10. James Cameron

James Cameron announced his return to filmmaking with, what has quickly become, the most successful movie ever made. The movie, Avatar, took over four years to make. With Titanic under his belt twelve years earlier, Cameron finally solidified himself as the most commercial filmmaker in the history of Hollywood. His other classics include The Terminator and The Terminator 2, The Abyss, and True Lies.

9. Peter Jackson

Peter Jackson is now known for his three-hour epic fantasy films – his remake of King Kong, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, clocking in at nearly fifteen hours of entertainment. Before he became a household name he did make quirky and often dark comedy-horror films such as The Frighteners and Braindead.

8. George Lucas

Everyone knows who George Lucas is. The interesting fact: even though he’s more recognisable than Wes Anderson or Danny Boyle, he’s made far fewer films than any of the filmmakers on this list. The reason he’s so well known is, of course, the Star Wars series of movies. He directed the original Star Wars film and the new prequels. He is also behind THX 1011 and American Graffiti.

7. Danny Boyle

Danny Boyle never expected Slumdog Millionaire to be such a big hit. It was made on a small budget and was expected to have a limited cinema release in the UK, and then head straight to television. The film actually became one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful films of 2008. Boyle is also the director of some other great movies including 28 Days Later, Trainspotting, and Shallow Grave.

6. Paul Thomas Anderson

Paul Thomas Anderson, is another, like Peter Jackson, who likes to makes movies that breech the three-hour mark. The difference is that Anderson sticks to less mainstream storylines, preferring to practice his art over commercial viability. He made the superb There Will Be Blood in 2007, but is more recognised for his ensemble films Boogie Nights and Magnolia.

5. Alexander Payne

Alexander Payne is the best character-driven director on this list. His films are beautifully constructed character pieces, usually concerning oddball or quirky men and women who seem alienated from their social circle. His greatest achievement is the brilliant Sideways, but he’s also made the equally impressive About Schmidt and Election.

4. Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson (no relation to Paul) is a director of black comedies about strange but wonderful characters often in an almost surreal setting. His debut film Bottle Rocket became a huge cult hit while Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums earned him critical success. He has now achieved massive commercial success with George Clooney-starring stop-motion animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox.

3. David Fincher

David Fincher’s films Fight Club and Seven are two of the most popular films in best-of film polls made around the world. These films alone make him one of Hollywood’s best directors but he has achieved high-quality consistency throughout his films. Even the once derided Alien 3 has turned critics around as its aged, becoming one of the best science-fiction films of the 1990s. He most recently made Zodiac and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

2. Martin Scorsese

There’s no denying Martin Scorsese is one of the world’s best auteur directors. Since he burst onto Hollywood’s radar with the Robert De Niro/Harvey Keitel-starring Mean Streets, he has consistently turned out original and provocative work. Some of his most notable films include Goodfellas, The Departed, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Gangs of New York, and Casino.

1. Steven Spielberg

Commercial success and critical acceptance is something every filmmaker wants but few receive. Steven Spielberg achieved both. Learning his trade making television drama, he caught people’s attention with the TV movie Duel. The film was so well received it was given a theatrical release. This allowed him to make his first fully-fledged feature film The Sugarland Express. What followed was a string of commercial and critical successes – Jaws, Close Encounters of The Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and War of the Worlds, amongst many others.

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1. Top 10 Comedy Movies

Comedy is an acquired taste. It either works or it doesn’t work, there is very little in between. And yet, when it does work, comedy can be the most fulfilling and entertaining type of cinema. It can instantly break down your barriers of disbelief and immediately bring a smile to your face.

10. Finding Nemo

Pixar revolutionized animation and their 2003 film about a paternal clownfish setting off on a journey across the ocean to find his son has become a favorite of audiences across the world. The company – beginning as the graphics arm of George Lucas’ special-effects studio – quickly progressed throughout the 1980s as computers became more powerful. During the 1990s, Pixar was struggling so began to make animated commercials for outside clients. In 1995, Disney agreed to help produce an animated feature film. The film was Toy Story, the rest, as they say, is history.

9. City Lights

Charlie Chaplin was, and posthumously remains, one of the greatest silent film comedians. Although he made many classic and much-loved comedies such as Modern Times, The Tramp, A Dog’s Life, The Gold Rush, and sound pictures The Great Dictator and Limelight, City Lights has remained his greatest achievement. The film sees Chaplin’s comic creation and reoccurring character Tramp falling in love with a blind girl whose family are having financial trouble. The Tramp befriends a wealthy man allowing him to help the girl in her moment of need.

8. Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb

Stanley Kubrick later proved he could adapt to any genre but his 1964 comedy about a world on the brink of World War III is a brilliant deconstruction and satire of hypocritical politics. The film features one of Peter Sellers finest performances, playing three different characters, including the deliciously dark, Hitler-loving ex-Nazi Dr. Strangelove.

7. Forrest Gump

Robert Zemeckis’ 1994 film based on the novel of the same name by Winston Groom was an instant hit. Its tale of the life of a simple-minded man, growing up and interacting with the world’s most recognised politicians and celebrities, and having an unknowing affect on some of history’s most important events, struck a chord with audiences all over the globe. Tom Hanks delivers one of his finest performances, and Robert Zemeckis’ use of real footage and fictional retelling makes for a unique and authentic movie experience.

6. The Big Lebowski

The Big Lebowski, a 1998 comedy by sibling directors Joel and Ethan Coen, is one of the funniest modern comedies to come out of Hollywood in the last twenty years. Jeff Bridges is irresistible as The Dude, a ten-pin bowling-loving slacker, who unwittingly finds himself caught up in a kidnapping plot. Ably supported by Steve Buscemi and John Goodman, who both turn out brilliant comic performances, The Big Lebowski remains the Coen’s best movie.

