Who is the Greatest Screen Writer and Director of all time.

[numberthirty]

Do you seriously consider John Carpenter the greatest writer/director in the history of cinema?

Me, personally?

Absolutely.

While The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was already out there, Carpenter essentially laid the foundation for a genre when he made Halloween.

Past that he was not simply making an intelligent film in an existing framework? They are still making solid "Halloween..." films in the here and now.

Not very many directors/screenwriters can say they have achieved that.

That said, it does sort of hinge on that Carpenter and Wilder each had co-writers. Debra Hill being involved in Halloween being the obvious instance.

Prince Of Darkness? Yeah...

Assault On Precinct 13? Literally makes everything along that line that Tarantino ever did look sort of silly.

While it's not a huge body of work? It's hard to touch. Carpenter usually comes in right behind Cronenberg(To me...)

[Kirby101]

I just don't see Slasher films as a genre to be the pinnacle of cinema. And Wes Craven was a much better director.

[numberthirty]

I just don't see Slasher films as a genre to be the pinnacle of cinema. And Wes Craven was a much better director.

Said genre does not need to be a pinnacle for it's creation to be noteworthy.

Craven being a better director? Coin toss with Carpenter having an advantage(let's face it, the director folding the effects work into The Thing probably trumps anything Craven ever did as a director...)

Never mind that Carpenter's writing is still a piece of the puzzle in question.

[Kirby101]

Sure, but this thread isn't "good writer/diectors" it's single greatest of all time. I just don't see Carpenter in the list.

[numberthirty]

Sure, but this thread isn't "good writer/diectors" it's single greatest of all time. I just don't see Carpenter in the list.

Sure...

What is "Greatest..."?

- Writer/Directors who did high level versions of already existing genres...

or

- Writer/Directors who essentially created a genre out of nothing...

[numberthirty]

To me...

Raimi probably ranks higher than a lot of the names mentioned.

[Kirby101]

Sure...

What is "Greatest..."?

- Writer/Directors who did high level versions of already existing genres...

or

- Writer/Directors who essentially created a genre out of nothing...

But he didn't, the genre had many fathers, and grandfather's like Hitchcock. He is very far from being THE creator of a genre out of nothing.
That is a poor argument for him being the greatest.

[WebLurker]

subjective is not so so with art. there are objective. If we really want to talk about the art side, objective and subjective can be morphed into one unit maybe like the 4 dimensions of space-time. objective ruling 75% of the 3 dimensions.

You're seriously going to "artsplain" a graphic design major? You're bold, I'll give you that.

[QUOTE=Castle;5877162]The directors I listed from Wilder, Tarentino. It is very unlikely any writer from the bad robot camp like Alex Kurtzman or those CW shows for examples, would even be in the same class as those men.[/qupte]

Depends on the argument, I guess.

Spielberg is a contender for best director but not best screen writer-director. James Cameron would have more mentions on this thread than Spielberg, because James Cameron is a screen writer for all his movies.

Not sure Cameron's writing is on par with his directorial skills. Although, speaking of people who do both, wonder how history will remember James Gunn (he does both)?

To me...

Raimi probably ranks higher than a lot of the names mentioned.

Forgot he wrote, too. Sounds fair.

[Somecrazyaussie]

Ha! that is a good one - maybe top 10 though write there ahead of Ed Wood.

Still, I love Carpenter's best stuff, BUT his truly best work is in films that he did not write. Also, his worst work is in films he did not write.

Some honorable mentions would be Terry Gilliam, of course, and the often overlook Paul Schrader. Like most people on this list (including Tarantino) he has several bad films and even his best movies are not usually those that get a lot of attention, but after writing Taxi Driver and the first drafts of Close Encounters, he did direct American Gigilo, Mishima, Affliction, Auto-Focus and the real hidden gem, Light Sleeper.

Forgetting Hard Core, Cat People and The Card Counter was a damn good film too. Plus he wrote the script for Raging Bull. Schrader definitely is a contender.

De Palma too (Blow Out, ScarFace, Dressed To Kill, Body Double)

[Castle]

You're seriously going to "artsplain" a graphic design major? You're bold, I'll give you that.

Billy Wilder's movies are art. There is barely any mainstream comedy film today that can even get close to some like it hot.

Depends on the argument, I guess.

Any screenplay-directing from Alex Kurtzman as Staglag 17

Not sure Cameron's writing is on par with his directorial skills. Although, speaking of people who do both, wonder how history will remember James Gunn (he does both)?

