Dead and 300 as evidence for Snyder is laughable.
EDIT: So, as you can see from the update some of the names I originally listed in my "for your consideration" addition were simply considered lesser directors, which doesn't change much, but it means I have now removed the likes of Woody Allen, Brad Bird, David Cronenberg, Sam Mendes, Alfonso Cuaron, Hayao Miyazaki, Roman Polanski, Spike Jonze, Richard Linklater, Spike Lee, David Lynch, Wong Kar-Wai, Wes Anderson and Sidney Lumet from the list below leaving us with the following:
- Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
- Andrzej Wajda
- Gus Van Sant
- Joe Wright
- Jonathan Demme
- Lars Von Trier
- Michel Gondry
- Mike Nichols
- Park Chan Wook
- Stephen Frears
- Terrence Malick
- Terry Gilliam
- Werner Herzog
So, what do you think? It appears to me the biggest beef is with the placement now since they obviously considered many of the actual quality directors working.
A couple of other sites have already weighed in on the list with great reactions from JoBlo and FilmDrunk.
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Totally agree re: Jonze, Gondry, Von Trier, Gilliam, Mendes…
wheres francis ford coppola,and george lucas
I'm perfectly okay with Burton, but the others you mention? No way. I'd also scratch Jackson and Howard from the list as well. As for who should be taking their places, I'd nominate Cuaron, Lee, Miyazaki, Demme, Mallick and Cronenberg.
What's funny, though, is that every single person you mention in your alternate list is more worthy of inclusion than Apatow, Raimi, Snyder and Favreau. In fact, the only one you can barely make a case fo of that quartet is Raimi, and while I'm a huge fan of SPIDER-MAN 2 and A SIMPLE PLAN I can't really say anything on his resume (and, yes, I'm adore the giddy grotesque brilliance of EVIL DEAD 2 as much as anyone) screams "greatest living director."
@brain
they're stating the most " active " current directors, last time i checked coppola only directed what like 2 movies in the last 10 years or so..? besides, i think he's done enough to prove himself.. i'd rather see new talents come out of their shell.
Yes Brad as a matter of fact my list would look very similar. You really need to get the hell off of your high horse and stop acting like anything you don't agree with is crap because it doesn't match your opinion letter for letter. Contrary to your ridiculously-unwarrented ego you're not exactly considered the be-all-end-all of cinema opinions. Get over yourself.
Brad to malevolentmuse: You do realize you are now attempting to lord over me in the same fashion you claim I am lording over EW's list right?
I've noticed that Entertainment Weekly has developed a habit of churning out these lazy, meaningless lists in an attempt to generate as many page views as they can while delivering as little substance as they can.
Nearly any kid could have come up with this latest idiotic list. It's just a list of the most famous contemporary directors. And attempting to rank them is just a pointless exercise.
Hey I don't wanna bust anyone's bubble, but the list was a list of 50. Today they just announced the top 25, that was only part 2 of 2. I didn't check them all out but I know many of the ones you thought were missing are actually there.
http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20259527,00.html
I've seen worse lists on less interesting topics. On the EW list I would have 16 of there 25 in my top 25 so I fail to see the reason for "outrage" (significantly different order though)
Sure there are names that don’t belong on the list but there are guys I would put on my list that wouldn’t exactly line up with popular opinion (Kevin smith… just throwing that out there)
really to me the only glaring and painful omissions are Gondry and Allen who could easily remove Favs and Snyder (but given the success of recent project i.e. Be Kind rewind, The Science of Sleep and Scoop ect.) for those 2 guys i'm not sure i am really upset at all witht the list as is
Also what exactly does it mean to be active?
A movie every year, 2, 3 cause that changes things quite a bit. My definite term would be 'having directed a film within the last 3-4 years and it having been released.’ That knocks some people from the list.
Rediculous list. No Lars Von Trier and Mike Haneke is just ludicrous, and considering Terry Gilliam just won an honorary Golden Globe surely that is merit enough for an inclusion? Let alone the fact that he's great.
