[General Discussion] Favorites (Actor/Actress, Director, Composer...) in Film and Television Productions

I am curious on whom the GFF population is partial to in the movie/TV entertainment industry? Not every individual gets the recognition that they deserve, early on or throughout their careers, while consistently proving their skill. On the other hand, others (e.g Ben Affleck, Owen Wilson, Keanu Reeves) seemingly get so much attention it is mind boggling.

Who are you fond of? and why? What movies and roles without question portray their amazing talent?, regardless of being overrated or underrated by the public. These are the type of individuals that will often be the deciding factor on whether or not you watch a movie or tv show.

Personally for me,

Actor

1. Tom Hanks
2. Kiefer Sutherland
3. Leonardo DiCaprio
on the bubble....Christoper Walken, Christian Bale, Denzel

-I have seen almost all of the works of Hank's, and Sutherland's and while they have been involved in some clunker movies, with Hanks early on, and a lot of Sutherlands, acting-wise both are stellar. For me Hanks started with Big, jumped to A League of their Own, and from then had stunning performances in Philadelphia, Forest Gump, Toy Story, Saving Private Ryan, The Green Mile, Cast Away, Road to Perdition, and Catch Me if You Can. His ability to portray so many different characters is unbelievable.


**If you can only see a few see the ones underlined.

- Sutherland has had more minor roles and been in shittier movies than Hanks, but nevertheless even in the bad ones he was not at fault. The Lost Boys, Freeway, Dark City, To End All Wars, and Phone Booth portray not only his ability, but are also great movies in their own right. Obviously, 24 is the best thing he has ever done, and portrays his best acting over six seasons.

Actress-wise, I don't really have one in particular. Helena Bonham Carter and Reese Witherspoon stands out in my mind, but I have not seen enough of their movies to really say such for sure.

Director

1. James Cameron (Terminator 1,2, Aliens, Titanic)
- Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down)
- Christopher Nolan (Memento, Batman Begins, The Prestige)
- Steven Speilberg

Composer (no favorite)
- James Newton Howard (Unbreakable, Signs, Batman Begins, Blood Diamond)
- James Horner (Titanic, Braveheart, A Beautiful Mind)
- Thomas Newman
- Michael Giacchino


Please don't list an individual on the basis of just one performance. And give some explanation as well to one of the categories (actor, director, composer) at least. If you want to discuss your favorite screenwriter or whatever, feel free too do that if you desire. Oh and criticize all you want of others...respectively.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Most of the people I like are dead now, but if you'll accept some dead people in the answer here goes:

Underrated actors:
1. Bruce Campbell (I dunno if you can call him an 'actor' but he's definitely underrated!) -- after his B-movie background, including all the crappy side parts he's accepted it's about time for another Army of Darkness or Bubba Ho-Tep. Can't wait to see My Name is Bruce. Also The Man with the Screaming Brain was a valiant effort on his part, although not the greatest. Also: he is the best part of all three Spider-Man films. I stopped watching Spider-Man 3 after his part as the pseudo-French maitre'd. And he's alive.
2. Paul Muni -- Star of a couple interesting pre-Code films like Scarface (1932) and I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang (1932), he was capable of all kinds of roles. He also starred in The Good Earth as the Chinese farmer Wang Lung in a time when Hollywood wasn't so PC.

Underrated Directors:
1. Robert Wise -- Died recently, but he was the master of a solid film. He started as editor on Citizen Kane, then worked his way up to director in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. He directed a few sci-fi films such as The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Andromeda Strain, and Star Trek: the Motion Picture, but he was also familiar with horror (The Haunting (1963)) and musicals (West Side Story and Sound of Music).
2. James Whale -- director of Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, and The Invisible Man. He was master of the Expressionist style throughout the 1930s imbuing the above horror films with deep shadows, interesting sets, and great depth. Also was director for several war films and an early version (maybe the definitive I'm not sure) of Show Boat.

Underrated Composers:
1. Miklos Rosza -- Composer of the scores for Ben Hur, Spellbound, Double Indemnity, and a personal favorite of mine: Time After Time.
2. John Morris -- his scores for Young Frankenstein, The Elephant Man, and Clue do not go unnoticed, but I think he should have a little more recognition. He also scored many other Mel Brooks films, not just YF. He scored Blazing Saddles, Silent Movie, and Spaceballs to name a few.
3. Although a little bit bigger than the above two: Max Steiner should be recognized as basically the one who made a musical score for a film a staple with his score for the original King Kong (1933). Other scores of his: Angels with Dirty Faces, Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, The Big Sleep, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and White Heat.
4. Lastly, and probably near the level of recognition that Max Steiner above has or should have: Franz Waxman -- composer of Bride of Frankenstein's score which was so popular that it was reused in the Flash Gordon serials. Also composed the scores to a couple Hitchcock films: Rebecca, Rear Window, and Suspicion.

