There have been some ongoing debate in a separate forum about whether or not Pi is a better debut film than Sydney, so I wanted to know other people's opinions on what they think are the greatest directorial debuts of all-time.
My list goes as follows:
1. Reservoir Dogs (Tarantino)
2. Citizen Kane (Welles)
3. Being John Malkovich (Jonze)
4. Blood Simple (Coen)
5. Hard Eight (PT Anderson)
6. Bottle Rocket (W. Anderson)
7. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Gilliam)
8. Fistful of Dollars (Leone)
9. Pi (Aronofsky)
10. Evil Dead (Raimi)
honarable mentions:
american beauty (Mendes), bad taste (Jackson), the producers (Brooks), killing zoe (Avary), say anything (Crowe), Swingers (Liman), Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (Ritchie), El Mariachi (Rodriguez), and Clerks (Smith)
I'm sure Eraserhead by Lynch, Drugstore Cowboy by Van Sant, and Sex, Lies, and Videotape by Soderbergh would be on their too, but unfortunately I haven't had the privelage to see any of those three.
I'm sure I'm gonna get a shitload of complaints, suggestions, and what not, but that's expected whenever lists are involved. So feel free to say what you feel, I won't take it personally.
Good topic. My top ten debut films:
Paul Thomas Anderson - Hard Eight
Terrence Malick - Badlands
Joel and Ethan Coen - Blood Simple.
Orson Welles - Citizen Kane
Richard Kelly - Donnie Darko
Sam Mendes - American Beauty
Steven Soderbergh - sex, lies, and videotape
Kevin Smith - Clerks.
Spike Jonze - Being John Malkovich
Darren Aronofsky - Pi
American Beauty is one of my favorite films ever, as is Donnie Darko. Still, though, as debuts, they don't really smack too much of auteurism. Kelly hasn't made another film so it's yet to be seen just how good he is. And Mendes's Road to Perdition was an okay film, definitely beautiful, but a bit underwhelming. And it did have shades of auteurism, but I'd like to see a third film before making a judgment.
Badlands was amazing, and it sucks, sucks, sucks that Malick is so inactive. Hopefully that will change after he gets that Che Guevara biopic finished.
Hard Eight is just beautiful. I love it probably just as much as all of Anderson's other films, and I've seen it so many times because of the invaluable commentary and the ease of getting through the film casually. Plus, it just gets better and better as a film each time I view it.
Blood Simple. shows the power the Coens had to do something simple, and thrilling, and silent, with minimal dialogue and no real heroes. It's a shame they've crept away from this style of film, and I'm finding it harder and harder to take them seriously as auteurs because everything they do is so tongue in cheek, but still, The Big Lebowski is a masterpiece and one of the most consistently funny movies ever made. You obviously aren't a golfer.
sex, lies, and videotape is flooring. And because of it, I wish I could see more of Soderbergh's work. The Limey, Schizopolis, Full Frontal, and Traffic are all on my must-see list.
Kane is Kane. 'Nuff said.
Clerks., Being John Malkovich, and Pi are all admirable first efforts, but nothing incredibly amazing. Clerks is profane and quirky. Being John Malkovich falls apart at the end. That much everyone knows. But that's more a script's shortcoming than Jonze's. Pi tries to be smarter than it usually is, attempting to dazzle its audience with fuzzy math and logic and an ending that really doesn't make too much sense. All the while, the filmmaker is missing what makes the material compelling: the protagonist's reclusiveness and his relationship with the world around him, and the woman who he keeps on avoiding, for one.
no Roth Fever?
Quote from: Onomatopoeia
sex, lies, and videotape is flooring. And because of it, I wish I could see more of Soderbergh's work. The Limey, Schizopolis, Full Frontal, and Traffic are all on my must-see list.
If you're anything like me, you'll find that while his other work is varying degrees of worthwhile, none of it touches
sex, lies, and videotape, which is a movie I really love.
I consider Todd Haynes's directorial debut,
Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, in which all characters are "played" by Barbie dolls, noteworthy.
