How To Watch a Director's Filmography

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Director filmographies don't necessarily need to be viewed in chronological order. Some director's styles are quite hard to take in at first, which is why people need to see a few of their other films before seeing some of their masterworks.

This thread is for you to recommend to someone the best way to watch a director's filmography. Or for you to ask everyone else how to watch a filmography you're unfamiliar with.

I'll start.


If you're unfamiliar with the genius of Stanley Kubrick, I recommend you watch his filmography in this order:

start with the best...

The Killing
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

then two of his more popular and accessible films...

The Shining
Full Metal Jacket

then once you're familiar with his style...

A Clockwork Orange
Paths of Glory
Barry Lyndon
Eyes Wide Shut
2001: A Space Odyssey

then if you're still interested...

Lolita

Spartacus


And if there's any fans of Jim Jarmusch, how do you recommend I watch his filmography? I've only seen Ghost Dog: Way of The Samurai, but I can't remember any of it. Any help would be appreciated.
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I'll go with my fallback in threads such as these, Mr Takeshi Kitano:

I'd start off with his debut Violent Cop, pretty easy to digest thematically then probably move on to -

Zatiochi - his latest work and again, pretty accessible.

Sonatine next - More complex thematically and building in style towards

hana-bi, which shouldn't really be watched, for me, before Sonatine as the dialogue becomes even more minimalistic and the guilt/loss/shame subtexts emerge.

A Scene At The Sea would be next on my list, and the first which doesn't feature Kitano as an actor and segues nicely into

Getting Any?, again Kitano only behind the camera and definately should be accompanied by a few strong beverages (unless you dig Japanese humour).

After the ribaldry of the previous movie, Dolls' bleak and beautiful symbolism should hit you like a punch in the face. Don't watch it if you've recently (say, in the last 10 years or so) split up with anyone.

Which leads me to my final choice, Kikujiro. Lighthearted, tender but slapstick and brutal when it needs to be.

I've left out Kid's Return (years since I've seen it and too long ago to place in any sort of context), Boiling Point and Brother (both fans only, for sure).

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Originally Posted by Sinny McGuffins
And if there's any fans of Jim Jarmusch, how do you recommend I watch his filmography? I've only seen Ghost Dog: Way of The Samurai, but I can't remember any of it. Any help would be appreciated.
Mmmmm, his most accessible is his probably latest, Broken Flowers. Then I'd say Ghost Dog and Dead Man. Then maybe Night on Earth, Coffee & Cigarettes and Mystery Train. If you haven't started grooving to him by then, don't even bother with the rest. I love the man and his movies, but if somebody thought Mystery Train was too slow, weird or quirky, they ain't never gonna sit for Down By Law and Stranger Than Paradise. I know of people who start with Stranger or Down and won't ever give Jarmusch another chance.

Of course, most of them are idiots, but still....

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I must catch up on Jarmusch I have only seen 4 of his, I did like them.
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Originally Posted by Sinny McGuffins
[/i]And if there's any fans of Jim Jarmusch, how do you recommend I watch his filmography? I've only seen Ghost Dog: Way of The Samurai, but I can't remember any of it. Any help would be appreciated.
Well, the first thing you have to do is go back in time and not watch Ghost Dog.



there's a frog in my snake oil
Ahh, harsh. Whitaker played the best pigeon-loving Afro-American samurai i've ever seen (Alright, i can't remember a huge amount about the film either - but i remember it worked for me, for the most part).
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I am having a nervous breakdance
Yeah, Ghost Dog is great. Great soundtrack as well.

Hmmm... I thought I was going to do this on Bergman... But I don't know. I haven't even seen all his films...
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Originally Posted by TwentyOne
Well, the first thing you have to do is go back in time and not watch Ghost Dog.
Adding it to my Netflix queue now...
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In the Beginning...
I saw Coffee and Cigarettes recently, and enjoyed most of the vignettes. I liked the original Stephen Wright and Roberto Benigni segment the best, with the Cate Blanchett segment following in very close second.



Originally Posted by Sedai
Adding it to my Netflix queue now...
Well played.



These are by no means definitive since I havn't seen their complete filmographies.


Takashi Miike:

The Bird People in China
Audition
Zebaman
Dead or Alive
Three Extremes
Fudoh
Happiness of the Katakuris
Gozu
Ichi the Killer
Visitor Q
Izo



Park Chan-Wook:

Sympathy for Mrs Vengeance
Sympathy for Mr Vengeance
Oldboy
Joint Security Area



David Lynch

Twin Peaks (TV)
Blue Velvet
Dune
Wild at Heart
Lost Highway
Mulholland Dr
Eraserhead



Jean Pierre Jeunet:

City of Lost Children
A Very Long Engagement
Alien 4
Foutaises
Amelie
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I think most directors most people don't need to see _everything_ by, so will just recommend a few essentials by some cool directors (some of whom I haven't seen everything by).

Also, since it's come up tangentially in this thread and is a pet peev of mine, screw accessibility. If someone isn't looking for films that aren't like the ones he's already seen, then that someone probably isn't worth talking to about any films. Entertainment for it's own sake is no measure of anything; bad movies are just as entertaining as good ones, and for that matter, boring arty ones can be too if watched a certain way or in certain company. Now onto one of my top five favorite things in life: top five lists of ephemeral favorites; these particular ones listed in descending order of importance, novelty and representation of a film-maker's carreer.

Tsui Hark:
The Blade
Once Upon a Time in China
Dangerous Encounters: First Kind
Zu Warriors of the Magic Mountain
Time and Tide
Peking Opera Blues

After that, you might want to go back and see The Blade again.


Wong Kar-wai:
Fallen Angels
In the Mood for Love
Ashes of Time
As Tears Go By
2046

Orson Welles:
Citizen Kane
The Lady From Shanghai
Othello
Mr. Arkadin
The Trial
F for Fake
(Falstaff should also be on there but I'm not sure where it fits... Heck, Welles is worth seeing all the major and even some of the lesser experiments by, this should just be a starter list.)

Keaton:
Sherlock, Jr.
The Playhouse
One Week
The General
Steamboat Bill, Jr.

[edit]:

I'm curious what people think the propper viewing order for Peter Greenaway's films should be. I've recently become interested with following his career after seeing The Tulse Luper Suitcases and now Prospero's Books. Before that I'd only seen The Cook etc. and Drowning by Numbers.