Just a little addition:
Underrated movies:
1. Sleuth (1972) -- smart, witty dark comedy / thriller starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. Was remade last year into a film I did not see with Michael Caine in the reverse role.
2. The Asphyx (1973) -- smart little British horror film about what happens when man messes with eternal life. Low-budget and slow at times, the ending is worth it all. This is a film you would find on late-night television, but just doesn't quite fit.
3. The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) -- Vincent Price stars as a revenge thirsty mad doctor who blames the surgeons and nurses in the operating room when his wife died as the cause of her death. Although not graphic and gory, supposedly this film is a foundation point for the Saw series. Campy fun.
4. MAN BITES DOG (1992) -- the director of this unfortunately committed suicide recently so I guess he would contribute to the underrated dead people I have stated here, but his one major film Man Bites Dog is just wow. Mockumentary about a serial killer. CINEMA!!!!

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Yeah, dead or alive, it doesn't matter. Personally, seeing as I am quite young, I have only really dipped as far as the 1970's, but that probably will change. Good to know some individuals earlier than that, which are given recognition in the event that I or someone else does.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I'm no movie buff by far, but there are a few actors that can sometimes convince me to see a movie:

* Daniel Day Lewis: I haven't seen him in a lot of films, but in the ones I have seen, he's always played my favorite characters.
*Christopher Walken: the man is in everything, I swear. Even if you don't think he's there, he probably is. There's just something about his personality on and off the screen that I like.
* Joaquin Phoenix: I'm not a very good judge of 'good/bad' acting, but Phoenix seems to be a pretty convincing actor in the variety of roles I've seen him in.
* Jonathan Rhys Myers: Never mind the fact that he's gorgeous, I particularly love to see Myers in the role of the bad guy. He just looks so good doing it .

Very rarely, a film score will convince me to see a movie (ie: Signs). But these are my all-time favorites:

*Jerry Goldsmith: He's the composer of my favorite movie soundtrack (Medicine Man) amongst others (The Omen, Star Trek, Gremlins, The Mummy) and definitely one of my early favorite composers in general. His use of non-Western instruments and electronics has always been in such a way that I didn't feel like they were out of place, but somehow just fit into the music in a very natural way.

*John Williams: As a classical musician, it's an occupational hazard for me to admit that I like Williams' scores. However annoyed I have been with some of his recent stuff, I can't deny that it was his music for Jurassic Park, Hook and Indiana Jones that inspired me to take up playing orchestral music in the first place. I can understand why he's heavily criticized, and at times I've been frustrated with his recycling of material, but in the end a lot of film composers recycle stuff from time to time.

*Bernard Hermann: I love his Hitchcock scores (the ubiquitous Psycho suite especially) as well as Mysterious Island, Journey to the Center of the Earth and what little non-film music I've heard. It seems very few 'suspense/horror' scores have interest or variety when listened to apart from the film, but Hermann's music tends to have enough to keep one interested without the visual aspect.

*Nino Rota: Although he was a collaborator for my favorite things he's worked on (Romeo and Juliet, The Godfather) I have to say that I've always liked Rota's work, on and off the screen. I'm glad that he wrote two works for viola, along with his other non-film music.

*Shostakovich: Going out on a limb here -- as Shosti isn't exactly famous for being a film composer -- but his scores for The Gadfly and Cheryomushki are pretty damned awesome.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Wow Arkhangelsk, you hit the heavyweight composers. I love the score to Citizen Kane by Herrmann. And you know it's gonna be a fun Harryhausen movie when Herrmann's name rolls up during the credits. Also: he basically defined the sci-fi music stereotype with The Day the Earth Stood Still (directed by Wise as mentioned above). Talented man.

I've recently just gotten into Shostakovich with his Symphony nos. 5 and 11. That's some dramatic stuff right there. I'll have to check into those movies he scored.

Jerry Goldsmith! Chinatown! Total Recall! Great scores! I have a weak spot for action films like TR.

BZ: James Horner composed one of my all-time favorite soundtracks (at least for the first 20 minutes of it because the rest is just military drums and 80s synthesizers)... COMMANDO!!!! Another action film starring Arnie!!!!!! Yay! It's funny how he went from schlock soundtrack to Titanic.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I only really heard and remember through and through the Omen scores by Goldsmith and while they are great for the movie, I do not enjoy the soundtracks outside of the movie too much. Sure there are some tracks (the main themes) that I enjoy, but otherwise they just don't work.

