Overrated Film Directors

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A simple Google search will reveal quite a few big names appearing in the top 10s of overrated directors, including the likes of Woody Allen, Ridley Scott, Michael Bay, Tarantino and even Martin Scorsese.

Some argue the reasons for this include one or two-hit wonders who live off that reputation such as George Lucas and Star Wars; or Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction from Tarantino.

Other critics believe some directors play it safe by keeping to the same formula such as Chris Nolan and his Memento and Inception. Or Scorsese and his Goodfellas, Casino, Gangs of New York and the Irishman.

If I’m being honest I don’t really care what these critics say, or even if they have a point or not. That said, if there was one director that really gets on my nerves and can never quite understand why he receives so many plaudits as one of the greatest directors EVER, and that would be Alfred Hitchcock!

Over the Christmas and New Year holiday period I decided to give this cunt a chance by watching 5 of his most highly praised films – Psycho, Rear Window, North by North West, Vertigo and The Birds.

It was a herculean effort getting through this lot, but I suppose the best of the bunch would have to be Psycho if only because it had some truly suspenseful moments and it didn’t star Hitchcock’s usual blandies in James Stewart and Cary Grant.

The other 4 films were adequate, but still doesn’t explain why film critics fall over themselves bigging all of them up as something really special and typically “Hitchcockian”

In my opinion he made some boring, bland, tedious, predictable shite. Give me Akira Kurosawa, any day of the week as he pisses all over him in the director stakes!

With this in mind who would you say was the most overrated director, past or present?

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Nominated by: Technocunt

150 thoughts on “Overrated Film Directors”

  1. Vertigo and Rear Window are my favourite Hitchcock films, whereas I didn’t rate Psycho or The Birds.

    Most overrated director is still JJ Abrams. The man who gave a TED talk on the ‘Mystery box’ but never really figured out what it is, how to use a McGuffin.

    The critics who think Nolan uses the same formula in Inception and Memento haven’t seen either.

    • Vertigo isn’t bad, because there’s hardly anybody around to annoy you. The Birds missed one vital ingredient. Their white shit.

    • I think the best thing about Hitchcock’s films is Bernard Hermann, tbh.

      I do sympathise with Techno, slightly: Hitchcock is overrated, in general.

      I find a lot of film critics bang on about the Freudian symbolism all too much, but I’ve always thought it dates his films horribly. I’ve never thought his films look particularly amazing, either.

      • Hitchcock films do not look as good as the films of other great directors of that era, agree CP. He was astonishingly prolific though, and made films on a lesser budget than Lean, Wyler etc. and most of his films are still more rewatchable than 99.9% of films made over the last 10-15 years.

  2. Most overrated film director?

    Cy Endfield, director of Zulu, for his blatant misrepresentation of historical fact.

    Everyone knows the sooties won the Battle of Rorke’s Drift.

  3. Art is subjective and time changes things. I’m not big on films anyway. I’m not big on the arts at all.

    Films, books, plays and paintings are all dressing, I can live without all of them. Occasionally I’ll enjoy a film or book but I don’t elevate the director, writer or actors above the level of any other tradesmen. What bothers me is because these people are ‘creative, then their fuckups are often called high art and my failure to see what they’ve attempted to portray is my fault not theirs.

    Jazz and Opera I have a massive dislike of, fuck these people, they serve no purpose.

    Clint Eastwood is my kind of director, he makes a movie and he moves on, never seen him court praise for his work or rate himself up their with Einstein.

    • I used to be ‘arty’ but nowadays I find the real world a lot more interesting. The only thing from your list I would not want to be without are books, as most of the ones I read are non-fiction.

      • I used to love reading CP, I keep meaning to get back into
        It but never find the time. A good author lets your imagination paint pictures with your mind they can’t achieve this on screen.

