Who is your favorite asshole director?

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Answers taken from this: http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/im_trying_to_rape_the_viewer

I mean asshole in the best possible way.

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Werner Herzog 12
Jean-Luc Godard 9
John Waters8
Uwe Boll 3
Lars von Trier 3
Park Chan-Wook 2
Takashi Miike 2
Harmony Korine 2
Catherine Breillat 2
Kim Ki-Duk 1
Michael Moore 1
Michael Haneke 1
Todd Solondz 1
Vincent Gallo 1
Gaspar Noé 0
Oliver Stone 0
James Toback 0


Eric H., Thursday, 8 May 2008 21:19 (seventeen years ago)

Herzog? really?

El Tomboto, Thursday, 8 May 2008 21:20 (seventeen years ago)

anybody who votes for James Toback is a jerk, because that guy SUUUUUUUUCKS

John Justen, Thursday, 8 May 2008 21:39 (seventeen years ago)

where's polanski?

Cosmo Vitelli, Thursday, 8 May 2008 21:43 (seventeen years ago)

probably godard but I doubt I've seen his assholiest movies

dmr, Thursday, 8 May 2008 21:44 (seventeen years ago)

oh nevermind films not director check.
xp

Cosmo Vitelli, Thursday, 8 May 2008 21:45 (seventeen years ago)

where's polanski?

-- Cosmo Vitelli, Thursday, May 8, 2008 9:43 PM (2 minutes ago)

i'll tell you, but only after you prove you aren't a cop

John Justen, Thursday, 8 May 2008 21:47 (seventeen years ago)

I hate Harmony Korine SO MUCH

forksclovetofu, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:02 (seventeen years ago)

i would kill to see all these guys drinking wine together at a banquet.

Cosmo Vitelli, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:14 (seventeen years ago)

I love bloady loads of these, but ultimately it's a toss-up between Herzog and Waters.

Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe!

emil.y, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:27 (seventeen years ago)

Non-incisive reasoning:

*Catherine Breillat - dunno
*Uwe Boll - ugh, no
*Vincent Gallo - loved Buffalo 66 at the time, not seen anything else, too much of an actual asshole.
*Jean-Luc Godard - A Bout de Souffle and Week-End both awesome, but haven't seen enough to feel properly able to put him top.
*Michael Haneke - I'm a Haneke apologist, but dubious about the Funny Games remake, and he just isn't as good as...
*Werner Herzog - Popol Vuh, monkeys, shoe-eating, being shot... oh yeah, and Aguirre, Fitzcarraldo, et al
*Kim Ki-Duk - dunno
*Harmony Korine - so-so
*Takashi Miike - meh
*Michael Moore - I like him more than most do, but he doesn't help himself.
*Gaspar Noé - should know, but don't
*Park Chan-Wook - dunno
*Todd Solondz - good, but not great
*Oliver Stone - meh
*James Toback - dunno
*Lars von Trier - lots of good stuff, but again, a bit too much of an actual asshole.
*John Waters - Divine, eggs, bad rock'n'roll, perversion... what's not to like?

Herzog wins.

emil.y, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:41 (seventeen years ago)

emil.y speaks for me

Oilyrags, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:42 (seventeen years ago)

No Bruno Dumont? i actually don't think he's as asshole but he seems like he should be on this list. Haneke is my favourite here. Solondz is the actual asshole on the list.

jed_, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:44 (seventeen years ago)

how is Herzog an asshole, again?

sexyDancer, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:44 (seventeen years ago)

Why is Breillat an 'asshole'?

Michael White, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:45 (seventeen years ago)

or Waters for that matter ... some of these are pussycats.

sexyDancer, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:45 (seventeen years ago)

how about him what made I heart huckabeez?

sexyDancer, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:47 (seventeen years ago)

how is Herzog an asshole, again?

unsafe working conditions on Fitzcarraldo and making a chicken dance endlessly to a song it hated.

Cosmo Vitelli, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:47 (seventeen years ago)

but yeah he's def my favorite on the list.

Cosmo Vitelli, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:49 (seventeen years ago)

Didn't he threaten to shoot Kinski as well, or do I have that backwards?

Oilyrags, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:50 (seventeen years ago)

I believe he waved a gun at Kinski at one point on the set of "fitzcarraldo", I forget the exact details, I haven't seen "burden of dreams" for a few years.

Pashmina, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:52 (seventeen years ago)

I think he threatened to shoot both of them.

Cosmo Vitelli, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:52 (seventeen years ago)

i think several people actually died trying to pull the ship over the hill.

jed_, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:53 (seventeen years ago)

oh i missed Von Trier. he's probably as much of an actual asshole as Solondz.

jed_, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:55 (seventeen years ago)

i sort of love von Trier for his anti-American screeds and simultaneous refusal to ever visit the U.S. firsthand.

Cosmo Vitelli, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:57 (seventeen years ago)

To be fair to him does he not have a fear of flying?

jim, Thursday, 8 May 2008 22:58 (seventeen years ago)

Wouldn't be my vote but PECKINPAH COME ON

robertwolf8080, Thursday, 8 May 2008 23:26 (seventeen years ago)

yeah why didn't his ghost make the list?

Cosmo Vitelli, Thursday, 8 May 2008 23:30 (seventeen years ago)

Haneke is a genuine arsehole in my book for one reason: the actual killing of the horse for 'Time of the Wolf' (which I mostly liked), which was defended by him and other fuckwits as being somehow transgressive and daring and honest (as opposed to vile and cruel). I'd have had more time for this argument if they'd had the balls to actually kill some of the humans in the film. Now that would have been transgressive and daring and honest.

James Morrison, Friday, 9 May 2008 01:40 (seventeen years ago)

Way belated, but the article these directors were mentioned in stipulates living assholes. Actually, it stipulates living people, I just added "asshole" so the poll would get a few more votes.

I'm pretty sure Gallo is the biggest asshole on the list.

I'm also pretty sure John Waters is my favorite director on the list.

Eric H., Friday, 9 May 2008 01:49 (seventeen years ago)

Sean Penn

gabbneb, Friday, 9 May 2008 01:52 (seventeen years ago)

david o russell should really be on there

s1ocki, Friday, 9 May 2008 02:03 (seventeen years ago)

JW doesn't strike me as an "asshole" is the thing, but he's also my favorite on this list

impudent harlot, Friday, 9 May 2008 03:17 (seventeen years ago)

Yeah, he doesn't really strike me as that much of a confrontational director either, which is really what the Onion list is about.

Eric H., Friday, 9 May 2008 03:22 (seventeen years ago)

No Hitchcock?

j.lu, Friday, 9 May 2008 03:47 (seventeen years ago)

john ford was supposedly quite an asshole in real life.

J.D., Friday, 9 May 2008 05:09 (seventeen years ago)

Huston too.

James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 9 May 2008 05:11 (seventeen years ago)

There's a Jonathan Richman song in this.

James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 9 May 2008 05:12 (seventeen years ago)

"Not in Mexico."

James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 9 May 2008 05:12 (seventeen years ago)

<i>i think several people actually died trying to pull the ship over the hill.</i>

It's easy to get this impression from Burden of Dreams. I think what actually happened was that several extras died during the filming, but for reasons unrelated to the movie.

abanana, Friday, 9 May 2008 05:22 (seventeen years ago)

Herzog = actually exploited teh natives

Hurting 2, Friday, 9 May 2008 05:23 (seventeen years ago)

the question is, were any directors nice guys? even, like, renoir was supposedly a bitch to work for.

J.D., Friday, 9 May 2008 05:30 (seventeen years ago)

He even hinted at that by making a movie with that title.

James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 9 May 2008 05:31 (seventeen years ago)

And Lang referred to his time of the month as Scarlet Street.

Eric H., Friday, 9 May 2008 05:33 (seventeen years ago)

Haha. From what I read, everybody loved working for Charles Laughton on Night Of The Hunter and look how far that got him.

James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 9 May 2008 05:38 (seventeen years ago)

This discussion is reminding me of a section contrasting different directorial styles during the silent era in an interesting book I recently started, The Speed of Sound: Hollywood and the Talkie Revolution 1926-1930, by Scott Eyman, featuring a sarcastic Allan Dwan at one end of the spectrum and a weeping Frank Borzage at the other.

James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 9 May 2008 05:44 (seventeen years ago)

Uwe Boll, for this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rsb-rSELaI0

latebloomer, Friday, 9 May 2008 05:57 (seventeen years ago)

note: i have never seen any of his movies

latebloomer, Friday, 9 May 2008 05:57 (seventeen years ago)

Really? Only 17?

What about John Landis?
Or is he just criminally negligent?

I definitely agree Polanski should be included. And what about Woody Allen, John Cassavetes, Hitchcock, Bunuel, Welles, Maya Deren, D. W. Griffith, Andy Warhol, David Lynch, and Sean Penn? Each of them is controversial and polarizing in life as well as in the industry. I mean, there's hundreds more, right?

I think it could be argued that the inevitability of/need for asshole, provocative directors is a cliche/myth in the same vein as the inevitability of/need for tormented, miserable painters.

rollerbeef, Friday, 9 May 2008 06:52 (seventeen years ago)

Uwe Boll is a nob. So him.

Trayce, Friday, 9 May 2008 07:04 (seventeen years ago)

Shouldn't Fassbinder be here? Or was he mostly an asshole to himself? Voted Waters, Herzog's better I guess but John's NICE.

Niles Caulder, Friday, 9 May 2008 07:07 (seventeen years ago)

If it was LEAST fav I'd rig up a bunch of logins and make Gallo win. If there's anything worse than a hipster wannabe it's a hipster who SUCCEEDS. Ew.

Niles Caulder, Friday, 9 May 2008 07:09 (seventeen years ago)

(I really mean "scenester" but I dunno how far that carries)

Niles Caulder, Friday, 9 May 2008 07:10 (seventeen years ago)

I believe he waved a gun at Kinski at one point on the set of "fitzcarraldo"

To hear Herzog tell it, and really anyone who ever worked with Kinski, the man was off-the-rails mad, and Herzog had just reached the end of his patience and run out of ideas for how to control him, so he tried a language he thought Kinski might relate to in the depths of his teeth-gnashing rage. So yeah, he ponted a gun at him. Also noteworthy, according to Herzog's side of the story: the indians were already plotting to kill him, because they believed him to be an evil and dangerous presence. He was certainly giving off some serious bad vibes, at any rate. So that was on Herzog's mind, too, having had several conversations already about why they *shouldn't* kill him. And hell, he admits himself, he was also thinking about having a goddamn movie to finish.

kenan, Friday, 9 May 2008 07:19 (seventeen years ago)

But yeah, I agree with all the "Whaaa???"; Herzog does not belong on any asshole list. I love the guy.

kenan, Friday, 9 May 2008 07:21 (seventeen years ago)

yeah, but if he hadn't made that chicken dance, Ian Curtis would be alive today!

Mark G, Friday, 9 May 2008 08:16 (seventeen years ago)

Shouldn't Fassbinder be here? Or was he mostly an asshole to himself?

He was pretty much an asshole to everyone.

Tom D., Friday, 9 May 2008 08:45 (seventeen years ago)

yeah, but if he hadn't made that chicken dance, Ian Curtis would be alive today!

Then there's the monkey in "Even Dwarves Started Small" and as for the camel...

Tom D., Friday, 9 May 2008 08:47 (seventeen years ago)

If we're talking about the actual quality of their films, I gotta go for Kim Ki-Duk, because even though his films are often confrontational, they're never indulgently "shocking" (something Miike is often guilty of, as good as he can be) of finger waving or pretentious. I bet he's actually a really nice guy in real life though.

Tuomas, Friday, 9 May 2008 09:00 (seventeen years ago)

"of" = "or"

Tuomas, Friday, 9 May 2008 09:13 (seventeen years ago)

John Stagliano

kingkongvsgodzilla, Friday, 9 May 2008 09:23 (seventeen years ago)

well, Waters was pretty confrontational before Polyester, at least to ppl other than "his crowd" who happened upon the films. (Don't forget Ebert is so appalled by JW's early stuff he says they're not really movies. lol, Mr Great Critic.)

Why is Breillat an 'asshole'?

Yeah, given the closeups she utilizes a different orifice came to mind.

Godard is an asshole (sorry, Contempt is a big fucking bore and his anti-Spielberg rants should make him an honorary ILEer), but von Trier and Noé are the ones I'd like to punch in the face. (tho LvT HAD talent.)

I think Miike might make the best artistic use of his assholism.

Dr Morbius, Friday, 9 May 2008 13:26 (seventeen years ago)

Morbs OTM on Miike.

Werner Herzog pulled Joaquin Phoenix out of a burning car so he gets my vote. I'm bummed Sam Peckinpah isn't on this list, though.

jessie monster, Friday, 9 May 2008 13:29 (seventeen years ago)

well, Waters was pretty confrontational before Polyester, at least to ppl other than "his crowd" who happened upon the films.

This is true. Divine eating dog shit and raping her/himself is not really the mark of a non-confrontational film-maker.

Also, people, don't vote for the worst, please. It's your favourite director (who happens to be an asshole), not the most assholish or the worst...

emil.y, Friday, 9 May 2008 13:38 (seventeen years ago)

browsing I Heart Video last night I noticed a double feature of "Fata Morgana" and "Lessons in Darkness" sitting in the Herzog section. I'm intrigued yet a little fearful. Any advice?

Oilyrags, Friday, 9 May 2008 13:43 (seventeen years ago)

Watch 'em. Why be scared?

