Directors who totally missed the mark

Scorsese’s ''Cape Fear''—and honestly, I don't think even Niv should have touched that one. Especially those scenes on the boat...👎

Oliver Stone and his take on Alexander

Jerry Martin19 As follows:
I’ve been thinking about Scorsese’s take on *Cape Fear*, and honestly, I don't think even a director like Nivens should have touched it. Those scenes on the boat, in particular, felt entirely unnecessary.👎

Scorsese’s take on *Cape Fear* is actually a remake of J.L. Thompson’s 1962 version of the same name, and much like most remakes, I find it lacks the punch of the original.
While I wouldn't exactly rank it among Scorsese's absolute masterpieces, I certainly wouldn't call it one of his failures either. In my estimation, it sits comfortably right in that golden middle ground.
As for De Niro’s performance in this film, I truly believe it stands as one of his finest achievements, rivaled only by his iconic turns in *Taxi Driver*, *Raging Bull*, and *The Deer Hunter*. It was certainly a masterclass that earned him well-deserved recognition, landing him both an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe nod.

...Steven Soderbergh...😁...Sex, Lies, and Videotape...plus Erin Brockovich and Ocean's Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen...😵 and I have to admit, he’s definitely influential—but personally? He might just be the most mindless director in the US. I mean, seriously, 😁 after everything else, he goes and shoots Bubble just to prove to us that he can still play the indie darling—except he really doesn't want to! Honestly, Soderbergh, you're beyond saving 😵

Ethan Perez97 said:Woody Allen isn't even much of a director, so he can't really have a "crisis," so you all can just go ahead and fight about it. 😁 🙂

It is true that Woody Allen has been navigating a bit of a creative slump—briefly breaking through with *Match Point* only to slide back into uncertainty with *Scoop*—but to suggest he isn't a filmmaker at all is quite a stretch.

Are we discussing the same Woody Allen? I am thinking of the man who directed some of the most brilliant comedies ever made during the 70s and 80s, such as *Love and Death*, *Annie Hall*, *Manhattan*, *Hannah and Her Sisters*, and *Crimes and Misdemeanors*.
Or perhaps you are referring to the actor Woody Allen seen in those very films? It is, after all, the same individual.

Kevin Sanders87 said:Sure, Woody Allen might be having a midlife crisis—he popped his head out for a second with 'Match Point' before sinking back into it with 'Scoop'—but saying he isn't a director...
Are we even talking about the same guy? The man directed some of the best comedies ever made in the 70s and 80s. Just look at 'Annie Hall', 'Manhattan', 'Hannah and Her Sisters', or 'Crimes and Misdemeanors'.
Or are you actually talking about the actor version of Woody Allen from those movies? Because, spoiler alert, it's the same person.

Have you actually seen Scoop? Honestly, I was fine with his mid-90s stuff too. Even those cheesy Hollywood endings where the blind director suddenly strikes it big in France don't bother me much.😁😁

Unfortunately, I am not, though I certainly intend to be. I only mentioned him in my post because he was being torn apart by critics, and I’m trying to remain objective rather than letting my own bias take over.

In any case, he happens to be one of my favorite directors. I believe I've seen almost everything he's ever made, and I haven't found a single film of his that didn't resonate with me. As you pointed out, his work in the '90s was incredibly prolific; in fact, 'Harry' might even be my personal favorite of his.

Brian DePalma—after delivering absolute masterpieces like "Carrie," "Scarface," "Dressed to Kill," and "Carlito's Way"—has plummeted straight down to the mediocre level of "The Black Dahlia." 😬 And what on earth was he thinking with "Mission: Impossible"? 👎

Scorsese has also experienced a massive decline in quality! It is frankly unbelievable that the same man responsible for "Taxi Driver," "Mean Streets," "Raging Bull," "Goodfellas" (my absolute favorite 😍), "Casino," and "A Time to Kill"—all of which are stellar—could turn around and produce total disasters like "The Aviator" or "Gangster Squad." This is what happens when you tie a director's fate to DiCaprio; this is the trouble with 😬, and yet Scorsese continues to work with him. Now, the idiot is set to play Roosevelt in "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt"... 🤣

And don't even get me started on Michael Mann... 🙄

Give me a break. Mission: Impossible is a fantastic film. Your only issue is that you simply didn't get it. 🙂

I mean, look at Francis Ford Coppola—a director so brilliant that he actually turned out a total disaster like Jack, starring Robin Williams? Absolute cinematic garbage...

And if you're going to trash Mission: Impossible, then I'll throw this back at you: Sofia Coppola and her Lost in Translation.

In my estimation, "Lost in Translation" is a remarkably solid piece of cinema... 🙂

And for the record, it is Coppola, not Copoli...

I actually think Mission: Impossible is a decent flick! Personally, I found Mission to Mars and Femme Fatale to be much bigger flops.. 🙂

...I mean, I'll give you this: *Lost in Translation* is a lovely little movie 😍 but the whole point of my argument is to flag a few things here: it makes zero sense to claim Sofia Coppola lost her way or wandered off course with her second feature. Honestly, we don't even have enough of a track record to go on—I mean, can we really use *The Virgin Suicides* as the sole benchmark for her "talent" as a director? Sure, crimsonmoose3 is free to argue she’s a mediocre filmmaker, but claiming she’s "lost"? Hmmm...🤔

redorca11 said:Scorsese has really lost his touch, hasn't he? It’s hard to believe the same director behind classics like "Taxi Driver," "Mean Streets," "Raging Bull," "Goodfellas" (which remains my absolute 😍), "Casino," and "The Age of Innocence"—all of which are masterpieces—would turn out with total misses like "The Aviator" or "Gangs of New York." That’s the trouble we have with DiCaprio; 😬 he keeps working with him, and now we hear the guy is set to play Roosevelt in "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt"... 🤣

Before we get to 'Roosevelt,' you'll actually have to sit through Scorsese's 'The Departed.' Even though it's technically a remake, word on the street is that it's fantastic, and it has already picked up some stellar reviews over at http://www.metacritic.com/film/title...ted?q=departed. Hopefully, this will be the third strike of luck for the duo, and I'm looking forward to Thursday... if Scorsese, who spent years relying on De Niro without ever missing the mark, sees something special in DiCaprio, then I certainly trust his judgment.

Kevin Sanders87 said:If Scorsese—who’s spent years leaning on De Niro without missing once—sees something special in DiCaprio, I’ll take his word for it.

He sees exactly what Sedlar saw in Božić Alić—nothing but a total fraud.

We should probably just title this thing 'When the Madness Hits'... Honestly, Clint Eastwood is the only old-school legend who still feels untouchable to me. 😁 Besides, the real question is how many masterpieces an author can actually squeeze out of themselves before they run dry.

Departed will be 🙏 🙏

Kevin Sanders87 said:Before you get to DiCaprio’s 'Roosevelt,' you’ll have to sit through Scorsese’s 'The Departed.' Even though it’s a remake, word is it’s fantastic. It actually pulled some stellar reviews here: http://www.metacritic.com/film/title...ted?q=departed. This should be my third stroke of luck with DiCaprio; I’m looking forward to Thursday. If Scorsese—who has leaned on De Niro for years without ever missing the mark—sees something special in DiCaprio, then I believe him.

I've been aware of all that for quite some time now, but thanks anyway.😉

Relying on DiCaprio as the backbone of the plot is a mistake; I simply don't think it works. To me, his performance in "The Aviator" was nauseatingly overacted—I was still feeling the trauma ten days after leaving the theater.
As for "The Departed," I might give it a shot purely for the sake of good old Jack Nicholson; he’s a legend.🙂

I am officially calling for Scorsese to reunite with Pesci and De Niro!😁

Kevin Sanders87 said:Scorsese’s 'Cape Fear' is just a remake of J.L. Thompson’s '62 version, and honestly, like most remakes, it doesn't hold a candle to the original.
It’s not exactly one of Scorsese’s masterpieces, but I wouldn't call it trash either. It sits pretty firmly in the middle of the road...
As for De Niro, besides his work in 'Taxi Driver,' 'Raging Bull,' and 'The Deer Hunter,' this is easily his best performance. I mean, he pulled Oscar and Golden Globe nods for it for a reason.

I get that his roles in 'Taxi Driver' and 'Raging Bull' are legendary—haven't actually seen 'The Deer Hunter'—but regarding 'Cape Fear,' wasn't he better in 'Goodfellas' or maybe even 'American Gangster'?

He was definitely at his peak in 'Taxi Driver'...

Jerry Martin19 said:I certainly agree that his performances in *Taxi Driver* and *Raging Bull* are legendary—though I haven't actually sat down to watch *The Deer Hunter* yet. However, when it comes to *Cape Fear*, don't you think his work in *Goodfellas* or perhaps *American Gangster* stands out as being much more impactful?

He really is easily the best driver out there.

Robert De Niro delivered an exceptional performance in every single one of those films, yet it seems that when an actor gives a brilliant turn in a mediocre movie like *Cape Fear*, they receive far more credit than when they deliver a masterful performance in a true classic.

If I hadn't already sat through *The Deer Hunter* a few times, I might just dive right back into it this second. You really are a lucky one, aren't you?

redorca11 said:I truly believe it’s time for Scorsese to reunite with Pesci and De Niro once again. 😁

I couldn't agree more.

Kevin Sanders87 said:De Niro kills it in all those movies, but somehow people talk about him more when he delivers a masterclass in a mediocre flick like Cape Fear than they do for his work in actual classics...

If I hadn't already sat through The Deer Hunter a dozen times... I could probably jump on that right now... lucky you...

Bottom line, De Niro is top-tier. You can definitely count up way more legendary roles than just "pretty good" ones, let alone any bad ones.
one of the greats🙏