We all have them. The actors, writers or even directors who get a free pass from us as fans. The ones who do a piece of work so fucking good, that of they make a shitty movie, you give them a free pass and see the next one. Here is a not so definitive list of directors that deserve a free pass (keep in mind that there are so many more directors out there that get a free, this is just five of them).
1. Martin Scorsese
Here’s an easy one to start with. I don’t care if Scorsese films Joe Pesci and De Niro just shouting mother fucker for 3 and a half hours or DiCaprio taking a shit for 2 hours, I’m seeing whatever this man does. Goodfellas is reason enough to see everything with his name on it.
2. Richard Linklater
The first film I noticed from this director was Before Sunrise, a movie that somehow managed to make two people talking more interesting than the latest action blockbuster. It left such a profound impact that I didn’t talk to anyone about it for years. A bit like it was my little secret. Add onto it A Scanner Darkly, Waking Life, Daze and Confused, Boyhood, even the Bad News Bears remake, the man knows how to tell human stories without being a pretentious asshole about it.
3. Cameron Crowe
This fucking guy tried my patience recently with the piece of shit that was Aloha, but he gets his free pass. Why do you ask? Say Anything… should be the only reason, but he also did Jerry Maguire, and the masterpiece that was Almost Famous. Crowe really pushed my theory of great artists getting a free pass, but also thanks to him it stuck.
4. Clint Eastwood
I’m not kidding when I say that Clint Eastwood is one of the greatest American directors ever. With movies like A Perfect World, Mystic River, and especially Unforgiven, it isn’t hard to see that the man has got a firm grasp on his craft. Because of the past flicks I mentioned I saw Million Dollar Baby, and damn that shit was brutal emotionally.
5. Paul Feig
It’s pretty safe to say that this is the director that people know the least, but he’s pretty fucking hated right now. Yep, this is the guy doing the Ghostbusters remake. And I’m going to go see it. All because the man created the show Freaks and Geeks. Yep. That’s it. That show, for me, was high school. It was way too real (and fucking hilarious) for me to handle. He other flicks like Bridesmaids, The Heat, and Spy I saw because of Freaks and Geeks, and I loved all of those movies.
There are a shit ton of other directors that can go on this list, but these in particular I wanted to shed some light on. A lot of times paying attention to a director can save some cash, or destroy your soul (fucking Aloha). Most times you’ll find a gem, and it can make your day.
movieknight23 