Tuesday, November 02, 2010

It's Election Day in the US. Which film director...

...did you vote for as Governor of Movies*? (Or Minister of Movies if you prefer)

I hope you chose carefully. They'll be bossing your cinema around for the next four years!

*Obviously, this is a write-in ballot situation only. I didn't see candidates listed anywhere in my voting guide.
*

31 comments:

Laika said...

Well, unfortunately I can't vote in today's midterms, but in the UK's recent general election, I did cast a vote for Mike Leigh for Minister of All Films in Perpetuity. Unfortunately, he didn't make it into the coalition government...

f. said...

Martin Scorsese

Sean D said...

TILDA SWINTON (Independent-Awesome Land)

Volvagia said...

Minister of movies? Hmm. It has to be 1. Someone with a great filmography. 2. Someone dedicated to preserving great films. 3. Someone who doesn't mess with their own films after they get released. 4. An amicable public presence. 5. Someone not blatanty out to offend or grandstand with their movies. Obviously Scorsese. When he dies I'd guess The Coens. (They repeated themselves a lot speechwise at the No Country Oscars, but they never really mean to provoke, either publicly or in the content of their movies. Plus, you know once Scorsese dies, they'd take up the "Preservation" torch.)

Fernando Moss said...

Almodóvar! (is he elegible?) (can I vote if I'm in Mexico?)

Emily said...

Alfonso Cuaron

NATHANIEL R said...

Fernando -- you can vote no matter where you are.

Fer -- I see that Scorsese is already a popular choice.

Laika -- in Perpetuity. That's a lot of faith.

Sean D - can i join your party? I-AL. yes please

Andreas said...

For some reason, my mind jumped to Jean Renoir. He just seems like such a great natural leader, and so passionate about his art form.

But Tilda Swinton is a very good argument. She could run on a platform of "I'm Tilda Swinton." (Oh my God yes Tilda Swinton!!) OK, I'm convinced.

Seeking Amy said...

David Lynch!

James T said...

Eric Zonca until he has used every actress I love.

Pope said...

I'm going to have to go with Scorsese as well.

Anonymous said...

Ewe Boll!

Andrew K. said...

Snap judgement was Marty because, well - it's Marty, I guess I need to explain everyone else that's coming to me is dead or out of practice (Ivory, Minghella, Altman) so I'll say Fincher.

(I really want to say Stephen Daldry, but I can't vote for someone with such a short track record - even if I loved all three of them.)

Andrew K. said...

PS. Nathaniel, so the consensus seems to be that Woman on the Verge on Broadway is awful. How was Sherie Rene Scott? I was really hoping that this would finally be her Tony bid, but apparently not.

Marco G. said...

Martin Scorsese is a good choice.

But we're talking about the GOVERNOR of movies!!! We need to choose someone progressive, but still a little conservative. Someone who's directed before, but isn't exactly IN the director's circle (so she/he's not bias). I think the best option would be none other than:

BARBRA STREISAND!!!!!!!!!!

pomme said...

Tarantino(even if i'm not a fan ,he's a real movie lover)

Andrew K. said...

I love Barbra, but I don't think she'd work. She'd probably have more biases than than a director...she'd have worked with a number of them and then she still probably has that chip on her shoulder because they snubbed her with the AMPAS twice.

(I love how seriously we're taking this.)

NATHANIEL R said...

anon 7:14 -- funny. could you imagine how f***ed up the cinema would be?

Marco G -- you really thought that vote out. I feel a song coming on.

SillySarah said...

Jim Sheridan would be a good choice although i do like the choice of BARBRA STREISAND!!!

NATHANIEL R said...

Jim Sheridan. interesting... but yeah, Babs. Tilda. Scorsese. these are interesting choices.

Andrew R. said...

I will not make an Ahnold or Reagan joke. I will not make an Ahnold or Reagan joke.

Depends on what we're in the mood for.

Do you want a magical minister? Miyazaki?

Do you want a minister who will depress everyone with his changes, which are still necessary? Aronofsky!

A misogynist? Lars von Trier!

Popcorn and Cigarettes said...

Nicole Kidman!nd

NATHANIEL R said...

popcorn -- i don't think Kidman is emotionally equipped for that sort of spotlight ;)

Volvagia said...

