FILM COMMENT’S TRIVIAL TOP 20®: Best films directed by actors (limited to those who have made fewer than five films)
Votes cast by Geoff Andrew, Michael Chaiken, Chris Chang, Scott Foundas, J. Hoberman, Alexander Horwath, Kent Jones, Dave Kehr, Laura Kern, Nathan Lee, Olaf Möller, Jonathan Romney, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Gavin Smith, Chuck Stephens, Amy Taubin, and David Thompson.
Since we’re sure to have overlooked plenty of gems, we invite you
to send in your own lists. If we hear from enough of you we’ll publish a
follow-up readers’ poll; if not, we’ll at least print the best ones
received. Send your entries to
by April 13.
1. The Night of the Hunter, Charles Laughton
2. Wanda, Barbara Loden
3. The Lost One (Der Verlorene), Peter Lorre
4. One-Eyed Jacks, Marlon Brando
5. Bulworth, Warren Beatty
6. Reds, Warren Beatty
7. Nil by Mouth, Gary Oldman
8. The World’s Greatest Sinner, Timothy Carey
9. The Apostle, Robert Duvall
10. Drive, He Said, Jack Nicholson
11. The Hired Hand, Peter Fonda
12. Buffalo ’66 , Vincent Gallo
13. Good Night, and Good Luck., George Clooney
14. The Two Jakes, Jack Nicholson
15. Faithless, Liv Ullmann
16. The Spook Who Sat by the Door, Ivan Dixon
17. Last Night, Don McKellar
18. Devils on the Doorstep, Jian Wen
19. Little Murders, Alan Arkin
20. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, Tommy Lee Jones
21. Bob Roberts, Tim Robbins
22. The Man in the Eiffel Tower, Burgess Meredith
23. Apocalypto, Mel Gibson
24. Iron Man, Jon Favreau
25. In the Shadow of the Blue Scoundrel, Pierre Clémenti
26. Actresses, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
27. Panic in the Year Zero, Ray Milland
28. Hickey and Boggs, Robert Culp
29. Tropic Thunder, Ben Stiller
30. Camp, Todd Graff
31. The War Zone, Tim Roth
32. Neige, Juliet Berto
33. Quick Change, Bill Murray
34. Sharky’s Machine, Burt Reynolds
34. What is it?, Crispin Glover
35. Into the Wild, Sean Penn
36. The Brown Bunny, Vincent Gallo
37. The Cable Guy, Ben Stiller
38. Charlie Bubbles, Albert Finney
39. Throw Momma from the Train, Danny DeVito
40. Sling Blade, Billy Bob Thornton
41. 2 Days in Paris, Julie Delpy
42. American Me, Edward James Olmos
43. Looking for Richard, Al Pacino
44. The War of the Roses, Danny DeVito
45. The Dancer Upstairs, John Malkovich
46. Gone Baby Gone, Ben Affleck
47. The Pledge, Sean Penn
48. The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, Asia Argento
49. Trees Lounge, Steve Buscemi
50. Scarlet Diva, Asia Argento
by April 13.
