Directors You've Heard
Of
Here's
a list of more than a hundred film
directors you've heard of. Some are household names; most are at
least
well-known among movie buffs. This includes everyone from artists
to
bubblegum, both good and bad anywhere along that spectrum.
Use this list to guide your cinematic explorations. For example,
hone
in on specific directors to do a study of their body of work, or simply
use it to target your favorites and stay on the alert for upcoming
projects.
Caveats
The movies
listed are a representative sampling of mostly their
better-known works. I used the IMDb's suggested titles to save
time, and didn't always get to include my favorite films in the listing
without going out of my way. This isn't a "top films" list, just
a list of well-known directors. In some cases, listing the best
films would neglect well-known artistic failures, so please regard the
titles purely as memory jogs and nothing more.
The order of the films listed is neither
chronological (in most cases;
there are some instance where this happened to be the case) nor by any
ranking. Conversely, the directors are listed in alphabetical
order by first name, simply because that was easiest to automate when I
generated this list from many "best of" compilations.
The only exceptions are in the few teams of directors mentioned, all of
whom are siblings, so I just filed them under their last name.
Additionally, it should be noted that many
of these directors are also
noted screenwriters, and in made cases their scripts have been filmed
by other directors, so it is worth seeking those out as a comparison of
approaches on otherwise similar projects.
Finally, no actors-turned-directors.
There are plenty directors
who made their names as actors before using their clout to helm later
films. I'm not including many of them here. Many of the
directors below have appeared in front of the camera, usually in their
own films, but this is a list of people best remembered as filmmakers
rather than actors or even as writers. Clint Eastwood will
probably be equally remembered as a director and actor, but that's
about as close to this line as I was willing to go on this list.
Many of the "hot" directors of the day are excluded. I know
you're hearing a lot about them right now, but that's simply because
they're "hot." As with the actors-turned-director, I've tried to
stick to folks with an established body of work, not just a few
blockbusters.
Akira
Kurosawa
- Yôjinbô (1961), Seven Samurai (1954), Ran
(1985), Rashomon (1950)
Alan Parker - Evita (1996), Mississippi Burning (1988), Angela's
Ashes (1999), Pink Floyd The Wall (1982)
Alex Proyas - Dark City (1998), I, Robot (2004), Knowing (2009),
The Crow (1994)
Alfonso Cuarón - Gravity (2013), Children of Men (2006),
And Your Mother Too (2001), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
(2004)
Alfred Hitchcock - Psycho (1960), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo
(1958), North by Northwest (1959)
Andrei Tarkovsky - Solaris (1972), Stalker (1979), The
Sacrifice (1986)
Ang Lee - Life of Pi (2012),
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Brokeback Mountain (2005), Hulk
(2003)
Barry Levinson - Sleepers (1996), Toys (1992), Wag the Dog
(1997), Donnie Brasco (1997)
Barry Sonnenfeld - Men in Black (1997), Wild Wild West (1999),
Get Shorty (1995), The Addams Family (1991)
Baz Luhrmann - Moulin Rouge! (2001), The Great Gatsby (2013),
Australia (2008), Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Billy Wilder - Some Like It Hot (1959), Sunset Blvd. (1950), The
Apartment (1960), Double Indemnity (1944)
Blake Edwards - Victor Victoria (1982), S.O.B. (1981), 10
(1979), The Pink Panther (1963)
Brian De Palma - Scarface (1983), Mission: Impossible (1996),
The Untouchables (1987), Carlito's Way (1993), Carrie (1976)
Bryan Singer - The Usual Suspects (1995), X-Men 2 (2003), X-Men:
First Class (2011), Superman Returns (2006)
Charles Chaplin - Modern Times (1936), The Great Dictator
(1940), City Lights (1931), The Gold Rush (1925)
Chris Columbus - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001),
Bicentennial Man (1999), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Adventures in
Babysitting (1987)
Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight (2008), Inception (2010),
Memento (2000), The Prestige (2006)
Clive Barker - Lord of Illusions (1995), Nightbreed (1990),
Hellraiser (1987)
Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby (2004), Gran Torino (2008),
Unforgiven (1992)
The Cohen Brothers (Joel and
Ethan Coen) - No Country for Old Men (2007), True Grit (2010), The
Big Lebowski (1998), Fargo (1996)
Danny Boyle - Slumdog
Millionaire (2008), Trainspotting (1996), 127 Hours (2010), 28 Days
Later... (2002)
Dario Argento - Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), Phenomena
(1985), Opera (1987), Suspiria (1977)
Darren Aronofsky - Requiem for a Dream (2000), Pi (1998), The
Fountain (2006), Black Swan (2010)
David Cronenberg - The Fly (1986), eXistenZ (1999), Eastern
Promises (2007), A History of Violence (2005), Naked Lunch (1991),
Videodrome (1983)
David Fincher - Fight Club (1999), Se7en (1995), The Social
Network (2010), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
David Lean - Lawrence of Arabia (1962), The Bridge on the River
Kwai (1957), A Passage to India (1984), Doctor Zhivago (1965)
David Lynch - Mulholland Drive (2001), Twin Peaks: Fire Walk
with Me (1992), The Elephant Man (1980), Blue Velvet (1986), Eraserhead
(1977), Dune (1984)
Edgar Wright - Shaun of the Dead (2004), Scott Pilgrim vs. the
World (2010), Hot Fuzz (2007), The World's End (2013)
Ed Wood - Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959), Jail Bait (1954),
Bride of the Monster (1955), Glen or Glenda (1953)
Eli Roth - Grindhouse (2007), Cabin Fever (2002), Hostel (2005),
Hostel: Part II (2007)
Elia Kazan - On the Waterfront (1954), A Streetcar Named Desire
(1951), East of Eden (1955), Gentleman's Agreement (1947)
The Farrelly Brothers (Bobby and Peter Farrelly) - There's
Something About Mary (1998), Me, Myself & Irene (2000), Dumb &
Dumber (1994), Kingpin (1996)
Federico Fellini - 8½ (1963), La Dolce Vita (1960),
Amarcord (1973), Juliet of the Spirits (1965)
Francis Ford Coppola - The Godfather: Part II (1974), The
Godfather (1972), Apocalypse Now (1979), The Godfather: Part III (1990)
Franco Zeffirelli - Hamlet (1990), The Champ (1979), Romeo and
Juliet (1968), The Taming of the Shrew (1967)
François Truffaut - The 400 Blows (1959), The Last Metro
(1980), Jules and Jim (1962), Shoot the Pianist (1960)
Frank Capra - It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Mr. Smith Goes to
Washington (1939), It Happened One Night (1934), Arsenic and Old Lace
(1944)
Frank Darabont - The Shawshank Redemption (1994), The Green Mile
(1999), The Mist (2007)
Fritz Lang - M (1931), Metropolis (1927), Fury (1936)
Garry Marshall - Pretty Woman (1990), Beaches (1988), Overboard
(1987), The Flamingo Kid (1984)
George A. Romero - Night of the Living Dead (1968), Dawn of the
Dead (1978), Creepshow (1982)
George Lucas - Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977),
American Graffiti (1973), THX 1138 (1971)
George Miller - Lorenzo's Oil (1992), The Witches of Eastwick
(1987), Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981), Mad Max (1979)
Guillermo del Toro - Pan's Labyrinth (2006), Hellboy (2004),
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), Pacific Rim (2013)
Gus Van Sant - Good Will Hunting (1997), Milk (2008), Finding
Forrester (2000), My Own Private Idaho (1991)
Guy Ritchie - Snatch. (2000), Lock, Stock and Two Smoking
Barrels (1998), RocknRolla (2008), Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Harmony Korine - Spring Breakers (2012), Trash Humpers (2009),
Mister Lonely (2007), Gummo (1997)
Hayao Miyazaki - Spirited Away (2001), Princess Mononoke (1997),
Howl's Moving Castle (2004), Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
(1984)
Howard Hawks - The Big Sleep (1946), His Girl Friday (1940), Rio
Bravo (1959), Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Ingmar Bergman - The Seventh Seal (1957), Wild Strawberries
(1957), Persona (1966), Fanny and Alexander (1982)
JJ Abrams - Super 8 (2011), Mission: Impossible III (2006), Star
Wars: Episode VII (2015), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), Star Trek
(2009)
James Cameron - Aliens (1986), Titanic (1997), Avatar (2009),
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
James L. Brooks - Spanglish (2004), As Good as It Gets (1997),
Broadcast News (1987), Terms of Endearment (1983)
James Whale - Frankenstein (1931), The Invisible Man (1933),
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Jason Reitman - Up in the Air (2009), Thank You for Smoking
(2005), Juno (2007)
Jean-Luc Godard - Breathless (1960), Alphaville (1965)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet - Amélie (2001), The City of Lost
Children (1995), A Very Long Engagement (2004), Delicatessen (1991)
Jim Jarmusch - Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), Dead
Man (1995), Broken Flowers (2005), Down by Law (1986)
Joe Dante - Gremlins (1984), Small Soldiers (1998), Gremlins 2:
The New Batch (1990), Innerspace (1987), Explorers (1985), The Howling
(1981)
Joel Schumacher - The Phantom of the Opera (2004), Batman &
Robin (1997), The Lost Boys (1987), St. Elmo's Fire (1985)
John Carpenter - The Thing (1982), Halloween (1978), Escape from
L.A. (1996), Escape from New York (1981), They Live (1988)
John Cassavetes - Gloria (1980), The Killing of a Chinese Bookie
(1976), A Woman Under the Influence (1974), Faces (1968)
John Ford - The Searchers (1956), The Grapes of Wrath (1940),
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), Stagecoach (1939)
John Huston - Prizzi's Honor (1985), Annie (1982), The Night of
the Iguana (1964), Moulin Rouge (1952), The African Queen (1951), The
Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), The Maltese Falcon (1941)
John Landis - The Blues Brothers (1980), Twilight Zone: The
Movie (1983), An American Werewolf in London (1981), Coming to America
(1988)
John Lasseter - Cars (2006), Toy Story 2 (1999), A Bug's Life
(1998), Toy Story (1995)
John Waters - Pecker (1998), Cry-Baby (1990), Hairspray (1988),
Pink Flamingos (1972)
John Woo - Face/Off (1997), Red Cliff (2008), Mission:
Impossible II (2000), The Killer (1989)
Jon Favreau - Cowboys & Aliens (2011), Iron Man 2 (2010),
Iron Man (2008), Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005), Elf (2003)
Joseph L. Mankiewicz - All About Eve (1950), Cleopatra (1963),
Guys and Dolls (1955), The Barefoot Contessa (1954)
Joss Whedon - Much Ado About Nothing (2012), The Avengers
(2012), Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (TV Mini-Series) (3 episodes)
(2008), Serenity (2005)
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker (2008), Zero Dark Thirty
(2012), Point Break (1991), Strange Days (1995)
Ken Russell - Tommy (1975), Altered States (1980), The Lair of
the White Worm (1988), The Devils (1971)
Kevin Smith - Dogma (1999),
Clerks II (2006), Chasing Amy (1997), Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
Kenneth Branagh - Thor
(2011), Hamlet (1996), Frankenstein
(1994), Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Dead Again (1991), Henry V (1989)
Lasse Hallström - Chocolat (2000), What's Eating Gilbert
Grape (1993), The Cider House Rules (1999), Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)
Lawrence Kasdan - Grand Canyon (1991), The Accidental Tourist
(1988), The Big Chill (1983), Body Heat (1981)
Luc Besson - The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999), The
Fifth Element (1997), Léon: The Professional (1994), La Femme
Nikita (1990), The Big Blue (1988), Subway (1985)
M. Night Shyamalan - The Sixth Sense (1999), Signs (2002),
Unbreakable (2000), The Village (2004)
Martin Scorsese - Taxi Driver (1976), The King Of Comedy (1982),
After Hours (1985), Cape Fear (1991), Shutter Island (2010)
Mel Brooks - The Producers (2005), Spaceballs (1987), Blazing
Saddles (1974), History of the World: Part I (1981)
Michael Apted - The World Is Not Enough (1999), The Chronicles
of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010), Nell (1994), Gorillas
in the Mist (1988)
Michael Bay - Transformers (2007), Armageddon (1998), Pearl
Harbor (2001), The Rock (1996), Bad Boys (1995)
Michael Mann - Heat (1995), Public Enemies (2009), The Insider
(1999), The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
Michael Moore - Bowling for Columbine (2002), Sicko (2007),
Roger & Me (1989), Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
Michel Gondry - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Be
Kind Rewind (2008), The Science of Sleep (2006), The Green Hornet
(2011)
Michelangelo Antonioni - Blow-Up (1966), L'Avventura (1960), La
Notte (1961), Zabriskie Point (1970)
Milos Forman - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Amadeus
(1984), Man on the Moon (1999), The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)
Nora Ephron - Julie & Julia (2009), Bewitched (2005), You've
Got Mail (1998), Sleepless in Seattle (1995)
Oliver Stone - Platoon (1986), JFK (1991), Natural Born Killers
(1994), Any Given Sunday (1999)
Orson Welles - The Trial (1962), Touch of Evil (1958),
Confidential Report (1955), Macbeth (1948), Citizen Kane (1941)
Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood (2007), Magnolia
(1999), Boogie Nights (1997), The Master (2012), Punch Drunk Love (2002)
Paul Verhoeven - Total Recall (1990), Starship Troopers (1997),
RoboCop (1987), Basic Instinct (1992)
Pedro Almodóvar - Talk to Her (2002), Women on the Verge
of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), Volver (2006), The Skin I Live In (2011)
Penelope Spheeris - The Decline of Western Civilization (1981),
Black Sheep (1996), The Little Rascals (1994), The Beverly Hillbillies
(1993), Wayne's World (1992)
Peter Jackson - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the
Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Hobbit: An Unexpected
Journey (2012)
Quentin Tarantino - Pulp Fiction (1994), Reservoir Dogs (1992),
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
Richard Donner - Scrooged (1988), Lethal Weapon (1987), The
Goonies (1985), Ladyhawke (1985), The Toy (1982), Superman (1978), The
Omen (1976)
Richard Linklater - Before Sunset (2004), Before Midnight
(2013), Before Sunrise (1995), Dazed and Confused (1993)
Ridley Scott - Blade Runner (1982), Alien (1979), Prometheus
(2012), Hannibal (2001)
Rob Reiner - Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), A Few Good Men
(1992), Misery (1990), When Harry Met Sally... (1989), The Princess
Bride (1987), Stand by Me (1986), This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Rob Zombie - The Lords of Salem (2012), Halloween (2007), The
Devil's Rejects (2005), House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
Robert Altman - Gosford Park (2001), MASH (1970), Short Cuts
(1993), The Player (1992)
Robert Rodriguez - Sin City (2005), Grindhouse (2007), Planet
Terror (2007), Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
Robert Wise - The Sound of Music (1965), West Side Story (1961),
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), The Day the Earth Stood Still
(1951)
Robert Zemeckis - Flight (2012), Cast Away (2000), Contact
(1997), Forrest Gump (1994), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Back to
the Future (1985), Romancing the Stone (1984), Used Cars (1980)
Roger Corman - The Masque of the Red Death (1964), X: The Man
with the X-Ray Eyes (1963), The Raven (1963), The Little Shop of
Horrors (1960), Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)
Roland Emmerich - The Day After Tomorrow (2004), Independence
Day (1996), Godzilla (1998), 2012 (2009)
Roman Polanski - The Pianist (2002), Rosemary's Baby (1968),
Chinatown (1974)
Ron Howard - The Da Vinci Code (2006), Cinderella Man (2005), A
Beautiful Mind (2001), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Apollo 13
(1995), Far and Away (1992), Willow (1988), Cocoon (1985), Splash (1984)
Russ Meyer - Up! (1976), Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965),
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970), Cherry, Harry & Raquel!
(1970)
Sam Mendes - American Beauty (1999), Skyfall (2012), Road to
Perdition (2002), Revolutionary Road (2008)
Sam Peckinpah - The Wild Bunch (1969), Straw Dogs (1971), Bring
Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974), Convoy (1978)
Sam Raimi - Spider-Man (2000), The Evil Dead (1981), The Gift
(2000), A Simple Plan (1998), Army of Darkness (1992), Darkman (1990),
Evil Dead II (1987)
Sergio Leone - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), Once Upon
a Time in the West (1968), For a Few Dollars More (1965), A Fistful of
Dollars (1964)
Sidney Lumet - 12 Angry Men (1957), Dog Day Afternoon (1975),
Network (1976)
Sofia Coppola - Somewhere (2010), Lost in Translation (2003),
The Virgin Suicides (1999), Marie Antoinette (2006)
Spike Jonze - Her (2013), Where the Wild Things Are (2009),
Adaptation. (2002), Being John Malkovich (1999)
Spike Lee - Inside Man (2006), Malcolm X (1992), 25th Hour
(2002), Do the Right Thing (1989)
Stanley Kramer - Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), Guess Who's
Coming to Dinner (1967), It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963),
Inherit the Wind (1960)
Stanley Kubrick - A Clockwork Orange (1971), The Shining (1980),
Full Metal Jacket (1987), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Steven Soderbergh - Ocean's Eleven (2001), Traffic (2000), Erin
Brockovich (2000), Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)
Steven Spielberg - Saving Private Ryan (1998), Schindler's List
(1993), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), Catch Me If You Can
(2002), Jurassic Park (1993), The Color Purple (1985), Indiana Jones
and the Temple of Doom (1984), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982),
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Close Encounters of the Third Kind
(1977), Jaws (1975)
Stuart Gordon - Dagon (2001), Castle Freak (Video) (1995), From
Beyond (1986), Re-Animator (1985)
Sydney Pollack - Tootsie (1982), Out of Africa (1985), The Firm
(1993), The Interpreter (2005)
Terrence Malick - The Thin Red Line (1998), The Tree of Life
(2011), The New World (2005), Badlands (1973)
Terry Gilliam - Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Life of
Brian (1979), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Brazil (1985),
Twelve Monkeys (1995), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
Terry Jones - Erik the Viking (1989), Personal Services (1987),
The Meaning of Life (1983), Life of Brian (1979), Monty Python and the
Holy Grail (1975)
Tim Burton - Edward Scissorhands (1990), Corpse Bride (2005),
Batman Returns (1992), Ed Wood (1994)
Terence Fisher - The Curse Of Frankenstein (1957), Dracula
(1958), The Revenge Of Frankenstein (1959), The Mummy (1959), The
Brides Of Dracula (1960), The Devil Rides Out (1968)
Tobe Hooper - The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Poltergeist
(1982), Invaders from Mars (1986), Lifeforce (1985)
Tod Browning - Dracula (1931), Freaks (1932), The Unknown
(1927), London After Midnight (1927)
Todd Solondz - Happiness (1998), Welcome to the Dollhouse
(1995), Storytelling (2001), Palindromes (2004)
Tom Hooper - The King's Speech (2010), Les Misérables
(2012)
Tom Tykwer - Run Lola Run (1998), Cloud Atlas (2012), Perfume:
The Story of a Murderer (2006), Paris, je t'aime (2006)
Tony Scott - Domino (2005), Man on Fire (2004), Enemy of the
State (1998), Crimson Tide (1995), True Romance (1993), Top Gun (1986)
The Wachowskis (Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski) - The
Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), Cloud Atlas (2012), Bound
(1996)
Werner Herzog - Cave of
Forgotten Dreams (2010), Encounters at the End of the World (2007),
Grizzly Man (2005), Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Moonrise Kingdom
(2012), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Wes Craven - Scream (1996), The People Under the Stairs (1991),
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Swamp Thing (1982), The Hills Have
Eyes (1977), The Last House on the Left (1972)
William Castle - I Saw What You Did (1965), Mr. Sardonicus
(1961), 13 Ghosts (1960), The Tingler (1959), House on Haunted Hill
(1959)
William Friedkin - The Exorcist (1973), The French Connection
(1971), Killer Joe (2011), Rules of Engagement (2000)
Wim Wenders - Wings of Desire (1987), Buena Vista Social Club
(1999), Pina (2011), Until the End of the World (1991)
Wolfgang Petersen - Troy (2004), Das Boot (1981), The
NeverEnding Story (1984), Air Force One (1997)
Woody Allen - Annie Hall (1977), Midnight in Paris (2011), Sweet
and Lowdown (1999), Manhattan (1979)
Zack Snyder - 300 (2006), Sucker Punch (2011), Man of Steel
(2013), Watchmen (2009)
Are
there are well-known directors whose names I've missed? I'm sure
there are. I've pored over many lists of "top directors"
(including by genre) and even some "worst directors" lists, but there
are always ommissions. I'm sure I've failed to include even a few
obvious names. If so, please email
me.
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2014 Ale[x]plorer