Greetings Programs!

Another addition of Fast Five for you, no politics on this one.

Have you ever watched a movie from a relatively new director that was so entertaining that you could not wait to see what they would release next? Only to be disappointed by their next film and never seem to capture that magic again?

What Happened?

Here is my short list:

 

Tony Kaye – American History X

1998’s American History X was Kaye’s first feature film. Star Edward Norton was nominated for an Academy Award.  Tony sued New Line $275 million as they would not allow him to change his screen credit to “Humpty Dumpty”. This film also showed the world why some folks refuse to work with Norton.

Other than a few shorts and documentaries, his only other work as a director is 2009’s Black Water Transit and 2011’s Detachment.

Tony still considers American History X as an unfinished film.

 

Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez – The Blair Witch Project

It’s not that I think that this is a great film, but what the directors were able to accomplish and what they wanted to do afterward was exciting. Their company Haxan Films was to be what Blumhouse Productions actually is.

So far they have given us TV’s Freaky Links, feature films Altered (2006), Seventh Moon (2008), Lovely Molly (2012), V/H/S/2 (2013) and the Bigfoot movie Exists (2014).

Not a great track record.

Russell Mulcahy – Highlander

1986’s Highlander was one of my favourite films of the 80’s. I must have watched it a dozen times. No it has not aged well, and the casting of the Scottish and Spanish leads could have been better, but it’s still worth watching every now and again.

Then Highlander II: The Quickening (1991) happened and I began to wonder what was up with this director. The rumours were that the film was bad due to studio interference. Then I watched The Renegade Version the Directors Cut, which was to correct the problems shown in the theatrical version. Still a piece of garbage.

After that debacle, I had a jaded eye for his future works. I was not wrong.

Ricochet (1991) – Okay I guess

Blue Ice (1992) – Flew under my radar

The Shadow (1994) – WTF was that???

Silent Trigger (1996) – Yeah, I never heard of it either

Tale Of The Mummy (1998) – Another one I never heard of but it does have a good cast

Five more feature films and a bunch of TV work and music videos.

Kurt Wimmer – Equilibrium

Another favourite film of mine is 2002’s Equilibrium, Christian Bale had made quite the name for himself in American Psycho. The trailers for this film looked insane, part 1984, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451 with Gun Kata?!?!

Sean Bean’s character dies.

His follow up film, 2006’s Ultraviolet is another story taking place in a dystopian world that looked like a great follow up. It was not.

The original 120 minute cut of the film was deemed “too emotional” and cut to an 88 minute PG-13 mess. There was another 94-minute cut released later, but the damage was done.

Milla Jovovich has disowned the film due to the edits the studio enforced.

Kurt’s screenwriting credits also include Salt (2010), Total Recall (2012), Point Break (2015).

He has not directed a film since.

David Twohy – Pitch Black

David did have two previous features under his belt Grand Tour: Disaster In Time (1992) and The Arrival (1996), it was 2000’s Pitch Black that got everyone’s attention.

Before Dominic, Xander, and Groot, Vin Diesel was Richard B. Riddick. His only other big credit before Pitch Black was his voice work as The Iron Giant. This was the film that put Vin on the map.

Pitch Black was born from a rejected script idea by Twohy for Alien 3, and the Robert A. Heinlein novel Tunnel In the Sky.

It was a modest success at the box-office that has so far spawned one animated short, two more live action films and two video games.

Nothing Twohy has done since has topped Pitch Black. Diminishing returns include Below (2002), Chronicles Of Riddick (2004), and Riddick (2013)

Furia is supposed to be his next project if anyone cares.

What directors would you add to this list? Sound off below!