      • Agree with most points you make Sixdog. As regards Jazz, a god-awful noise to appreciate which you would have to be seriously deranged. I have to admit however that I’ve taken to opera and sopranos in particular over recent years. Give this one a go;

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJJW0dE5GF0

        There are lots of other clips of sopranos performing the Queen of the Night aria but to me Diana makes them sound like amateurs. If you can’t stand it I won’t be offended; my wife can’t bear it and when Mis heard it he said he wished he was deaf!

        Your point about a good author strikes a chord. Years ago now I was on the road listening to a play on the radio in which there was a rape scene. It was so realistic I had to think consciously that I hadn’t seen anything, it was all created in my mind from just the words.

  4. Ridley Scott’s recent dogshit film of Napoleon’s life suggests he should be punished by being strapped to a chair and forced to watch Jaws 4 on a loop for a year or two.

    Worse than that Alexander abortion by Oliver Stone.

    • Unlike Sixdog I couldn’t live without the Arts.

      I’d throw myself dramatically off a clifftop.

      Although admittedly I don’t know anything about directors.

      But I seem to enjoy everything that Quentin Tarantino does.
      And as said Clint can’t do any wrong in my eyes.

      I don’t know who JJ Abraham is but probably one of those Hollywood Jews,
      So not too interested.

      • We are less culturally aware in Yorkshire, that’s mainly because when they do need to express themselves in art up here it often involves a ukulele and a ferrets lament!

    • ‘You think you are so great because you have boats!’

      Actual dialogue from Napoleon.

      Sounds like it was written by an American teenager who punches his bedroom wall and wears back-to-front baseball caps.

  6. Hitchcock has always been overrated in my mind. I still love a few of his earlier films such as ‘Rebecca’, but I find a lot of his later work formulaic and clunky; have a look at the ridiculous ‘Torn Curtain’ for example.

    Of the current crowd, Spielberg’s stuff tires easily I find. A lot of his work is wooden and mannered I feel. Once seen, forget it.

    Morning all.

    • I used to rate Spielberg, but nowadays he just adapts historical novels into not-very-interesting period dramas.

      Witch Hitchcock there is a cult around him. People like to read a lot of stuff into his films, but many seem to fake it and can’t/won’t explain the significance of it.

      Real ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ syndrome.

      • After ‘The Birds’ the only other decent film he made was ‘Frenzy’, Ron. Agree on Torn Curtain, his worst film imo.

      • Barry Foster’s ham acting was the highlight of Frenzy.
        “Lovely!… lovely!… lovely!”
        LOL.

  7. Who’s the cunt who made Titanic?

    James Cameron?

    He’s gone right downhill since Terminator 2.

    I put it all down to drugs of course.

    • Especially now. They farm out all the VFX to small FX houses who can’t afford to turn them down and end up paying the animators about $10-12 an hour.

      Back in the early eighties, even in-house animators referred to the studio as Mousewitz.

  10. Interesting cunting.

    Woody Allen is great. “Broadway Danny Rose” is one of my all time favourite films. Not a cunt.

    I agree about Hitchcock, but would put “Marnie” at the top of the list of my favourites of his.

    Cronenberg would also appear on my list of top ten directors. *Existenz” is marvellous.

    Roger Corman gets an honourable mention for his work with Vincent Price alone!

    No place for Tarantino among the above heavyweights.

    Good afternoon, everyone.

  11. Sirs:

    I love Hitchcock but will happily concede that everything started going downhill after Psycho.

    I dislike Tarantino, yet I rewatch his movies. The man can tell a story, even if he is a lefty self-referential snotty smirking twat who probably says icky things to girls.

    There’s Wes Anderson, who makes critics jizz and puts me to sleep.

    Clint Eastwood keeps cranking them out. The man’s 93 years old and doesn’t give a shit, which I find impressive.

    I like Sam Raimi for his Evil Dead craziness

    The Coen Bros. name on something usually means it’s watchable.

    Everybody else puts out CGI comic book crap with the diverse and the climate change and the our democracy and wonders why normal people can’t be bothered.

