Author Topic: Greatest Living Director Relay Race  (Read 75493 times)

1SO

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Greatest Living Director Relay Race
« on: May 22, 2012, 02:08:29 PM »
Back in 2008, we created a group list of the Best Directors Working Today. The Top 15 will be the starting point for this game.

At the end of the post you, just like in a real relay race, hand over the baton to another spotter who has not gone yet. They will have to remove one director (that is an obligation) and add his/her own choice and describe why he/she did this. At the end the Spotter chooses another Spotter to do the same.

The idea is to make this a long race, so that enough Spotters get a chance to remove and add an director.

THE TOP 15 DIRECTORS WORKING TODAY
P.T. Anderson
Danny Boyle
The Coen Brothers
Alfonso Cuaron
David Fincher
Werner Herzog
David Lynch
Terrence Malick
Hayao Miyazaki
Christopher Nolan
Martin Scorsese
Steven Spielberg
Quentin Tarantino
Gus Van Sant
Wong Kar Wai

As for who should be next, I'm going with the person with the most amount of posts and that would be pixote.

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« Last Edit: July 07, 2012, 11:52:38 PM by 1SO »

FLYmeatwad

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Re: Greatest Living Director Relay Race
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2012, 02:30:25 PM »
How do you know when it's over though?

Also, good on the Filmspotting forum members for slotting in GVS (he wouldn't make a current Top 15 list if we voted again, by the way) even if it means Nolan also found a spot.

Actually, looking over these names, I reckon realistically QT, PTA, the Coens, Malick, Miyazaki, and Scorsese would make the list. Spielberg would probably get grandfathered in and Nolan would likely make the cut as well. Boyle might be on the outside, and WKW probably stays because he recently made a film or something, but I definitely think Cuaron, Fincher, Herzog, GVS, and Lynch would drop out if for no other reason than their recent output either being non-existent or underwhelming in relation to the greats they all made years and years ago.

1SO

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Re: Greatest Living Director Relay Race
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2012, 02:38:40 PM »
Nolan and Tarantino have enough detractors that I figure it's only a matter of time. When I wrote the list, I thought if this doesn't get Bill Thompson to return nothing will.

FLYmeatwad

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Re: Greatest Living Director Relay Race
« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2012, 03:00:34 PM »
Yeah, on an individual removal/add system they'll both probably fall. I would remove Nolan or Spielberg first.

roujin

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Re: Greatest Living Director Relay Race
« Reply #4 on: May 22, 2012, 05:19:10 PM »
This will take days if we wait for pix.

sdedalus

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Re: Greatest Living Director Relay Race
« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2012, 05:21:44 PM »
Especially since his inbox should be full of ballots.
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pixote

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Re: Greatest Living Director Relay Race
« Reply #6 on: May 23, 2012, 01:08:28 AM »
I'll get to this tomorrow. Adding a name is pretty easy. Subtracting one is pretty difficult.

Question: "Top Directors Working Today" and "Greatest Living Director" have slightly different connotations to me. Is the spirit of this project focused more on career body of work or, like, current/future output (with body of work acting as a reference point)? A few names on this list are maybe a decade removed from greatness, more or less.

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goodguy

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Re: Greatest Living Director Relay Race
« Reply #7 on: May 23, 2012, 01:15:06 AM »
There should be a cabal to turn the all-male into an all-female list.

Subtracting one is pretty difficult.

The only ones I would have a problem removing are Herzog and Malick.

1SO

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Re: Greatest Living Director Relay Race
« Reply #8 on: May 23, 2012, 01:24:19 AM »
I initially thought of handing the baton to goodguy, because I knew you'd be good to shake the list up. I didn't because you're not around enough and I didn't want to start the game with a lengthy delay.

pixote, excellent question and one I'm sure will be a regular debate. My initial project was to pick directors who were still likely to deliver a masterpiece, but "Greatest Living" means it could be someone whose best work is definitely behind them. They may even be retired, but they're still among the living. I think most likely to deliver a masterpiece is more fun, but people will interpret things how they wish.

Bondo

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Re: Greatest Living Director Relay Race
« Reply #9 on: May 23, 2012, 08:40:17 AM »
There should be a cabal to turn the all-male into an all-female list.

Indeed, I hadn't even had my chance to come in here and accuse everyone on this forum of sexism. Obviously an all-female list is the only possible outcome because removing a female director would also be sexist. ;D

I think I'd have 3-4 women on my top-15 working today list with a bunch waiting in the wings that just haven't worked enough yet.