The Ten Most Influential Directors of All-Time

Michaël Parent, who operates one of my favorite sites- Le Mot de Cinephiliaque– has been taking submissions for his annual “Most Influential Directors” poll. Michaël gets an impressive list of contributors each year, and I’m sure this year will be no different. Today is the final day for submissions, and my ballot is going to beat the buzzer, just barely. Here’s my ballot, along with a brief write-up on each director detailing why I chose them, along with a representative film from each director.

Ten Cool Posters for 1990s Indie Films

The 1990s were a magical time for cinema. Studios began to embrace newer, younger filmmakers with their own unique stories to tell. Fortunately, I was old enough to watch these movies, and they subsequently played a pivotal role in my development as a cinephile. The high school and college years are the perfect time to be introduced to new culture. And for me, that culture included quite a few of the very best films made in the last 30 years. Even the posters left an impression on me. Here are ten of my favorite movie posters from 1990s independent films. All images used courtesy of the IMP Awards site, a tremendous resource:

Expanding Upon TCM’s List: Ten More Influential Silent Films

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has provided a wealth of classic movies for cinephiles to watch, commercial-free, since April 1994. They’re a tremendous resource, offering films 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Part of what makes them so lovable is their dedication to silent cinema. They have a weekly feature called “Silent Sundays” during which they air several hours of silent films beginning at midnight. It’s no surprise that the recent success of The Artist, a modern-day silent film, would grab TCM’s eye. To celebrate the film a few weeks ago, they released their own list of the 10 Most Influential Silent Films. It was an impressive list, and can be found here. I think it’s a tremendous starting place for movie-watchers interested in silent cinema. Having said that, I think it could easily be expanded to include ten more films. Here are ten that I think could be added:

The Big Fat List of Directors I Don’t Talk About Enough

I love talking about movies. So do you. Why else would you be here? In the discussion process, it’s very easy to become enthusiastic about certain directors and their films. And the unfortunate byproduct of the genius of these various directors is that it’s easy to fixate on them, often at the detriment of other moviemakers who have plied their craft with similarly deft touches. If you’re a regular reader, you’ve seen at least a few articles about Ingmar Bergman, Buster Keaton, Louis Malle, Luis Buñuel, Martin Scorsese, Edgar Wright, and the Coen brothers. But there is a humongous list of other directors that I love just as much, if not more, than many of the names on that list. Here’s a list of directors that I don’t write about nearly enough.

The Women of the Criterion Collection: A (Fake) Calender

The other day, I found myself wishing that movies turned people on the way they turn me on, metaphorically speaking. This led to some pondering about what exactly does turn movie geeks on? How about seedy calendars?!?! And with that, I present to you my proposal to the Criterion Collection- a calendar featuring the sexiest ladies that the Criterion Collection has to offer. And yes, Deneuve is the August pic. Because my birthday is in August. Happy birthday to me!

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Long, Strong, and Down to Get the Classics On: The Insanely Long Movie Checklist

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Despite the fact that Sir Mix-A-Lot’s knighthood is clearly invalid, I’ve still opted to quote him because his long/strong/down to get the friction on line from the timeless “Baby Got Back” perfectly pertains to several fantastic bits of cinema. These are films that show up on “Greatest” lists all the time. They’re influential, and some of the best movies ever made. They’re also, unfortunately, endurance tests that require 4 hours or more of viewing. In at least a few cases, it’s best to think of them as a mini-series, viewed an hour or two at a time. Here’s my checklist of insanely long movies that I have seen or that I intend to see.

Opening Pandora’s Box: 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

Not too long ago, I found out about a book called 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. Per Wikipedia:

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (ISBN 9780764161513) is a film reference book compiled by various critics worldwide and edited by Steven Jay Schneider. It is a part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd. Each title is accompanied by a brief synopsis and critique, some with pictures. Presented chronologically, the current edition begins with Georges Méliès‘ A Trip to the Moon in 1902 and currently concludes with Quentin Tarantino‘s 2009 film Inglourious Basterds.

As you may recall from the Don’t Watch It, John series, I am not one to back down from a challenge. I think you see where this is going.

Hooray, Hoorah, a List for ol’ Mizzou

After Mizzou football surged to 6-0 yesterday with a resounding victory over Texas A&M, the Tigers have set up a neat mid-season showdown next weekend with their long-time nemesis/tormenter, Oklahoma. ESPN’s College Gameday is even coming to Columbia for the first time ever. Out of excitement for the game and pride in the way they’ve played, here are six film references to the state of Missouri with a heavy emphasis on the University.

Synaptic Soup: Slaying Berlin Alexanderplatz

Criterion released Berlin Alexanderplatz about a year ago or so. When I saw the Netflix description, my eyes popped out of my head. “Here”, I thought, “is something that’s right up my alley”. Here’s the description:

Rainer Werner Fassbinder directed this 16-hour film that follows Franz Biberkopf (Gunter Lamprecht) after his release from prison in 1920s Germany. Although Biberkopf wants to remain straight, the poor economy ultimately drives him back to a life of petty crime and violence. Based on Alfred Doblin’s acclaimed novel, this movie documents a man’s descent into depravity and insanity, and sets the stage for the emergence of the Nazi party.