These bold films confront viewers and dare to offend
Spike Lee is a director who has won Oscars, Emmys, BAFTAs, and who has even been honored at Cannes. He won the Oscar for Best Writing for his 2018 film 'BlacKkKlansman.'
But in 2008 the legendary director decided to make a war movie that defied cinematic norms. It may have done that, but what critics noticed most was that Lee just did too much. The movie was excessive in terms of its length and self-indulgence.
Joel and Ethan Coen are a writing/directing duo made in heaven. The brothers have produced countless cult classics and box-office hits such as 'The Big Lebowski,' 'No Country For Old Men,' and 'Fargo.'
Unfortunately, their 2004 remake of 'The Ladykillers' was not as well received as their other dark comedies. This was the one and only time that Tom Hanks worked with the Coen Brothers, and despite great talent on both sides of the camera, it just didn't work.
However, it's not surprising that his first film, released in 1953, was also his worst. 'Fear and Desire' was a very low-budget war film that he convinced his father and uncle to help finance. Kubrick was known as a pathological perfectionist, and was not pleased with his first foray into filmmaking. He later referred to it as a "bumbling amateur film exercise," and it's rumored he tried to have copies of the film destroyed.
Steven Spielberg is an Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Emmy-winning director, best known for his fantastic cinematic spectacles like 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' and 'Jaws.'
But shortly after 'Jaws' and 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' had taken the world by storm, Spielberg decided to try his hand at comedy. He produced the World War II spoof '1941' starring Jim Belushi, but sadly it was lacking in laughs. Needless to say, he made a pretty good comeback after that!
For decades, Martin Scorsese has had a reputation as a master craftsman in the world of cinema. His masterpieces, such as 'Goodfellas,' 'Taxi,' and, more recently, 'The Irishman,' and 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' exemplify his exceptional talent for portraying the darker, more violent side of American culture.
Before his rise to greatness, however, Scorsese did a few collaborations with B-movie director Roger Corman, who is known as "The Pope of Pop Cinema." 'Boxcar Bertha' was one of their creations. Critics described it as a 'Bonnie and Clyde' knock-off.
James Cameron is known for his epic productions, such as 'Avatar,' the original 'Terminator' movies, and 'Titanic,' the latter of which earned him three Oscars.
Yes, a film titled 'Piranha II: The Spawning' was Cameron's debut as a young director, and it was a notoriously difficult experience. Cameron had no control over the final cut, and the resulting fragmented shambles of a movie was torn apart by critics. Despite its clear shortcomings, Cameron claims that it's "the best flying piranha movie ever made." He may be correct!
'Jupiter Ascending' was similarly ambitious and fantastical when compared to their other films, but critics deemed it an ambitious misfire. The leads played by Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis weren't compelling enough, while the story was overwhelmed by too many characters and incoherent dialogue.
That being said, he did make the occasional blunder. 'Under Capricorn' was a movie that Hitchcock produced independently, in what many believed was an attempt to seduce the star, Ingrid Bergman. Both his personal and professional endeavors failed in this case! The movie nearly bankrupted his production company.
Quentin Tarantino is the king of the cult classic. His greatest '90s successes like 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Reservoir Dogs' perfectly exemplify his dark sense of humor and extreme directorial style.
While Tarantino has a few questionable productions to his name, like 'Death Proof' and 'From Dusk Til Dawn,' 'The Hateful Eight' is the worst of the "pure Tarantino" feature films. It's his most violent and pessimistic movie. The fantastic setting and actors worked against the grim narrative in this case, lacking the usual flare that ties such Tarantino films together.
Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro is known for his fantastically dark fairytales, such as 'Pan's Labyrinth' and 'The Shape of Water.'
Del Toro also took on the directing role in the 'Blade' sequel. It wasn't one of his personal creations and he directed as best he could with the script he was given, but the result was a typical sci-fi blockbuster lacking his trademark style.
Tim Burton's iconic quirky and macabre movies make his one of the most distinctive styles in Hollywood. His hits like 'The Nightmare Before Christmas,' 'Beetlejuice,' and 'Edward Scissorhands' earned him a cult following and the respect of critics.
On the other hand, 'Dark Shadows' was an unexpected flop for Burton. He had a dark storyline to work with and his star Johnny Depp, but the movie failed to settle on a tone, and the humor was a little off. Unfortunately, it just failed to come together in the way his films usually do.
David Fincher is the genius behind a generation of great thrillers like 'Fight Club,' 'The Social Network,' and 2021's 'Mank,' which is a one of the favorites for the upcoming Oscars.
But in 1992, Fincher took on the third film in the 'Alien' franchise. While critics said he successfully created a sense of dread, overall it was a shallow movie lacking the excitement of the first two.
Peter Jackson is responsible for one of the most epic film series of all time: 'The Lord of the Rings.' He continued the franchise with 'The Hobbit' series, and also directed the 2005 hit 'King Kong.'
With all that in mind, 'The Lovely Bones' was an odd choice for the director. This sad mystery sees Saoirse Ronan playing the ghost of a murdered teen, watching over her family as they try to find her killer. It wasn't a big hit with critics or the box office, but Jackson said it was nice to try something different!
David Lynch has such a distinct style that the term 'Lynchian' came into being to describe cinema with his surrealist, dream-like style. He is well known for his hit TV show 'Twin Peaks' as well as many epic films such as 'The Elephant Man' and 'Mulholland Drive.'
But in 1984 he took on the mammoth task of creating the first film adaption of Frank Herbert's epic sci-fi novel 'Dune.' By all accounts, he failed to bring the story to life. The screenplay was exceptionally confusing and difficult to follow.
But critics were baffled by his 2015 film 'Queen of the Desert,' a Gertrude Bell biopic starring Nicole Kidman. The movie was deemed pretty but dull, never really getting to the point of Gertrude Bell's extraordinary career.
Sources: (Looper) (Cinema Blend) (Business Insider)
See also: The greatest actor-director duos in film
In this day and age, we're blessed with a myriad of talented directors who provide us with cinematic treasures on a yearly basis. Each has their own distinct style you can spot in an instant. For example, you'll always know when you're watching Quentin Tarantino or Tim Burton.
That being said, they didn't always get the chance to infuse their projects with their personal flare. In some cases, they just got it all wrong. Luckily, we learn from our mistakes, and they all went on to create masterpieces after their failures!
In this gallery, let's take a look as some of the worst movies made by the best directors in history.
The worst movies made by the best directors
These masters of cinema had their fair share of flops too
MOVIES Failures
In this day and age, we're blessed with a myriad of talented directors who provide us with cinematic treasures on a yearly basis. Each has their own distinct style you can spot in an instant. For example, you'll always know when you're watching Quentin Tarantino or Tim Burton.
That being said, they didn't always get the chance to infuse their projects with their personal flare. In some cases, they just got it all wrong. Luckily, we learn from our mistakes, and they all went on to create masterpieces after their failures!
In this gallery, let's take a look as some of the worst movies made by the best directors in history.