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Woody Allen

Forty years and forty movies. There are actors who’ve been in plenty more movies, but for a director to make that many movies, and to do so at such a steady, unwavering pace, is unheard of. Steven Spielberg is one of the biggest, most famous directors in the world, and he can’t say he’s made as many movies in less time (and Spielberg has managed to twice, in the past decade, release two movies per year). No, it’s Woody Allen who can say he’s done this, make 40 movies in 40 years. What makes the task so amazing is that Allen, while a well-known face to most people in the country and a beloved director in plenty of places overseas, doesn’t make wildly successful films. Most people know the man, but mostly for his personal life. Some may have seen Annie Hall or Manhattan, but mention Interiors, Zelig, or even The Purple Rose of Cairo (my pick for his most underrated film), and they look at you blankly.

That said, most people would probably be able to identify one of Allen’s films on sight. If the man himself doesn’t feature prominently, then you can bet that there will be an actor who stars in the film as a Woody Allen stand-in. Even Melinda and Melinda, his 2005 comedy-drama, managed to make funnyman Will Ferrell into the Allen character. There will be plenty of one-liners, nebbish characters, jazz music, a New York setting (with the notable exception of some of his recent films), awkward yet honest romantic storylines, and every once in a while, you might get a character talking directly to the camera. Allen’s films are so many that he’s not able to boast a perfect record (as of late, he’s not been that fantastic, in my opinion), but when you’ve made such classics as Annie Hall and Crimes and Misdemeanors, it’s almost worth giving a pass to this insightful comic.

Stanley Kubrick

For me, it’s the character glowering at me. This is what defines a Stanley Kubrick film to me. Think of the many male characters who have done this in Kubrick’s works: Dave Bowman in 2001, Jack Torrance in The Shining, Pyle in Full Metal Jacket, Alex in A Clockwork Orange. A Stanley Kubrick film is known for many things, but it’s one of the main characters glaring upwards at the camera that always shakes me. Kubrick is one of the most hailed directors, having brought films such as Dr. Strangelove, Lolita, Eyes Wide Shut, and the aforementioned works to audiences everywhere. Unlike the other directors on the list, Kubrick was more isolated and his works considered colder and more distant. That doesn’t mean that his movies aren’t immediately unique and singular.

Kubrick died in 1999, before his final film, Eyes Wide Shut, was released, but his spirit managed to live on with the Steven Spielberg sci-fi film A.I., which Kubrick had intended to direct before he passed away. A.I. is one of Spielberg’s most divisive films, but it is not only worth watching, but it’s pretty damned haunting if you take a little time to ponder what’s actually happening in the final half-hour, which is often derided by those who aren’t fans of the film. Kubrick’s vision still lingers through Spielberg’s camera, the Pinocchio story in a post-apocalyptic future. Though his films aren’t truly lovable, they are all worth cherishing and frequently unforgettable, noted by the unflinching eye to violence, the harsh statements on the human race, and Kubrick’s beautiful and striking use of the camera.

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