# Films of major directors ranked from worst to best
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 25, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358 "2012-07-25T17:12:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/1 "2012-07-25T17:12:56Z")
Damn, I’ve got work to do this afternoon, and I just found [this webpage…](http://www.nerve.com/entertainment/ranked)
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### Author:  [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/2 "2012-07-25T20:27:07Z")
The one for Ridley Scott seems amazingly random. I have to assume that this is one guy’s opinion, not a compilation of views.
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### Author:  [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/3 "2012-07-25T22:36:34Z")
The [Kubrick list](http://www.nerve.com/entertainment/ranked/ranked-stanley-kubricks-films-from-worst-to-best)seems pretty good to me (I must confess to never having seen \*Fear and Desire, Killer’s Kiss and The Killing _) Personally I’d bump_ Barry Lyndon \*up to number 1 but Ryan O’Neal’s accent alone is probably enough to push it back to 3rd place overall.
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### Author:  [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/4 "2012-07-25T22:38:20Z")
Anybody who puts _Miller’s Crossing_ at #10 (out of 14) of the Coen Brothers’ best movies is talking straight out his ass.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/5 "2012-07-25T22:48:29Z")
It’s easy to put the real stinkers at the bottom of the list, and sometimes the very best in the #1 spot, but the stuff in the middle of those lists seems like someone’s personal preference. And I’m not thrilled with some of the #1 spots either. The Hitchcock list seemed entirely random to me after his early films at the bottom of the list.
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#):
>
> Anybody who puts _Miller’s Crossing_ at #10 (out of 14) of the Coen Brothers’ best movies is talking straight out his ass.
I’d put that at #1 for them. Not a knock against their other movies, but that one is exquisite.
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### Author:  [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)
#### Post date: [July 25, 2012, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/6 "2012-07-25T23:18:20Z")
I’d put it #1, too. Should at least be top 3.
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### Author:  [@jordanr2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jordanr2)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/7 "2012-07-26T00:24:32Z")
they lost me at the Lynch one. Anyone pretending _Dune_ is better than _Wild at Heart_ is just being perverse 🙂
I also don’t like seeing _September_ and _Interiors_ toward the bottom of the Woody Allen list - both great movies (and _Match Point_ is just not that good, certainly doesn’t belong anywhere near the top five!).
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### Author:  [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/8 "2012-07-26T01:13:37Z")
M. Night (once they get around to him) might be the only director whose list would be ranked in reverse chronological order…
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### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2012, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/9 "2012-07-26T01:22:48Z")
The format alone pissed me off. I have to scroll through five pages to see the Hitchcock rankings?
Not worth it.
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### Author:  [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2012, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/10 "2012-07-26T03:41:43Z")
> [@MovieMogul](#):
>
> The format alone pissed me off. I have to scroll through five pages to see the Hitchcock rankings?
>
> Not worth it.
Blame him for making 51 films.
Linklater: Waking Life is one of the most pretentious things I’ve ever seen.
Scott: I haven’t seen half of these. The Duellists felt unfulfilling to me. I think I remember American Gangster was good, but I only remember literally 3 plot points. With Black Hawk Down I learned that white people can look remarkably alike and even more so when dressed the same. Even though I’ve never seen it, I love the synopsis of the last one.
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### Author:  [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2012, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/11 "2012-07-26T04:38:57Z")
The rankings of Dylan’s albums is extremely conventional. Shot of Love, Nashville Skyline and Modern Times are too low. I love that they put Another Side in the top 10. I would have put it top 5, but Freewheelin is hard to bump. I guess thats just my taste.
The Lynch list is interesting and not very common. Mine might go:
1. Blue Velvet
Mulholland Drive
Eraserhead
Lost Highway
Wild At Heart
Fire Walk
Inland Empire
Straight Story
Dune
Which is probably a more mainstream list. The top 3 are interchangeable.
As far as Wes goes. Putting Bottle Rocket and Mr. Fox ahead of the rest is definitely contrarian. Those are the least “Wes Andersonian” of his films. I love all his ticks, trips and details so I am much more into Royal Tenenbaums, Life Aquatic and Darjeeling (Not to say I don’t love Mr. Fox and Bottle Rockets.)
2. RT
Rushmore
Life Aquatic
Darjeeling
Moonrise Kingdom
Mr. Fox
Bottle Rocket
Maybe Moonrise might rise on the list. Give it time.
