Most Accomplished ACTIVE Directors (2010 Edition)

8.7  

2009 Rank: #1

a. Mean Streets (1973)
b. Taxi Driver (1976)
c. New York, New York (1977)
d. The Last Waltz (1978)
e. Raging Bull (1980)
f. The King of Comedy (1982)
g. After Hours (1985)
h. The Color of Money (1986)
i. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
j. Goodfellas (1990)
k. Cape Fear (1991)
l. The Age of Innocence (1993)
m. Casino (1995)
n. Kundun (1997)
o. Gangs of New York (2002)
p. The Aviator (2004)
q. The Departed (2006)
r. Shutter Island (2010)
s. The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2011)
t. Sinatra (2012)
u. Silence (2013)
v. The Irishman/I Heard You Paint Houses (2 Films!) (2013/14)
w. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (2015)

Well, he's basically the greatest thing to ever happen to film, in my eyes, and his upcoming projects sound like they're in the ballpark of amazing.
The delayed 'Shutter Island' is coming out this year plus with 'The Irishman' Marty is finally re-teaming with De Niro in a two-film project with the superb screenwriter, Eric Roth.

There are also the projects with DiCaprio and the recently announced 'Hugo Cabret' with Sacha Baron Cohen and Sir Kingsley along with John Logan writing.

Stehako's rating:

8.1  

2009 Rank: #2

a. The Sugarland Express (1974)
b. Jaws (1975)
c. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
d. Indiana Jones Adventures (1981, 1984, 1989, 2008)
e. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
f. The Color Purple (1985)
g. Empire of the Sun (1987)
h. Hook (1991)
i. Jurassic Park (1993)
j. Schindler’s List (1993)
k. Amistad (1997)
l. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
m. Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)
n. Minority Report (2002)
o. Catch Me if You Can (2002)
p. The Terminal (2004)
q. Munich (2005)
r. The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
s. War Horse (2011)
t. Lincoln (2012)
u. Interstellar (2012)

Spielberg tackles more adventure (Tintin), history (War Horse), and science fiction (Interstellar) in upcoming films. Plus we possibly get to see a rare Spielberg biopic (Lincoln) by 2012.

Stehako's rating:

8.6  

2009 Rank: #8

a. Blood Simple (1984)
b. Raising Arizona (1987)
c. Miller’s Crossing (1990)
d. Barton Fink (1991)
e. The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
f. Fargo (1996)
g. The Big Lebowski (1998)
h. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
i. The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
j. Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
k. The Lady Killers (2004)
l. No Country for Old Men (2007)
m. Burn After Reading (2008)
n. A Serious Man (2009)
o. True Grit (2010)
p. Suburbicon (2012)
q. Gambit (2013)

The Coens will direct their fourth film in as many years and with a cast that includes old pals Bridges and Brolin plus a Coen debut by Matt Damon along with the brothers' writing and the unparalleled cinematography of Roger Deakons, 'True Grit' will be their fourth instant classic in as many years.

Stehako's rating:

8  

2009 Rank: #6

a. Alien (1979)
b. Blade Runner (1982)
c. Thelma & Louise (1991)
d. White Squal (1996)
e. G.I. Jane (1997)
f. Gladiator (2000)
g. Black Hawk Down (2001)
h. Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
i. American Gangster (2007)
j. Body of Lies (2008)
k. Nottingham or Robin Hood (2010)
l. Two 'Alien' Prequels (2011, 2012)
m. The Kind One (2012)
n. Brave New World (2014)
n. The Wolf of Wall Street (2015)

Scott is directing yet another film with his favorite actor, Russell Crowe, and looks to be getting back to his earlier classics in with a couple of prequels to the 'Alien' saga.

