Movie Director Comebacks

[@plasquatch]

The first name that comes to mind when I think "long breaks between movies" is Terrence Malick.

[@martinsorenson1055]

Exactly who I was thinking, too!

[@oophorror2251]

That used to apply. Unfortunately he’s wasted a lot of great actors talent in the past couple years.

[@dirkturtle3354]

Exactly.

[@parth5k]

The more I hear about james cameron, the more I like him. Truly amazing how committed he is to his craft

[@Syntopikon]

He might be the most intense director around. I don't think any other director pushes themselves and their crew as much as Cameron.

[@thorntonwager6750]

He can only work with people who are willing to show up to set and work their asses off. Thats why you see him work with a lot of the same actors.

[@ericgoku3240]

He is The GOAT in my opinion

[@kacperjagos.]

David Lynch comes to my mind. After 2006's Inland Empire he took an 11 year break, before returning to make Twin Peaks The Return in 2017. I consider it to be an 18 hour movie and one of his best, but if you dont look at it this way, he hasn't made a film in 18 years.

[@o.l4890]

and he ain't . he's too old now by his own admition.

[@TwistVisuals]

Twin Peaks The Return was so good! I think it doesn't matter if it was a movie or not. It's just a great piece of art

[@josephbergeron4544]

Paul Shrader’s First Reformed was a hell of a comeback

[@dani3po]

But he directed "The Canyons" just 4 years prior.

[@melissaharris3389]

James Cameron didn't need a 'comeback'. He took a haitus from feature films at the hight of his career, twice. He continued to work during both times. He directed _THREE_ full length documentaries and produced numerous projects. If Cameron had been born in a previous century he'd have likely been one of those arctic/antarctica explorers. He'll be remembered for his contributions to oceanographics and filming technology just as much as for his feature films.

[@oophorror2251]

You’re wrong. Following up the highest grossing movie in history with the highest grossing movie in history is obviously a comeback😂.

[@samuelcrows]

Suggestion: movies that are finished, totally but never got release, not like batgirl or empire of the deep, but something like Black water transit from Tony Kaye.

[@Syntopikon]

Oh, that's a good one I hadn't even considered yet. Nice - thanks!

[@oophorror2251]

American History X is Kubrick level but man has he been mid ever since.

[@matman000000]

After the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, a lot of films were forbidden by the state censorship and didn't get a proper premiere until 1990. I'm guessing other former Eastern Bloc countries have similar cases.

[@larryisntmynamebutyoucanca9625]

Love yours videos, dude! I've watched all of them, and your recent stuff is great!

[@Syntopikon]

Glad you enjoy it! Thanks!

[@shinra05]

I wish you shared some light on directors that got blacklisted and had great comebacks but still great video

[@mixererunio1757]

Solaris isn't a remake. It's an adaptation of the same book by Stanisław Lem. And btw different films, that covered the same material would be very interesting idea. Also adaptations that were disliked by authors of original material, as Lem hated both of those films.

[@zakuraiyadesu]

Love the videos, man. Keep it up!!!

[@tumppuman]

I certainly have respect for Lucas and Cameron for all the work they've done to advance the movie making process. Especially technical aspects of film production. But that being said I still have more respect for the likes of Scorsese and Scott for directing movies well into their 80's. Even though their filmography will end up having those pesky flops and that occasional poor quality movie. Scott more that Scosese but still. Perfectionist filmmakers like Kubrick and Malick took long breaks to search for or work on that perfect project, not to go diving. 😁 Malick was missing from this list. 20 years between Days of Heaven (1978) and The Thing Red Line (1998).

[@Syntopikon]

I agree re: Scorsese and Scott. Both of these guys just love the movie making process and want to make as many movies as they can. I think Cameron is roughly the same, but he's also really interested in the technical side of making it. Good point on Malick 😬

[@IstanaAnginWorldwide]

Brad Bird after Tomorrowland. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller after Solo. David Lean after Ryan's Daughter

[@leesimmons5453]

From your account, the story behind AI would be interesting to hear. As for Ryan's Daughter, I can explain its failure. Every other major Lean movie took place across a broad canvas, sweeping the audience into a massive epic. Ryan's Daughter, on the other hand, is three plus hours of dreary people in a dreary fishing village in Ireland.

[@VonWenk]

When you said "the obvious choice," I was expecting Terence Malick. David Lean sounds kind of foolish. He didn't think people wanted to see his movies based on what critics said?

[@NostalgiNorden]

Roy Andersson...

[@randomdudeontheinternet9556]

I wanna see you discuss Tremendously bad movies which saved careers of people, or Academy Award winning movies which flopped badly in theaters.

[@ben99ny69]

I thought for sure Denis Villeneuve would be on this list. There was a 13 year break til Prisoners. The examples in this videos are from successful directors that took a break. But Denis wasn't exactly a successful direct as he only made 4 films which aren't known films. But after 13 years somehow came back with Prisoners, Arrival, blade runner 2049 sicario and then Dune.

[@Syntopikon]

I don't think Villeneuve would qualify because he still made feature films in the years before Prisoners. I think if he made documentaries or TV or something, there would've been a stronger case. That said, I think Villeneuve has one of the most fascinating tracks I've seen. I never thought that guy that did Prisoners would end up doing the four most acclaimed sci-fi films of the last 10 years.

[@ben99ny69]

@@Syntopikon OH nvm, I read the year wrong. 2010 was the last film before 2013 which was Prisoners. For some reason I though it was 2000.

[@bornanagaming3329]

Incendies was his breakout film not Prisoners

[@benjamindover4337]

Nice video

[@Syntopikon]

Thanks!

[@MrJones2248]

Why didn’t you cover Terrence Malick??

[@Syntopikon]

Mostly just a complete miss on my part. I covered the directors that came to mind first, which ended up being my some of my favorites - Lucas, Cameron, Kubrick, and Lean. I like Malick, but I don't return to his work like I do these guys.

[@jaipadkid]

m night shyamalan didn’t really have a “comeback”, he just stopped making bad movies

[@markcarey67]

I wish George Lucas had stayed retired. The prequels were ass and only made to look vaguely respectable if you squinted your eyes from the other side of a mountain range because the sequels where so much more godawful. The extra movies also made you realize how silly even the originals were and that they only seemed good because you were 12 at the time.

[@blushslice]

George Lucas is a horrible director and should have never directed after the original Star Wars honestly

[@melissaharris3389]

I find it interesting Lucas asked his three friends to direct Phantom Menace and they probably took one look at the screenplay and noped out, so instead of rewrites or looking further afield for another director he just plowed forward and directed again himself; even though he hates directing and isn't very good at it.

[@dani3po]

Well, he's still a better director than he is a writer....