All in all I have no problem with this list; especially compared with their top 100 list of films of the past ten years (they posted that a few months ago I think). I personally would like Cuaron to be higher, but since Children of Men didn't do too well financially, and a Harry Potter film is still a Harry Potter film, no matter how well it's made, so I can understand his lower ranking.
I agree with their top 4, and I'm still fine with Soderbergh at 5. I also would've liked Snyder and Favreau to be lower, if not off, and some of Brad's suggestions on it; but again, ah well.
I have a lot of problems with this list…not so much whose on there (although I'd love to see all of your snubs there in favor of people like Bryan Singer and Jon Favreau who, in my opinion have only made one good film), but the placement. Seriously, David Lynch at 44? Sidney Lumet at 50? — SIDNEY LUMET, the director of 12 Angry Men, Network, and Dog Day Afternoon under Zack Snyder, the director of Dawn of the Dead, 300 and Watchmen?? I really want to know their criteria for this..
1. Martin Scorsese (Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Departed)
2. Steven Spielberg (Jaws, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan)
3. Christopher Nolan (Memento, The Prestige, The Dark Knight)
4. David Fincher (Seven, Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
5. Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby)
6. Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood)
7. Ron Howard (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man)
8. Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler)
9. Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill Vol. I)
10. Joel and Ethan Coen (Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country For Old Men)
11. Michael Mann (Heat, The Insider, Collateral)
12. Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Revolutionary Road)
13. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel)
14. Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Majestic, The Green Mile)
15. Peter Jackson (LOTR Trilogy)
16. Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump, Cast Away)
17. Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator)
18. Oliver Stone (Platoon, Wall Street, JFK)
19. Tim Burton (Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish)
20. Ang Lee (Ice Storm, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain)
21. Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, United 93, The Bourne Ultimatum)
22. Edward Zwick (Glory, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond)
23. Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Slumdog Millionaire)
24. Alfonso Cuarón (Y tu mamá también, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men)
25. Woody Allen (Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, Match Point)
What's a crime is including Martin Scorsese on the list at all, especially at #3. He's a crap director.
@malevolentmuse:
Hey man,
If you dont like Brad why do you bother hitting this site? He is just stating his opinion much like you did. Grow up a little.
Glad to see Mann and Nolan made the top 10 both real underrated but luckly Nolan is getting some notice since The Dark Knight. But will Mann ever get any? I know hegot a nod for insider but come on let's give him a win it's well deserved
I don't put any of these people in any particular order, these are all certainly the best right now. Except get zack snyder off that damn list, especially from above aranofsky holy CRAP. Other than that, this is a pretty good list.
Somehow the expansion of the list makes it seem worse! Really JJ Abrams is the 34th best director working, that’s funny because he has only directed 2 MOVIES! One of which isn’t even out yet! It’s more than a little ridiculous. If this is even possible I feel like the bottom 25 is a much bigger CF than the top 25, by a wide margin. Also, I agree with Chris C we definitely need the criteria for making the list, because if box office is a main credential (and box office predictions in some cases like Snyder) were a factor then I kind of see where the list lives in relation to 'our lists' and by our I mean slightly opinionated movie nerds!
To me this list's stupidity equates to that of calling Zack Snyder a visionary. Not that there aren't some brilliant directors on there but Ridley Scott and Steven Spielberg's best work is behind them and as 'active' as they might be, they are much more representative of cinema 30 years ago. And that's just 2 examples i picked. A stale list.
These 2 directors should be up there…
Alexander Sokurov
Abbas Kiarostami
Brad, are you serious about disliking Tim Burton's name on the list?
Looks like Snyder should keep churning out the graphic novel adaptations, because that somehow puts him above the gods that are Eastwood, PT Anderson, Boyle and Almodavar, to name a few below him. "Watchmen" hype overcomes sense once again. Thanks fanboys.
@JM: Please go out to your local Blockbuster and rent: Mean Streets, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino, The Aviator & The Departed, then get your head out of your ass, wipe off all of the shit (including the stuff between your ears), come back when you have something worth printing.