Stehako's rating:

7.3  

2009 Rank: #3

a. Back to the Future Trilogy (1985, 1989, 1990)
b. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
c. Forrest Gump (1994)
d. Contact (1997)
e. Cast Away (2000)
f. The Polar Express (2004)
g. A Christmas Carol (2009)
h. Airman (2011)
i. Stoneheart (Possible Trilogy starting in 2013)

Always innovative with a near-perfect track record. His last couple attempts (Beowulf and A Christmas Carol) were less than stellar but I still have confidence in Bobby Z!

Stehako's rating:

7.5  

2009 Rank: #11

a. The Terminator 1 & 2 (1984, 1991)
b. Aliens (1986)
c. The Abyss (1989)
d. True Lies (1994)
e. Titanic (1997)
f. Avatar (2009)
g. Battle Angel (2011)
h. Avatar Two (2014)

With a twelve year gap Cam is back on the map, and not very quietly, with a repeat of setting the all-time box office record. He's got an original project coming and sequel to the aforementioned record breaker.

Stehako's rating:

8.2  

2009 Rank: #13

a. 12 Angry Men (1957)
b. Long Day’s Journey Into Night (1962)
c. Serpico (1973)
d. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
e. Network (1976)
f. The Verdict (1982)
g. Running on Empty (1988)
h. Find Me Guilty (2006)
i. Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007)
j. Getting Out (2011)

He's made many classics and unlike many directors from the seventies who are still going after it, Lumet seems to be nearly as sharp as he was in the glory days.

Stehako's rating:

7.4  

2009 Rank: #12

a. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
b. The Graduate (1967)
c. Catch-22 (1970)
d. Silkwood (1983)
e. Working Girl (1988)
f. Wolf (1994)
g. The Birdcage (1996)
h. Primary Colors (1998)
i. Closer (2004)
j. Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
k. High and Low (2011)
l. Deep Water (2013)

Longevity is a key to greatness and Nichols is making a bold statement by continuing to dole out superb projects and riling the best talent out there.

Stehako's rating:

5.9  

AND Bobby Farrelly

2009 Rank: #5

a. Dumb & Dumber (1994)
b. Kingpin (1996)
c. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
d. Me, Myself and Irene (2000)
e. Shallow Hal (2001)
f. Stuck On You (2003)
g. Fever Pitch (2005)
h. The Heartbreak Kid (2007)
i. Hall Pass (2010)
j. The Three Stooges (2011)
k. The Valet (2013)

The brothers were at the top of their game for over a decade, but after a miss with 'The Ringer' and the good-for-most-other-comedy-directors film, 'The Heartbreak Kid' they are in great need of a hit. With Del Toro, Penn, and Carrey leading the 'Three Stooges' film, I have to imagine that's the ticket.

Stehako's rating:

6.9  

2009 Rank: #4

a. Splash (1984)
b. Cocoon (1985)
c. Parenthood (1989)
d. Backdraft (1991)
e. Far and Away (1992)
f. The Paper (1994)
g. Apollo 13 (1995)
h. Ransom (1996)
i. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
j. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
k. Cinderella Man (2005)
l. The Da Vinci Code (2006)
m. Frost/Nixon (2008)
n. Angels & Demons (2009)
o. Cheaters (2011)
p. Lensman (2013)

After so many years of creating quality family fair mixed with critical delights, Howard looks to continue with upcoming films that include Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Connolly, Elizabeth Banks, Kevin James, Michael Shannon, Helen Mirren, Queen Latifah, and Joe Gordon-Levitt. Interesting mix for sure.

Stehako's rating:

8.6  

2009 Rank: #35

a. Eraserhead (1976)
b. The Elephant Man (1980)
c. Dune (1984)
d. Blue Velvet (1986)
e. Wild at Heart (1990)
f. Lost Highway (1997)
g. Mulholland Dr. (2001)
h. Inland Empire (2006)
i. Snootworld (2011)

His dream-drenched films all require multiple viewings and for good reason, let's hope 'Snootworld' will do the same.

Stehako's rating:

8.3  

2009 Rank: #33

a. Cigarettes & Coffee (1993)
b. Hard Eight (1996)
c. Boogie Nights (1997)
d. Magnolia (1999)
e. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
f. There Will Be Blood (2007)
g. Desperados (2011)

He may not release films often but he does they are a treat, plus he managed to make Mark Wahlberg and Julianne Moore look like actors.

Stehako's rating:

7.8  

2009 Rank: #20

a. Bananas (1971)
b. Annie Hall (1977)
c. Manhattan (1979)
d. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
e. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
f. Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
g. Husbands and Wives (1992)
h. Mighty Aphrodite (1995)
i. Match Point (2005)
j. Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008)
k. Whatever Works (2009)
l. You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010)
m. Midnight in Paris (2011)

He's had as many misses as hits, but a director makes a film every other year, they can still create quite a filmography. I like the settings of his upcoming films, Paris and London, instead of his normal New York City.

Stehako's rating:

7.1  

2009 Rank: #17

a. Do the Right Thing (1989)
b. Malcolm X (1992)
c. He Got Game (1998)
d. 25th Hour (2002)
e. Inside Man (2006)
f. Miracle at St. Anna (2008)
g. Time Traveler (2011)
h. Untitled James Brown Biopic (2012)

They're usually a little racial-centric but innovative filmmaking nonetheless. I think I'd get a kick out of his version of James Brown's life.

Stehako's rating:

7.7  

2009 Rank: #26

a. The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
b. Heat (1995)
c. The Insider (1999)
d. Ali (2001)
e. Collateral (2004)
f. Miami Vice (2006)
g. Public Enemies (2009)
h. Luck (2011)
i. Frankie Machine (2012)
j. Waiting for Robert Capa (2014)

Mann is a man's director, and he proved it yet again in his last film. He's also managed to direct some of the best actors around, like Hoffman in the upcoming 'Lucky'.

Stehako's rating:

7.6  

2009 Rank: #16

a. Phantom of the Paradise (1975)
b. Carrie (1976)
c. Obsession (1976)
d. Scarface (1983)
e. The Untouchables (1987)
f. Casualties of War (1989)
g. Raising Cain (1992)
h. Carlito’s Way (1993)
i. Mission: Impossible (1996)
j. Snake Eyes (1998)
k. Mission to Mars (2000)
l. The Black Dahlia (2006)
m. Redacted (2007)
n. The Boston Stranglers (2011)
o. Phantom of the Paradise (2013)

He's remaking one of his first films and directing some 'Stranglers', I am in hopes he'll get his groove back after a few disappointing years.

Stehako's rating:

8.1  

2009 Rank: #39

a. Bottle Rocket (1996)
b. Rushmore (1998)
c. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
d. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
e. The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
f. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
g. The Rosenthaler Suite or My Best Friend (2011)

He's had a much shorter career than the fellas in the top ten, but he's also gone six-for-six in films made, and he recently helped make stop-motion animation cool again. I suppose it goes along with all his retro-cool films that combine old and new, whether it's in the music, costumes, language, or sets.

Stehako's rating:

8.3  

2009 Rank: #19

a. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
b. Pulp Fiction (1994)
c. Jackie Brown (1997)
d. Kill Bill: Vol 1 & 2 (2003, 2004)
e. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
f. Come Drink With Me (2012)
g. Kill Bill Vol. 3 (2014)

'Basterds' brought back the confidence I had in the prolific director before 'Deathproof'. Apparently he's going back to the 'Kill Bill' saga. I love those films, but I would love to see completely new ideas from him more.

Stehako's rating:

8.3  

2009 Rank: #7

a. Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985)
b. Beetle Juice (1988)
c. Batman & Batman Returns (1989, 1992)
d. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
e. Ed Wood (1994)
f. Mars Attacks! (1996)
g. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
h. Big Fish (2003)
i. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
j. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
k. Alice in Wonderland (2010)
l. Frankenweenie (2011)
m. The Addams Family (2013)

His films have always been either very dark or saturated with color, and it looks like this trend will continue with the upcoming 'Addams Family' and 'Alice' remakes, respectively.

Stehako's rating:

7.9  

2009 Rank: #24

a. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
b. Time Bandits (1981)
c. The Meaning of Life (1983)
d. Brazil (1985)
e. The Fisher King (1991)
f. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
g. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
h. Tideland (2006)
i. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
j. The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2011)
k. Zero Theorem (2012)

Thankfully his films have gotten stranger, crazier, and more beautiful over the years. While 'Quest' is still my favorite, Gilliam seems to be getting back as a filmmaker in his old age.

Stehako's rating:

8.4  

2009 Rank: #9

a. Finian’s Rainbow (1968)
b. The Godfather (1972)
c. The Conversation (1974)
d. Godfather Part II (1974)
e. Apocalypse Now (1979)
f. Godfather Part III (1990)
g. Dracula (1992)
h. The Rainmaker (1997)
i. Youth Without Youth (2007)
j. Tetro (2009)

I'm not sure why his last two films made so little money with such a small reception. They were both original and very creative. They may not be classics he made in the seventies, but he's still doling out quality stuff.

Stehako's rating:

8.5  

2009 Rank: #15

a. Memento (2000)
b. Insomnia (2002)
c. Batman Begins (2005)
d. The Prestige (2006)
e. The Dark Knight (2008)
f. Inception (2010)
g. Untitled Batman Sequel (2012)
h. The Prisoner (2013)

Well, I said it last year and with knowing a bit more about the film, I'll say it again, 'Inception' could quite possibly be one of my favorite films of all time. I can't wait, damn it!

Stehako's rating:

8.5  

2009 Rank: #30

a. Sudden Impact (1983)
b. Pale Rider (1985)
c. Unforgiven (1990)
d. Absolute Power (1997)
e. Blood Work (2002)
f. Mystic River (2003)
g. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
h. Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
i. Changeling (2008)
j. Gran Torino (2008)
k. Invictus (2009)
l. The Herafter (2010)
m. Hoover (2012)

In a surprising turn, Eastwood has become one of my favorite directors in recent years. He has directed four films in the last three years and they've all been superb. His upcoming films, 'Hoover' starring DiCaprio and 'The Herafter' starring Matt Damon, look to be onpar with his A+ work.

Stehako's rating:

8.4  

2009 Rank: #18

a. Alien 3 (1992)
b. Seven (1995)
c. The Game (1997)
d. Fight Club (1999)
e. Zodiac (2007)
f. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
g. The Social Network (2010)
h. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2012)
i. Heavy Metal (2013)

He's tackled several genres in his relatively short career, and he's successfully added his own style to each one. It looks like he'll continue this with a film about recent history in "The Social Network"

Stehako's rating:

7.3  

2009 Rank: #19

a. Platoon (1986)
b. Wall Street (1987)
c. Talk Radio (1988)
d. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
e. The Doors (1991)
f. JFK (1991)
g. Natural Born Killers (1994)
h. Nixon (1995)
i. Any Given Sunday (1999)
j. W. (2008)
k. South of the Border (2010)
l. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)
m. Pinkville (2013)

He's lost his touch a bit, but at least he's going in new directions, with the upcoming documentary 'Border' and... well that's about it. His other two films coming up are a sequel to his classic 'Wall Street' and a film about Vietnam (Pinkville)

Stehako's rating:

7.9  

2009 Rank: #21

a. Trainspotting (1996)
b. A Life Less Ordinary (1997)
c. The Beach (2000)
d. 28 Days Later (2002)
e. Millions (2004)
f. Sunshine (2007)
g. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
h. 127 Hours (2010)
i. The Temporary Life of Solomon Grundy (2012)
j. Maximum City (2013)

Boyle finally got the attention he deserves, but to me it was only average for the well-performing director. While it may sound long, '127 Hours' looks like another modern classic.

Stehako's rating:

7.1  

2009 Rank: -- Debut from #1 on 'Future Directing Greats'

a. Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)
b. Schizopolis (1997)
c. Out of Sight (1998)
d. The Limey (1999)
e. Erin Brockovich (2000)
f. Traffic (2000)
g. Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
h. Solaris (2002)
i. Ocean's Twelve (2004)
j. The Good German (2006)
k. Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
l. Che: Parts One and Two (2008)
m. The Informant (2009)
n. And Everything is Going Fine (2010)
o. The Last Time I Saw Michael Gregg (2010)
p. Haywire (2011)
q. Cleo (2011)
r. Contagion (2012)

Each film is an experiment and about half of them work with the general public. So that means out of his four upcoming projects people will like two of them. Perhaps the one with Ray Winstone as Marc Antony... probably not, hahaha

Stehako's rating:

7.7  

2009 Rank: #22

a. Heavenly Creatures (1994)
b. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003)
c. King Kong (2005)
d. The Lovely Bones (2009)
e. The Dam Busters (2011)
f. Temeraire (2013)

'Bones' was lovely and proved he can delve even farther from 'The Rings' trilogy, which he'll continue to do with two other upcoming projects that seem to gain argument of him being quite dynamic.

Stehako's rating:

7  

2009 Rank: #29

a. Say Anything… (1989)
b. Jerry Maguire (1996)
c. Almost Famous (2000)
d. Vanilla Sky (2001)
e. Elizabethtown (2005)
f. We Bought a Zoo (2011)
g. Untitled Pearl Jam Documentary (2012)

Damon seems to be working with all the greats and all the great bands seem to be the stars of many documentaries in the last few years.

Stehako's rating:

6.6  

2009 Rank: #46

a. About Last Night… (1986)
b. Glory (1989)
c. Legends of the Fall (1994)
d. Courage Under Fire (1996)
e. The Siege (1998)
f. The Last Samurai (2003)
g. Blood Diamond (2006)
h. Defiance (2008)
i. Love and Other Drugs (2010)
j. Heart of the Sea (2012)

He combines action with heart and is able to put together quite an ensemble each time.

Stehako's rating:

6.5  

2009 Rank: #23

a. Diner (1982)
b. The Natural (1984)
c. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
d. Rain Man (1988)
e. Avalon (1990)
f. Bugsy (1991)
g. Toys (1992)
h. Sleepers (1996)
i. Wag the Dog (1997)
j. Bandits (2001)
k. Man of the Year (2006)
l. You Don't Know Jack (2010)
m. Boone's Lick (2011)
n. A Walk in the Woods (2013)

His dramas have a touch of comedy and his comedies will make you think. 'Lick' seems to be taking forever to get to the theatre, but it sounds like it's worth the wait.

Stehako's rating:

8  

2009 Rank: #31

a. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
b. Hair (1979)
c. Amadeus (1984)
d. The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)
e. Man on the Moon (1999)
f. Goya’s Ghosts (2006)
g. A Walk Worthwhile (2010)
g. The Ghost of Munich (2011)

Not formulaic and not sweet, but his films are still affective with little effects. The wait for 'Walk' seems worthwhile, after seeing it performed on stage.

Stehako's rating:

7  

2009 Rank: #27

a. The Fourth Man (1983)
b. RoboCop (1987)
c. Total Recall (1990)
d. Basic Instinct (1992)
e. Showgirls (1995)
f. Starship Troopers (1997)
g. Black Book (2007)
h. Erfolg (2011)

He certainly likes to surprise the audience in his films, whether it's briefly exposing a female's privates, creating a needless coed gang shower or brutally spraying a topless dame with water, he's always in the mood to shock... maybe he's perverted too?

Stehako's rating:

5.4  

2009 Rank: #41

a. Tommy Boy (1995)
b. My Fellow Americans (1996)
c. Anger Management (2003)
d. 50 First Dates (2004)
e. Get Smart (2008)
f. Wardogs (2011)
g. Dirty Old Men (2012)
h. Shazam! (2012)

They're not cerebral comedies but they can certainly make you laugh seem to be focused on entertaining the mass. 'Dirty Old Men' might do the same and reunite Nicholson and Freeman.

