Joel Schumacher

I didn't see another thread about Mr. Schumacher, so I decided to start this one to discuss individual thoughts and opinions on the dude.

I haven't seen much by him yet, but from what I have seen, despite his ruining of the original Batman saga and his need to jampack homoeroticism in every film (especially The Lost Boys), he seems to be a fairly skilled director. I haven't seen much of his more critically acclaimed work, like A Time To Kill or Tigerland, but I do like quite a bit of his stuff.

He has a definite understanding of his craft and tries to deliver the storyline in the most effective way possible. The only time he's gotten too carried away, outside of his Batman double feature, is The Lost Boys, which still manages to be a very entertaining, style-over-substance horror.

My favourite of his work is, in fact, The Lost Boys, but I'd say his best work is Falling Down, a very effective character study with Michael Douglas at his absolute finest. Flatliners is also a very creepy horror flick and DC Cab is a likeable comedy. And despite myself, I enjoy parts of his over-the-top Batman flicks.

A Time To Kill is currently high on my watchlist, and I do want to see 8MM and Phone Booth, despite my dislike of Colin Farell.

Opinions? Thoughts? Favourite films?

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"George, this is a little too much for me. Escaped convicts, fugitive sex... I've got a cockfight to focus on."

The Lost Boys and Falling Down are great Films.

If I could fall down a black hole that took me to a strange universe where I was forced to watch movies made in an alternate dimension that were all directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Kiefer Sutherland, I would gladly fall down that black hole. I love The Lost Boys and Flatliners.

Batman and Robin is marvelous. Its reputation as being the worst Batman movie is something that is annoyingly chanted over and over again. Nobody wants to take the time to really enjoy it. Your loss.

I thought you already did that? lol!

I like both of his Batman films, but what I dislike is that they basically ***** all over Burton's previous establishment of a dark Batman universe, by turning it into a neon covered camp land. I enjoy Forever and Robin to a certain degree as campy, over the top fun, but as chapters in the Batman saga, they suck.

Anything Burton does needs sh!tting on. I keep all of his movies that I own in the bathroom by the toilet.

Depp wouldn't like you to say that..

Not a Burton fan, SC? I'm not much of a fan either, but if you haven't seen Ed Wood, definitely check it out. He's restrained with the Gothic stuff and directs with a genuine love for cinema.

I watched Ed Wood a long time ago and liked it. I don't hate him, he's made stuff I've enjoyed, but I think his Batman movies are overrated.

I have a giant soft spot for the first one, but haven't watched it or Returns in ages.

Looking at his filmography I can't find a legitimately good film in there.

Really? Not a fan of The Lost Boys, or Falling Down?

I actually thought Blood Creek was pretty cool.

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#31 on SC's Top 100 Mofos list!!

Schumacher gets wayyy more flak for batman and Robin relative to his career.

it was a dud. get over it.

Schumacher flicks i'd reccomend in a heartbeat include:


A Time to Kill (1996)

Tigerland (2000)

Flatliners (1990)

Falling Down (1993)

Phone booth (2003)

And while the Client was one of the weaker Grisham novels to be adapted the flick was incredibly faithful to the material.

The Client (1994)

The lost boys and St Elmos fire, i don't know if they work for anyone not around in the 80's. I love em both, but they are kinda time capsulish.

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"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo.

Joel does get too much flack for Batman and Robin. It wasn't complete garbage anyway. Just not a good movie. He has made good films.
A Time to Kill:
Flatliners:
Batman forever: and a half
Batman and Robin:
Phone Booth:

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Going 18600 miles per second.

Didn't realise that Falling Down was one of his films. 9/10

Time to Kill and Tigerland are maybe a solid 7/10.

He doesn't have a great film though.

"9/10 does not mean great. You fools!"

/trying too hard to hate

contrarian for the sake of being is sooo 2004.

I'm going to mirror a lot of other replies on here already.
He's made a lot of good films, but his best work was Falling Down and The Lost Boys.


He's one of those Directors that, if you didn't read the credits, you wouldn't realise it was him in the Director's Chair.

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Dexter has put it into perspective. Despite Batman & Robin, he has made some very good to great films. Falling Down is his masterpiece, and one of the best 90's american films I have ever seen, so he gets top marks for that.