ARNOOLDD!. lol. I don't remember the Commando score, but damn what a bad and sweet movie. Besides Titanic, which is brilliant, Braveheart, Apocalypto, and A Beautiful Mind are also recommended. Apocalypto may be hard to get into without seeing the movie mind you. I am looking forward to his Avatar score with Cameron. Avatar (2009)

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by DJDoeDoe

Wow Arkhangelsk, you hit the heavyweight composers. I love the score to Citizen Kane by Herrmann. And you know it's gonna be a fun Harryhausen movie when Herrmann's name rolls up during the credits. Also: he basically defined the sci-fi music stereotype with The Day the Earth Stood Still (directed by Wise as mentioned above). Talented man.

I've recently just gotten into Shostakovich with his Symphony nos. 5 and 11. That's some dramatic stuff right there. I'll have to check into those movies he scored.

Jerry Goldsmith! Chinatown! Total Recall! Great scores! I have a weak spot for action films like TR.

It's ironic that I have for most of my life professed to want a career as a studio orchestra musician, recording for films, but I really don't listen to soundtracks or film composers . It's probably a byproduct of not watching a lot of movies, though... I do like Rosza (another film composer who has written music for the viola!), Waxman and Steiner and the old favorite, Henry Mancini. Also, I forgot to mention Erich Korngold! Even though I know him more from his orchestra and solo violin works, I've heard a few of his movie scores (like The Adventures of Robin Hood) and they are quite good.

Shostakovich 5 is amazingly fun to play. I'm a huge fan of Russian music, so it's no surprise. Shosti 13 ("Babi Yar") and his String Quartet No. 8 are two of my favorite pieces by him. I actually haven't seen the movies that he wrote for, oddly enough. Khachaturian is another of my favorite Soviet-era composers who wrote for Russian films on occasion, although no movies in particular come to mind at the moment.

The Arbor Day Foundation uses part of the Medicine Man OST by Goldsmith for their TV spots (I think it's from "In the Treetops")... I seem to recall other portions of the soundtrack being used by various environmental groups over the years, actually. It makes sense, considering the tone of the movie.

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Thought of a few more:
Hoagy Carmichael -- His most famous song is Stardust, but he also wrote Georgia on my Mind and appeared in a few films like Howard Hawks' To Have and Have Not as Cricket.

Alan Silvestri -- following the Schwarzenegger flick soundtrack grind, he wrote the great score to Predator. He also wrote the scores to Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Abyss, Forrest Gump, and Eraser (another Schwarzenegger flick).

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Originally Posted by Arkhangelsk

*John Williams: As a classical musician, it's an occupational hazard for me to admit that I like Williams' scores. However annoyed I have been with some of his recent stuff, I can't deny that it was his music for Jurassic Park, Hook and Indiana Jones that inspired me to take up playing orchestral music in the first place. I can understand why he's heavily criticized, and at times I've been frustrated with his recycling of material, but in the end a lot of film composers recycle stuff from time to time.

See... I'm a huge fan of John Williams, and I just don't get why some people are "embarrassed" to admit they like his work, but it seems to be OK to like, say, Danny Elfman or Hans Zimmer. Yes, he's composed a few boring scores and has recycled some of his material, but who hasn't? (see: Elfman). He's done some amazing stuff, and I just don't get why it's somehow bad to like him. Perhaps it's because he's done so many high-profile scores, and therefore that's uncool? *scratches head* (BTW, this isn't directed towards you, just the anti-Williams sentiment in general).

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Well...in my circles, both Elfman and Zimmer are also criticized heavily for recycling and lifting material. It usually irritates me most when composers recycle their own material, and the second time it is lauded as amazing and wonderful -- when it was just as good or better the first time. Usually the movie the material was used in didn't have quite the 'pop' status the first time around: Hook vs. Harry Potter or Gladiator vs. Pirates of the Caribbean (Zimmer was a musical adviser for Klaus Badelt on Pirates, and there's some direct copying of Holst's Mars theme even in Gladiator). However, there are historical precedents for taking themes and weaving them into other compositions, so I think classical musicians should give it a rest .