Drugstore Cowboy wasn't van Sant's first film; that's
Mala Noche, from 1986.
I think
Diva is a rather prodigous debut in many ways...
some more off the top of my head.
Godard's Breathless
Truffaut's The 400 Blows
David Gordon Green's George Washington
Marc Forster's "Monster's Ball"
eraserhead
the element of crime (really good and underrated movie, everyone should see it.)
badlands
Quote from: CinephileMarc Forster's "Monster's Ball"
His first film was "Everything Put Together." It's a wonderfully creepy film that is very much in the tone of Polanski's "Repulsion." Definitely worth checking out.
Wow, thanks. I wonder why the hell I thought it was his first film. :?
Being John Malkovich (Jonze)
Sydney/Hard Eight (PT Anderson)
I Stand Alone (Noe)
Mean Streets (Scorsese, I think this was his first.....maybe not)
Bottle Rocket (Wes Anderson)
Sex, Lies, and Videotape (Soderbergh)
Pi (Aronofsky)
Eraserhead (Lynch)
American Beauty (Mendes)
Blood Simple (Coens)
Reservoir Dogs (Tarantino)
Crumb (Zwigoff...once again I'm not sure if this is his first)
Citizen Kane (Welles, if it's his first)
Strictly Ballroom (Luhrman....I guess this is good...I guess)
The Deullists (Scott...another I guess)
Whatever, that's my list, if it means anything
Burr Steers - Igby Goes Down
bob roberts deserves mention also i think.
and bad taste.
remember dolly bell
blood simple
kane
violent cop
reservoir dogs
the element of crime
bottle rocket
fucking amal
eraserhead
amores perros.
The Usual Suspects
Gattaca
Night of the Hunter - Charles Laughton (his first and only that is)
Chest....
Crumb was not Zwigoff's first film, it was actually Louie Bluie (I haven't seen and cannot find anywhere, so I usually just say that it's Crumb).
Mean Streets isn't Scorsese's first, but it is his first film worth noting. Who's (That?) Knocking At My Door was his first....in 1968.
Easy Rider - Dennis Hopper. A remarkable debut film.
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot - Michael Cimino.
Targets - Peter Bogdanovich.
This Is Spinal Tap - Rob Reiner.
THX 1138 - George Lucas.
Blue Collar - Paul Schrader.
Sofia Coppola with The Virgin Suicides.
The Way of the Gun. (sorry)
"Bound" - Wachowski Bros.
"Night Of The Living Dead" - George Romero
"The Evil Dead" - Sam Raimi (first released film)
"House Of Games" - David Mamet
"She's Gotta Have It" - Spike Lee
"This Is Spinal Tap" - Rob Reiner
"One Hour Photo" - Mark Romanek
Quote from: phil marlowethe element of crime (really good and underrated movie, everyone should see it.)
Saw it for the first time not too long ago. It is very impressive, particularly for a first film.
Pather Panchali- Satyajit Ray
The Great McGinty- Preston Sturges
What about George Clooneys' Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.
Quote from: Jeremy BlackmanThe Way of the Gun. (sorry)
Is that serious or facetious? (I really like this one a lot)
Polanski's Knife in the Water
Has anyone mentioned Godard's A bout de souffle?
Quote from: chriskelvinHas anyone mentioned Godard's A bout de souffle?
Yep. SHAFTR's way ahead of you. :P
Quote from: SHAFTRGodard's Breathless
spinal tap
breathless (didn't like it at first, now i love it...altho - is it his first?? was the little soldier before or after this? hmmm)
duel
george washington
bottle rocket
I'll just mention some no one else has:
City of God (Fernando Meirelles)
This Sporting Life (Lindsay Anderson)
.....Aronofsky's... Pi.....
Mendes.... American Beauty....
Tarantino's ...Reservoir Dogs.
Coen's Blood Simple..
Anderson's Hard eight...
..Liman's ..Swingers
.Jonze.'s Being John Malkovich..........
Inaritu's ...Amores Perros.
Wes Anderson's..Bottle Rocket....
Smith's Clerks.
Nolan's .....Following..
