# Who is now the best living director not to have an Oscar (for directing)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 2, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-now-the-best-living-director-not-to-have-an-oscar-for-directing/523350 "2010-01-02T00:03:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-now-the-best-living-director-not-to-have-an-oscar-for-directing/523350/21 "2010-01-02T15:15:04Z")
Definitely David Lynch and David Cronenberg. My two favorite directors in the whole world. ---
**Author:** ![25.1327\_Octopi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/ecb155/32.png) [@25.1327\_Octopi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/25.1327_Octopi)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-now-the-best-living-director-not-to-have-an-oscar-for-directing/523350/22 "2010-01-02T15:27:18Z")
In keeping with the theme of great directors with low output, I submit Terrence Malick, who has directed all of [six films](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000517/#director) in the last forty years. And no Oscar. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-now-the-best-living-director-not-to-have-an-oscar-for-directing/523350/23 "2010-01-02T16:40:16Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Herzog & Wenders (along with Godard, Angelopoulos, Rohmer, Varda, etc.) don’t really count since no director has ever won the prize for a completely foreign language film (and probably won’t for a long time). But Herzog directs English films as well, such as Grizzly Man, Rescue Dawn, and 2009’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-now-the-best-living-director-not-to-have-an-oscar-for-directing/523350/24 "2010-01-02T17:08:30Z")
> [@Oregon\_sunshine](#): > > GOD – Herzog has never gotten an Oscar??? > > Where is the “weeping” smiley when we need it?? Until _Encounters at the End of the World_ (in the documentary category), none of his films had even been nominated for an Oscar. > [@](#): > > Herzog and Wenders have both directed several English-language films, and will again. Herzog especially seems to focus mainly on English-language films now. He could have and should have gotten nominated for Rescue Dawn, which was tragically overlooked last awards season. Either could win in the future for something truly spectacular, in English. Oh, I know it’s theoretically possible that they could pull a Forman or Bertolucci, but the type of films they currently make (in English) makes it unlikely. I think Herzog in particular has a better chance of winning a doc Oscar over a director one. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-now-the-best-living-director-not-to-have-an-oscar-for-directing/523350/25 "2010-01-02T18:07:42Z")
I’m all kinds of terrible with names…but isn’t there a guy who has only directed three movies, but gotten nominated for all three? Would he be a candidate? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-now-the-best-living-director-not-to-have-an-oscar-for-directing/523350/26 "2010-01-02T19:29:29Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > I’m all kinds of terrible with names…but isn’t there a guy who has only directed three movies, but gotten nominated for all three? > > Would he be a candidate? Well, it depends, but since I consider all three (_Billy Elliot, The Hours, The Reader_) unbearable in their own unique way, I would humbly say No. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-now-the-best-living-director-not-to-have-an-oscar-for-directing/523350/27 "2010-01-02T20:51:48Z")
> [@25.1327\_Octopi](#): > > In keeping with the theme of great directors with low output, I submit Terrence Malick, who has directed all of [six films](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000517/#director) in the last forty years. And no Oscar. About five too many, to my way of thinking. Not a fan. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-now-the-best-living-director-not-to-have-an-oscar-for-directing/523350/28 "2010-01-02T21:31:23Z")
Paul Thomas Anderson, but he’s young enough that he’ll get one eventually – just like what they used to say about Spielberg. Oh, and Spike Jonze. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-now-the-best-living-director-not-to-have-an-oscar-for-directing/523350/29 "2010-01-02T22:29:20Z")
Oh come on. Bring it. Spike Lee. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-now-the-best-living-director-not-to-have-an-oscar-for-directing/523350/30 "2010-01-02T23:37:46Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > Oh come on. Bring it. Spike Lee. I think this is the answer. I forgot Spike! Not sure he’ll get one because he likes to pick fights and second guess Oscar selections. ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-now-the-best-living-director-not-to-have-an-oscar-for-directing/523350/31 "2010-01-02T23:42:55Z")
George Lucas… duh! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-now-the-best-living-director-not-to-have-an-oscar-for-directing/523350/32 "2010-01-02T23:47:46Z")
Sam Raimi. My favorite living director, after David Lynch. (and just ahead of Fincher and Tarantino) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-now-the-best-living-director-not-to-have-an-oscar-for-directing/523350.md?page=1)