I think Williams gets a lot of criticism for *ahem* "being inspired" by a lot of landmark classical composers (Dvorak, Wagner, etc). Personally, I think the man has a fantastic knack for writing great themes, and in the film industry -- and particularly for the movies he composes for -- that's one of the most important things. I won't say that he's a unique orchestrator or terribly inventive, but that doesn't really matter much to me, because the music is fun to play and great to listen to. Another person I'm not supposed to admit I like is Andrew Lloyd Webber, and largely for the same reasons.

Back on the subject of favorites, I figured I should add an actress:
Angelina Jolie. Unfortunately, I find it very difficult to really like any actresses in particular (maybe it's because there's absolutely no sex appeal for me? ). But something about Jolie is very compelling...maybe it's her eyes or her lips, or her real-world personality. I'm not sure.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Not a big fan of Angelina Jolie. Maybe it's her lips or her eyes or whatever, but nonetheless I don't really like her too much.

ALW is way cool, though. Phantom, Joseph, Jesus Christ Superstar are all good ones. Never did understand Cats, though. Also I am embarrassed to admit, but I like Barbra Streisand's singing of As If We Never Said Goodbye from Sunset Blvd. Love it.

But if we are playing favorites then I can add a couple more (I was still naming underrated people up top hehe):
Vincent Price -- from House of Wax to the Fly to Dr. Phibes (see pic) to the Thriller Rap, this man is THE classic figure for campy horror in Hollywood.

Boris Karloff -- his deep booming voice and ability to have a dark looming presence even though he was hardly acting makes him another favorite of mine.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Damn, great topic... I will limit it to 5 answers per category.

Actors (in no particular order)

- Daniel Day-Lewis – This guy gave my all-time favorite performance in There Will be Blood as Daniel Plainview. His skill is second-to-none.
- Christian Bale – A brilliant actor who has proven himself in a variety of roles. Notable performances - The Prestige, American Psycho, Rescue Dawn
- Brad Pitt - Loved this guy since I saw him in Fight Club. Most recently, he blew me away in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
- Humphrey Bogart - Who couldn't love Bogey? Favorite performance - The African Queen
- Takeshi Kitano - I wish I could understand Japanese so I don't have to read subtitles. Regardless, he has an incredibly unique screen presence that doesn't require subtitles to appreciate. Bonus points: He's also a well-respected director

Directors (in no particular order)

- Christopher Nolan - He's proven himself as an auteur so soon into his career that it's mindblowing. His style, skill, and commanding directorial abilities over the medium are commendable.
- Bong Joon-Ho - Director of the Korean films The Host and Memories of Murder, two of my all-time favorite films. He is probably the most unique visionary coming out of Korea, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. He's only just begun his career, too. Can't wait to see where he goes from here.
- David Cronenberg - Besides making mind-bending films, I always commend Cronenberg's ability to make a film that is as lean as can be. His films are always short, sweet, but to the point. Never any excess. The Fly is one of my all-time faves, and his two most recent films (A History of Violence, Eastern Promises) are stunningly powerful.
- Stanley Kubrick - One of the most influential directors of all time. Nothing more needs to be said.
- Quentin Tarantino - While Death Proof sucked ass, and he tends to pander with his dialogue (especially in Death Proof), I wouldn't be making my own movies today if it wasn't for him and Kill Bill. It sparks a lot of nerd rage because it rips off a lot of older films that it was inspired by, but who cares. It takes balls to try and make a film like Kill Bill in this day and age with CG robots and movies based on theme park rides, and it takes skill to do it so fucking well. I'm hoping he rebounds after the stunning failure that Death Proof was.

Composers

Aside from Ennio Morricone, I unfortunately don't know enough about film composers to make a full-blown list, but I will list a few that jump to mind:

- Ennio Morricone
- Howard Shore
- Vangelis
- Bernard Herrmann
- Alan Silvestri

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by sprouticus

Damn, great topic... I will limit it to 5 answers per category.

What Ghost Rider/Die Hard said.

Actors:

Sir Ian McKellen - Yes, he played Gandalf. Yes, he played Magneto. But before that he was James Whale in Gods and Monsters, he was every major Shakespearean role ever written at the Royal London, he was Amos Starkadder, and he was even the voice of Rudyard Kipling. The man is a fucking icon of the stage.

Peter O'Toole - The Lion in Winter, Lawrence, Man of LaMancha. This guy is heralded as one of the best stage actors of all time, and it transfers over to film exceptionally well. He's a bloody treasure. Even if he did do King Ralph.

Sir Alec Guinness - He was Feisal, he was General Yevgraf Zhivago, he was also Colonel Nicholson. Guinness is a brilliant actor. He can chew scenery around people, and yes. He was fucking Obi wan. The man was diverse and intensely talented.

