Expressive Esoterica
If you are wondering what this is all about, please read this Introduction.
These are the unsung directors with difficult styles or unfashionable genres or both. Their deeper virtues are often obscured by irritating idiosyncrasies on the surface, but they are generally redeemed by their seriousness and grace. (Notable films in Italics).
Adamson, Al (1929 - 1995)
Once seen, an Adamson film is not forgotten. No matter how hard you try. Dracula vs. Frankenstein took up semi-permanent residence on local t.v. late night horror when I grew up. It's a wonder I recovered (well, sort of). Now, will someone extinguish those blazing stewardesses? They have suffered enough.
Blood of Ghastly Horror 1969, The Fiend with the Electronic Brain 1969, The Female Bunch 1969, Five Bloody Graves 1969, Satan's Sadists 1970, Hell's Bloody Angels 1970, Dracula vs. Frankenstein 1971, Dynamite Brothers 1974, Blazing Stewardesses 1975, Black Heat 1976, Death Dimension 1978.
Aja, Alexandre (1978)
He came from French Extreme horror, and he brought a refreshingly transgressive attitude to his first few American films. Things have gotten tamer, since, which might be personal choice, of course, but I am hoping for his next one to be gnarly.
Furia 1999, High Tension 2003, The Hills Have Eyes 2006, Mirrors 2008, Piranha 3-D 2010, Horns 2013, The 9th Life of Louis Drax 2016, Crawl 2019, Oxygen 2021, Never Let Go 2024.
Almereyda, Michael (1959 - )
Twister 1989, Another Girl, Another Planet 1992, Nadja 1994, Hamlet 2000, Cymbeline 2015, Experimenter 2015, Marjorie Prime 2017, Tesla 2020.
Anderson, Paul W.S. (1965 - )
There is a certain stain of Film Bro who prefers Anderson, W.S. to Anderson P.T. I wouldn't include myself amongst them, but there is absolutely room for both.
Mortal Kombat 1995, Event Horizon 1997, Soldier 1998, Alien vs. Predator 2004, Death Race 2008, Resident Evil: Afterlife 2010, The Three Musketeers 2011, Resident Evil: Retribution 2012, Pompei 2014, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter 2017, Monster Hunter 2020, In the Lost Lands 2025.
Araki, Gregg (1959 - )
He is making his return to feature filmmaking after 16 years with the highly buzzed about I Want Your Sex.
Totally F***ed Up 1993, The Doom Generation 1995, Nowhere 1997, Mysterious Skin 2004, Smiley Face 2007, Kaboom 2010.
Armitage, George (1942 - )
The guy just didn't miss, did he? A disconcertingly light filmography, but when he was earmarked for something, he delivered. His exploitation stuff holds up great, and Miami Blues and Gross Pointe Blank are 90s touchstones.
Private Duty Nurses 1971, Hit Man 1972, Vigilante Force 1976, Miami Blues 1990, Grosse Pointe Blank 1997, The Big Bounce 2004.
Arnold, Jack (1916 - 1992)
Did you know that Arnold, director of Creature from the Black Lagoon and Incredibly Shrinking Man amongst other masterworks, dipped his toe into Blacksploitation late in his career? They're not bad. His exclusion from the original Sarris was probably his most major oversight.
Hello Down There (1969), The Black Eye (1974), The Bunny Caper (1974), Boss Nigger (1975), The Swiss Conspiracy (1976).
Arteta, Miguel (1965 - )
Chuck & Buck was a genuine, transgressive bolt of lightning. The non-Mike-White collaborations have been less inspired, however.
Star Maps 1997, Chuck & Buck 2000, The Good Girl 2002, Youth in Revolt 2010, Cedar Rapids 2011, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day 2014, Beatriz at Dinner 2017, Duck Butter 2018, Like a Boss 2020, Yes Day 2021.
Bartel, Paul (1938 - 2000)
Remember when Eating Raoul came out and was a smash hit? What could we even compare to that these days? His three best films are carved into annals of Indy American film history.
Private Parts 1972, Death Race 2000 1975, Cannonball 1976, Eating Raoul 1982, Not for Publication 1984, Lust in the Dust 1985, The Long Shot 1986, Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills 1989, Shelf Life 1993.
Byrum, John (1947 - )
Interesting career. Began as an original writer on Sesame Street and later did a 180 with the Making of a Porno film Inserts, an attempt to make a legitimate X-Rated feature. He also attempt to make Bill Murray a serious actor, but it would take a few years and better material than The Razor's Edge to realize that. He also wrote and directed what is, to my mind, best film about the Beats (Heart Beat). Hasn't been heard from much lately.
Inserts 1975, Heart Beat 1980, The Razor's Edge 1984, The Whoopee Boys 1986.
Cammell, Donald (1934 - 1996)
Eccentric who made some striking, very adult films but never really got a toe hold on the industry ala Nicolas Roeg, while sharing many characteristics with him, and with whom he collaborated on Performance.
Performance 1970, Demon Seed 1977, White of the Eye 1987, Wild Side 1995.
Cohen, Larry (1936 - 2019)
Larry Cohen dominated the drive in from 1972 to 1985. The It's Alive films are the very definition of horror always being about something else (in this case, the horror of parenthood). The virulently anti-consumerist The Stuff has aged particularly well.
Bone 1972, Black Caesar 1973, Hell Up in Harlem 1973, It's Alive 1974, God Told Me To 1976, The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover 1977, It Lives Again 1978, Full Moon High 1981, Q 1982, Special Effects 1984, The Stuff 1985, A Return to Salem's Lot 1987 Deadly Illusion (co-directed) 1987, It’s Alive III 1987, Wicked Stepmother 1989, The Ambulance 1990, Original Gangstas 1996.
Collet-Serra, Jaume (1974 - )
A genuine talent who, if he can avoid the temptations of Netflix, Disney and The Rock, may be on his way to The Far Side of Paradise.
House of Wax 2005, Orphan 2009, Unknown 2011, Non-Stop 2014, Run All Night 2015, The Shallows 2016, The Commuter 2018, Jungle Cruise 2021, Black Adam 2022, Carry On 2024, Woman in the Yard 2025.
Corman, Roger (1926 - 2024)
(Previous Ranking: Oddities, One-Shots and Newcomers)
Obviously much more significant than an expressively esoteric director, but this filmography is not bad at all (and this isn't counting all the 60s stuff he helmed).
Bloody Mama 1970, Gaa-s-s-s-s 1970, Von Richtofen and Brown 1971, Battle Beyond the Stars 1980, Frankenstein Unbound 1990.
Coscarelli, Don (1954 - )
I revisited Phantasm again recently and had forgotten how genuinely weird and other-worldly and askew it is. Unlike today, when horror is king but rarely truly unsettling, that goddamn Tall Man and his godforsaken silver sphere haunts the way it did back at the drive in in 1979.
Jim, the World's Greatest 1976, Phantasm 1979, The Beastmaster 1982, Phantasm II 1988, Survival Quest 1989, Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead 1994, Phantasm IV: Oblivion 1998, Bubba Ho-tep 2002, John Dies at the End 2013.
Cox, Alex (1954 - )
It is difficult to overstate the electricity generated by the 1-2 punch of Repo Man and Sid and Nancy. We thought we might have a punk Scorsese on our hands. But it just didn't work out. Cox has stayed busy, and has been a very active member of the cinephile community and continues to make low budget features. I cannot say I have seen many of them, are they any good? Repo Man 2 is allegedly coming. Who knows?
Edge City 1980, Repo Man 1984, Sid and Nancy 1986, Straight to Hell 1987, Walker 1987, Highway Patrolman 1991, Death and the Compass 1992, The Winner 1996, Three Businessmen 1998, Revenger's Tragedy 2002, Searchers 2.0 2007, Repo Chick 2009, Tombstone Rashomon 2017, Dead Souls 2025.
Dahl, John (1956 - )
What a marvelous start to his directorial career. Things have tapered off since Rounders, and he seems to be making his bones primarily from prestige t.v.
Kill Me Again 1989, Red Rock West 1993, The Last Seduction 1994, Unforgettable 1996, Rounders 1998, Joy Ride 2001, The Great Raid 2005, You Kill Me 2007.
DeVito, Danny (1944 - )
Bringing the blessed relief of transgressiveness to Hollywood comedies, DeVito is underrated and should do more directing. Compare the original War of the Roses, an exercise in misanthropy (to it's credit!), to the remake, which apologizes to its audience for any wrongdoing. It is interesting that his behind-the-camera persona matches his on-screen persona of unlikable and borderline shrill. In both cases, he is pretty much a delight.
Throw Mama from the Train 1987, The War of the Roses 1989, Hoffa 1992, Matilda 1996, Death to Smoochy 2002, Duplex 2003.
Ferrara, Abel (1951 - )
There haven't been many characters quite like Ferrara. Zero fucks given, zero acquiescence to "the Industry," and still has managed a long-standing career with a handful of actual hits. I am sure he would be the first to tell you there should have been more hits, more money, and everyone is a fucking idiot who disagrees, but we wouldn't want him any other way. I suspect he could make a nice career out of playing character parts, as in Marty Supreme, but I also suspect that the man simply must make movies.
