Whose work do you enjoy?

[jkjk]

Which directors, actors, writers, or even producers have created projects in the past that cause you to assume you will like their new project before seeing it? Or another way to ask it, whose work do you enjoy frequently enough that you are excited for whatever they are creating next?

 

You could also include people you immediately assume you won't like their new work.

 

Important note: Just because you assume you will like someone's work beforehand doesn't mean you have to like it after viewing it. It's not highly probably to like everything from any one artist.

 

I started this thread here in movies, but it could easily be used for television as well. Post for either or both here.

[jkjk]

I thought of this recently after seeing a trailer for Suburbicon. When I saw that the Coen brothers wrote it, I assumed I would like it (I liked the trailer too, of course).

 

Here are some I thought of, but there are probably more:

Joel and Ethan Coen (directing and writing)

Wes Anderson (directing and writing)

Christopher Nolan (directing and writing)

Matt Damon (acting & maybe others)

Amy Adams (acting)

 

Probably on my list but I should see more work to be sure:

Alejandro G. Inarritu (directing and writing)

Noah Hawley (directing and writing)

Denis Villeneuve (directing)

 

The most obvious one I thought of that I feel fairly sure I won't like something they make before seeing it:

Michael Bay (directing, writing, producing)

 

I know there are others, these are just the first I thought of. Anyone else have anyone you look forward to seeing something new?

[Cult Icon]

For me it's only Nolan and Ridley Scott.   I watch everything that Nolan directs.  Ridley Scott's movies have really fallen in quality though.

 

I saw "There will be Blood" on opening day.

[jkjk]

24 minutes ago, Cult Icon said:

For me it's only Nolan and Ridley Scott.   I watch everything that Nolan directs.  Ridley Scott's movies have really fallen in quality though.

 

I saw "There will be Blood" on opening day.

 

I should go back and look, but I'm fairly sure I have seen everything from Nolan too.

 

There will be Blood brings up another good one, Paul Thomas Anderson.

 

Clearly my list is longer than yours. 

(maybe too long)

 

When I say I assume I will like something someone makes before I see it doesn't guarantee I will like it once seeing it.

[VS19]

Tom Cruise is probably at the top of such a list for me.  Can't remember the last time I went to a Cruise film and wasn't entertained on some level.  He's made some turkeys, just like everyone else whose been around as long as he has, but even his bad films manage to entertain me to some degree, even if it's just his stunt work.

 

I'd also have to agree with you @jkjk on Villeneuve.  I've thoroughly enjoyed the work of his that I've seen, and I've got a few others, most notably Arrival, lined up in the queue to see sometime here soon.  

[jkjk]

10 minutes ago, VS19 said:

I'd also have to agree with you @jkjk on Villeneuve.  I've thoroughly enjoyed the work of his that I've seen, and I've got a few others, most notably Arrival, lined up in the queue to see sometime here soon.  

 

I really liked Arrival, for many reasons. I won't say anymore since you haven't seen it, and because I try not to raise expectations too much for movies someone hasn't seen.

[VS19]

11 minutes ago, jkjk said:

 

I really liked Arrival, for many reasons. I won't say anymore since you haven't seen it, and because I try not to raise expectations too much for movies someone hasn't seen.

 

It's one of the next ones I'll be watching.  Currently have a whole bunch of movies I've accumulated over the past couple of months that I just haven't had time to watch yet.  Going to get Alien: Covenant and Kong: Skull Island done tonight, hopefully, with Arrival hopefully getting a viewing here sometime in the next couple of days. 

 

Just knowing how well he did with Prisoners, which was just superbly done from top to bottom, I'll be rather interested to see his take on the alien invasion genre (although I do realize that the film is said to be much more than just that, which is of course a good thing). 

[jkjk]

1 hour ago, VS19 said:

Going to get Alien: Covenant and Kong: Skull Island done tonight, hopefully, with Arrival hopefully getting a viewing here sometime in the next couple of days.

 

I liked Kong, but I really like a number of the actors in it, so it was probable that I would like it.

 

1 hour ago, VS19 said:

although I do realize that the film is said to be much more than just that, which is of course a good thing

 

There is definitely more to it. I don't think it's a movie you watch while doing something else, which you can do with some movies.

[VS19]

Just now, jkjk said:

 

I liked Kong, but I really like a number of the actors in it, so it was probable that I would like it.

 

 

There is definitely more to it. I don't think it's a movie you watch while doing something else, which you can do with some movies.

 

I'm in the same boat on Kong as well.  John Goodman, Brie Larson, and John C. Reilly are what I'm coming for, not the fact that it's a King Kong film.  Does seem to be a fairly decent action film in its own rite, though, which should be fun, but I wouldn't care nearly as much without the involvement of those three.

[jkjk]

1 hour ago, VS19 said:

I'm in the same boat on Kong as well.  John Goodman, Brie Larson, and John C. Reilly are what I'm coming for, not the fact that it's a King Kong film.  Does seem to be a fairly decent action film in its own rite, though, which should be fun, but I wouldn't care nearly as much without the involvement of those three.

 

Absolutely on Goodman, Larson, and Reilly.

 

Also, your choice of Mandy Moore deserves a .

[VS19]

1 hour ago, jkjk said:

 

Absolutely on Goodman, Larson, and Reilly.

 

I guess on that front you could probably put Goodman down as someone for whom this thread also applies for me.  I can't say that I follow him as closely as I do Cruise, nor can I say that I've watched as much of his output as I have others, but, especially as of the past few years, any project that Goodman picks at least deserves some consideration.

 

1 hour ago, jkjk said:

 

Also, your choice of Mandy Moore deserves a .

 

Thanks.    She's long been one of my absolute favorites.  Been a fan of hers for a long time now. 

[jkjk]

Christopher Guest  (or Lord Haden-Guest)

[Jade Bahr]

Leonardo DiCaprio. Don't think there's another actor at this point who crosses the line between being a superstar and serious actor in such extreme way. And instead doing what's everybody doing (superhero movies, franchises, sequels, prequels, whatever) he's choosing extraordinary projects and turns them into box office hits. It's quite impressing.

[okyuki]

I very much enjoy the works of A24. Every single thing they've released is a hit.

 

Moonlight, Green Room, It Comes at Night, A Ghost Story, Swiss Army Man

[jkjk]

I meant to agree with Leo and A24, but forgot and then the thread got buried. 

 

I came looking for the thread because I think I need to add Damien Chazelle to my list. 

[Cult Icon]

Francis Ford Coppola (Godfather I and II, and Apocalypse Now, my #1 favorite film ).   He's able to bring out nuance, richness, and a certain timelessness to his scenes- a rare quality.

 

I like Al Pacino 

[jkjk]

^^  I like both of their work. They are all-time greats.

 

I think for the names I listed I was thinking more about whether I expect to like upcoming work and their work is more in the past.

[Michael*]

On 9/1/2017 at 11:09 PM, jkjk said:

I should go back and look, but I'm fairly sure I have seen everything from Nolan too.

 

I think if you compare pretty much anything by Nolan to other movies in their respective genres, they're almost all standouts. To find a mainstream filmmaker who combines quality with mass appeal as consistently, you'd probably have to look towards the realm of animation. Pixar or Miyazaki, possibly.

[GetOffMyLawn]

Directors

John Carpenter

Michael Mann 

Neil Marshall

Mel Gibson

James Wan

David Cronenberg
Ridley Scott
 

Actors

Tom Hanks

Sam Rockwell

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Guy Pearce

John Goodman

Ben Foster

Gary Oldman

 

Actresses

Gal Gadot

Anya Taylor-Joy    

Cate Blanchett

Charlize Theron

Emma Stone

Margot Robbie

Emma Watson

Milla Jovovich

Angelina Jolie

Rachel Weisz

[jkjk]

^ A number of good choices