Filmmaker of the Month (Page 3) | The Spool

Filmmaker of the Month (Page 3)

Wide Awake, M. Night Shyamalan slowly rises

Shyamalan's first theatrical release is far removed from his most famous work—but does contain seeds of the filmmaker he'd become.

Armageddon sees Michael Bay at his most Michael Bay, just before big changes

Bay's style reaches an apex in his humanity v. asteroid flick, which changed his reception forever.

The Rock remains a quality cornerstone of Michael Bay’s career

For one film, Michael Bay managed to wrangle all his fixations into popcorn nirvana.

Unraveling pop-culture one thread at a time

The Spool is an irreverent, informative source for film and television coverage, focused on diverse, thoughtful opinions that seek out a greater understanding of the media we love.

Top of the Lake sees Campion go deep but narrow

Jane Campion's first television work in decades boasts masterful character work and a frustratingly blinkered perspective.

In the Cut sees Jane Campion turn her eye to the 21st century

The great director delves into New York's anxious days post-9/11 via a thriller about a woman usure who she can trust.

Bright Star: The immaturity and immensity of looking

By: Eric Langberg

Jane Campion's chronicle of Fannie Brawne and Romantic poet John Keats' courtship is a masterful study of longing and star power.

Holy Smoke! burns poisoned masculinity but chokes on Orientalist smog

By: B.L. Panther

Kate Winslet and Harvey Keitel deliver powerhouse performances in Jane Campion's cult-deprogramming dramedy, but the script fails in its thoughtless colonialism.

The Portrait of a Lady sees Jane Campion paint agency, control, and desire

Campion followed The Piano with a Henry James adaptation dedicated to the magnificently fraught question of desire or duty.

In The Piano, Jane Campion and Holly Hunter navigate silence

By: Jon Paul Roberts

Campion's multi-Oscar winner studies the thorns of speaking, silence, and desire through impeccable performances.

With Sweetie, Jane Campion explores the rot inside a family tree

Master filmmaker Jane Campion's first theatrical picture ably demonstrates both her formal mastery and her precise character work.

The unexpected heart of Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa

Johnny Knoxville spun off one of Jackass' most indelible recurring bits into a semi-scripted road comedy with a lot of charm under the prosthetics.

Filmmaker of the Month

“Twixt” runs red with the blood of Coppola’s messy ambitions

Francis Ford Coppola's final film to date may not be his best (or even good), but it encapsulates his yearning for creative freedom.

The underrated “Tetro” reflects Coppola’s empathetic side

Though pretentious at times, the 2009 drama comes from a fresh new perspective of the filmmaker.

In “Youth Without Youth”, Coppola delves into mystic linguistics

Time has largely been kind to the great director's fascinating and flawed modern fable.

In “The Rainmaker”, Coppola directs young Damon masterfully

Coppola brings noir style and gorgeously grody design to his John Grisham adaptation.

“The Outsiders” is a loving portrayal of young male vulnerability

One of Coppola's most beloved films is a gentle look at teenage boys struggling in a world that has it out for them.

The meant-to-be heartwarming “Jack” is a grotesque misfire

Perhaps the lowest point in Coppola's filmography doesn't get any better upon rewatch decades later.

In defense of Coppola’s polarizing take on “Dracula”

"Bram Stoker's Dracula" may be comically over the top at times, but everyone involved put 100% heart and energy into it.

‘Tucker: The Man and His Dream’ is as much about Coppola as it is Tucker

A biopic about an automobile designer takes on greater weight when filtered through the life of Francis Ford Coppola.

Filmmaker of the Month

“Peggy Sue Got Married” finds the humanistic in time travel

Coppola goes small in scale and big in heart.

“Captain EO” is a Space Oddity in Coppola’s oddest decade

Francis Ford Coppola's collaboration with Disney and Michael Jackson is a fascinating whatsit.

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