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Poll

Where do you stand on the directing talent of Spike Jonze?

With only 2 features and a load of videos, he's already proven his Greatness.
9 (23.1%)
He definitely has potential for Greatness.
18 (46.2%)
He's worth mentioning, but not as one of the Greats.
8 (20.5%)
I can take or leave his direction.
2 (5.1%)
I've heard of him but I'm just not interested in his work.
0 (0%)
Haven't seen enough of his work to have an opinion.
2 (5.1%)

Total Members Voted: 39

Author Topic: Jonze, Spike - The Top Directors Working Today  (Read 6718 times)

1SO

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Jonze, Spike - The Top Directors Working Today
« on: July 10, 2008, 11:18:49 PM »
This is a name I expect to get a lot of flack for.  With just 2 features and a video resume to die for, Jonze is out to reinvent the cinematic wheel, and I believe he’ll do it some day.  Just not yet.  Like Todd Field, he has talent beyond compare, but still needs more maturity.  His ambition is his own worst enemy, and I think both of his features collapsed while trying to do too much.
« Last Edit: October 28, 2010, 07:24:11 PM by pixote »

m_rturnage

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Re: The Top Directors Working Today: Spike Jonze
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2008, 11:24:29 PM »
I have more respect for him after reading Charlie Kaufman's original screenplays. The fact that he got those movies out of those scripts shows an incredible directorial ability.
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jbissell

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Re: The Top Directors Working Today: Spike Jonze
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2008, 11:56:44 PM »
I like both of the films he directed, enjoy him in Three Kings, and pretty much love his music videos.  I like he has the potential for greatness.

sdedalus

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Re: The Top Directors Working Today: Spike Jonze
« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2008, 01:37:11 AM »
I can take or leave his direction.
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Tequila

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Re: The Top Directors Working Today: Spike Jonze
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2008, 05:55:39 AM »
Potential for Greatness. I like him better than Gondry (since everyone seem to just love than comparison).
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duder

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Re: The Top Directors Working Today: Spike Jonze
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2008, 06:08:41 AM »
Potential for Greatness.
...

arcnyc

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Re: The Top Directors Working Today: Spike Jonze
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2008, 08:19:12 AM »
Tricky one.

He's like the Alfred Hitchcock of music videos: just about any one of the videos he did in the 90s would be something that any video director would hope to have made one day and the fact that he made all of them is enough to qualify him with only 2 features.  You can get a complete sense of his visual style, sense of humor, singular creativity and storytelling abilities from his videos. 

His ambition is his own worst enemy, and I think both of his features collapsed while trying to do too much.

I disagree.  I think that both features work very well.  In both cases, I think the film offered more than most people were willing to take.  I still have arguments with people who think that Adaptation's third act was horrible.  But either you're into what they're doing or you're not.  I was and I think it's a near-masterpiece.  Malkovich a little less so, but it's still one of the most ingenious films of the last 10 years.  If there's any issue to take with those, it's that both films have similarly structured 3rd acts.

I voted that he's proved his greatness because of everything he's done up to now but the problem is he has more potential to lose that greatness.  Especially if he does a lesser job with non-Kaufman scripts.  Also, if he's not good at picking the right balance of "weird but not too weird" projects, he could end up being the hipster Tim Burton.

That all being said, I'm anxiously awaiting Where the Wild Things Are.

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Re: The Top Directors Working Today: Spike Jonze
« Reply #7 on: July 11, 2008, 10:52:51 PM »
He's got a lot of potential for greatness.  A masterpiece in Being John Malkovich and a great follow-up in Adaptation.  I'm waiting for Where the Wild Things Are and he's got loads of kick ass videos. 
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1SO

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Re: The Top Directors Working Today: Spike Jonze
« Reply #8 on: July 12, 2008, 01:57:16 PM »

oneaprilday

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Re: The Top Directors Working Today: Spike Jonze
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2008, 07:01:26 PM »
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-bigpicture12-2008jul12,0,5498306.story

Interesting article on Where the Wild Things Are

That is interesting. I'm not surprised the film has been tricky to work out, nor am I surprised that at those priliminary screenings children ran out of the theater screaming - I've always thought the book was more nightmarish than fun. I respect Sendak's imagination, but it doesn't work for sensitive children.