Directorial Chronology - 1980
In The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929 - 1968, Andrew Sarris provided an extremely useful and entertaining appendix he called "Directorial Chronology." It was basically a best American film of the year list with a highly auteurist, idiosyncratic bent. So you would see things like Man's Favorite Sport (Hawks) ranked well above something more critically exalted (by the mainstream) like Fail Safe (Lumet). He did not numerically rank the films, but they are pretty clearly presented in order of preference (and preferred auteurs). Since it is my aim to pay tribute to the great text by the great man, I am going to attempt to do the same. Here is the next entry, the extremely formative 1980.
Directorial Chronology - 1980
Michael Cimino Heaven's Gate
George Miller Mad Max
Martin Scorsese Raging Bull
David Lynch The Elephant Man
Paul Schrader American Gigolo
Stanley Kubrick The Shining
Dennis Hopper Out of the Blue
Walter Hill The Long Riders
Jonathan Demme Melvin and Howard
Clint Eastwood Bronco Billy
Bertrand Tavernier Death Watch
Louis Malle Atlantic City
Brian De Palma Dressed to Kill
Woody Allen Stardust Memories
Samuel Fuller The Big Red One
Robert Redford Ordinary People
Robert Zemeckis Used Cars
Richard Lester Superman II
Richard Rush The Stunt Man
John Cassavetes Gloria
Robert Altman Popeye
Lewis Teague Alligator
Michael Apted Coal Miner's Daughter
Irvin Kershner The Empire Strikes Back
Howard Zieff Private Benjamin
Abrams and Zucker Airplane!
Ken Russell Altered States
William Blatty The Ninth Configuration
Richard Donner Inside Moves
William Friedkin Cruising
Claudia Weill It's My Turn
Roman Polanski Tess
Harold Ramis Caddyshack
Robert Young One Trick Pony
John Sayles Return of the Secaucus Seven
William Lustig Maniac!
Alan Rudolph Roadie
Bill Persky Serial
Don Siegel Rough Cut
John Irvin The Dogs of War
Brian DePalma Home Movies
Marshall Brickman Simon
Sidney Poitier Stir Crazy
Paul Mazursky Willie & Phil
Jerry Schatzberg Honeysuckle Rose
Sidney Lumet Just Tell Me What You Want
Rob Cohen A Small Circle of Friends
John Landis The Blues Brothers
Ronald Neame Hopscotch