The Driller Killer 1979, Ms. 45 1981, Fear City 1984, China Girl 1987, Cat Chaser 1989, King of New York 1990, Bad Lieutenant 1992, Body Snatchers 1993, Dangerous Game 1993, The Addiction 1995, The Funeral 1996, New Rose Hotel 1998, 'R XMas 2001, Mary 2005, Go Go Tales 2007, 4:44 Last Day on Earth 2011, Welcome to New York 2014, Pasolini 2014, Tommaso 2019, Siberia 2020, Zeros and Ones 2021, Padre Pio 2022.
Fessenden, Larry (1963 - )
Has a real cult following if not a voluminous filmography. But what is there is singular and disturbing, and accomplish a great deal on miniscule budgets. With his production company Glass Eye Pix, a hero of the flourishing independent horror renaissance.
Habit 1995, Wendigo 2001, The Last Winter 2006, Beneath 2013, Depraved 2019.
Fleischer, Richard (1916 - 2006)
(Previous Ranking: Strained Seriousness. What Sarris said: "On the theory that a director must be judged by all his films rather than by his more bearable ones, the burden of proof falls on Fleischer's champions.")
One of a handful of misses by Sarris, Fleischer, the son of the animation giant Max, made major minor and minor major Hollywood studio films from 1946 to an Ahnold sequel. To be fair, the post 70's output is dotted with questionable fare amidst masterpieces. But the hardcore auteurist cares not for your bad films, only that your bad films are still more interesting than the best films of the non-auteur. Fleischer qualifies. He has many champions, and they offer the proof of his filmography.
Tora Tora Tora 1970, The Last Run 1971, 10 Rillington Place 1971, The New Centurions 1972, Soylent Green 1973, The Don Is Dead 1973, Mr. Majestyk 1974, The Spikes Gang 1974, Mandingo 1975, Crossed Swords 1977, Ashanti 1979, The Jazz Singer 1980, Amityville 3-D 1983, Tough Enough 1983, Conan the Destroyer 1984.
Flynn, John (1932 - 2007)
It's odd that a guy with the ability to pull off incredibly strong material like The Outfit and Rolling Thunder on reasonable budgets was not able to make a single feature after 1994. Just one of the many depressing examples of this I have unearthed in this project.
The Sergeant 1968, The Jerusalem File 1972, The Outfit 1973, Rolling Thunder 1977, Defiance 1980, Best Seller 1987, Lock Up 1989, Out for Justice 1991, Brainscan 1994.
Forsyth, Bill (1946 - )
The Scotsman is a genuine auteur, with three bona-fide American-produced classics, and one can only assume the lack of output was due more to lack of opportunities than talent. Could have been one of the greats, I think. But what happened?
That Sinking Feeling 1979, Gregory's Girl 1981, Local Hero 1983, Housekeeping 1987, Breaking In 1989, Being Human 1994, Gregory's Two Girls 1999.
Fuller, Samuel (1912 - 1997)
(Previous Ranking: Expressive Esoterica. What Sarris said: "Fuller is an authentic American primitive whose works have to be seen to be understood...Fuller belongs to the cinema, and not to literature and sociology.")
A bit of an honorary member, ala Orson, but the first two films in the 80s are genuinely striking and could only have been made by one man.
Shark 1969, The Big Red One 1980, White Dog 1982, Thieves After Dark 1983, Street of No Return 1989.
Goldthwait, Bobcat (1962 - )
An annoying comedian, but a quite distinct director. Shakes and Dad are two for the Cringe Hall of Fame.
Shakes the Clown 1992, Sleeping Dogs Lie 2006, World's Greatest Dad 2009, God Bless America 2012.
Gordon, Stuart (1947 - 2020)
My god, that 1-2 punch in '85 and '86. It almost felt like Gordon was inventing something. We were in the presence of genius, and we didn't really know it. As with almost everyone in this category, he found it hard to keep it going, but his legacy is unassailable.
Re-Animator 1985, From Beyond 1986, Dolls 1987, Daughter of Darkness 1990, Robot Jox 1990, The Pit and the Pendulum 1990, Fortress 1992, Castle Freak 1995, Space Truckers 1996, Dragon 2001, King of the Ants 2005, Edmond 2005, Stuck 2007.
Harron, Mary (1953 - )
Everybody loves American Psycho now, so it is interesting to note it was fairly well reviled upon its release. As if people could possibly be disappointed by a Bret Easton Ellis adaptation. There was some implicit thought amongst the film bro types of the day that it wasn't appropriate for a women to adapt this, as if patriarchal critique (turned up to 11) wasn't its primary conceit. Harron was the perfect choice. The fact we now live in a world where affluent white dudes can do all sorts of heinous crimes with impunity makes it all the richer.
