Top 5... Favorite Movie Directors

The problem with having friends who are movie buffs is when I get questions like, "Who are your top 5 favorite movie directors?" The question itself doesn't really pose a problem per se. No, the problem comes from my obsessive nature not being able to let go of the question until I answer it. No matter WHAT it is that I am doing.

The other concern is that there are many ways to analyze movie directors. But rather than go down the rabbit hole of which director has better shot composition or is a better visual storyteller, I decided to look at it by what "favorite" means. For me, favorite means movies I enjoyed and would re-watch as opposed to technically superior movies.  So, while there are directors outside my list that have made fantastic, and critically acclaimed movies, these directors have made the movies that have connected with me.

When I initially came up with this list, I didn't give an explanation as to why, just a list of movies that I liked, because I feel the movies speak for themselves. However, that doesn't really convey what those movies mean TO ME! So, I will add a bit of explanation for each choice while also including the movies that I loved.

So, in no particular order....

Ridley Scott - The thing with Ridley Scott is that he is an EXCELLENT world builder. Not only is he good at telling stories, but he is also able to create these beautiful, rich worlds that almost instantaneously bring you to believe there is so much more happening than just what you are watching. I can see him going back into any of his movies and telling more stories.

Examples Include: Legend, Alien, Prometheus, The Martian, Blade Runner, Kingdom of Heaven, Matchstick Men, HANNIBAL!!, Gladiator, GI Jane

Robert Zemekis - What I love most about Robert Zemekis' movies is the fascinating people that populate his movies. Now granted, some of that is due to the writers, but Zemekis just has a knack for telling these great stories with people who are just fascinating to watch.

Examples Include: The Walk, Flight, Castaway, What Lies Beneath, Contact, Back To The Future trilogy, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Romancing the Stone

Christopher Nolan - Christopher Nolan just challenges me. I found him after years of watching movies, and found his story choices, and capacity for telling mind-bendingly complex stories incredibly fun. A lot of people shy away from his movies because they don't quite connect with them, but I've loved every Nolan film I've seen.

Examples Include:  Memento, Insomnia, The Prestige, INCEPTION!!, The Dark Knight Trilogy

Spielberg - That's right. This man has gone SINGLE NAME! He's now just Spielberg. This is a director I can say I grew up with. I've been watching Spielberg movies since I was a kid, and he rarely disappoints. Spielberg somehow knows how to make movies that I just fall in love with. The story, the visual effects, the camera work... All of it combines to create this new thing that is just endlessly compelling. And as I have gotten older and more seasoned, Spielberg's films have gotten darker and more compelling.

Examples include: Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Indiana Jones Trilogy(there is no 4), The Color Purple, Hook, Schindler's List, Jurassic Park 1 & 2, Amistad, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal, Bridge of Spies

Ron Howard - Now, I mentioned how Robert Zemekis' movies are populated with fascinating people. Ron Howard is the same ball park, where he has these endlessly fascinating people in his movies, but he adds these intense, emotionally compelling stories that just blow the roof of my mind. Ron Howard's movies are all about how people who start out great become legendary because of the unimaginable capacity of the human spirit that is unlocked by the extraordinary circumstances these people endure. You don't watch Ron Howard's movies. You live them.

Examples Include: Splash, Cocoon, Gung Ho, Willow, A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, Da Vinci Code, Frost/Nixon, Angels & Demons, Rush

And here are some honorable mentions: (Full Disclosure: I had to update this since my friend asked me the initial question.)

Richard Donner - Fun, iconic movies with characters that feel more like family than people in the movies. Examples:The Omen, Superman, Superman 2, The Toy, LadyHawke, The Goonies, Lethal Weapon Series, Scrooged, Assassins, Conspiracy Theory, 16 Blocks

Tim Burton - Delightfully weird and playfully dark films that made me feel okay to be an outcast. Examples: Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman, Batman Returns, Big Fish, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd

John McTiernan - Action movies that don't just throw away the story. Intense action, fun stories, and real grounded people. Examples: Die Hard 1 & 3, Predator, Hunt For Red October, Last Action Hero, Thomas Crown Affair