Fincher:
3. The Game
Zodiac
Seven
Fight Club
Dragon Tatto
Ben Buttons
Alien3
Social Network
Panic Room
Scorsese’s List is all messed up. Big time.
Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and Last Temptation are all better than Taxi Driver (which is not a knock against it really.) I would add Age of Innocence to that list to make a top 5. It is way too low here. Maybe Casino, Hugo, Mean Streets, Aviator and King of Comedy to make the top ten. Gang of NY, Color of Money, Kundun, Bringing OTD and Shutter Island to make the top 15. The rest are everything else. The Departed and After Hours are way overrated on this list. Great movies, but arent in the same league as the previous mentioned.
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### Author:  [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2012, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/12 "2012-07-26T05:11:43Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#):
>
> Blame him for making 51 films.
>
> Linklater: Waking Life is one of the most pretentious things I’ve ever seen.
I’d have put _Before Sunset_ at number one, or, really, combined it with _Before Sunrise_ as one entry for the top spot.
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### Author:  [@azraiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/azraiel)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2012, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/13 "2012-07-26T07:19:01Z")
> [@tomcar](#):
>
> The rankings of Dylan’s albums is extremely conventional.
Excuse me, but may I have some of what you’ve imbibed?
For fuck’s sake, whatever idiot compiled that list needs a helmet. He/she listed Empire, Nashville, and Slow Train behind _Saved_! And that’s conventional to you?
I guess that makes two of you who haven’t listened to the music you’re critiquing,
Jesus Christ on a crutch.
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### Author:  [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2012, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/14 "2012-07-26T10:56:50Z")
> [@azraiel](#):
>
> Excuse me, but may I have some of what you’ve imbibed?
>
> For fuck’s sake, whatever idiot compiled that list needs a helmet. He/she listed Empire, Nashville, and Slow Train behind _Saved_! And that’s conventional to you?
>
> I guess that makes two of you who haven’t listened to the music you’re critiquing,
>
> Jesus Christ on a crutch.
I was drinking Avery White Rascal. Good stuff.
Azraiel, aren’t you being a tad emotional here? Sure Saved might be a little higher than the usual cannon but most of the others fall into place. Nashville Skyline has usually been placed very low, very underrated. The Basement Tapes and John Wesley Harding have been overrated in the cannon. You can insult all you want, but those top 8 (the last page) is agreeable to most Dylan fans.
Relax buddy.
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### Author:  [@azraiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/azraiel)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2012, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/15 "2012-07-27T05:32:42Z")
> [@tomcar](#):
>
> Nashville Skyline has usually been placed very low, very underrated. The Basement Tapes and John Wesley Harding have been overrated in the cannon. You can insult all you want, but those top 8 (the last page) is agreeable to most Dylan fans.
> Relax buddy.
'twas but hyperbole.
I don’t disagree with the top eight, though I would order them differently. I don’t have much of a problem with the next eight, either (save the exclusion of _Nashville_)
Everything from _Freewheelin’_ to _Nashville_ plus _Blood_ is first tier (and yes, I include _JWH_ in that). Second tier is every studio album from the 70s (excluding _Self Portrait_), _Infidels_, _Empire_, _Mercy_, and every studio album from _TOOM_ on (excluding, obviously, _Christmas_). The rest is third tier.
Arrange broadly within the tiers, and I may disagree but cannot argue. But to put a bottom of the third-tier album like _Saved_ above one first-tier and four second-tier albums?
Foolishness, sez I!
_spits_
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### Author:  [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/16 "2012-07-29T04:55:36Z")
I can’t say I agree with a lot of these lists.
On the Spielberg list, he claims The Lost World is a better film than The Last Crusade or The Temple of Doom. Really? I know some people don’t like Temple of Doom for some legitimate complaints, but The Lost World is a terrible movie.
On the Kubrick list, he ranks Eyes Wide Shut higher than A Clockwork Orange or Spartacus. Although from reading the whole article, he doesn’t seem like he’s a big Kubrick fan in general.
EDIT: Just realized that these lists are not all written by the same author. Replace “he” with “the website’s author” in your mind if you think it’s necessary.
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### Author:  [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2012, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-of-major-directors-ranked-from-worst-to-best/629358/17 "2012-07-29T11:28:55Z")
I got as far as the first page of Oliver Stone movies where he ranked _Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps_ 5th worst, and then criticizes it as though it were an entirely fictional movie :smack: