The ubiquitious "Writer/Director" credit

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  • #16
    Re: Mamet

    It's a big man who can admit when he's wrong. Too bad I'm not that big a man... lol

    Okay, I got some of my credits wrong. I still think Magnolia was a beautiful piece of crap (you have your opinion, I have mine), and still stand by my conviction that most people should either stick to writing or directing, but don't try and put on too many hats at the same time.

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    • #17
      Re: Great writer/directors

      Let's not forget Pete Jones..............:lol

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      • #18
        Re: Great writer/directors

        I think the main problem is... even though I don't necessarily consider it a "problem", is that writer/directors don't really consider themselves writers as much as they consider themselves filmmakers. I know most writers (who are not directors) are aware that their material will have to eventually move from the page to a piece of film, but I think they consider the actual script their "baby" as opposed to writer/directors who are writing because nobody is making the kinds of movies they wanna make, and they just wanna get the damn movie that's in their minds made. They know they're going to direct the thing and they can see it right in front of them so they're essentially editing on the page before they even shoot, so maybe they're cutting corners, making the writing a bit sloppier than your plain old writer.

        Just a theory.

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        • #19
          QT

          By the way, Sledge, QT's first film was MY BEST FRIEND'S BIRTHDAY (unreleased). It was shot on 16mm using my friend Fred Ray's camera (loaned for free). So DOGS was his sophmore film.

          Scorsese's first film was WHO'S THAT KNOCKIN AT MY DOOR? followed by one of my all time fav's MEAN STREETS.

          DePalma (no reason to feel guillty) began with THE WEDDING PARTY (discovering Jill Clayburgh and DeNiro) then did GREETINGS (also on of my favs) - he did a bunch of really interesting indie work before doing the Hitchcock stuff in MURDER ALA MOD that lead to SISTERS, OBSESSION, etc.

          - Bill

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          • #20
            Re: QT

            indiefilmguy said:<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote>Quote:<hr> ...My thoughts on P.T. Anderson through three films is that they guy needs to direct from someone else's script. His strength is NOT as a writer.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END-->

            And yet both Boogie Nights and Magnolia were nominated for Academy Awards....

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            • #21
              Re: QT

              And still yet, the writers of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and HAMLET were also nominated for Academy Awards.

              So what we can conclude is that sometimes the Academy makes mistakes. Just ask Marissa Tomei.

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              • #22
                Re: QT

                Well, I don't think she'd agree with you GothamWriter that they made a mistake although I would. She was overrated in that film you speak of.

                Won't comment on Boogie Nights since it's been awhile since I've seen it but Magnolia I will still defend. That was a damn good script. Maybe you could tell me what it was about it that you didn't like. Lemme guess...the frog scene?

                P.S.--If I had 600 more posts under my belt, I'd sue you for name infringement.

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                • #23
                  I actually quite enjoyed Magnolia (although not as much as I did Boogie Nights), and I think it's one of the bravest films in a while. The fact that it got nominated for an Academy Award means nothing to me... I haven't paid much attention to the oscars since I was in high school (I'm 22).

                  And judging from all the previous posts, I guess brave filmmaking = bad writing.

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                  • #24
                    I think there should be a difference between 'brave filmmaking' and bad writing. A bad movie on a grand scale does not necessarily make it a 'brave' film - it just makes it bad. The reasons I gave for why I disliked this film so much have been posted numerous times through various threads (there's one titled Magnolia that should have my breakdown of why I didn't like this film).
                    In my mind, a brave film is a film that dares to push a subject across in a thoughtful way, despite the fact that it may be too risque. Magnolia was not such a film. It didn't push a social subject. It wasn't daring in the way it was presented (unless you count how so many of the actors overacted). It was one man's fantasies put up on the big screen for his amusement.

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                    • #25
                      <!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote>Quote:<hr> "It was one man's fantasies put up on the big screen for his amusement."<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END-->

                      Isn't that every film?

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                      • #26
                        Are there any great writer/directors? Woody Allen, Roberto Begnini (who are both also damn good actors) Other than those two, I don't know.

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                        • #27
                          Some VERY BRAVE, but VERY BAD FILMS

                          Waterworld

                          The Postman (note: I haven't seen it, but do I really need to, to know that it's bad?)

                          D

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                          • #28
                            Ummm, Spike Lee? John Singleton?

                            Not really positing either of them as great writers, but I think both should be introduced as part of your discussion.

                            Also Allison Anders?

                            Spike Lee
                            1. She's Gotta Have It
                            2. School Daze

                            John Singleton
                            1. Boyz N the Hood
                            2. Poetic Justice

                            Allison Anders (not sure of her early works) but break out
                            Gas, Food Lodging was followed by
                            Mi Vida Loca

                            In Spike's case, I don't think he ever thought of NOT writing and directing (the whole MFA in film at Tisch seems to built upon creating hyphenates), but I remember reading that Singleton directed Boyz in part because he felt that his artistic and political voice would be muted with another director. In fact, he turned down several deals, holding out for the opportunity to direct Boyz.

                            But back to the sophomore slump issue, most would agree that Poetic was a poor follow-up to Boyz and plenty would rather skip Daze and concentrate on Do the Right Thing. And its been awhile since I've seen Gas and Mi Vida, but I do seem to remember personally liking Gas more than Vida.

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