Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

..and why not?
User avatar
Jimbly
Posts: 21957
Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 23:17
Location: ????

Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby Jimbly » 15 Sep 2017, 20:03

Bryan Singer made The Usual Suspects now makes X-Men movies.

The Wachowski brothers made Bound & The Matrix now make headlines in the media for nothing to do with films.

Richard Kelly made Donnie Dario then......

others?
So Long Kid, Take A Bow.

User avatar
Penk!
Midnight to Six Man
Posts: 35784
Joined: 07 Aug 2004, 20:12
Location: Stockholm

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby Penk! » 15 Sep 2017, 20:07

There's a film I love called Kontroll, the debut film from a Hungarian director called Nimrod Antal. It's a very unusual, offbeat black comedy about ticket inspectors on the Budapest underground, which uses the setting brilliantly and has a great sense of mood and character.

Antal proceeded to go to Hollywood and make something called Armored, a Predator sequel and a documentary about Metallica.

Oh well.
fange wrote:One of the things i really dislike in this life is people raising their voices in German.

User avatar
Matt Wilson
Psychedelic Cowpunk
Posts: 32516
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 20:18
Location: Edge of a continent

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby Matt Wilson » 15 Sep 2017, 22:43

William Friedkin and Peter Bogdanovich are my standard answers.

User avatar
Jimbly
Posts: 21957
Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 23:17
Location: ????

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby Jimbly » 15 Sep 2017, 23:23

Matt Wilson wrote:William Friedkin and Peter Bogdanovich are my standard answers.


good shouts.
So Long Kid, Take A Bow.

User avatar
Matt Wilson
Psychedelic Cowpunk
Posts: 32516
Joined: 16 Jul 2003, 20:18
Location: Edge of a continent

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby Matt Wilson » 15 Sep 2017, 23:34

When I watched Snatch again the other day I thought of Guy Ritchie. Not sure he was ever truly great to begin with and I haven't seen any of his films in years but he could probably fit the category as well.

User avatar
Jimbly
Posts: 21957
Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 23:17
Location: ????

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby Jimbly » 16 Sep 2017, 00:11

I thought of Ritchie as well, but he's just making the same film over and over again.
So Long Kid, Take A Bow.

User avatar
Snarfyguy
Dominated by the Obscure
Posts: 53502
Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 19:04
Location: New York

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby Snarfyguy » 16 Sep 2017, 06:03

Peter Weir. Boy did he go off the boil.
GoogaMooga wrote: The further away from home you go, the greater the risk of getting stuck there.

User avatar
toomanyhatz
Power-mad king of the WCC
Posts: 29992
Joined: 07 Apr 2005, 00:01
Location: Just east of where Charlie Parker went to do some relaxin'

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby toomanyhatz » 16 Sep 2017, 06:08

PENK wrote:There's a film I love called Kontroll, the debut film from a Hungarian director called Nimrod Antal. It's a very unusual, offbeat black comedy about ticket inspectors on the Budapest underground, which uses the setting brilliantly and has a great sense of mood and character.

Antal proceeded to go to Hollywood and make something called Armored, a Predator sequel and a documentary about Metallica.

Oh well.


The Metallica doc was great, though.
Footy wrote:
The Who / Jimi Hendrix Experience Saville Theatre, London Jan '67
. Got Jimi's autograph after the show and went on to see him several times that year


1959 1963 1965 1966 1974 1977 1978 1981 1988 2017* 2018 2020!! 2023?

User avatar
algroth
Posts: 5714
Joined: 04 Apr 2010, 03:12

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby algroth » 16 Sep 2017, 06:32

For both Singer and the Wachowskis I prefer their X-Men and post-Matrix work respectively, actually. For the latter case in particular, Speed Racer is highly creative and heads and shoulders above anything they'd done til that point or since.

User avatar
toomanyhatz
Power-mad king of the WCC
Posts: 29992
Joined: 07 Apr 2005, 00:01
Location: Just east of where Charlie Parker went to do some relaxin'

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby toomanyhatz » 16 Sep 2017, 06:54

toomanyhatz wrote:
PENK wrote:There's a film I love called Kontroll, the debut film from a Hungarian director called Nimrod Antal. It's a very unusual, offbeat black comedy about ticket inspectors on the Budapest underground, which uses the setting brilliantly and has a great sense of mood and character.

Antal proceeded to go to Hollywood and make something called Armored, a Predator sequel and a documentary about Metallica.

Oh well.


The Metallica doc was great, though.


Actually, scratch that. He didn't do the one I was thinking of.
Footy wrote:
The Who / Jimi Hendrix Experience Saville Theatre, London Jan '67
. Got Jimi's autograph after the show and went on to see him several times that year


1959 1963 1965 1966 1974 1977 1978 1981 1988 2017* 2018 2020!! 2023?

User avatar
Jimbly
Posts: 21957
Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 23:17
Location: ????

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby Jimbly » 16 Sep 2017, 07:50

algroth wrote:For both Singer and the Wachowskis I prefer their X-Men and post-Matrix work respectively, actually. For the latter case in particular, Speed Racer is highly creative and heads and shoulders above anything they'd done til that point or since.


Spèed Racer is headache inducing. All flash and nothing underneath.
So Long Kid, Take A Bow.

User avatar
Rayge
Posts: 15288
Joined: 14 Aug 2013, 11:37
Location: Zummerzet
Contact:

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby Rayge » 16 Sep 2017, 10:58

Clyde Gash wrote:Charles Laughton

Yep. That was the name I wanted to toss in.
Him and Brando
In timeless moments we live forever

You can't play a tune on an absolute

Negative Capability...when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact & reason”

User avatar
Rayge
Posts: 15288
Joined: 14 Aug 2013, 11:37
Location: Zummerzet
Contact:

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby Rayge » 16 Sep 2017, 10:59

If I really wanted to be pretentious, I'd put in von Stroheim, although that would basically be book larnin', not viewing
In timeless moments we live forever

You can't play a tune on an absolute

Negative Capability...when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact & reason”

User avatar
clive gash
wannabee enfant terrible
Posts: 17219
Joined: 29 Sep 2007, 00:32
Location: down the rabbit hole

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby clive gash » 16 Sep 2017, 11:09

Laughton, Friedkin, Bodganovich - each provided humanity with unperishable art.

Fucking potential! Why does everything need a report card? Must do better!
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.

Diamond Dog wrote:...it quite clearly hit the target with you and your nonce...

...a multitude of innuendo and hearsay...

...I'm producing facts here...

User avatar
The Modernist
2018 BCB Cup Champ!
Posts: 13843
Joined: 13 Apr 2014, 20:42

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby The Modernist » 16 Sep 2017, 11:24

Some great shouts so far.

Donald Cammell of Performance fame seems an obvious example.
Also I'd add Mathieu Kassovitz who hasn't done anything of note since La Haine.

User avatar
Rayge
Posts: 15288
Joined: 14 Aug 2013, 11:37
Location: Zummerzet
Contact:

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby Rayge » 16 Sep 2017, 12:35

neville from norwich wrote:Fucking potential! Why does everything need a report card? Must do better!


Fair point. OK I got nothing
In timeless moments we live forever

You can't play a tune on an absolute

Negative Capability...when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact & reason”

User avatar
joels344
Posts: 1304
Joined: 17 Dec 2016, 17:37
Location: Nashville, TN
Contact:

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby joels344 » 16 Sep 2017, 14:55

Bernardo Bertolucci. While he's directed some impressive films with great popularity i.e., Last Tango in Paris, and The Last Emperor, I feel The Conformist was his last and only masterpiece. That film showed much potential for him as a filmmaker. After that and some scattered success, he was sadly designated to making big budget flops, mediocre art films, one convoluted epic, and largely forgettable affairs. He could've been what followed for Italian cinema after Fellini and Antonioni, but that wasn't the case.
90s Cup Champion, The Prog Cup 2019 Champion

User avatar
Jimbly
Posts: 21957
Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 23:17
Location: ????

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby Jimbly » 16 Sep 2017, 17:59

The Modernist wrote:Some great shouts so far.

Donald Cammell of Performance fame seems an obvious example.
Also I'd add Mathieu Kassovitz who hasn't done anything of note since La Haine.



How much of Performance was down to Roeg, any idea?
So Long Kid, Take A Bow.

Brickyard Jack
Posts: 2340
Joined: 05 Jul 2017, 23:05

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby Brickyard Jack » 16 Sep 2017, 18:08

neville from norwich wrote:Laughton, Friedkin, Bodganovich - each provided humanity with unperishable art.

Fucking potential! Why does everything need a report card? Must do better!


Yes - surely Bogdanovich had done all he needed to with the last picture show.

Peter Weir was a good call.

User avatar
Davey the Fat Boy
Posts: 24007
Joined: 05 Jan 2006, 02:55
Location: Applebees

Re: Directors that didn't fulfil their potential

Postby Davey the Fat Boy » 16 Sep 2017, 18:16

Clyde Gash wrote:Charles Laughton


You could argue that he DID fulfill his potential in a single film. It's as great as anything. I'd say the same about Cimino...his great early films likely fulfilled any promise he could have been said to have.

The suggestion of Brando is a good one, as One-Eyed Jacks" is kind of an unfinished masterwork. He clearly didn't live up to his potential as a director.

Someone mentioned Guy Ritchie, but I'll toss in Michael Ritchie. His early films made you think that he might have a great one in him - but it never fully materialized.
“Remember I have said good things about benevolent despots before.” - Jimbo

Image


Return to “Screenadelica”