Ivory. James Ivory is the director of the Merchant Ivory brand- and it is a brand- a clear and distinct style and taste. Ismail Merchant is the producer and James Ivory is most often credited with being the artistic creative engine of the partnership (not totally unlike the Archers – Powell/Pressburger with Michael Powell getting the bulk of the artistic credit). It shouldn’t go without mention that the majority of their work as from the screenwriting pen of Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (which may seem odd because Ivory is a heck of a screenwriter himself and just won the Oscar

Burton. Eight films with Tim Burton’s unmissable gothic fingerprint is the reason he lands on this list. He doesn’t have a top 500 of all-time film (and unlike some others I’m pretty certain of that) and that’s a blemish, even this far down, but if Beetlejuice and Corpse Bride are his sixth and seventh best films? No, they’re not Pan’s Labyrinth (and Burton is no Guillermo del Toro- a contemporary that is an apt comparison), but that’s depth and quality there. gorgeous work in Beetlejuice- gothic establishing shot, color splashes a shot absolutely out of Caligari Best film: Ed

Woo. Woo’s case is his unabashed style and depth of filmography—there aren’t too many style-plus auteurs left this far down the list with a fourth best film as good as Hard Boiled or fifth as strong as A Bullet in the Head. If great auteurs can often be parodied (think Wes Anderson’s SNL skit) then how about John Woo? One of my major problems with Woo (and the reason I probably have a hard time finding room for the films in their respective top 100 of the decade) is how close they walk the line to camp. Leone could

Payne. Lists like these are often unkind to comedies and comedic filmmakers but Alexander Payne’s resume and talents as an auteur cannot be ignored any further. Like so many others he burst onto he scene in the artistically fertile American 1990’s independent cinema movement and fully arrived with his sophomore effort, 1999’s Election. He may not have ever matched the artistic highs of Election-- but Sideways, Nebraska and About Schmidt aren’t far off—they share many qualities of a true author at work (more below in style/traits). Six archiveable films and counting (2017’s Downsizing didn’t help) bearing that bearing Payne's

Bava. The father of the Giallo Italian horror sub-genre (with Argento as an acolyte and semi-contemporary) Mario Bava did what the genre what Leone did for the western—he brought a hyper-stylized visual panache to the table (I’m sorry but give me Bava all day over Craven or Tobe Hooper with all due respect). The strengths of Bava’s resume is certainly his influence (see below in style/traits), being a style-plus director, and having two films that land in the top 100 of their respective decade. There isn’t a top 500 here though—and that’s a weakness—and granted the visuals are often

Boorman. Since I am trying to watch 500+ movies a year (far cry from 2011-2016 when I was putting away 1000+) the lists here are in flux as I try to continue to educate myself with new films and revisiting old ones I’ve seen before. Case in point with a recent 2019 viewing of Point Blank (details below) --so although it doesn’t land on my most recent top 500 of all-time, it surely will when I update it. It’s an utterly brilliant film—staggeringly ambitious. It goes a long way to making Boorman’s case for being on this list but

Frankenheimer. Frankenheimer is often overshadowed because his artistic peak was in the early 1960’s- a time so fertile with, frankly, superior efforts from more talented auteurs. Still, his trademark kinetic style holds merit—as does The Manchurian Candidate as a film that lands in the top 220 of all-time—an impressive #1 for a director way down the list at #161 now. He has nine archiveable films (certainly no one-hit wonder) but can only muster one film that lands in the top 100 of its respective decade. Best film: The Manchurian Candidate. The opening brainwashing scene (and shot) and the dramatic

McQueen. McQueen has the latest debut of any auteur on this list thus far (2008). He burst on the scene with Hunger- a film that landed solidly in the top 500 of all-time on my most recent update—the only film of McQueen that is eligible for the all-time top 500 since I have a 10 year moratorium on all new films. He’s started his career with 4 straight top 100 of their respective decade films and there’s no film in there that’s fringy—they’re all in the top 50 of their respective decade actually. It’s one of the strongest starts

Clouzot.  We’re at position #159 here so an auteur with a top 500 film of all-time (Diabolique) and another great film not far behind (Wages of Fear) and in the top 100 of its respective decade is getting rarer and rarer. That’s a strong 1-2 punch and certainly the reason Clouzot is on this list. He’s a technical master, mostly emotionally cool films that build tension, brick by brick, through superior craftsmanship. Certainly the lack of depth here hurts Clouzot’ case- just two archiveable films. Best film: Diabolique. The consensus experts (on TSPDT) differ with me here but the

Jeunet. Jeunet isn’t here without Amelie (less and less top 500 all-time films remaining as we’re at the #158th best director of all-time) but that 1-4 below is very solid. The films are imaginative, handsomely shot, and idiosyncratic in all the best ways. Just one film in the top 100 of its respective decade isn’t great – but even the least of Jeunet’s efforts carry his own brand of authorship. Jeunet has only made a total of 7 films and nothing in the archives since 2004—still clearly a force from 1991 to 20001. an imaginative retro garbage art set

Anthony Mann. Mann has fourteen (14) archiveable films—unreal—that is the most at this point with the auteurs remaining who I haven’t yet mentioned as the best 156 directors of all-time. Still- it’s not just about quantity- he has three films that land in the top 100 of their respective decade (his case) even if there are no films of Mann’s landing in the top 500 of all-time (certainly a weakness). Mann is known for those psychological westerns with Jimmy Stewart but he had some strong noirs in there as well. Best film: Winchester 73’. Mann isn’t an auteur with

Luhrmann. Baz is the Australian expressionist auteur who is a style-plus director with a abbreviated filmography. Finding a style-plus director outside of my top 150 directors is rare- so that’s the main case for Baz plus he has a top 500 of all-time film (Moulin Rouge!). Taken as they’re released in real time, it has been a rough stretch for Luhrmann after Moulin Rouge! in 2001--- just one archiveable film is the period since. However, his signature style and personal stamp is all over these three films – big, loud, bold—uncompromising visions. Best film: Moulin Rouge! The greatest evidence