Usually, the links we find at IMDB are uninspired, to say the least. But today, there was one we simply had to share with you: a list of the directors who crapped out in the 1980s. This is a brilliant idea and, quite frankly, one we wish we'd thought of days ago. Now, as can only been done when we feel outsmarted, we're going to leach off them.
It begins with the typical, "Were the 80s really that bad a time for filmmaking (it was), or was there some fine work being done by under-appreciated auteurs (there was) in between the Reagan-era shoot-em-ups?" Then, after a brief discussion of how the 70s are the "film school generation" and the 90s are the "videstore generation," we finally get to the list itself. It's extremely well-researched, comprehensive, and even insightful. Now, let's rip it apart.
1. John Hughes (Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science)
- The man invented the "teen film," so that either earns him praise or scorn, depending on your stance on the genre. Hughes was as expeditious as they came in the 80s, writing and directing seven films - all hits - and eventually gravitating toward more adult fare (Planes, Tranes & Automobiles) as the decade drew to a close. It's now been 16 years since his last directorial effort; it's safe to say he's peaked.
2. John Carpenter (Big Trouble in Little China, The Thing, Starman)
- You wouldn't know it now, but before Ghosts of Mars and Vampires were released, having John Carpenter's name preceding the film's title was a universal symbol of quality. Carpenter's slow fall from grace though, is just as much Hollywood's responsibility as it his. The more Carpenter films they remake, the further they drive the stake through his reputation.
3. David Cronenberg [Scanners, Dead Ringers, The Dead Zone)
- We call bullshit. Spider and A History of Violence are our two favorite Cronenberg efforts.
4. Oliver Stone (Wall Street, Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July)
- Arguable. JFK, Nixon, and Natural Born Killers are all damn fine films, but he did direct Tom Cruise's best performance ever.
5. Woody Allen (Stardust Memories, Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors)
- Bullshit, again. Annie Hall was released in the 70s.
6. Rob Reiner (This is Spinal Tap, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride)
- Questionable, because, like Hughes, he's never done anything of merit outside the 80s. And Stand By Me and The Princess Bride owe more to their source material than to the direction.
7. Lawrence Kasdan (Body Heat, The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist)
- Kasdan managed to direct Geena Davis to an Oscar, which in and of itself is impressive, but like Hughes and Reiner, Kasdan only had a short window of success. Also, his influence as a screenwriter (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back), far outweighs his brief directorial moment in the sun.
8. Barry Levinson (Diner, Good Morning Vietnam, Rain Man)
- Another questionable choice, if only because Levinson was more prolific in the 80s does that outweigh his 90s ouvere of Bugsy and Wag the Dog.
9. Richard Donner (The Toy, Lethal Weapon, Lethal Weapon 2)
- Seriously? Donner made both The Omen and Superman in the 70s. Lethal Weapon or no Lethal Weapon, he made his mark in the decade prior.
Okay, honestly, we have to level with you: this guy goes on for like six more directors. We just don't have the patience to keep going. But feel free to check out his selections and analysis and let us know what you think.
The 50 best films of 2007 (so far) [Times Online]
Directors who made it in the 80s [Daily Film Dose]
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