All Right, Mr. DeMille, I'm Ready For My Close-Up ... It's The ILXOR's Top 101 Director Poll Results Thread

Re. Pabst: He was one of several names on my ballot whom I expected no one else to vote for. Westfront 1918 and Kameradschaft are coming from Criterion later this month. I don't exactly recommend A Modern Hero, but it pushes some of my buttons.

And 87 is WAY too low for Capra. The Miracle Woman alone is top-ten stuff.

Capra films are all super annoying. I guess he is a "great" director in the way people are good at sports

all of them, every one?

Yes

I can't speak to Capra's screwball (I loathe the genre) or human interest comedies, but all of the pre-codes and silents I've seen are prime material.

I'm not sure how The Miracle Woman is "annoying" (esp with the kind of performance Barbra Stanwyck's giving) but whatev

I can't really put myself into the mindset of loathing screwball so this is probably a lost cause, but, fwiw, IHON isn't nearly as madcap as something like Bringing Up Baby

I knew I’d find some other kindred soul who has a very limited amount of time for screwball

IHON and Twentieth Century leave me cold. And if Capra-hatas are going to deny themselves American Madness, that's their loss.

The Battle of Russia was almost screwball in its depiction of the absolute USSR beneficence towards its neighbours, pre-Barbarossa, but awesome propaganda movie. I almost felt like getting into a feight with Hitler myself after watching it quite drunk one night.

Looked for Miracle Woman on amazon and according to them, the bluray version of the film is It Could Happen To You with Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda.

I missed today's results (I was out seeing a movie) -- Chuck Jones was the only name that made it from my ballot. Though I wish I'd voted for Leone.

I've got four so far. I'm guessing about 2/3 of my 30 make the big list; I think my #1 will place, but I'm not sure. Considered Assayas, but too much of that vote would be concentrated in one film, Carlos.

Capra is screwball [sic] for people who don't like screwball; hence nowhere near my ballot.

I assume Sembene will be the only African filmmaker. *tsk tsk* And his stuff is not that hard to see.

Been busy and didn't encounter the ballot. I hope Tarr places. I suppose Tarkovsky is a given.

I would think quite high from Tarkovsky-related posts around here--somewhere between 5-10?

yeah and for sure in the top 20

I doubt Tarr will place

really? I hope he does

I think tarr has a shot

Not to be a tease, but some of the directors who landed in slots 102 thru 150 or so were shocking for ILX.

I suppose with only 30-something voters anything is possible and I shouldn't be disappointed, but Sátántangó, Werckmeister Harmonies, and The Turin Horse are three of the most amazing movies I've ever seen

I would call at least two of those amazing, sure -- but not nec great.

Eric - Scarface, 1st half. Probably seen it over 10 times easy. Used to be screened on TV quite a bit.

I will regret not voting if Tarkovsky doesn't make it. Top 5 for me.

I had drafted a shortlist but when I was under-familiar with ~ 2/3 of the nominations list I didn't feel well placed to vote. Maybe in a couple of years if I keep up my current film consumption.

there's no way Tarkovsky doesn't place but lately I've been pondering his ratedness - I think there's a big variation in how good his films are but nobody agrees on which are the great ones

long-winded way of saying last time I watched Stalker I felt a big agnostic also he's probably not best-suited to TV viewing

I very much agree here. The number of re-screenings that are happening actually lead to worship, v little critical engagement.

(a couple of cinemas in London have bored me with constant re-screenings of Stalker stop already)

calling HackPalma one of the 85 best is exceedingly generous, esp if John Frankenheimer doesn't appear.

Fair warning ... today's batch ends with the last two ties of the rundown.

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80. Spike Lee
(466 points; 6 votes)

I've meant to subject myself to a Spike joint retrospective, but I don't know if I'm up to sussing out what I dislike about his work.

Capra is screwball sic] for people who don't like screwball; hence nowhere near my ballot.

― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius)

This rings true. If you hate screwball comedy based on Capra, try Leo McCarey or some other director who made that genre sing. I love screwball, but It Happened One Night is not near any list of mine even if I limit it to top 100 30s Hollywood films. There's something conservative about Capra that shines through in all his movies even if it isn' made explicit. Stanwyck is my favorite actress so I'm conflicted - he have her some big roles that maybe made her a star, but I don't care much for those movies. Certainly not Meet John Doe. Pre-code he did some interesting stuff, 'Forbidden' is great, I probably need to rewatch others.

Spike's genius is in self-promotion. I still need to see the Katrina docs, which interest me more than the scripted films I've missed.

betcha Melvin van Peebles aint making it

Michael Gebert once wrote that by 1933 Barbara Stanwyck had already given three or four of the best sound performanes to date.

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79. Jan Švankmajer
(466.5 points; 7 votes)

his Alice was incredible. Although I haven't seen it since I was very young.

there's my cartoon guy

not well-versed enough in cinema to have any idea what will place, which makes this fun. the only svankmajer i've seen is lunacy which was ridiculous and fun and i'm somewhat surprised to see him here

Voted for him based on Alice (such a huge influence on me) and the box set of his short films which I went through last year and is almost all up to the same sort of standard.

if anything the more abstract shorts are my favourites

he's great; didn't vote for him

Ha, when we were talking about "cartoon ppl" upthread I completely forgot that Švankmajer could be considered a cartoon person. On my ballot, can't remember if he made the ranked section or not, complete genius obv.

everybody should see Conspirators of Pleasure, that's the long one where he really lets himself go the most

Everyone knows about Alice but my tip is to check out his Faust (and yes, the shorts are amazing). I haven't seen Conspirators of Pleasure, actually!

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78. John Cassavetes
(477.5 points; 6 votes)

oof too low, made my top 5 in the end

What's your take on Cassavetes?

Cassavetes this low also shocked me, acquired taste though he is.