  12. Stanley Kubrick could be an acquired taste for some but is my favourite Director, Full Metal Jacket my all time favourite. For me Abel Ferrara could be in the category of most underrated Director. Made Bad Lieutenant and another of my favourites, King of New York with a brilliant Christopher Walken.

    • Kubrick’s ‘Paths of Glory’ was on recently . Although it is one of his early films it is my second favourite of his.
      Dr Strangelove rules ! What is there not to like about nuclear combat toe to toe with the Rooskies.

      • I rewatched Paths Of Glory recently, great film, holds up superbly 65 years on. Compare it to the more recently acclaimed WW1 films 1917, or the bland adaptation of All Quiet On The Western Front to get an idea how far the art of film has declined over recent decades.

    • For a pure visual treat …. anything directed by Michael Mann. Yes, he’s had a few duds but even the duds look great.

      Silver goes to Curtis Hanson who was able to get LA Confidential made, almost as good as James Ellroys’ book.

      • Yes Mann is a great director. Very good, stylish cinematography.

        Would be a great choice for another adaptation of J.G.Ballard (besides Cronenberg with Crash and Wheatley’s High Rise)

  13. Tarantino has made some good films but some of the scenes can drag like a seals arse. Once upon a Time in Hollywood was cack, Reservoir Dogs was good, Jackie Brown was underrated.

    • Hateful Eight is a brilliant western by Tarantino.

      I like Once upon a time in Hollywood.
      A film where a hippy is killed with a flamethrower?!!
      And one savaged by a Pitbull?!!

      I’d give it a Oscar just for that

    • The middle of OUATIA drags – especially that scene at Spahn ranch – but it’s a great-looking film.

      Who would’ve thought a film where brainwashed female hippies get mauled, burned and killed could upset the woke, hahaha.

      • OUATIH.

        I’m thinking of the Leone film, Once Upon A Time in America, which is 4 hrs 29 mins in length in its original cut.

  14. Woody Allen is a cunt.
    The sun is shining and I am reading about these people.
    I can live without films, so fuck em, fuck em all.

  15. Woody Allen is definitely overrated.
    In particular if you expected him to be a father figure to your adopted daughter.
    He even looks like a cunt that should be kept away from children.

  16. I notice I didn’t get on the list. As director of Lesbian Lavatory Lust with Greta Thunberg and Yvette Cooper, and Revenge of the Mincing Nancies with Peter Mandelson and Chris Bryant, and some of my early work, Like Patricia Hewitt Does Anal and Hazel Blears Fucks Oldham, I think I merited an inch or two. Just wait till I bring out all nude Frenzy 2. Who do you want to see bollock naked floating in the Thames?

      • It’s supposed to be women, but I suppose we could make him the necktie killer. It would probably need a ladder though for him to get up that high. Come to think of it, he looks so shifty, he might well be capable.

    • Funnily enough you’ve omitted what I regard as your seminal work WC, namely Milf Skank Cunts On Parade 3, with Katie Price in her prime.

      An absolute masterpiecein my humble.

      • Sadly we wanted to get Angela Rayner for the main lead but she wasn’t available as she was shagging Sam Tarry that week, Ron – and I had budgeted for widescreen so we culd have appreciated he legs wide open. So it wasn’t one of my greatest directoral efforts.

    • I’d say Diane Abbott, but I’m not sure the Thames is deep enough to allow for the displacement.

  17. The only Christopher Nolan film I’ve seen is Dunkirk. Fuck me that was a chore to sit through. Brad Bird is good though – done a few of Pixar’s classics. Edgar Wright is worth a mention too if only for the Cornetto trilogy.

    • ‘Edgar Wright is worth a mention too if only for the Cornetto trilogy’

      The first two are good fun, but i’ve seen The World’s End twice and it really lacks the great editing and dialogue of the first two, apart from ‘Fuck off back to Legoland’! I think Hot Fuzz is by far, the best thing Wright and Pegg have ever done, although I haven’t seen the adaptation of Money starring Nick Frost.
      Martin Amis himself said it was a very good adaptation.