5. Annie Hall

Written, directed, and starring Woody Allen, Annie Hall is Allen’s finest piece of work. His characters have depth and their relationships feel real. His knack of finding drama in the almost mundane is one of his strengths but what makes Annie Hall stand out, along with the performances of Allen and Diana Keaton, is the fact it is so funny. Renowned film critic Roger Ebert calls the films: “Everyone’s favorite Woody Allen movie.”

4. Sullivan’s Travels

Sullivan’s Travels is Preston Sturges 1941 film that satires the era of the studio system in Hollywood. It follows the struggle of a film director (Joel McCrea) to get his social-conscience movie off the ground. Veronica Lake is deliciously alluring as the director’s muse. Sullivan’s Travels was chosen in 1990 for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

3. The Apartment

Billy Wilder is arguably Hollywood’s finest director so it’s no surprise two of his films appear on this top ten list. The Apartment, released in 1960, stars Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray, and tells the tale of Lemmon’s reserved office clerk who allows his bosses to use his apartment for extramarital love affairs. The plan to get promoted works but at a cost. Lemmon falls for one of the bosses women – played by Shirley MacLaine – and has to choose between love or career. The film is a delightful comedy that was nominated for ten Academy Awards, winning five.

2. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

British comedy team Monty Python were a massive success in the UK with their television show Flying Circus. Their brand of comedy crossed the pond and took America by storm, leading to the opportunity to make movies. Of all the movies the Monty Python’s made, Holy Grail stands out as their best. Starring John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, and Terry Jones, the film spoofs the legend of King Arthur with a series of plot-linked sketches.

1. Some Like It Hot

Billy Wilder’s 1959 comedy starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Marilyn Monroe, was rated by the American Film Institute as the best comedy movie ever made. The film sees Lemmon and Curtis’ struggling musicians having to run from the mob after witnessing a murder. They join an all-girl band by dressing up as women and calling themselves Josephine and Geraldine. But soon enough Joe falls in love with one of the girls, and Jerry, still in his female disguise, unwittingly attracts the attention of millionaire Osgood Fielding III. It all makes for madcap fun and outrageous comedy.

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10. Lady and the Tramp

Originally released in 1955 from director trio Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske, Lady and the Tramp follows the lives of several canine pals through love and adventure. Lady is a pampered Cocker Spaniel from a rich home. When her owners have a baby and two Siamese cats come to stay, Lady is suddenly thought to be dangerous and put outside. Tramp, a street-dog who lives off scraps and garbage dumps, comes to Lady’s rescue but they are soon captured by an unscrupulous dog catcher.

9. Ratatouille

Pixar’s lavishly detailed family-comedy Ratatouille directed by Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava is a wonderfully inspired and richly designed story following the traditions of the little guy making it big. Like all of Pixar films, it’s universally appealing, features an array of individualistic characters that have depth and plenty of warmth, and a perfectly plotted script that boasts both heartfelt sadness and moments of pure joy.

8. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

Another classic from Disney’s hand-drama animators, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was released in 1937. Directed by David Hand, the film is a magical retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairytale. It is one of the most important animated films ever made because it was the first feature length animated film to be produced in America as well as being the first in color.

7. Shrek

Shrek, a Dreamworks film from directors Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, took the Pixar mould of computer-generated imagery with family-orientated, universally appealing stories, and added an array of big name star actors. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz show up in Dreamworks’ best animated feature film to date.

6. Beauty and the Beast

A modern Disney hand-drawn feature film based on another fairytale, this much-loved film from directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise features songs by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. Beauty and the Beast proved to be one of Disney’s most commercial hits taking in over $400 million worldwide.

5. Finding Nemo

A heart warming and beautifully realized tale of a paternal fish who crosses the ocean in search of his son. Aside from the fact the story is richly detailed and full of brilliant characters, Pixar produced one of their most visually arresting movies. The recreation of the ocean in digital form is nothing short of genius.

4. Wall-E

Wall-E (pronounced ‘Wally’) is one of Pixar’s most daring films to date. Directed by Andrew Stanton, the film is about little robot Wall-E whose job is to clean up waste disposal on earth. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, earth is a barren land covered in garbage and waste. Wall-E is lonely and alone. When he meets another robot called Eve, he follows it into space, beginning an adventure that will change Wall-E’s and humanity’s destiny.

3. The Lion King

The Lion King is one of the most loved Disney hand-drawn films ever made. It took over $700 million worldwide and is the highest grossing film of its type in America. Featuring songs by Elton John, the film is a joy for all the family. The film received two Academy Awards for its use of music, while it received the Golden Globe for Best Film.

2. Toy Story

One of Pixar’s earliest films and the first feature length film to be released using only computer-generated imagery. Featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, and directed by John Lasseter, the film was notable because the lifelike quality of the motion and appearance of the characters, had never been seen before. Pixar set a benchmark with the film, which they have continually lived up to.

1. A Bug’s Life

A Bug’s Life is another fabulous Pixar film. The company improved on the computer-generated imagery seen in Toy Story, and created a story that worked just as well for children and adults. Loosely retelling Aesop’s fable The Ant and the Grasshopper, it tells of Flik, a tiny ant who hires the help of what he believes to be warrior bugs to fend off attacks by mean grasshoppers. The warrior bugs turn out to be circus performers. This is a great story of adventure, bravery, and friendship. It remains Pixar’s best work.

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