Tarantino? He runs toward one set of voices. (Hitchcock, Huston, DePalma, Leone and then, past that, mostly exploitation.) Preservation? Somehow I think he would get kicks from scratchy film, damaged film, film in need of repair. Offense? I'd say he's not blatantly out to offend in his films (he's not Pasolini, Roeg, Bunuel or Waters). Amicable public presence? This is where it gets slippery. Privately I don't think he's unleashed anything too awful or nasty. Public persona, though, does reveal someone who could come across as, to be frank, slimy.

Lynch: Eraserhead, although it perfectly encapsulates my taste, is also an example of how he wouldn't fit as a political face of movies. Too weird, too OUT THERE. That, in and of itself, is clearly grandstanding (Fellini, Aronofsky and Von Trier are probably also directors I wouldn't want as a political face of the cinema.)

J Renoir: Dead. Next!

Almodovar: Too many flirtations with the NC-17.

Mike Leigh: Not public enough. Over love of neo-realist strain.

Uwe Boll: Clearly a joke. Next!

Fincher: Interesting. Fight Club though, is a bit too ANGRY.

Kidman: Not even a director.

Jim Sheridan: Too small. Next!

Miyazaki: Interesting. Although, Animation Director could have public perception of low amount of people skills.

Streisand: Faded star. Hasn't had primary creative control, whether that be lead acting or directing, in 14 years.

Derreck said...

I've been on a Baz Luhrmann kick these past couple of days so i'll go with him.

I'm going to see the new Blu-Ray release of Romeo + Juliet this weekend which i haven't seen for 7-8 years. I barely remember it.
In addition, on one of the Moulin Rouge! extras, i saw a wonderful preview/TV Spot of his production of La Boheme, so i might end up seeing that one of these days.
and i stumbled upon an article on Entertainment Weekly on his search for a Daisy for The Great Gatsby.
Plus, a teacher blanked on his name in class today and i most dutifully helped him out. lol.

so, yeah. he's been on my mind a lot these days.

I'd love to have my romantic life directed by Baz. It would be filled to the brim with beautiful, grandiose moments...then in the meantime, i could stare at the gorgeous scenery that Catherine Martin would provide. oh yes.

and if Ewe Boll gets elected, i'll be forced to do some very bad things.

Robert said...

Sofia Coppola. I want to live in a hipster dream state for the next four years.

Henry said...

Denzel Washington.

/3rtfu11 said...

President Susan Sarandon
Pedro Almodovar for Governor of Good Taste and Quality of Life
Vanessa Redgrave as Secretary of State (take that: Zionist hooligans)
Quentin Tarantino as Secretary of Education (he’s a high school dropout but brilliant and will encourage the children to follow their own creative path)
Sean Penn as Secretary of Defense
David Lynch as mayor of my city

chris na Taraja said...

i watched LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, which is kind of appropriate for election day given the vampires we have to choose from.

GlenH said...

Hirokazu Koreeda! Reading his interviews (and watching his movies) leaves you with the impression that he would do some careful thinking, and maybe even some diagram drawing, before he made a decision.

(I would vote Changdong because he has experience as a culture minister but I haven't seen any of his yet.)

Volvagia said...

S. Coppola: 4 films, 1/2 of which have tepid reviews, is not a great enough, or large enough, body of work. Plus: If any people want to claw out their eyes on sight (Godfather Part III, anyone), does that make a good modern politician?

Denzel Washington: Not a director. Next!

Korreda: Could be great, but wouldn't you want someone who, maybe, isn't so careful? The distribution system needs fixing now. If film is something specific that the Government decides to fix, shouldn't a more active persona be picked as the voice.

Thus: Scorsese, who has actively pursued film preservation, has a sterling filmography, hasn't recut or changed the visuals of their films, doesn't have an offensive public presence and doesn't blatantly seek to offend or grandstand in his movies. Shock is one thing, offense another. Hitchcock making Psycho is shock. Laughton making The Night of the Hunter is shock. Scorsese making Taxi Driver and Raging Bull is shock. Pasolini making Salo is offense. Von Trier making Antichrist is offense (and also grandstanding.) Lynch making Eraserhead is grandstanding. Bunuel making Un Chien Andalou is grandstanding.