Toshiro Mifune - Played Tajomaru, and was easily the most famous Japanese actor of his era. The dude is intensely talented, and brought a strength to the characters he played that's rarely been equaled. Kudos, sir.

Max Schreck - The German silent film star. Most famous for his portrayal of Graf Orlok, but his role in Peer Gynt is not to be overlooked. He was an incredibly important actor of the Stanislavski-method school, and gave way to many talented people, such as Benicio Del Toro, Al Pacino and Kevin Spacey. The guy is incredible.

Actresses

Natalie Portman - Yes, she's young. Yes, she's done some shoddy movies, but she's also been Mathilda, Sam, Evey and Jack's Girlfriend. The girl has a presence that just sucks me right in. She has a certain something that makes me really, really hopeful for what she'll do in the future. This is more a nod for potential than anything else.

Cate Blanchett - Another actor who largely gets a nod from me due to their stage acting prior to the film career. In terms of flicks, she does, however, have some stand outs. Jane Winslett-Richardson, Katherine Hepburn, Petal, Connie Falzone, Elizabeth... another one who's stage presence just blows me away.

Ingrid Bergman - The definition of an actress in her era. Casablanca, sure, but how about the role of Charlotte Andergast? The woman was denounced as "a horrible example of womanhood and a powerful influence for evil" by a democratic senator from Colorado. She was exiled to Italy, only to make a triumphant return to both stage and film. The woman is magnificent.

Louise Brooks - Dietrich? Garbo? Both could have had this spot, both probably deserve it. But I just prefer Louise's work. Pandroa's Box and Diary of a Young Girl are amazing performances. In an era where overacting was expected, she was subtle, she was nuanced, and she was absolutely stunning. Probably the single most interesting story of the silent film era, if you haven't read Looking for Lulu, you should. Her story is of an incredibly liberated woman who wouldn't be famous until decades after her retirement. She is probably the most amazing actress I've ever seen.

Anna Karina - Discovered by Godard, she went on to work in European cinema for a very good stretch of time. Une Femme est Une femme and Suzanne Simonin are two of her best roles, though I've been told her greatest work was in Begman's stage production of Apres la Repetition. Unfortunately, I've not seen it. She's not Louise Brooks, but she -is- incredibly talented.

Directors

Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro - Now, granted, I think Jeunet is the more talented of the two, but I refuse to separate them. Even when Caro only does art design, he shows up heavily in the way the films look and feel. Delicatessen, City of Lost Children, Amelie, A Very Long Engagement... you can smell nouvelle vague all over them, and it's in the best possible way. No one has had more influence on the way I like my movies to look, other than maybe the next name that leaps to mind...

Terry Gilliam - Why? Because he made Brazil, that's why. Granted, I may have some professional bias here, but I think this guy just makes amazing looking films. Jabberwocky, Baron Munchhausen, and Twelve Monkeys... the guy just makes films I find completely absorbing. Can't complain about him at all. He also directed my favourite TV commercial of all time: Nike's Secret Tournament campaign, wherein some of the best footy players in the world competed in an underground match held in the bowels of an oil tanker. Amazingly well shot for a TV commercial. Just fantastic. He's also given my favourite quote ever on being passed over for a film. When WB skipped him for directing Harry Potter, he had this to say about Chris Columbus: "I was the perfect guy to do Harry Potter. I remember leaving the meeting, getting in my car, and driving for about two hours along Mullholland Drive just so angry. I mean, Chris Columbus' versions are terrible. Just dull. Pedestrian."

He's also set to do the film adaptation of Good Omens, and the Gorrilaz movies, which gives me hope for both. His stuff is just so Baroque. I fucking love it.

Wes Anderson - Okay, a bit of a hipster choice, maybe. But I don't care. Tenenbaums is one of the most impeccably made films I've ever seen. I have nothing but love for the way this guy makes films. Yes, he's so far up his own ass that hearing him talk makes me cringe. His self-promotion and ego are disgusting, but man, can this dude make movies that are both visualy and intellectually stimulating. Rushmore, Bottle Rocket, the Darjeeling Limited, Hotel Chevalier and Life Aquatic... the guy just makes films. A real hope for American film making to stay interesting. That being said, this choice could easily be swapped with Christopher Nolan, as they both make my list for the same reason Natalie Portman is on my list of actresses. I simply can't wait to see what they do over the course of their entire career. I could have flipped a coin, but as Sprout already mentioned Nolan, I decided to go with Anderson.

