One Hit Wonder Film Directors...

[saltysam]

Having just revisited Mute Witness which i think is an excellent low budget thriller,i remembered the director who showed so much promise,Anthony Waller followed up with the dire American Werewolf sequel.He seems to have since disappeared off the radar. Can you think of any other directors who have made a fine movie but have flopped afterwards? There was Cimino with The Deerhunter followed by Heaven' Gate, Tobe Hooper never really lived up to TCM (though i'm in the minority who likes the sequel, his Salem's Lot tv series and Poltergeist,though doubts remain over how much he directed of that.) More recently there is Richard Kelly who made Donnie Darko and has since followed it with Southland Tales & The Box.

[Markgway]

Poltergeist was a big hit wasn't it? Cimino did Year of the Dragon and before The Deer Hunter he did Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. I wouldn't describe either director as a one hit wonder. I do agree with you on Anthony Waller though. Mute Witness was a critical and cult - if not commercial - success.

[gasteropod]

Poltergeist was a big hit wasn't it?

Spielberg allegedly ended up directing the majority of that though.

[Markgway]

That's the rumour...

[saltysam]

That's what i mean about Poltergeist,i think it's a Hooper film in name only.Didn't care for Thunderbolt & Lightfoot or Year Of The Dragon,fair enough though i take your point.

[brooce-leroy]

I wouldn't write off Richard Kelly yet. I know Southland was a disaster, but I really enjoyed The Box, especially how he expanded on Richard
Matheson's original short story.