Anyways. I'm not a big fan of this list. I mean, my God, 50 Directors? I think they should have stuck to the Top 10 (ranked in any kind of order):
Stephen Spielberg
Sam Mendes
P.T. Anderson
Wes Anderson
Joel & Ethan Coen
Peter Jackson
Marty (that's Mr. Scorsese to you, JM)
QT
Paul Greengrass
Darren Aronovsky
You know what? Trash that. I can't list only 10. I'd have to leave off too many Cuaron, Guillermo del Toro, Stephen Soderberg, Peter Jackson
Oh, and since I know JM is going to respond with some cute and pithy retort. So, again: why even say that you like film or bother to respond to a blog regarding "Great Directors" if you can't even see the genius in one of Cinemas great living legends?
Next you'll be telling us that Peter O'Toole & Paul Newman were hacks? Oh and lemme guess, Lord of the Rings was shit too? 2 Guesses whats in your dvd player: Twilight or…….Planet of the Apes (the Tim Burton version).
@JM: "Ain't life grand?"
(All will be forgiven if you can tell me what film that quote is from)
1.Martin Scorsese
2.Mel Gibson
3.Christopher Nolan
4.Clint Eastwood
5.Ron Howard
6.Alex Proyas
7.Steven Spielberg
8.James Cameron
9.Peter Weir
10.Zack Snyder
WTF? how can judd apatow be above PT Anderson, or even in the list for that matter? Why is david lynch so far down? and why isnt Terrance Malick even in the list?
Aw and its an embarresmant that J.J. Abrahms was even considered for this list
Names, good. Rankings? Not so much.
Here are my top 6 favorite active directors. Why top 6? Because top 5 was too small and I couldn't be bothered to make a top 10.
1. MARTIN SCORSESE!
2. Quentin Tarantino
3. The Coen Brothers
4. David Fincher
5. Danny Boyle*
6. Christopher Nolan
*Initially, I would've switched Boyle's and Nolan's positions, but Slumdog was one of the best directed films I've ever seen. The editing, the music, the acting, and cinematography, the script… they all flowed together so nicely and effectively that the only explanation is a top-notch director.
Tim Burton should be on the list. Snyder, Raimi and Jon Favreau… no way in hell! Having said that it's ridiculous to make such a list with a ranking – it's impossible to decide. Spiellberg nr. 1 and Lumet nr. 50…? Both great filmmakers but honestly, come on…! And where is Lars von Trier? One the greatest directors of all time!!! (Not to mention David Lynch and Tarkovskij… and a whole bunch of other filmmakers). So my point is, don't take these lists too serious. They shouldn't rank the names and they should not only include 50 persons.
(And they certainly shouldn't include Raimi, Snyder and Favreau, Brad Bird and the list goes on…)
Why you american hate european directors?
italy and france are countries of great directors
tornatore, bertolucci, salvatores, moretti, bellocchio, benigni, garrone, sorrentino
jeunet, chabrol, rohmer, godard,cantet, kechiche,desplechin,resnais, rivette
asian directors?where are them?
zhang yimou. kim ki duk, takeshi kitano, john woo, johnny to, tsui hark,
Where on earth is Stanley Kubrick?
I take it this is a list of living persons, only
if not, what about
Kubrick
Kazan
Hitchcock
Wilder
just to name a few
and c'mon, no MIKE NICHOLS?!
2 films in AFI's top 100 (The Graduate, …Virginia Woolf?)
not to mention 5 Oscar noms for the above two and Silkwood, Working Girl, The Birdcage
you people have missed alot of good directors
Francis Ford Coppola. Evidence: Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now and The Conversation
George Lucus. Evidence: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope,
American Graffiti and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Brian de Palma. Evidence: Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Scarface, Carlito's Way, The Untouchables, and Mission: Impossible.
Kathryn Bigelow. Evidence: Near Dark, Point Break and The Hurt Locker.
Chris Columbus. Evidence: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Mrs.Doubtfire, Home Alone, Stepmom and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Duncan Jones. Evidence: Moon
Richard Kelly. Evidence: Donnie Darko
Robert Zemeckis. Evidence: Back to the Future Trilogy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump, Cast Away and The Polar Express