Yimou Zhang - Again, this is a coin flip for me. I was either going to go with Joon-ho Bong or Yimou Zhang, but I just recently rewatched Raise the Red Lantern, and that made the choice a little easier. Joon-Ho just doesn't have the work under his belt yet, as good as he is. And he is very, very good. He may one day surpass Yimou as the biggest director in Asia, but not yet. Hero is just too artistic, Raise the Red Lantern too precise. The guy is painting films on canvas, and it's very impressive to watch.

Hayao Miyazaki - BAM. Animator out of nowhere. This 5 people only thing makes is difficult, so I'm going to pull the less-likely choice out for this choice. Why? Because the son of a bitch creates worlds that I find amazing to experience. He tells fairy tales, in the classic sense, in these epic, sweeping ways. I'm not familiar with directing animation, won't pretened that I am, but I know that his stuff seems deeper, somehow, than 99% of the stuff out there.

I'm leaving off the really obvious choices, like Kubrick, the Coens, Cronenberg, Lynch and Kurasowa, because we all know they'll be brought up a million times by the end of this thread. Also, Tarantino is fucking rubbish. He should be relegated to making music videos.

Composers

Bernard Herrmann - Citizen Kane, Hangover Square, Vertigo, Psycho, Taxi Driver... the guy is just amazing.

Ennio Morricone - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. 'Nuff said.

Maurice Jarre - Lawrence of Arabia. 'Nuff said.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold - Ever heard his score for the Adventures of Robin Hood? You should.

David Raksin - Soundtrack to Laura. End of discussion.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Denicalis

Tarantino is fucking rubbish. He should be relegated to making music videos.

Music videos? I could see someone saying that for someone like Paul WS Anderson or Steven Sommers, guys who make 90-minute music videos, but QT? Come on now. At least say something like "he should be relegated to making student films" if you're going to insult him

Also, agree ten-fold on Natalie Portman. Beautiful, elegant, and talented as all hell. She's brilliant, as is Scarlett Johansson.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Denicalis

Terry Gilliam - Why? Because he made Brazil, that's why. Granted, I may have some professional bias here, but I think this guy just makes amazing looking films. Jabberwocky, Baron Munchhausen, and Twelve Monkeys... the guy just makes films I find completely absorbing.... He's also set to do the film adaptation of Good Omens, and the Gorrilaz movies, which gives me hope for both. His stuff is just so Baroque. I fucking love it.

Given my lack of exposure to lots of movies, I wasn't going to even try to name off any favorite directors, but I had completely forgotten about Gilliam. I love his stuff, although I'm still slightly peeved that he put Good Omens on the backburner to make Brothers Grimm. Of course, the prospect of the GO movie finally getting off the ground will make up for that .

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by sprouticus

Music videos? I could see someone saying that for someone like Paul WS Anderson or Steven Sommers, guys who make 90-minute music videos, but QT? Come on now. At least say something like "he should be relegated to making student films" if you're going to insult him

Also, agree ten-fold on Natalie Portman. Beautiful, elegant, and talented as all hell. She's brilliant, as is Scarlett Johansson.

Music videos. Big, long, Greedy Fly-esque music videos. I stand by it.

And Johansson strikes me as a Kat Hepburn type. She's going to put out a lot of nuanced roles and be very appreciated for her entire body of work, rather than one single movie.

Originally Posted by Arkhangelsk

Given my lack of exposure to lots of movies, I wasn't going to even try to name off any favorite directors, but I had completely forgotten about Gilliam. I love his stuff, although I'm still slightly peeved that he put Good Omens on the backburner to make Brothers Grimm. Of course, the prospect of the GO movie finally getting off the ground will make up for that .

He had to put movies on the backburner to do Brothers Grimm because he needed the money to finance Tideland. Which was unfortunate, because it sucked. And I say that having worked on the set of it. He had a vision for it, and it just didn't work out how he'd planned. Good Omens coming after those two movies is a good thing. He's done the cheap, tawdry commercial film in BG. And the barebones, minimalist schlock in Tideland. GO should be somewhere inbetween. Good on it.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I'm feeling six for some reason or another.

I'll just talk about Directors and Actors, as I don't have much to say on the topic of composers or actresses, honestly. I'd talk about some Directors of Photography but I don't think anyone would much care if I started ranting about Deakins, Elswit, Chapman, Libatique or Cronenweth. Anyway.


Directors.

I don't have a terrible amount to share that hasn't been said. In no particular order -


David Fincher.

He simply makes films that I really enjoy. I feel he has a real commitment to incorporating CG into his films that isn't complete garbage and isn't there just because the alternative (analog effects) are simply too hard (I Am Legend). Most of his use of CG involves things he simply couldn't do otherwise, but it involves visual trickery a lot to try to make the audience think it isn't CG. Otherwise, I simply like his visual style and the sort of subject matter he tends to visit in his films. Looking forward to Benjamin Button quite a bit.

Wes Anderson.

As Deni said, Anderson comes off as quite pompous at times, but boy do I enjoy his films. His production design is always over the top, I love his sense of color, contrast and balance. His shots and structure (Yeoman's, to be precise) are always unique and I could almost always pick out something shot by him. Don't know how to describe it right now. His stories begin with outlandish characters that are almost cartoon like and he spends the duration of his films humanizing them and making you emote and relate to them. In this way, I sort of feel like his visual style is similar to Chuck Palahniuk's writing style. His films are just very unique and quite HIS, which I appreciate.

Chistopher Nolan.

Again, like Fincher, Nolan is a director who often visits subject matter of similar nature, often matter that I'm quite interested in. Between him and his brother, they are able to create or tell unique stories in an efficient manner. Memento makes me feel like the character, that I'm constantly forgetting what's going on, as much as the pacing (and shots by Pfister) in Insomnia makes me feel heavy and drowsy when I see it, but still engaged at the same time. The Prestige was just brilliant. Not much more to say than that.

Sam Mendes.

So far, he's not missed with me. I like American Beauty, Road to Perdition and Jarhead, not equally, but all for different reasons. Mendes to me, as a director, brings more of a feeling to his movies through his actors than a consistent style, in opposition to the other directors I've mentioned thus far. Overall, I've just really enjoyed his work so far.

Spike Jonze.

Like most of the others I've mentioned, another incredibly visual director whose collaboration with Charlie Kaufmann have resulted in two of my favorite films, Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. I like seeing his experience as a music video director come across in the narrative realm (much like Fincher and Romanek, who I'll mention breifly next). Pure style.

Mark Romanek.

Mostly known for doing music videos, he directed one movie with Robin Williams, One Hour Photo. This is another movie I absolutely love, split between it's story and it's superb visual style and intense production design. I feel like this movie was just expertly crafted, from it's use of symmetry and color, to it's pacing and use of pop culture as symbolism. Cronenweth did a brilliant job on this film as well (also Fincher's DP for his pre-Panic Room films).

(Coen Brothers, Scorcese, Spielberg, yadda yadda)


Actors.

Christian Bale.

Bale is hands down my favorite actor. He's just simply in so many good movies I don't even feel like listing/explaining all of them. I feel like he brings so much to a film, and just the transition from The Machinist to Batman Begins alone shows his utter fucking dedication to his craft.

Edward Norton.

Much like Bale, Norton is in a large number of quality films, and unlike some actors like Nicolas Cage, who I feel is great in good movies and terrible in bad movies, Norton is just always on, such as in Primal Fear, where I feel like he's the only worthwhile thing in the whole film. I feel as if he's got a real sense of what is and isn't a good film, and is extremely serious concerning what his body of work will end up being in the long run.

Kevin Spacey.

Like Bale and Norton, Spacey is in so many phenomenal pictures, as either the center of the film or just in a supporting role. Some of my favorite performances by him are in quite understated films like The Life of David Gale, Ordinary Decent Criminal, Swimming with Sharks, The Big Kahuna and the United States of Leland, even though his more well known roles in films like American Beauty are just as powerful. He is in shitty movies from time to time (no matter how big they are, Superman was just god awful, or small...supporting cast of LL Cool J and Justin Timberlake...ugh...). But it goes on and on with Se7en, and The Usual Suspects, LA Confidential, so on and so forth.

Brad Pitt.

Despite all the bullshit following him, and whatever his reputation may be, is always just the fucking MAN in movies to me. He always plays stellar roles and knocks the performance out of the park, whatever the subject matter may be. Looking forward to Burn after Reading and Benjamin Button quite a bit.

Jack Nicholson.

He's always amazed me as an actor. He's been able to fit perfectly into a role given to him from his thirties into his seventies. From Cuckoo's Nest all the way to the Departed, Nicholson has rarely let me down.

Robin Williams.

A brilliant comedic actor who also works wonderfully as a dramatic actor (One Hour Photo and Insomnia). I'd honestly love to see him in more serious roles because he does them unexpectedly well.