I Shot Andy Warhol 1996, American Psycho 2000, The Notorious Bettie Page 2005, Charlie Says 2018, Daliland 2022.
Hellman, Monte (1929 - 2021)
Monte Hellman was a constant and brilliant presence in the Independent Hollywood underground from the 1950s with Roger Corman, where he made a series of extremely interesting and valorized "new" westerns, and anon, even crossing paths with the Shaw Brothers in Hong Kong. He found a niche in the American new wave of the 70s, and Two-Lane Blacktop is rightly held up as an exemplar of that time.
Two-Lane Blacktop 1971, Cockfighter 1974, China 9, Liberty 37 1978, Iguana 1988, Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! 1989, Road to Nowhere 2010.
Henenlotter, Frank (1950 - )
Like Sam Raimi, Stuart Gordon and, hell, Larry Cohen, Henenlotter went the low-budget horror route to get a career and out spring two absolute classics: Basket Case and Brain Damage. A thoughtful film historian, it might have been interesting to see what might have happened if he had strayed from the genre, at least once.
Basket Case 1982, Brain Damage 1988, Basket Case 2 1990, Frankenhooker 1990, Basket Case 3 1991, Bad Biology 2008.
Hess, Jared (1979 - )
He hit it big first with ingenuity and canny marketing. He hit it big last year because of zeitgeist and being in the right place at the right time. But Gentlemen Broncos remains his best, and most personal, film. Talented.
Napoleon Dynamite 2004, Nacho Libre 2006, Gentlemen Broncos 2009, Masterminds 2016, A Minecraft Movie 2025.
Hill, Jack (1933 - )
Jack Hill, still kicking at 93, would have made it necessary for this category to be invented had it not existed. A Female-Forward Sam Fuller.
Pit Stop 1969, The Incredible Invasion 1971, The Big Doll House 1971, The Big Bird Cage 1972, Coffy 1973, Foxy Brown 1974, The Swinging Cheerleaders 1974, Switchblade Sisters 1975, Sorceress 1982.
Hooper, Tobe (1943 - 2017)
I know of at least one erudite, auteurist analysis of Hooper that makes the claim for Hooper as a first ballot hall of famer. I watch the films and I am not convinced. Aside from the unassailable masterpiece, is there one film that is not more about enjoyable parts than the whole congealing?
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 1974, Eaten Alive 1977, The Funhouse 1981, Poltergeist 1982, Lifeforce 1985, Invaders from Mars 1986, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 1986, I'm Dangerous Tonight 1990, Spontaneous Combustion 1990, The Mangler 1995.
Hopper, Dennis (1936 - 2010)
The first two films are important, if not great, and didn't help in the long run running the auteurist idea out of Hollywood once and for all, for all the wrong reasons. Out of the Blue, on the other hand, demonstrates a director who could have been one of the best. I am not sure another director could have brought the depth of feeling and despair to that piece of work. Please give it another chance. Oh, and the Hot Spot has a place in the horny movie pantheon, no doubt.
Easy Rider 1969, The Last Movie 1971, Out of the Blue 1980, Colors 1988, The Hot Spot 1990, Chasers 1994.
Jarmusch, Jim (1953 - )
There are those among us who believe he can do no wrong. I choose to place him here because of a wildly inconsistent narrative career, from masterpiece (Stranger Than Paradise and Dean Man) to mannered Indy trifle (Night on Earth, Coffee and Cigarettes) to everything in between.
Permanent Vacation 1980, Stranger Than Paradise 1984, Down by Law 1986, Mystery Train 1989, Night on Earth 1991, Dead Man 1995, Year of the Horse 1997, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai 1999, Coffee and Cigarettes 2003, Broken Flowers 2005, The Limits of Control 2009, Only Lovers Left Alive 2013, Paterson 2016, The Dead Don't Die 2019, Father Mother Sister Brother 2025.
Judge, Mike (1962 - )
The creator of Beavis and Butthead and the insanely prescient Idiocracy is, simply, an important artist. But not a particularly voluminous movie career.
Beavis and Butt-Head Do America 1996, Office Space 1999, Idiocracy 2006, Extract 2009.
Kaplan, Jonathan (1947 - )
For a while it seemed he would have Jonathan Demme's career as a graduate of the Roger Corman school. But there is an inconsistency in his output, and an apparent disinterest in going for the gusto like Demme, that held him back slightly. But unlike Demme, he never made a single bad film, no matter how meager the budget.
