I often wonder how people like Jonathan Hensleigh, Tim Story, Lexi Alexander, Bryan Singer and Mark Steven Johnson got picked to helm their respective comic book films.
Marvel in particular has made some strange, enigmatic choices in the past. It remain to be seen whether Kenneth Braunaugh or Joe Johnston were the right choices for their current projects, THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA.
So that being said, I give all of you reading this article…
TEN 4 TEN
10.) Sandy Collora- Independent Director and design artist best known for the independent short film Batman: Dead End. Active in fantasy and sci-fi since landing a job at Stan Winston Studios, Collora has worked with industry legends Rick Baker, Rob Bottin and is also the designer of the Jurassic Park logo. His design work includes, Men in Black, The Crow & Predator 2.
Collora recently completed work on an Independent Sci-fi film Hunter Prey.
9.) Steve Wang- Another Independent Filmmaker and also an award winning make-up artist. As a veteran makeup artist and creature designer, Steve has worked with fellow veterans before him including Stan Winston, Rick Baker & Dick Smith. Wang has received great praise for his film adaptation of the manga superhero Guyver. Made for a million or two (Peanuts by industry standards), this movie rocks from beginning to end with competent direction and high-end action set pieces. Some have referred to the movie as an R-Rated Power Rangers episode.
[Urban Fanboy legend: Wang was in the running to direct the actual initial Power Rangers movie but was turned away when suggesting the film take a form similar to Guyver: Dark Hero.
8.) Joe Carnahan- American independent film director, screenwriter, producer and actor best known for his films Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane, Narc, Smokin' Aces and The A-Team. (Please don’t judge him for A-Team.) I like to give Carnahan credit for making Ryan Reynolds look like a plausible action hero and point to the tense elevator standoff in “Smoking Aces” between Ray Liotta’s Donald Carruthers and exotic assassin Nestor Carbonell’s Pasquale "The Plague" Acosta.
Note: I REALLY wish Carnahan had been tapped for PUNISHER: WAR ZONE.
Currently slated to direct the thriller The Grey, starring Cooper, and the film adaptation of the Garth Ennis graphic novel Preacher
7.) John Woo Yu-Sen- Chinese film director and producer from Hong Kong. Recognized for his stylized films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard Boiled and Red Cliff. His Hollywood films include Hard Target, Broken Arrow, Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2.
Imagine Woo directing “The Losers” or “Suicide Squad” for DC/ Time Warner.
6.) Rob Stanton Bowman - American film director and producer, perhaps most notable for his work on science fiction series, such as The X-Files and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Made his mark by directing the BIG BUDGET “X-Files “movie for FOX studios (This is self explanatory as to why this talented director hasn’t been tapped for any number of their current Re-boot slate.).
A knock on Rob Bowman is the cinematic excretement known as Elektra. However I actually met Bowman momentarily at a local Comic-con where he alluded to heavy STUDIO interference in that movie (Hey, anybody remembers how we got Daredevil: The Director’s Cut?). Perhaps Rob Bowman should be released from Director’s Jail by the Studio system.
5.) John McTiernan- Prolific American Film director best known for his action films Predator, Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October. Has been on the scene since 1986 with Nomads starring Pierce Brosnan. You can’t find a better director for action and special effects. [Yes, I’m sure someone reading this article is going to bring up the Pellicano Trial, but Mc Tiernan’s sentence has since been waived.). I’d bet cash money on this director in a minute.
4.) Alex Proyas - Australian filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for directing the science fiction films The Crow, Dark City, I, Robot and Knowing. Proyas ‘film “The Crow” is one hell of a calling card with its creative shots and dark German impressionistic imagery.
Doctor Strange anyone?
Daredevil perhaps?
3.) Stephen Norrington- British film director whose credits include Death Machine and the comic book adaptations Blade and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. He first worked in film as a special effects man in films like Aliens and Split Second. His first debut as a director was in the 1994 movie Death Machine. But it was directing in Blade in 1998 that gained him international status as the film became a box office hit. But despite the film's success, Norrington turned down directing the sequel. However, his last film which he directed was League of Extraordinary Gentlemen for which he had such a hard time with the film's star (Sean Connery) that he announced he would never direct another film again.
[Urban Fanboy legend: Norrington and Connery engaged in an on-set fist fight during production of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and that afterward Norrington quit the film and the industry when Connery attempted to enter the Editors bay to put his two cents in on how the film should be put together.]
2.) Russell Mulcahy- Australian film director. His work is easily recognized by his use of fast cuts, tracking shots and use of glowing lights. Best known as the director of “Highlander” starring Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, and Roxanne Hart. This cult film directed by Mulcahy depicts the climax of an ages-old battle between immortal warriors, depicted through elaborately-interwoven past and present day storylines. Despite having enjoyed little success in its initial U.S. release, the cult film launched Lambert to stardom and inspired a franchise that included film sequels, television spin-offs, and an upcoming remake.
“There Can Only Be One” … But Imagine Mulcahy directing THOR with the same flare and attention to detail.
…AND FINALLY, our NUMBER ONE WITH A BULLET!! (Drum roll please.)
1.) Paul Verhoeven- Dutch film director, screenwriter, and film producer who has made movies in both the Netherlands and the United States. Explicitly violent and/or sexual content and social satire are trademarks of both his drama and science fiction films. He is best known for directing the American feature films RoboCop (1987), Total Recall (1990), Basic Instinct (1992), Starship Troopers (1997), and Hollow Man (2000).
Note: Because he is also known for the Cinematic Nervous Breakdown known as “Showgirls”, you must partner Verhoeven with a powerful producer who knows when to rein him in when he get’s too “out there”.
in HOLLYWOOD when it comes to these Comic Book Movies even though a number of them specialize in this type of film imagery.
P.S. There may be a SEQUEL to this article.
… shadowgeek10 returns to the shadows once more.
NOTE: ELEMENTS OF THIS ARTICLE HAVE BEEN CREATED USING TRAILERS FROM YOUTUBE. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED. OTHER ELEMENTS HAVE BEEN RESEARCHED IN GOOGLE AND YAHOO SEARCH ENGINES.