[affleming]

(Original post by PoGo HoPz)
James Cameron
Steven Spielberg
Quentin Tarantino

I hate james cameron so overrated imo.

[Asbestos P.]

(Original post by affleming)
Degree in film?
step 1: Watch the works of Stanley Kubrick.
step 2: Obtain First.

Yep, Film studies, about to embark in MA in Directing (hopefully, if the dissertation goes well)

I have seen Kubrick. I agree he is a fantastic director and bow my head before him - but one can't argue on taste. For example, I really don't dig Scorsese, and many people seem to think it's stupid.

[Asbestos P.]

(Original post by affleming)
I hate james cameron so overrated imo.

If I may step into this - he is overrated, but one can't argue that he made some of the best-grossing and most visionary films of their own time - whether one likes them or not.
Terminator -

['Shadowplay']

Ingmar Bergman
Andrei Tarkovsky
probably the Coen Brothers

[Mr. Gutsy]

Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, and the Coen brothers.

[Toaster Leavings]

(Original post by affleming)
Degree in film?
step 1: Watch the works of Stanley Kubrick.
step 2: Obtain First.

I wish he'd managed Napoleon before snuffing it.

[Cannotbelieveit]

Martin Scorsese
Christopher Nolan
Steven Spielberg

[Bigyouth]

The Coen Brothers
Peter Greenaway
Tarantino

[*pitseleh*]

(Original post by Mr. Gutsy)
Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, and the Coen brothers.

And there I was, just about to make a post ranting about the lack of Fincher love on this thread...

Anyway...

David Fincher, Nicholas Ray, Stanley Kubrick for me I think.

[Bigyouth]

Martin Sorcese if I just watched Taxi driver..

[philistine]

Hitchcock, Godard and Kurosawa.

You could have asked for a top ten! That would have been so much easier.

[Toaster Leavings]

(Original post by *pitseleh*)
And there I was, just about to make a post ranting about the lack of Fincher love on this thread...

Anyway...

David Fincher, Nicholas Ray, Stanley Kubrick for me I think.

Ok I enjoyed Fight Club as much as the next person but he hasn't pushed the boat out either aesthetically or conceptionally. I'm not saying he couldn't as he's obviously talented but compared to say Kubrick, Nolan, Tarkovsky (to name a few of my favourites) he hasn't exactly taken risks. So I don't see how he can be in anyone's top 3.

[Toaster Leavings]

(Original post by 'Shadowplay')
Ingmar Bergman
Andrei Tarkovsky
probably the Coen Brothers

A poet and a god.

[Notethis]

Boring. Would be slightly more interesting if the question were, your top 3 screenwriters. What do directors even do nowadays (those who don't screenwrite, I mean)?

[*pitseleh*]

(Original post by Toaster Leavings)
Ok I enjoyed Fight Club as much as the next person but he hasn't pushed the boat out either aesthetically or conceptionally. I'm not saying he couldn't as he's obviously talented but compared to say Kubrick, Nolan, Tarkovsky (to name a few of my favourites) he hasn't exactly taken risks. So I don't see how he can be in anyone's top 3.

Hm, there you're assuming that "taking risks" is some kind of universal criterion for directorial appreciation, which it isn't.

Either way, it's actually Se7en that I have at the forefront of my mind when people ask what I like about Fincher. The man makes repugnantly beautiful films, and I enjoy that.

[Picnic1]

Robert Zemeckis
Barry Sonnenfeld
Sam Mendes - for American Beauty.

Notable mention to Kevin Costner for Dances with wolves - Waterworld was OK too.

And I am going to put in a controversial choice- Emile Ardolino - for really capturing the spiriit of the age in Dirty Dancing. I read that he also directed Sister Act and 3 men and a little lady.

[Phalanges]

At this moment in time I would say Quentin Tarantino, David Fincher and Sidney Lumet.

So going by this thread I've got one boring choice that every other person mentions, one choice that is unfathomable to one person, and one choice that I got to be the first to say.

[IWantSomeMushu]

Can't really think of three, but I really like Tarantino's films.

[TheNightmare]

From the top of my head:

- Steven Spielberg
- Christopher Nolan
- Peter Jackson

I know I have more favourites but these are the 3 that was in my head at this moment in time.

[a.byrnie]

Christopher Nolan
David Fincher
Darren Aronofsky

Notable mentions: Steven Soderbergh and Matthew Vaugn.