Night Call Nurses 1972, The Slams 1973, The Student Teachers 1973, Truck Turner 1974, White Line Fever 1975, Mr. Billion 1977, Over the Edge 1979, Heart Like a Wheel 1983, Project X1987, The Accused 1988, Immediate Family 1989, Love Field 1992, Unlawful Entry 1992, Bad Girls 1994, In Cold Blood 1996, Brokedown Palace 1999.
Karlson, Phil (1908 - 1985)
(previous ranking: Expressive Esoterica. What Sarris said: "Karlson was most personal and most efficient when he dealt with the phenomenon of violence in a world controlled by organized evil.
Pretty cool that Karlson, so late in his career and after a remarkably consistent run of excellence, had a box-office blockbuster with Walking Tall. Was there ever a more symbiotic director/actor duo than Karlson and Joe Don Baker?
The Wrecking Crew 1969, Hornets' Nest 1970, Ben 1972, Walking Tall 1973, Framed 1975.
Kershner, Irvin (1923 - 2010)
We seem to downplay the contributions made to what is clearly the best Star Wars film. We also seem to have forgotten he made a masterpiece on the cusp of the American film Renaissance (Loving). Not to mention he managed a more-than-acceptable sequel to Robocop. His full-time job for a spell was film professor at U.S.C. where he influenced Lucas, Milius, Randal Kleiser, etc. In short, we underestimate the accomplishments of Irvin Kershner.
Loving 1970, Up the Sandbox 1972, SPYS 1974, The Return of a Man Called Horse 1976, Eyes of Laura Mars 1978, The Empire Strikes Back 1980, Never Say Never Again 1983, RoboCop 2 1990.
Kusama, Karyn (1968 - )
Her lack of opportunity to direct features is yet another galling reminder that it's a Man's, Man's, Man's, Man's world.
Girlfight 2000, Æon Flux 2005, Jennifer's Body 2009, The Invitation 2016, Destroyer 2018.
Lanthimos, Yorgos (1973 - )
A hard one to categorize. It is still a young American career, and he is not everyone's slice of Pita, so it is problematic to put him into the higher echelons. But if there is a better example of an auteur out there cranking out one provocative and, in some case, inspired film after the other, it is him.
Kinetta 2005, Dogtooth 2009, Alps 2011, The Lobster 2015, Killing of a Sacred Deer 2017, The Favourite 2018, Poor Things 2023, Kinds of Kindness 2024, Bugonia 2025.
Lewis, Jerry (1926 - 2017)
(Previous Ranking: Make Way for the Clowns. What Sarris said: "When Lewis decides he has something to day, it comes out conformist, sentimental and banal.")
I can't and won't do it justice here, but Sarris' long polemic on Lewis in the original text is one of the high points of the book (he focuses on why he is beloved in France and loathed in America, among many other things). Just a brilliant piece of criticism. Personally, I fall between love and loath, especially with the 70s works which, of course, have their passionate critics. If The Day the Clown Cried is ever given its release, will that change things?
One More Time 1970, Which Way to the Front? 1970, Hardly Working 1981, Cracking Up 1983.
Lustig, William (1955 - )
Lustig seems to have settled into a life of mostly talking about his thin but utterly distinctive output. Maniac! is five times more disturbing than anything in the recent horror/serial killer "Renaissance."
Maniac! 1980, Vigilante 1983, Maniac Cop 1988, Hit List 1989, Relentless 1989, Maniac Cop 2 1990, Maniac Cop 3 1992.
McBride, Jim (1941 - )
A major talent who cooked and then didn't. A nice career overall and a lot of good t.v., but it is hard to believe the auteur of the brilliant Breathless remake and the utterly wonderful The Big Easy didn't get the chance to exercise his clearly singular style more often. "One of the twelve greatest living narrative film makers..." Richard Brody.
My Girlfriends Wedding 1969, Glen and Randa 1971, Hot Times 1974, Breathless 1983, The Big Easy 1987, Great Balls of Fire! 1989, The Wrong Man 1993, Uncovered 1994, The Informant 1997.
McNaughton, John (1950 - )
Like Jim McBride, above, it seemed he would have at least Jim Jarmusch's career, if not at least Abel Ferrera's. I guess his sensibility was a bit weird for Hollywood, but Henry, Mad Dog and Wild Things will be viewed and watched with something like pleasure (well, maybe not Henry) for generations to come.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 1986, The Borrower 1991, Mad Dog and Glory 1993, Normal Life 1996, Wild Things 1998, Speaking of Sex 2001 The Harvest 2013.
