With Scorsese newest film out there has been talk of him as USA number one. But…..is it true and if it isn’t then who is ?
The correct answer is David Lynch
The correct answer is David Lynch
Film Greatest Living American Director
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Spielberg says hello. David Fincher as well.
FFC as well. Hes still alive. And has the greatest film of all time in the Godfather.
David lynch in with a shout too. Coen brothers too perhaps.
David lynch in with a shout too. Coen brothers too perhaps.
Michael Mann?
First two that came to mind for me also.
You have to wonder what kind of career FFC should have had. He has the best war film ever too. One from the Heart destroyed him.
Michael Bay is pure Americana. Blow shit up.
I think we should also mention the guy behind two of the greatest film trilogies of all time…
George Lucas
George Lucas
Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese are probably the unquestionable ones in the list of greatest American directors.
Other greats for me are the Coen brothers, Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson. They should hold the same status when they finish their career I reckon. Spielberg and Lucas should be there just for their impact and influence but I'd maybe put them in a different category, just feels wrong to have these names in the same group.
Other greats for me are the Coen brothers, Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson. They should hold the same status when they finish their career I reckon. Spielberg and Lucas should be there just for their impact and influence but I'd maybe put them in a different category, just feels wrong to have these names in the same group.
Nolan is half American
Tim Burton, Woody Allen amongst others say hello,
Best of both worlds.
Pffft tough one
Coppola
Scorsese
Mann
Malick
Fincher
Gray
PT Anderson
Lynch
All really great directors.
Coppola
Scorsese
Mann
Malick
Fincher
Gray
PT Anderson
Lynch
All really great directors.
Joe Russo
Let's not.
What's the criteria ?
Star Wars and Indiana Jones don’t need European approval
Michael Mann is my favourite, not sure if you could say he's the greatest
hard to look past Spielberg for the sheer impact he's had on cinema
hard to look past Spielberg for the sheer impact he's had on cinema
Going by some of the answers here you're great if you consistently manage to bore people to death.
It's Spielberg and it's not close. He transcends genres when most directors are stuck doing similar things again and again.
Scorsese is 2nd. Volume of good films, quality in many different decades. It's hard to separate him from violence and long films and sometimes you're just not in the mood.
Growing up, Spielberg was always the tacitly viewed as the best of the lot, mainly because of the diversity of his catalog.
Thats why I'd put him over all the ones mentioned here the diversity of the films is incredible but also the quality of the output too ET to Saving Private Ryan i mean
McG
Feck me, Mel Brooks is still alive.
The answer is Mel Brooks.
The answer is Mel Brooks.
Personally I wouldn't know, never seen any of them and have no intention of doing so!
For me it's Spielberg by a long way, not just for directing but for what he's also been involved in as an Executive Producer and other roles in films and TV
Coppola for me followed by Scorsese and Spielbergo.
Its probably Spielberg. But I love Wes Anderson.
Speilberg. I love Coppola but his films after Dracula, quality dropped off a cliff. Scorcese can be hit and miss and when it's miss it's long and painful.
Mel Brooks also produced the Elephant Man, so we probably wouldn't know David Lynch without him.
And the spiritual father of brilliant characters like Asneeze, father of Achoo.
You bastards me double-check if Brett Ratner is still alive!
Not only is he alive, he's still producing stuff too. History of the World Part II was released in March this year which he was a producer for, was a writer for, and narrated.
Can we really claim Francis Ford Coppola of the 70's is still alive?..... Apocalypse Now fried him.
Gonna cheat and go with North America as a whole just so I can include James Cameron 
edit: I didn’t read past the title at first and only just seen in the OP you meant the USA
edit: I didn’t read past the title at first and only just seen in the OP you meant the USA
I couldn’t add in Canada as there would be no need for a discussion. God Cameron is unmatched!Gonna cheat and go with North America as a whole just so I can include James Cameron
edit: I didn’t read past the title at first and only just seen in the OP you meant the USA
Haven’t seen him mentioned but John Carpenter has to be in with a shout. Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, The Fog, Escape from New York, The Thing, Christine, Starman, Big Trouble in Little China, Prince of Darkness, They Live.
- Pretty much created the modern horror film with Halloween.
- The Thing is maybe the greatest horror film of all time.
- They Live is the best satire on and unironically includes the greatest fight scene in cinema
- Best director for making synth bangers.
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That's not going to be a popular pick, but I love your reasoning for it and I think he's more than worthy of a shout. The Thing is a masterpiece. Halloween was ground-breaking.
My personal pick is Spielberg. So many of his films defined my childhood. E.T. is one of my all-time favourite films and there's a certain magic with the film that very few others have. Close Encounters is another which shaped me and altered the way I watched films. But, the list just keeps going. Jaws. Raiders of the Lost Ark. Jurassic fecking Park, which still looks insanely good to this day. Schindler's List. Saving Private Ryan. Minority Report. Munich, which I consider to be a bit underrated.
After that, I'm going with David Fincher as another personal favourite. Se7en, Fight Club, Gone Girl, Panic Room (
). He's got to be in contention, too.While it’s not the best film we wouldn’t have Alien if it wasn’t for Dark Star. Carpenter is a very influential director.
Apart from Jurassic Park I’m not the biggest Spielberg fan but he’s definitely up there with the best(Although ET pretty much made The Thing bombed in cinemas!).
Watched There will be Blood again last night and it continues to get better for me. So I’ll go with PTA, too.
Exquisite direction from FFC: