# Who's Your All-Time Favorite Director? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 11, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-all-time-favorite-director/599318 "2011-10-11T16:35:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-all-time-favorite-director/599318/41 "2011-10-12T09:10:10Z")
Billy Wilder. The only director I can think of with both dramas and comedies on best ever movie lists. And he wrote or co-wrote most of them. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-all-time-favorite-director/599318/42 "2011-10-12T11:32:32Z")
Alfred Hitchcock (I met him!) 2nd place: Howard Hawks ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-all-time-favorite-director/599318/43 "2011-10-12T12:09:29Z")
I’d like throw a bone to David Mamet, but I think I like him better as a writer, than as a director. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-all-time-favorite-director/599318/44 "2011-10-12T12:36:12Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > John Huston > > His Wikipedia biography states that a common theme in his films is the individual who is willing to sacrifice everything in order to gain self-understanding. I disagree with this theme, since plenty of people sacrifice everything and don’t gain jack shit. A more realistic theme would make the willingness to redeem self-understanding from among the wreckage the better part of valor. Huston’s [autobiography](http://www.amazon.com/Open-Book-John-Huston/dp/0306805731/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318422445&sr=1-3)is fascinating. Is it 100% true? Maybe not. (He probably left out a lot of interesting stuff, too–to avoid the attention of various law enforcement agencies, jealous husbands & his own ex-wives.) There’s no way I can name an absolute favorite among all the greats listed here. One not yet mentioned, whose personal style I really love: Alan Rudolph. He’s got a stable of actors & pays extra attention to atmosphere, setting & music. (Plot, what plot?) I’ve watched the heck out of _The Moderns_ on Netflix Streaming, although I think I have the DVD somewhere. Can a movie mix humor with a bit of arty pretension? Yup, if it’s set in Rudolph’s 1926 Paris. (Hey, [Trouble In Mind](http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Mind-Special-Kris-Kristofferson/dp/B0041SI7D4/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1318422649&sr=1-1) is available!) Besides, he was a protege of Robert Altman, so I get 2 for 1! ---
**Author:** ![SunSandSuffering](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@SunSandSuffering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunSandSuffering)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-all-time-favorite-director/599318/45 "2011-10-12T13:21:38Z")
Mine are: 1. Billy Wilder 2. Stanley Kubrick 3. Roman Polanski 4. Terry Gilliam ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-all-time-favorite-director/599318/46 "2011-10-12T13:33:14Z")
Wes Anderson. ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-all-time-favorite-director/599318/47 "2011-10-12T13:38:59Z")
1. Hitchcock 2. Kubrick 3. Scorsese ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-all-time-favorite-director/599318/48 "2011-10-12T14:50:58Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > [Fassbinder.jpg (image)](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DB06CdeHh9I/S4wtiRUNAAI/AAAAAAAAANA/-WqRbTzeFNA/s1600-h/Berlin_Fassbinder.jpg) > [@blondebear](#): > > I’ll go with Werner Herzog. Let me complete the JDF set with **Wim Wenders** , then (although I could have gone with either of your choices and been happy(_Fear Eats the Soul_ and _Aguirre:Wrath of God_ are both in my all-time top 10 and _Even Dwarfs Started Small_ a personal favourite), _Der Himmel über Berlin_ is the film seals the deal for me.) ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-all-time-favorite-director/599318/49 "2011-10-12T14:56:55Z")
Christopher Nolan. Six major releases and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of them. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-all-time-favorite-director/599318/50 "2011-10-12T21:08:10Z")
John Ford. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-all-time-favorite-director/599318/51 "2011-10-13T00:22:17Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Hey, [Trouble In Mind](http://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Mind-Special-Kris-Kristofferson/dp/B0041SI7D4/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1318422649&sr=1-1) is available!) OH! Thank you! We saw this when it was released and I’d love to get it on DVD. We have the soundtrack LP (yes, LP) which is so amazing. I just went searching and the title track is on YouTube! [“Trouble In Mind” - Marianne Faithful](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2FkxqsdWL8) (the fan-video visuals are weird, it’s the song that’s important) [IMDB page.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090209/) One of the many great things about the film is the serious performance by Divine. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-all-time-favorite-director/599318/52 "2011-10-13T02:56:43Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Frank Capra Second! ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-all-time-favorite-director/599318/53 "2011-10-15T21:26:39Z")
John Sayles, I think, if only for Brother From Another Planet. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2011, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-all-time-favorite-director/599318/54 "2011-10-15T22:13:12Z")
Hawks. Welles. Toss-up, your coin. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-all-time-favorite-director/599318.md?page=2)