Who is the greatest action film director of all time?

Reaver · 10-01-2005, 05:41 AM

This thread is to discuss and debate who is the greatest director of action films of all time. So, without furher adieu, I'll list those who come most quickly to mind, my most favorite, and a few examples of their finest work.

James Cameron -

The Terminator
The Terminator 2
Aliens

John McTiernan -

Predator
Die Hard
The Hunt For Red October

Sergio Leone -

A Fistful Of Dollars
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
Once Upon A Time In The West

Ridley Scott -

Alien
Blade Runner
Black Hawk Down

Tony Scott -

Top Gun
True Romance
Crimson Tide

Michael Bay -

The Rock
Bad Boys 2
Armageddon

Richard Donner -

Superman
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon 2

Yimou Zhang -

Hero
House Of Flying Daggers

Stephen Sommers -

Deep Rising
The Mummy
Van Helsing

The Wachowski brothers -

The Matrix
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Revolutions

Robert Rodriguez -

Desperado
From Dusk Till Dawn
Sin City

Guillermo del Toro -

Cronos
Blade 2
Hellboy

Anyway, those are the ones I can think of right now. As for which one I'd say is best, I'll reserve comment for the moment.

Enjoy...

SoulOnIce · 10-20-2005, 07:10 PM

I would say that John Woo should be on that list especially from his pre-Hollywood days. Other HK directors should be Corey Yuen and Yuen Woo-Ping.

Please, please please remove Stephen Sommers, Michael Bay, and Tony Scott from that list!!

A part of the problem is how do you classify an action director? Because arguably you could put Kurosawa and Hitchcock on that list and they would win hands down.

umainebearman · 10-21-2005, 06:39 AM

John Woo or Renny Harlin.

limacharliewhiskey · 10-21-2005, 03:35 PM

Hard for me to just pick one, as I'm having trouble deciding between James Cameron and John Woo. Both have a large number of movies I love, yet their styles are so different that it's hard for me to compare the two.

Efstar · 11-04-2005, 09:26 PM

I am tossed up between Jim Cameron, and Robert Rodriguez. I hope JC returns to directing sometime soon, and I can't wait to see the Sin City Sequels.

noirish · 12-01-2005, 08:46 PM

I'd like to add Sam Peckinpah to that list. (The Getaway, The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs). Just as the Wachowskis could never have made The Matrix without John Woo's Hong Kong innovations, Woo could have never made his great early movies without Peckinpah.

Monterey Jack · 12-02-2005, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reaver

Ridley Scott -[list]Alien

Alien is an "action" movie?

Pretty leisurely for an action flick...

And I'm amazed no one's mention Steven Spielberg yet.

Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom may be the greatest "bruised forearm" movie ever made.

SoulOnIce · 12-02-2005, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

Alien is an "action" movie?

Pretty leisurely for an action flick...

And I'm amazed no one's mention Steven Spielberg yet.

Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom may be the greatest "bruised forearm" movie ever made.

You're right about Temple of Doom. Truly a non-stop, breathtaking, action film. I love it.

Efstar · 12-02-2005, 08:44 PM

What about John Woo, face/off, Broken Arrow, and hard Boiled. Some of the best violent, bloody action flicks ever made.

NotaNumber · 12-03-2005, 03:02 PM

What about Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bills) or Wolfgang Petersen (Air Force One, The Perfect Storm, Troy)?

Reaver · 12-05-2005, 06:40 PM

Well, like I said, that was all I could think of at that moment. I'm glad others have been brought up, and I'm amazed this thing is still around.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoulOnIce

Please, please please remove Stephen Sommers, Michael Bay, and Tony Scott from that list!!

Not on your life. I love all three of them.

10-01-2005, 05:41 AM	#1 (permalink)
Reaver Metrosexual in Training Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Beyond the outer rim...	Who is the greatest action film director of all time? This thread is to discuss and debate who is the greatest director of action films of all time. So, without furher adieu, I'll list those who come most quickly to mind, my most favorite, and a few examples of their finest work. James Cameron - The Terminator The Terminator 2 Aliens John McTiernan - Predator Die Hard The Hunt For Red October Sergio Leone - A Fistful Of Dollars The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Once Upon A Time In The West Ridley Scott - Alien Blade Runner Black Hawk Down Tony Scott - Top Gun True Romance Crimson Tide Michael Bay - The Rock Bad Boys 2 Armageddon Richard Donner - Superman Lethal Weapon Lethal Weapon 2 Yimou Zhang - Hero House Of Flying Daggers Stephen Sommers - Deep Rising The Mummy Van Helsing The Wachowski brothers - The Matrix The Matrix Reloaded The Matrix Revolutions Robert Rodriguez - Desperado From Dusk Till Dawn Sin City Guillermo del Toro - Cronos Blade 2 Hellboy Anyway, those are the ones I can think of right now. As for which one I'd say is best, I'll reserve comment for the moment. Enjoy... __________________ My personal website (get updates on my novel) The Dead Robots' Society (a podcast I co-host with other writers on writing)

10-21-2005, 06:39 AM	#3 (permalink)
umainebearman Nuked for Morbid Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Savannah,GA	John Woo or Renny Harlin. __________________ "We better win the F**king emmy for this this year or I swear to god..." Ronald D. Moore My DVD Collection

10-21-2005, 03:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
limacharliewhiskey FryMaster Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The O.C.	Hard for me to just pick one, as I'm having trouble deciding between James Cameron and John Woo. Both have a large number of movies I love, yet their styles are so different that it's hard for me to compare the two. __________________ "Believing oneself to be perfect is often a sign of a delusional mind." - Data in Star Trek: First Contact DVD Aficionado collection.

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10-20-2005, 07:10 PM	#2 (permalink)
SoulOnIce Actor Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Toronto	I would say that John Woo should be on that list especially from his pre-Hollywood days. Other HK directors should be Corey Yuen and Yuen Woo-Ping. Please, please please remove Stephen Sommers, Michael Bay, and Tony Scott from that list!! A part of the problem is how do you classify an action director? Because arguably you could put Kurosawa and Hitchcock on that list and they would win hands down.

11-04-2005, 09:26 PM	#5 (permalink)
Efstar Actor Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Lenexa, KS	I am tossed up between Jim Cameron, and Robert Rodriguez. I hope JC returns to directing sometime soon, and I can't wait to see the Sin City Sequels.

12-01-2005, 08:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
noirish Supporting Actor Join Date: Nov 2005	I'd like to add Sam Peckinpah to that list. (The Getaway, The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs). Just as the Wachowskis could never have made The Matrix without John Woo's Hong Kong innovations, Woo could have never made his great early movies without Peckinpah.

12-02-2005, 08:44 PM	#9 (permalink)
Efstar Actor Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Lenexa, KS	What about John Woo, face/off, Broken Arrow, and hard Boiled. Some of the best violent, bloody action flicks ever made.

12-03-2005, 03:02 PM	#10 (permalink)
NotaNumber I paid for this! Join Date: May 2002	What about Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bills) or Wolfgang Petersen (Air Force One, The Perfect Storm, Troy)?