Shane Carruth

Vincenzo Natali

Mel Gibson

Cronenberg

Hitchcock

Hi,

Goodness .... you certainly bring out the mind and its time in this universe of film and the arts!

I don't know about a choice of numbers and who is first or last ... I don't like top tens for that reason, which makes it look like the last one is not as good as the first one. So, I'm using letters!

A. Terry Gilliam. For one reason ... we have the same birthday, but he is a bit older. And I bet that we would write a new script within 15 minutes of a conversation ... and that we would be able to add to each other's bits left and right!

B. Peter Brook. The ultimate director and experimental person in theater and film. It's a shame that in the time of this and that, some of his work gets ignored and not appreciated, but the folks that were a part of it, know the importance, and how far it took them. And if you think that's not enough, read any of his 3 directing books, Empty Space, Open Door and the 3rd one, or if you have the gumption ... go see The Tightrope, for a lesson in acting and rehearsal ... something that you can't talk about in rock music because it refuses to grow up from its banality and idealism.

C. Julie Christie. Not a director, but her life, around actors, musicians, and still being a model and a "star" is incredible, and her acting work is so smart and carefully crafted that a nice discussion on it all, would be kinda nice ... I think she would laugh at her "model" days, as not acting, but you can hardly say that in things like "Away From Her".

D. Werner Herzog. Considering he is one of the big names in the development of what became described as "krautrock", his films were no different than any band, or group experimenting with something or other ... and on top of it there was this funny line about him and Florian Fricke ... who had tapes and tapes of music in his closet ... and he told Werner he was welcome to it ... and next week, Werner shows up ... and says ... LOOK .... LOOK ... I got a new film for your music! His inner feelings on music and how they "describe" the visuals he created would be a discussion a year long!

E. Jean Luc Godard. A very tough talk, and interview, since he was a reviewer and critic, and he is one of those smarties that can dance and walk around you in words for fun! But a nice discussion on a couple of films and how he saw things ... I mean ... any ideas how to look at "Godard's King Lear"? ... or some fun bits and pieces about the camera movement, sound, music and what not, that he was known to play with ... not to mention that a lot of it was a satire on film Hollywood style, but saying that to most folks, specially in America, gets you a finger that you are this and that ..... !!!

F. Theresa Russell. It's kinda crazy that she did so many films for her husband, Nicolas Roeg, but something had to give, or something had to work, or something was not right ... but she played all the parts, although you might even say/consider one or two of them not as interesting. But from Melina to the last ... what happened? Was it a chance to become a "star"? Was it one of those things that an idea in the kitchen busted into a film that was made?

G. Nicolas Roeg. His wife aside, he did write a book about his work, but it is not satisfying a whole lot, and I think the biggest problem is that no one knew him from the days of being a cinematographer and how this affected what he wanted to see and film for his work. AND, how he developed the angles and shots that were used in so many films ... accidental? ... was it just a visual idea from playing around with a hand camera going in circles and all around? And then, the best of it all ... he ended up being the first one to put together a video that became famous ... Mick Jagger from Performance ... was a video that few understood, but its visual strength, made Mick look larger than life.

G. Elia Kazan. You realize the incredible number of famous actors, writers, and other folks that ended up in film were a huge and magnificent part of this man's work? Try listing the actors ... and make sure that you notice the writers they helped make famous.

H. Lee Strasburg. Same as Elia Kazan ... you and I would have no words, to describe the incredible amount of work, and people that came out of these workshops.

I. James Lipton. He has done that thing on Bravo about the Actor's Studio for a long time, and has allowed them to talk to the kids and such ... this time, I would like to swap chairs with him, and get rid of that "professor" thing, and just ask questions and have him reflect on a few of the folks he had in there. And .. specially ... is this an "acting class", or are we ... just talking about it?

I'll stop here ... there are a lot more ... Derek Jarman for sure, Ken Russell though I think he would make fun of the whole thing and not say anything, and ... lastly ... the one person that started out as a comedian with PC and DM, and ended up becoming one of the famous names in directing in West End ... boy, would I have questions for him!

I still have to find, the crazy idiot of a director that made the choices of plays for West End, and also had a say in the music that was used ... hiring a band to play for a full show (as I understand) instead of just a recording of the music ... is ... yeah ... you know it! And they weren't the only "band" that ever played in those productions.

One last person, but he was not quite a director ... Sam Sheppard .... from flying ping pong balls on stage to playing drums before the show (and he would be one of the actors), to writing many of these plays ... and then going home to a wife that had an incredible listing of acting honors ... you done good, man ... you done really good!

MortSahlFan wrote:   3. Orson Welles - I'm not a fan of his movies (besides Citizen Kane), but he was worldly, knew a lot, would have loved to talk to him. ...

The biggest issue, and you can find it in some of the books about him, is that most folks don't even know his history, even going back as far as radio ... and one of the broadcasts that created MORE RULES for radio than you can imagine ... it became illegal to scare people, you know ... and it was only "radio theater". I think the day that someone would ask him about Falstaff, would be the day that he smiled, and cried and told you thank you, but he could not continue, he was so emotional!

My thoughts are that ... after that show, radio became "entertainment", and would no longer be taken seriously whatsover!

MortSahlFan wrote:   ... Honorable Mention: Marlon Brando, because he did direct the great "One-Eyed Jacks"and an interesting person

His story needs to go back to his theater days, and how he came to scream ... STELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLA ... and made the writer, the actress and himself famous ... no one even remembers the director and he is on this list above.

This is the one that is very tough to not list, and not appreciate.

All you have to see is one moment, when the background folks break into a sing and dance GREEK CHORUS routine, and then the film continues ... it kinda tells you the "time warp" thing in Woody's head, which is probably one of the best around, even if we think it's "comedy", and sometimes, it isn't.

Woody is a tough interview ... he doesn't like to talk about his films ... and I wonder if the issue is how so many of them are rather personal inside for him to be able to discuss anything ... and sometimes it is best to leave it behind.

As a director, he is not exactly great ... but the fact that he also writes, and allows the actors a kind of freedom to help define a character (the main reason why so many folks wanted to work with him!!!), that is rare ... most directors tell you to do this or not, and they do NOT have the continuity of the "person" that the actor/actress is playing ... and this is where the greats separate from the rest ... most of the greats have such a good continuity, that it does not matter what a director says, they can adjust it CORRECTLY to the character they have built. 

Think of this like Jack Nicholson with Stanley Kubrick, and Heath Ledger as the Joker ... you do NOT want to temper with that stream of consciousness with an actor, and you want to help them maintain it ... and that is NOT an easy thing ... and it is something that Hollywood is not very good at ... because ... it is "entertainment" and anything else is not important!

IF, you ever have the chance, catch AFTER THE FOX with Peter Sellers ... it is by far his best ever (Being There is an exception!) ... and guess who directed it, and there is a whole bunch of stuff about "directors' and such.

BTW, it was written by Neil Simon! ...

And ... the equipment is gone! 

I have it, tried to watch it (is that where it opens with a funeral?)

in no specific order (numbered only to keep track):

1) Fritz Lang

2) Akira Kurosawa

3) Werner Herzog

4) Robert Altman

5) François Truffaut

6) Alfred Hitchcock

7) Rainer Werner Fassbinder

8) Alain Resnais