Stehako's rating:

5.6  

2009 Rank: #43

a. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
b. European Vacation (1985)
c. Look Who’s Talking (1989)
d. Clueless (1995)
e. A Night at the Roxbury (1998)
f. I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007)
g. Vamps (2011)

The only female director on the list is thankfully still going at it, even after the lack of audience for her latest project. Perhaps she'll gain them back with the popular theme of vampires in her next.

Stehako's rating:

6.5  

2009 Rank: #45

a. Das Boot (1981)
b. The Neverending Story (1984)
c. In the Line of Fire (1993)
d. Outbreak (1995)
e. Air Force One (1997)
f. Troy (2004)
g. Uprising (2011)
h. A Spell for Chameleon (2012)
i. Paprika (2014)

From the tight shots in 'Das Boot' to the epic scale of 'Troy', Petersen seems to have great range, which is fitting for his upcoming project, 'A Spell for Chameleon'.

Stehako's rating:

8.2  

2009 Rank: #37

a. Cul-de-Sac (1966)
b. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
c. Chinatown (1974)
d. Frantic (1988)
e. Death and the Maiden (1994)
e. The Pianist (2002)
f. The Ghost Writer (2010)

Wanted and desired, but also hated. Polanski proved he can still make a film with 'The Pianist' and eight years later it looks like he'll try it again with 'Ghost Writer'.

Stehako's rating:

6.8  

2009 Rank: #38

a. Top Gun (1986)
b. Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
c. Days of Thunder (1990)
d. The Last Boy Scout (1991)
e. True Romance (1993)
f. Crimson Tide (1995)
g. Enemy of the State (1998)
h. Spy Game (2001)
i. Man on Fire (2004)
j. Domino (2005)
k. Déjà vu (2006)
l. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009)
m. Unstoppable (2010)
n. Emma's War (2011)
o. Potsdamer Platz (2012)
p. Warriors (2012)

The younger less-serious brother of Ridley, goes for action, quick quips, and big stars, and he does it every couple of years. you could say he is... 'Unstoppable'? Let's hope.

Stehako's rating:

7.3  

2009 Rank: #42

a. Gallipoli (1981)
b. The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
c. Witness (1985)
d. The Mosquito Coast (1986)
e. Dead Poets Society (1989)
f. Fearless (1993)
g. The Truman Show (1998)
h. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
i. The Way Back (2010)

It's been a while but it looks like he'll pick up where he left off, with a strong story and impressive cast in 'The Way Back'.

Stehako's rating:

7.2  

2009 Rank: #44

a. Something Wild (1986)
b. Married to the Mob (1988)
c. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
d. Philadelphia (1993)
e. The Agronomist (2003)
f. The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
g. Rachel Getting Married (2008)
h. Marley (2010)
i. Zeitoun (2012)
i. The Courage Consort (2013)

I've always wanted to see a film about Bob Marley, and I don't Demme being the one to do it.

Stehako's rating:

6.4  

2009 Rank: #34

a. The Dark Crystal (1982)
b. The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)
c. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
d. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
e. What About Bob? (1991)
f. In & Out (1997)
g. The Score (2001)
h. Death at a Funeral (2007)

Hopefully Oz will start up a new project soon so he doesn't get kicked off the list. We need more 'scoundrels' type of films!

Stehako's rating:

7.5  

2009 Rank: #32

a. Dazed and Confused (1993)
b. Before Sunrise (1995)
c. Waking Life (2001)
d. The School of Rock (2003)
e. Before Sunset (2004)
f. Fast Food Nation (2006)
g. A Scanner Darkly (2006)
h. Boyhood {12-Year Long Project} (2013)
i. Liars (A-E) (2014)

It's now ten years into his enormous project and I'm getting excited about it with each season.