      I came late to the series Spaced, which is perhaps for the best as I missed the hype for it, and its fans sometimes give Wright and Pegg far too much of an easy ride, in particular Pegg who is now in with the likes of Tiny Tom and JJ Abrams, and loves to support woke nonsense.

      Wright’s other films are terrible.. Scott Pilgrim was so in-jokey and geeky it et my teeth on edge, and Baby Driver is ruined by the soundtrack, rather than enhanced. I couldn’t watch more than ten minutes of it.

      • The World’s End is definitely the weakest of the three but certainly has its moments imo.

  18. Digression.
    Just been glancing at the midlands derby. Wolves appear to be lacking in those musclebound apes they once used to have. They did amuse me.

  19. If I hear the name Greta Gerwig one more time I’m going to lose it!
    Director of that fly strewn shit coil called Barbie.

    • I’ve heard of her but taken no interest in Barbie.

      Quite srange how one cohort (of adults) seem keen to sing its praises and ask why haven’t I seen it and another cohort seem intent on hating it.

      I tell them it’s a Hollywood film based on a toyline. I gave it as much attention as I gave to the last Transformers film..

    • ‘Ingmar Bergman was really camp’ – hipster from my college days

      the same person also said, ‘yeah, like the Vietnam war was more important than the second world war’..

      I took his remark at face value as I don’t think he knew enough to be a troll.

  21. thank night-shayman director is a right over rated cunt. done fuck all of anything half decent since sixth sense and dined out on it ever since.

    wanker

    • I mostly agree, CC…however, “The Visit” and “Knock at the Cabin” are most assuredly worth a watch.

    • Signs was okay, until the last half-hour. Thought the kid who kept anticipating the alien tactics from an old book was daft and the water and the ‘swing away’ foreknowledge/divine revelation was contrived bollocks

      Otherwise I agree,

  22. What about underrated directors who are shit?
    Paul W. S. Anderson (director of the wanky Resident Evil films) and Uwe Boll spring to mind.
    I wonder if they know they’re shit?
    At least Anderson gets to plough Milla Jovovich, the lucky bastard.

    • I may shock you Thomas but I didn’t mind Alien vs predator. A guilty pleasure.

      Did you like Altered States and Jacob’s Ladder?

  24. i think the only director that isnt typecast into a style of film they revert to is probably clint eastwood. his director roles have been on a plethora of different subjects.

  25. How about a new young director making his mark with a debut blockbuster……’the dinghy destroyer’

    Mr E.N.GLAND scoops all awards at the fantasy cinema gala with his take on ‘inclusivity & diversity’ critics hail it as a masterpiece of wishful thinking ….he quoted ‘when you wish upon a star’ as his inspiration 🙏

  26. I only watch black and white films. In the original French, subtitles are for peasants. I wouldnt expect any of you cunts to understand true art.
    My favourite directors are Truffle and Mal de Mer.

    • I remember THAT film from 1996 and the guff surrounding it.

      Still, compare it with the guff surrounding fucking Barbie.

      You’d think Shakespeare had risen and knocked out a new play.

      • Lurhman is a cunt who has a lot to answer for.

        It’s because of his crap film Strictly Ballroom that we have that sickening Strictly shite on our tellies. He deserves hate just for that.

  28. I don’t believe I have ever watched a film because of the director. Almost invariably I have no idea, and don’t care.

  29. I like George.Can’t stand Christopher “Shitty” Nolan.All of his films are 💩💩💩

  30. The critics say that the greatest film ever made is Citizen Kane.

    I’ve seen it,it’s ok,
    Preferred Treasure of the Sierra Madre which I watched after it.

    But it’s all subjective and a matter of personal taste.

    • No Mis’.

      I’m sorry.

      Your appreciation for the avant-garde shows the world how intelligent you are, especially if you like ‘world cinema’.

      Have you not seen Cocteau’s La Journée de Bébé par Checagou where a baby is captured by 3 criminals, only to escape and find his way across Chicago?

      It really is a triumph.

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