Medak, Peter (1937 - )
He has helmed nothing but television since Species II (a film that would send anyone running and screaming to television, one presumes), including terrific episodes of Breaking Bad and Hannibal. There looked like there might be a big movie comeback with the ferocious Romeo is Bleeding but, alas, the film bombed and Medak eventually retreated.
A Day in the Life of Joe Egg 1972, The Ruling Class 1972, The Third Girl from the Left 1973, Ghost in the Noonday Sun 1974, The Odd Job 1978, The Changeling 1980, The Babysitter 1980, Zorro, the Gay Blade 1981, Cry for the Strangers 1982, The Men's Club 1986, Romeo Is Bleeding 1993, Pontiac Moon 1994, Species II 1998.
Meyer, Russ (1922 - 2004)
My uncle took me to the premiere of Beneath the Valley of the Ultra Vixens as I had just reached the appropriate age. I expected cheap, mastophilic thrills (there were plenty!) but not did NOT expect to find...Sergei Eisenstein? I immediately rushed to his filmography, such as one could find on home video in Bremerton. Many years later I was able to convince the owner of Vidiots in Santa Monica, where I worked, to buy the entire catalog. They quickly became the most-rented titles. I met him at a screening he attended at U.S.C. of Harry, Cherry and Raquel and I approached him and told him I learned more about editing watching his films than in all my film school classes combined. He looked generally confused. I am pretty sure he was drunk (it was mid-day). In short, a giant.
Finders, Keepers, Lovers Weepers 1968, Vixen 1968, Harry, Cherry and Raquel 1969, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls 1970, Seven Minutes 1971, Black Snake 1973, Supervixens 1975, Up! 1976, Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens 1979.
Morrissey, Paul (1938 - 2024 )
His legion of admirers is growing by the day, rebuking almost altogether the notion that Warhol had anything at all to do with those films. Without Warhol he made his Mean Streets duo of Mixed Blood, coaxing an all-timer performance from Marilia Pera, and Spike of Bensonhurst, his masterpiece.
Flesh 1968, Lonesome Cowboys 1968, Trash 1970. Heat 1972, Flesh for Frankenstein 1973, Blood for Dracula 1974, The Hound of the Baskervilles 1978, Madame Wang's 1981, Forty Deuce 1982, Mixed Blood 1984, Beethoven's Nephew 1985, Spike of Bensonhurst 1988, News from Nowhere 2010.
Mutrux, Floyd (1941 - )
What an interesting figure, still with us at 84. His legal troubles no doubt has contributed to his scant filmography, but one cannot watch the remarkable back to back of Bobby and Rose and Hot Wax and not see a genuine American poet.
Dusty and Sweets McGee 1971, Aloha, Bobby and Rose 1975, American Hot Wax 1978, The Hollywood Knights 1980, There Goes My Baby 1994.
Neveldine and Taylor (Mark 1973 - ) Brian (1970 - )
These guys seem to have faded away, and it is to their credit, I think, that they are difficult to put into a commercial niche, despite the success of the Crank films. What the world needs is MORE batshit action films like the Cranks, and less with the stoic and righteous likes of all the Jason Statham follow ups.
Crank 2006, Crank: High Voltage 2009, Gamer 2009, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance 2015.
Rafelson, Bob (1933 - 2022)
He certainly seemed headed to the pantheon, and was as critical a figure in the American New Wave of the 70s (despite being quite a bit older than all of them). Mountains of the Moon remains highly underrated, but the output after the marvelous Stay Hungry, where he seemed to have cemented his reputation as one of the greats, is just not good.
Head 1968, Five Easy Pieces 1970, The King of Marvin Gardens 1972, Stay Hungry 1976, The Postman Always Rings Twice 1981, Black Widow 1987, Mountains of the Moon 1990, Man Trouble 1992, Blood and Wine 1996, Poodle Springs 1998.
Raimi, Sam (1959 - )
This may seem like an odd and perhaps undeserved categorical ranking to his legion of fans, but it strikes me that he has been his best at being Expressively Esoteric and not as big-budget Sam. Spider-Man and its immediate sequel are, one cannot dispute, the best of the objectional Marvels. In part because, especially the second one, they are pretty weird for the multiplexes.
The Evil Dead 1981, Crimewave 1985, Evil Dead II 1987, Darkman 1990, Evil Dead 3: Army of Darkness 1993, The Quick and the Dead 1995, A Simple Plan 1998, For Love of the Game 1999, The Gift 2000, Spider-Man 2002, Spider-Man 2 2004, Spider-Man 3 2007, Drag Me to Hell 2009, Oz the Great and Powerful 2013, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 2022, Send Help 2026.
Rothman, Stephanie (1936 - )
A terrific, distinctive talent, a breath of fresh air who cut her teeth in exploitation and then....disappeared. She is still around and spry as hell, maybe there will be some benevolent soul who will be transfixed by The Working Girls (who wouldn't be?) and bring the financing (assuming she wants it).
Student Nurses 1970, The Velvet Vampire 1971, Group Marriage 1973, Terminal Island 1973, The Working Girls 1974.
Rush, Richard (1929 - 2021)
It is alleged that he drove a hard bargain, and that was the reason for the paltry output. The Stunt Man, his magnum opus, took years to secure the financing needed, for instance. It may be have been he may have found himself a King of the Bs given his pulpy instincts, had he allowed himself budgetary compromise. But we will never know. But they can never take Stanley Kubrick's enthusiastic championing for Freebie and the Bean away from him.
The Savage Seven 1968, A Man Called Dagger 1968, Getting Straight 1970, Freebie and the Bean 1974, The Stunt Man 1980, Color of Night 1994.
Sachs, Ira (1965 - )
Remarkably consistent, highly personal film maker who works somewhat sparingly but with great intent. His latest, a spare little two-handed talk-fest, sneaks up on you as an authentic portrayal of the artist as a no-longer young man.
Forty Shades of Blue 2005, Married Life 2007, Keep the Lights On 2012, Love Is Strange 2014, Peter Hujar's Diary 2025.
Savoca, Nancy (1959 - )
Savoca is a later version of Stephanie Rothman in that virtually everything she touches turns to gold, but for the usual reasons she has not been allowed to put her fingers out of the pot. Unlike Rothman, Savoca has been successfully employed in television, at least. I will fight anyone who does not understand what a masterpiece Dogfight is.
True Love 1989, Dogfight 1991, If These Walls Could Talk 1996, Household Saints 1993,The 24 Hour Woman 1999, Dirt 2003, Union Square 2011.
Schroeder, Barbet (1941 - )
A Fringe Benefit who came here and settled in. A oddball filmography, with more misses than hits, but his first two American films are total bangers. His European career is much more interesting and personal.
Barfly 1987, Reversal of Fortune 1990, Single White Female 1992, Kiss of Death 1995, Before and After 1996, Desperate Measures 1998, Murder by Numbers 2002.
Schultz, Michael (1938 - )
If you are around my age chances are you saw a Michael Schultz movie or two a year for a pretty long stretch at you local theater or drive in. Characterized by a looseness of style and a genuine affection for his characters, Schultz doesn't get the respect he deserves. If he had directed the movie version of The Wiz instead of an out-of-his-element Sidney Lumet, it may have actually been good. And I will also fight anyone who doesn't think Richard Pryor should have gotten an Oscar nomination for Schultz's opus, Which Way is Up?
Cooley High 1975, Car Wash 1976, Greased Lightning 1977, Which Way Is Up? 1977, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1978, Scavenger Hunt 1979, Bustin' Loose 1981, Carbon Copy 1981, The Jerk, Too 1984, Krush Groove 1985, The Last Dragon 1985, Disorderlies 1987, Livin' Large 1991, Shock Treatment 1995, Woman Thou Art Loosed 2004.
Scott, Tony (1944 - 2012)
I debated both Far Side of Paradise AND Less Than Meets the Eye for the younger Scott brother, thus is the divisive nature of his, at times, overweening style, even amongst his casual fans (I am one). So this category seemed about right. There has likely never been a better compensated, higher-budgeted B-movie maker ever (complimentary).
The Hunger 1983, Beverly Hills Cop II 1987, Days of Thunder 1990, Revenge 1990, The Last Boy Scout 1991, True Romance 1993, Crimson Tide 1995, The Fan 1996, Enemy of the State 1998, Spy Game 2001, Man on Fire 2004, Domino 2005, Déjà Vu 2006, The Taking of Pelham 123 2009, Unstoppable 2010.
Sherman, Gary (1945 - )
Poltergeist III is listed here, as that is the film's official title, but studio interference with his originally titled Death Rite (Raw Meat, which also would have been a good title) basically soured the very talented Sherman on the movie industry altogether.
Dead & Buried 1981, Vice Squad 1982, Wanted: Dead or Alive 1987, Poltergeist III 1988, Lisa 1990.
Sholder, Jack (1945 - )
You know that bromide that horror films are never just about what they are, but something hidden? Well, Sholder's two best films, Nightmare 2 and The Hidden (pardon the pun) are all about that. Nightmare 2 has, in fact, sprung up a cottage industry of Queer Theory around it. An underutilized talent.
Alone in the Dark 1982, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge 1985, The Hidden 1987, Renegades 1989, Generation X 1996.
Solondz, Todd (1959 - )
I don't think Solondz was a creation of right place, right time. I think the genuinely subversive misanthropy of his canon, undeniable and almost unbelievable to behold, simply could not be sustained. What distinguishes him is while his characters are awful, he somehow comes across as sympathetic, which got him into a load of trouble on Happiness. He's still spry and ready to rock and, like Hal Hartley, is waiting for that one bag of cash to make another mark.
Welcome to the Dollhouse 1995, Happiness 1998, Storytelling 2001, Palindromes 2004, Life During Wartime 2009, Dark Horse 2011, Weiner Dog 2016.
Spheeris, Penelope (1945 - )
What an interesting journey it has been for Spheris. The rockumentaries are not listed here as we don't do documentaries, but, of course, they represent as much of the Spheeris philosophy (dumb dudes, they are actually not so bad) as the features. She hit it big with Wayne's World, and then disappeared into the void in the industry for women directors who are not Penny Marshall or some of the other game-players.
Suburbia 1984, The Boys Next Door 1985, Hollywood Vice Squad 1986, Dudes 1987, Wayne's World 1992, The Beverly Hillbillies 1993, Black Sheep 1996, Senseless 1998.
Starrett, Jack (1936 - 1989)
A drive-in auteur. Especially Race with the Devil, creepy as hell, which I saw four or five times, sometimes sneaking admission in the trunk of Bill Baxter's '69 Maverick, at the Kitsap Theater in Bremerton.
Run, Angel, Run 1969, House of Zodiac 1969, Nam's Angels 1970, Slaughter 1972, The Strange Vengeance of Rosalie 1972, Cleopatra Jones 1973, The Gravy Train 1974, Race with the Devil 1975, A Small Town in Texas 1976, Hollywood Man 1976, Walking Tall: Final Chapter 1977.
Teague, Lewis (1938)
From the Corman school, for whom he made the formidable Alligator and Fighting Back, which got him the Romancing the Stone sequel. Which was on the whole okay but apparently led to nowhere. Which is fine. He made Alligator and Fighting Back.
Dirty O'Neil 1974, The Lady in Red 1979, Alligator 1980, Fighting Back 1982, Cujo 1983, Cat's Eye 1985, The Jewel of the Nile 1985, Collision Course 1989, Navy SEALs 1990, Wedlock 1991, Charlotta - TS 2010.
Van Peebles, Mario (1957 - )
The guy has knocked out at least three excellent studio films, but doesn't seem that anxious to take on works that don't align with his sensibilities. In that, he certainly is a chip off the old block.
New Jack City 1991, Posse 1993, Panther 1995, BAADASSSSS! 2003, Armed 2018.
The Wachowskis (Lana and Lili 1999)
The first Matrix is undeniable, but am I alone in feeling like the sequels are more fan service than necessary. They almost diminish the accomplishments of the first one. The last two films have been ambitious misses, heavy on style but rather incoherent narratively, and not in a good way. I suspect there is much more to come here. I kind of hope they return to the modest brilliance of something like Bound.
Bound 1996, The Matrix 1999, The Matrix Reloaded 2003, The Matrix Revolutions 2003, Speed Racer 2008, Cloud Atlas 2012, Jupiter Ascending 2015.
Waters, John (1946 - )
The long-rumored return to directing, Liarmouth, has stalled due to Waters haven't no interest in making films on a shoestring, which is ironic considering how it all started. But dammit, he earned it.
Pink Flamingos 1972, Desperate Living 1977, Polyester 1981, Hairspray 1988, Cry-Baby 1990, Serial Mom 1994, Pecker 1998, Cecil B. Demented 2000, A Dirty Shame 2004.
Young, Robert M (1924 - 2024 )
This fine independent filmmaker made it all the way to 100, and the fact that his filmography stopped in 1997 probably helped. Another unique voice that was underfunded, but they will never take Short Eyes, a film that is as powerful today as when it was released, away from us.
Short Eyes 1977, Rich Kids 1979, One Trick Pony 1980, Inchon 1982, The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez 1983, Extremities 1986, Saving Grace 1986, Dominick and Eugene 1988, Triumph of the Spirit 1989, Talent for the Game 1991, Roosters 1993, Slave of Dreams 1995, Caught 1996, Jane Eyre 1997.
Zombie, Rob (1965 - )
An auteur in every sense of the word. A chronicler of family values, but not in the way you think, thank goodness. The films have an abundance of style and, considering the often grotty subject matter, a ton of heart.
House of 1000 Corpses 2003, The Devil's Rejects 2005, Halloween 2007, Halloween II 2009, The Lords of Salem 2012, 31 2016, 3 from Hell 2019, The Munsters 2022.