Caruso's ..The Salton Sea...
Taymor's .Titus....
Ritchie's..Locked/Stocked......
Boyle's.Shallow Grave....
bvfue754t995e's ...The Sixth Sense...
Lonergan's ..You Can Count on Me......
there can't be a better debut film than Citizen Kane...
it's cliche, but its the damn truth...welles redefined cinema with that film
truffaut's 400 blows
tarantino's reservoir dogs
iññaritu's amores perros
Quote from: NEON MERCURY
bvfue754t995e's ...The Sixth Sense...
Shyamalan directed Praying With Anger and Wide Awake before The Sixth Sense.
i dont mean to sound condecending -- what is the average age of people on this site -- i find it interesting that the majority of film listed were from very current directors -- just an observation.
i would have to say the most impressive debut is nichol's virginia wolf.
And how many people read this thread before posting their titles? Do us a favour: Write out your list and then CHECK THE THREAD to make sure you're not doubling it.. christ, or even TRIPLING it.
Quote from: cowboykurtisi dont mean to sound condecending -- what is the average age of people on this site.
I would guess 18-24.
Diva wasn't so recent... from 1980, I believe. Hasn't anyone else seen it? At the time, Beineix was being hailed as the new Godard.
Quote from: Weak2ndActQuote from: Jeremy BlackmanThe Way of the Gun. (sorry)
Is that serious or facetious? (I really like this one a lot)
I really like the movie too, but last time I mentioned it I got skewered. :yabbse-sad:
This may seem silly, but Jan de Bont's Speed was a great debut.
Quote from: SHAFTRThis may seem silly, but Jan de Bont's Speed was a great debut.
I think so too.
too bad his moves since have sucked ass - did you see cradle of life???? unbelievably, horrifically, pitifully terrible terrible terrible film
what about burton's pee wee?
Quote from: cowboykurtiswhat about burton's pee wee?
look, lets not get personal. lets just stick to the films please. i dont care what rumors you heard about burton, thats just hateful. and not what we're about here.
Yes, it's Burton's work that matters, and I'm sure he's a fine person. :)
I forgot- Lynne Ramsay's Ratcatcher is one of the most impressive debuts in recent memory.
I'm only 17 and I'm the person who started this forum. I don't recall how many of mine were of newer filmmakers, but you've gotta remember: the "pioneers", as they call them, didn't have the technologically advances in their age that we have. Not even the media's power could help them out, because the media was almost non-existent. Therefore, the newer debuts are entirely more impressive than those by say John Ford or Howard Hawks. Not saying they are bad directors by any means, just that they inspired the modern filmmakers to make their "greatest" pictures as early as possible.
Sergio Leone's first film was The Colossus of Rhodes, not Fistful of Dollars.
George Lucas "The Phantom Menace"
Better watch out for this guy! He's a hot new talent!
Thanks SHAFTR...I did not know that.
Is it any good?
Quote from: ShanghaiOrangeGeorge Lucas "The Phantom Menace"
Better watch out for this guy! He's a hot new talent!
yeah, but i hear all's he's been doin for the last few years is been making videogames and stuff.........ah well
Quote from: ShanghaiOrangeGeorge Lucas "The Phantom Menace"
Better watch out for this guy! He's a hot new talent!
hhahahhahah....you are the sh*t.....
you need your own forum to post ..and start a large cult....following
Quote from: NEON MERCURYhhahahhahah....you are the sh*t.....
you need your own forum to post ..and start a large cult....following
easy on the compliments, he'll go into hiding again..
Quote from: j_scott_stroup04killing zoe (Avary),
I may be confusing this with something else, but isn't this like a 15-20 minute short? I saw something with a similar title on HBO, starring Amanda Peet. I probably am confusing it with something else, but if this is the short that I think it is, I was completely underwhelmed by it and found it to be nothing but typical, trying too hard to finish with a "creative twist."
Quote from: OmegaSlackerQuote from: j_scott_stroup04killing zoe (Avary),
I may be confusing this with something else, but isn't this like a 15-20 minute short?
Nope:
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