Tom D., Friday, 9 May 2008 13:43 (seventeen years ago)

Morbs is kinda right about Godard but I still love the dude and his first ten years' worth of films alone make him easy winner for me.

Noodle Vague, Friday, 9 May 2008 13:44 (seventeen years ago)

'cause I'm a pussy with an occassionally short attention span

Oilyrags, Friday, 9 May 2008 13:44 (seventeen years ago)

John Waters comes across as a total honey in interviews and at the Q&As I've seen him do, really.

Dr Morbius, Friday, 9 May 2008 13:57 (seventeen years ago)

John Waters is totally one of the nicest guys in the entire business. And by all accounts his sets are a party.

Alejandro Jodorowsky should maybe be on this list, if massive ritual animal murder stuff is being factored in, I mean.

John C. Reilly infamously quit "Manderlay" because von Trier insisted on killing a real donkey for a scene (a vet did the actual euthanization off camera).

Savannah Smiles, Friday, 9 May 2008 14:32 (seventeen years ago)

there's a part in one of JW's books where he talks about nearly "pulling a preminger" on edith massey because she kept flubbing a line

impudent harlot, Friday, 9 May 2008 14:39 (seventeen years ago)

I'm assuming Eric didn't include dead/retired directors because there are dozens of legendary examples.

Dr Morbius, Friday, 9 May 2008 14:52 (seventeen years ago)

(I mean, are we talking about set stories/gossip/interviews, or how their films come across?)

Dr Morbius, Friday, 9 May 2008 14:53 (seventeen years ago)

Way belated, but the article these directors were mentioned in stipulates living assholes. Actually, it stipulates living people, I just added "asshole" so the poll would get a few more votes.

-- Eric H., Friday, May 9, 2008 1:49 AM (13 hours ago) Bookmark Link

n/a, Friday, 9 May 2008 15:01 (seventeen years ago)

It's weird that this list includes Harmony Korine but not Larry Clark.

Tuomas, Friday, 9 May 2008 15:03 (seventeen years ago)

and whither Abel Ferrara?

xp: thx nick

Dr Morbius, Friday, 9 May 2008 15:04 (seventeen years ago)

dude yeah, ferrara's assholism is legendary

impudent harlot, Friday, 9 May 2008 15:09 (seventeen years ago)

I've heard Ferrara is nice, just a large drug user with mental illness.

Savannah Smiles, Friday, 9 May 2008 15:17 (seventeen years ago)

Oh yeah, Larry Clark had the thing where he punched Hamish McAlpine (Tartan Films head dude) over McAlpine making comments Clark perceived to be "anti-American," right after 9/11.

And then he had the thing where he filmed his then girlfriend, 37 years his junior, in hardcore sex scenes (to be fair - it was another Harmony Korine script... ah, 'Ken Park').

Savannah Smiles, Friday, 9 May 2008 15:20 (seventeen years ago)

john waters always seemed to me like he would be the nicest most gracious dude in person

s1ocki, Friday, 9 May 2008 15:49 (seventeen years ago)

tru

Savannah Smiles, Friday, 9 May 2008 15:52 (seventeen years ago)

Jean-Luc Godard for the win!

Capitaine Jay Vee, Friday, 9 May 2008 15:53 (seventeen years ago)

I <3 <3 him, btw, though saw some clip on Youtube where he meets up w/ Anna Karina on a TV interview - years after their last meeting - and he says some shit that makes her exit crying.

Capitaine Jay Vee, Friday, 9 May 2008 15:55 (seventeen years ago)

I was starting to wonder how many times people would studiously ignore the link above the poll options.

Eric H., Friday, 9 May 2008 16:46 (seventeen years ago)

It's easy to glide yr eyes past it; that's my story an' I'm stickin' to it.

Dr Morbius, Friday, 9 May 2008 16:54 (seventeen years ago)

I believe that that Harmony Korine/Larry Clark/Ed Lachman vehicle is playing at BAM tonight for the curious.

James Redd and the Blecchs, Friday, 9 May 2008 17:01 (seventeen years ago)

a real BAM, alright.

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Friday, 9 May 2008 17:02 (seventeen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

ILX System, Friday, 16 May 2008 23:01 (seventeen years ago)

Moore to score.

SeekAltRoute, Friday, 16 May 2008 23:51 (seventeen years ago)

No Francis Ford, no credibility

If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Saturday, 17 May 2008 00:07 (seventeen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

ILX System, Saturday, 17 May 2008 23:01 (seventeen years ago)

uwe boll wants respect

tipsy mothra, Sunday, 18 May 2008 07:12 (seventeen years ago)


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