As I mentioned, I don't have much to say in the way of actresses. I, as well, like Portman quite a bit, but I'd have to say if I had to pick a favorite actress, it'd probably be Catherine Keener. Something about her. I don't know. And composers, I wouldn't have much else to say beyond like John Williams, Danny Elfman and Harry Gregson Williams, because they're just who I'm familiar with.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Great fucking list. I also completely second your comment on Fincher's incorporation of CG. THAT'S the point of CG and special effects, to be seamless and blend into the background. Zodiac has some of the best CG I've ever seen, mostly because I flat-out had no idea there WAS any CG in it.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Denicalis

Actors:

Sir Ian McKellen
Peter O'Toole
Sir Alec Guinness
Toshiro Mifune

Actresses

Ingrid Bergman

Directors

Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro
Terry Gilliam
Hayao Miyazaki

Composers

Bernard Herrmann -
Ennio Morricone
Maurice Jarre

Goodness, all of these I was planning on mentioning. To add to it, for actors I'd put in Max von Sydow. Seamless is the word, becoming completely whatever role there is to play, be it Jesus, a small time gas pump attendant, or a killer for hire.

For directors I'd insert David Lean (since we're already on cue with O'Toole and Guiness). The man knows epic as much as the intimate and how to blend the two masterfully in one very expansive film, from Havisham to the war in the Pacific. Also Kurusawa, just to have named him twice in this thread so far. And as a counter-point to the adventures of Lean, Krysztof Kieslowski and Ingmar Bergman have a certain way with intimacy and human existence -- probing in a way which confronts the viewer outright but in a gentle manner that doesn't have us running from out seats. Include here Fellini as well. Perhaps he can get a bit routine with his shallow pleasure-seekers but it never fails to incite laughter, tears, hope, warmth, tragedy, and a solid dose of the surreal to the mix.

For composers I'll tack on Michael Kamen, Elliot Goldenthal, and Randy & Thomas Newman all for occasional brilliance in a wide variety of projects. (With a nod to Philip Glass for his "Anthem" in the Qatsi trilogy).

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Servilonus

Actors.

Christian Bale.

Bale is hands down my favorite actor. He's just simply in so many good movies I don't even feel like listing/explaining all of them. I feel like he brings so much to a film, and just the transition from The Machinist to Batman Begins alone shows his utter fucking dedication to his craft.

Edward Norton.

Much like Bale, Norton is in a large number of quality films, and unlike some actors like Nicolas Cage, who I feel is great in good movies and terrible in bad movies, Norton is just always on, such as in Primal Fear, where I feel like he's the only worthwhile thing in the whole film. I feel as if he's got a real sense of what is and isn't a good film, and is extremely serious concerning what his body of work will end up being in the long run.

Kevin Spacey.

Like Bale and Norton, Spacey is in so many phenomenal pictures, as either the center of the film or just in a supporting role. Some of my favorite performances by him are in quite understated films like The Life of David Gale, Ordinary Decent Criminal, Swimming with Sharks, The Big Kahuna and the United States of Leland, even though his more well known roles in films like American Beauty are just as powerful. He is in shitty movies from time to time (no matter how big they are, Superman was just god awful, or small...supporting cast of LL Cool J and Justin Timberlake...ugh...). But it goes on and on with Se7en, and The Usual Suspects, LA Confidential, so on and so forth.

Brad Pitt.

Despite all the bullshit following him, and whatever his reputation may be, is always just the fucking MAN in movies to me. He always plays stellar roles and knocks the performance out of the park, whatever the subject matter may be. Looking forward to Burn after Reading and Benjamin Button quite a bit.

Jack Nicholson.

He's always amazed me as an actor. He's been able to fit perfectly into a role given to him from his thirties into his seventies. From Cuckoo's Nest all the way to the Departed, Nicholson has rarely let me down.

Robin Williams.

A brilliant comedic actor who also works wonderfully as a dramatic actor (One Hour Photo and Insomnia). I'd honestly love to see him in more serious roles because he does them unexpectedly well.

God a great actor list I agree. I would rate these right near the top under my top actor list.

Totally agree with most of what you said. Specifically, Spacey's ingenious , and at the same time, his clunker of a Lex Luthor. I liked the movie overall, but his performance was nothing after watching Rosenbaum on Smallville for so long. Should of took a play out of his book. A great Luthor could have really escalated the film.

God he was good in Seven and the Usual Suspects.

And Williams in Good will hunting =

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

All I see here is a bunch of cliched shit.

What about Liam Neeson or Michael Biehn.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Megalith

All I see here is a bunch of cliched shit.

What about Liam Neeson or Michael Biehn.

The irony is staggering.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?