Stehako's rating:

6.6  

2009 Rank: #14

a. Caddyshack (1980)
b. Vacation (1983)
c. Groundhog Day (1993)
d. Multiplicity (1996)
e. Analyze This/That (1999, 2002)
f. The Ice Harvest (2005)
g. Meatballs (2012)

I'm not sure if it would have been funny in the 80s nad 90s, when Ramis was on his game, but 'Year One' was a huge disappointment and has left me wondering happened to this great writer/director.

Stehako's rating:

6.7  

2009 Rank: #25

a. The Omen (1976)
b. Superman I & II (1978, 1980)
c. The Toy (1982)
d. The Goonies (1985)
e. Lethal Weapon 1, 2, 3, & 4 (1987, 1989, 1992, 1998)
f. Scrooged (1988)
g. Radio Flyer (1992)
h. Maverick (1994)
i. Conspiracy Theory (1997)
j. 16 Blocks (2006)
k. The 28th Amendment (2011)

He's covered the police force, Christmas, gambling, and conspiracies, now he'll roll that all up into his film about government.

Stehako's rating:

7.5  

2009 Rank: -- Debut from #17 on "Future Directing Greats"

a. Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
b. Snatch (2000)
c. Revolver (2005)
d. RocknRolla (2008)
e. Sherlock Holmes (2009)
f. Gamekeeper (2011)
g. Sherlock Holmes 2 (2011)
h. Excalibur (2012)

Ritchie is now on this list after making five damn fine films, all with mumbling, gunplay, and skipping film frames. I like what he did with 'Holmes' and look forward to the sequel that just may co-star Danile Day-Lewis.

Stehako's rating:

6.7  

2009 Rank: #36

a. The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
b. The Little Mermaid (1989)
c. Aladdin (1992)
d. Hercules (1997)
e. Treasure Planet (2002)
f. The Princess and the Frog (2009)

If you're wondering why 'Princess' felt like the great animated Disney films from decades before, it's because it was directed by this dude. But I felt like the film was trying too hard and it fell short of being as great as his earlier work.

Stehako's rating:

8  

2009 Rank: #47

a. Ordinary People (1980)
b. The Milagro Beanfield war (1988)
c. A River Runs Through It (1992)
d. Quiz Show (1994)
e. The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
f. The Conspirator (2010)
g. The Company You Keep (2012)

He's been very busy in the last decade, but now I'd like to see him come out with some decent stuff (At least better than 'Lions for Lambs;)

Stehako's rating:

7  

2009 Rank: #28

a. The Usual Suspects (1995)
b. Apt Pupil (1998)
c. X-Men I & II (2000, 2003)
d. Superman Returns (2006)
e. Valkyrie (2008)
f. Battlestar Galactica (2011)
g. Excalibur (2012)
h. X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2 (2012)

I like his versions of popular superheroes but I'd really like to move on from Wolverine, buddy. C'mon we don't need a sequel to an off-shoot of a trilogy.

Stehako's rating:

8.1  

2009 Rank: #49

a. Scanners (1981)
b. Videodrome (1983)
c. The Dead Zone (1983)
d. The Fly (1986)
e. Dead Ringers (1988)
f. A History of Violence (2005)
g. Eastern Promises (2007)
h. A Dangerous Method (2011)
i. The Matarese Circle (2013)

He's mastered the dark and mysterious future and he dominated the 80s. Now he seems more content to deal with more generic imagery mixed in with dark topics... and Viggo stark naked fighting Russians.

Stehako's rating:

7.1  

2009 Rank: #48

a. The Hit (1984)
b. Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
c. The Grifters (1990)
d. Hero (1992)
e. High Fidelity (2000)
f. Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
g. Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005)
h. The Queen (2006)
i. Tamera Drewe (2010)
j. Lay the Favorite, Take the Dog (2012)

'Cheri' (2009) wasn't bad but it certainly was a disappointment, bringing Frears to the bottom of the list.
Let's hope his next project coming out this year (with the very lovely Gemma Arterton) is a lot better.

Stehako's rating: