Directors who totally missed the mark

redorca11 said:Relying on DiCaprio to carry the plot like a drunk—I don't think it works... "The Aviator" was just nauseatingly overacted for me; I was still feeling the trauma ten days after leaving the theater.

He did the bear a favor—both him and that little brat Diaz—by pairing them against a beast like Daniel Day-Lewis in "Gangs of New York." It makes it perfectly clear who the pro is and who is just playing pretend.

Jerry Martin19 said:All things considered, De Niro is an exceptional actor. You can certainly credit him with more great roles than just "good" ones, let alone any bad ones.
one of the better ones🙏

True. I could forgive that pathetic mess of a film, *Raging Bull*, but those mindless comedies... analyze that, and you'll find they're unforgivable.

Steven Spielberg.

I know he’s already come up in this thread, though mostly just regarding 'War of the Worlds.' To me, that film wasn't half bad, except for that typical Hollywood trope where Tom Cruise's entire family escapes an alien invasion without even a scratch. It would have carried much more weight if the son had actually perished—even if it was a heroic sacrifice—as it would have made the story feel far more visceral.

Regarding Spielberg himself, I wonder if he truly fits the mold for this discussion, given that he doesn't really suffer from those prolonged creative slumps we see in other directors. He seems to operate on a specific rhythm; he'll deliver one great film followed by one mediocre one. Occasionally, he shifts his pattern to a sequence of two hits and a miss, but that’s generally how his career flows.

His filmography is incredibly diverse, spanning from the tension of 'Duel' to the strength of 'Munich.' He’s given us absolute classics like 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind,' 'Jaws,' the Indiana Jones adventures, 'E.T.,' 'Schindler's List,' and 'Saving Private Ryan.' Yet, he’s also stumbled with projects like 'Hook,' 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park,' 'Amistad,' 'The Terminal,' and 'A.I. Artificial Intelligence.'

The man clearly possesses immense talent and has the luxury of choosing his own projects and collaborators, yet even with all that power, he still makes some bafflingly poor choices from time to time...

p.s. Thinking about Spielberg actually reminded me of what might be Leonardo DiCaprio's finest performance. He was truly captivating in 'Catch Me If You Can.' His fans—if there are any lurking here—might take issue with me saying he was also quite impressive in 'The Basketball Diaries.'

Honestly, what gets to me most about Spielberg is his obsession with aliens. I am 100% certain that in Kubrick's original script for *A.I.*, there wasn't even a whisper of extraterrestrials... he was the one who threw them in there.

crimsonmoose3 said:Sure, I could let that terrible FAN slip, but those mindless comedies? Unforgivable.

Out of all his recent films, only the score really worked for me.

...mostly because they're all over the news every five minutes—it’s basically become background noise at this point 😉

The movie might be absolute garbage, but De Niro’s performance was top-tier... so look, my dear crimsonmoose3, there's really nothing left for you to forgive here. 😛

Peter Jackson—his movies before Lord of the Rings were actually pretty solid, but then I guess he just kind of lost his way. 😢

Larry Martin11 said:It’s simply because they’re on the news constantly! You get used to seeing them everywhere after a while. 😉

He was such a huge fan several times before, yet now there is absolutely nothing left! Such a shame. 🙂 I really think crimsonmoose3 should add *Meet the Parents* and *Zoolander* to that list of Analyze movies he mentioned! They aren't bad films at all. But honestly, what does De Niro even need in his life at sixty years old? Acting alongside Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson is just wild! 🙂

I think you also forgot about that one mockumentary... I can't quite recall the title myself, either. 😁

steelviper6 said:You also missed that mockumentary... I can't recall the title either. 😁

🤔 Peter Jackson and Valley of Stereo?

crimsonmoose3 said:🤔 Peter Jackson and a valley of stereo?

That isn't a mockumentary..

True, but I’m not entirely sure what else he captured... 🤔

steelviper6 said:I think you also missed that one mockumentary... the one whose title escapes me as well. 😁

'Forgotten Silver'

Guy Ritchie’s dumb movie "Revolver." I’m not usually his fan, but I caught "Snatch" and actually had a good laugh, then saw "Revolver." Plus, that idiot Ray Liotta totally overacted in that one...

Jerry Martin19 said:Guy Ritchie with that mindless "Revolver." I’ve never been much of a fan, but I caught "Snatch" and actually had a decent laugh. Then came "Revolver." And don't get me started on how Ray Liotta completely wasted his potential in that one.

Madonna effectively stifled his talent. First with that ridiculous movie where he ends up stranded on an island with the Navy, and then that unnecessary subplot involving the mob in "Gun"...

crimsonmoose3 said:Madonna totally killed his vibe. First with that dumb movie where he ends up stuck on some Navy island, then forcing that whole mob subplot into Gun...

I only ever saw Snatch. My buddies swear Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is better, and they say Revolver is complete garbage. He was trying way too hard to be deep, just ended up looking stupid. As for Madonna, she’s just another loudmouth activist looking for trouble...
👎 👎

Jerry Martin19 said:I only watched Snatch from his films. My friends tell me Reservoir Dogs is better, and Revolver is absolute garbage. I tried to sound smart, but I just ended up looking foolish.
As far as she's concerned, she's just another loudmouthed revolutionary who loves stirring up trouble...👎 👎

Exactly. She’s basically an aging American pop star😂 who’s lost her edge and now relies on manufactured scandals just to stay relevant. She can't even adopt a child without turning it into a media circus...

Chris Morgan67 said:kevin smith
ang lee sucks...
kubrick was the man before he kicked it... what a waste
coen brothers suck too...

Kubrick!?😕 Seriously? What are you even talking about...

After delivering a masterpiece like Das Boot, Wolfgang Petersen went on to churn out a whole string of forgettable B-movies