10 Visionary Filmmakers Who Are Saving Us From Boring Movies, Part 1

We have hit the point of no return, ladies and gentlemen. There are approximately 300 movie sequels and reboots planned for the future. This includes Michael Bay directing Dora the Explorer and The Birds. There is also a trilogy based upon the video game Tetris in the works.
But the future is not all bleak. In a world of bland commercial entertainment, ten filmmakers from across the globe use their uncompromising vision to deliver creative and unique movies. This list is in no particular order and will be split into two parts.

When people ask me if I went to film school I tell them, ‘no, I went to films.’  —Quentin Tarantino

What makes Tarantino an important filmmaker is that his more recent movies like Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight utilize the grungy midnight movie aesthetic to create subversive and satirical narratives. He’s dealing with tough subject matter in a rough way. With his plans to do a film adaption about the Charles Manson murders and a R-rated Star Trek movie–who knows what to expect from him next?

Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else’s dreams?—Tim Burton

Tim Burton has had his ups and downs–establishing a gothic style and telling quirky stories to the point of becoming a self-parody. However, Burton managed to be the go-to “dark movie guy” while working at Disney. His recent film, Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children was perfectly charming and surprisingly dark. Burton also had a pitch for the best unmade Superman film in history. Burton might be making a comeback and I’ll be there when he does.

I think there’s a natural system in your own head about how much violence the scene warrants. It’s not an intellectual process, it’s an instinctive process.—Guy Ritchie

Richie’s King Arthur film was a mixed bag of cool ideas and hectic execution. However, you only need to watch his earlier films like Snatch and Revolver to conclude that Richie is a filmmaker ahead of his time. Richie’s stylized editing contrasted with gritty crime and witty dialogue made for an unforgettable modern take on Sherlock Holmes. Many filmmakers (including Richie) are trying to crack the Sherlock code again. Richie is slated to do a live-action adaption of Disney’s Aladdin. My fingers are crossed because we really need a good Arabian Nights film.

I’m Godless. I’ve had to make my God, and my God is narrative filmmaking.—Darren Aronofsky

Aronovsky never repeats himself. That is a rare statement for someone who clearly has stylized work. He’s the only one who can make a horror movie about ballet and then do a post-apocalyptic reinterpretation of Noah’s Ark. I eagerly await his latest film Mother! to hit store shelves. Aronovsky was also slated to do a dark Batman film before Christopher Nolan. With the possibility of stand-alone Batman films, I’d love to see Aronovsky’s take on the caped crusader.

In a weird way, riffing on genres is kind of a reaction to formula. When you watch so much of the programs and the films that you just think you’ve seen before, it’s kind of going back to the well in terms of trying to conjure up the spirit of what made you excited about films in the first place. —Edgar Wright

I’ve mentioned Edgar Wright before as a great source for creative editing and visual comedy. He is the type of director that can breath new life into clichéd genres. There’s also compelling drama to each of his films no matter how ridiculous the premise. Sean Of The Dead is about a man with no life fighting the undead and The World’s End is about a guy stuck in the past fighting technology. Wright was the director who made Scott Pilgrim not just a great adaption but a stellar film that will touch the hearts of youth for generations. His latest film, Baby Driver is a testament to how action films can be more than just car chases and shoot-outs (while still having plenty of shoot-outs and car chases).
Stay tuned for Part 2!