The point about Cameron is that he does both primary. And speaking of Gunn, he does both as well but Cameron is the stronger and more seasoned of the two as a director/writer. To be honest, they are barely on the same level. Since not only is Cameron the better film maker, but Cameron's writing has never bordered lined on irritation and cringe factor as Gunn's writing can be.

Perhaps I am been quite hard here with Gunn as his writing credits has two of the GOTG and two of Scooby Doo movies. maybe I should blame this more on the writing of those films trying to appeal to a dense definition of a kid friendly film market but it can still be irritating enough that it should put him far away from Cameron as a director/writer.

With historical significance as you asked, Gunn would have to end up with a filmography where GOTG and Scooby Doo movies are not the films he is best known for because of the nature of how MCU movies are directed and written, The film makers of the films had to follow a formula and were very restricted. Gunn has even said his time on SS 2 was the best he has had as an artist.

It's ironic that I am calling Billy Wilder the best director/writer of all time, considering his movie Sunset Boulevard as someone said here already was a takedown of Hollywood. Some Aspects of very co-operate Hollywood that GOTG movies are bred from 70 years on.

Gunn has more work to do if he wants to be seen as a great director/writer in the coming future. One of my advise to him, let him attempt a serious drama.

[numberthirty]

...

The point about Cameron is that he does both primary. And speaking of Gunn, he does both as well but Cameron is the stronger and more seasoned of the two as a director/writer. To be honest, they are barely on the same level. Since not only is Cameron the better film maker, but Cameron's writing has never bordered lined on irritation and cringe factor as Gunn's writing can be.

Perhaps I am been quite hard here with Gunn as his writing credits has two of the GOTG and two of Scooby Doo movies. maybe I should blame this more on the writing of those films trying to appeal to a dense definition of a kid friendly film market but it can still be irritating enough that it should put him far away from Cameron as a director/writer.

With historical significance as you asked, Gunn would have to end up with a filmography where GOTG and Scooby Doo movies are not the films he is best known for because of the nature of how MCU movies are directed and written, The film makers of the films had to follow a formula and were very restricted. Gunn has even said his time on SS 2 was the best he has had as an artist.

It's ironic that I am calling Billy Wilder the best director/writer of all time, considering his movie Sunset Boulevard as someone said here already was a takedown of Hollywood. Although very co-operate Hollywood that GOTG movies are bred from 70 years on.

Gunn has more work to do if he wants to be seen as a great director/writer in the coming future. One of my advise to him, let him attempt a serious drama.

Super

..........

[numberthirty]

,,,

The point about Cameron is that he does both primary. And speaking of Gunn, he does both as well but Cameron is the stronger and more seasoned of the two as a director/writer. To be honest, they are barely on the same level. Since not only is Cameron the better film maker, but Cameron's writing has never bordered lined on irritation and cringe factor as Gunn's writing can be.

Perhaps I am been quite hard here with Gunn as his writing credits has two of the GOTG and two of Scooby Doo movies. maybe I should blame this more on the writing of those films trying to appeal to a dense definition of a kid friendly film market but it can still be irritating enough that it should put him far away from Cameron as a director/writer.

With historical significance as you asked, Gunn would have to end up with a filmography where GOTG and Scooby Doo movies are not the films he is best known for because of the nature of how MCU movies are directed and written, The film makers of the films had to follow a formula and were very restricted. Gunn has even said his time on SS 2 was the best he has had as an artist.

It's ironic that I am calling Billy Wilder the best director/writer of all time, considering his movie Sunset Boulevard as someone said here already was a takedown of Hollywood. Although very co-operate Hollywood that GOTG movies are bred from 70 years on.

Gunn has more work to do if he wants to be seen as a great director/writer in the coming future. One of my advise to him, let him attempt a serious drama.

As for that...

The guy has made ten films.

Piranha II: The Spawning and True Lies are one-fifth of his overall output.

While he has his out on the "Piranha..." film?

That still leaves True Lies.

[Castle]

I just don't see Slasher films as a genre to be the pinnacle of cinema. And Wes Craven was a much better director.

Every genre has an artistic top notch since all film genres are all branches of cinema.

I dont really love slahser films so I have not see many, however I am sure there has to be top notch slasher films in the genre and a writer/director who can make that film.

Speaking of slasher movies Wouldn't Hitchcock Psycho be considered one? it has been debated for a long time.

[Kirby101]

Psycho is usually considered a forerunner to Slasher movies.

How many Slasher movies make the 100 Greatest films?

[Frobisher]

I love it when only certain genres of film can be important cinema.