Who are the one-hit movie wonders of all time?

I'm working on an article and really could use your help.

I commented in a recent review of The Happening that writer-director M. Night Shyamalan's breakthrough movie The Sixth Sense is looking more like one of the biggest flukes in modern film history. That got my editors wondering about other filmmakers who opened with a bang then fizzled out. When editors wonder, reporters write.

Anyway, I'm compiling a list of directors who fall into that ignoble category, people who had breakthrough hits and never reached that level of accomplishment again.

First, we need to qualify what is a hit. It could be a box office smash, or an artistically exemplary film that apparently used up the director's potential. It could be both, like The Sixth Sense, that earned money ($293-million in the U.S.) and acclaim (six Oscar nominations including best picture).

Keeping with Shyamalan's example, don't consider The Village ($114-million) or Signs ($227-million) as box office hits. Their ticket sales were markedly lower than The Sixth Sense, and Signs had the Mel Gibson factor going for it, before Gibson went bonkers and became b.o. poison. Good will residue from The Sixth Sense surely helped, as fans kept hoping Shyamalan could pull another rabbit out of his hat.

Remember that the $100-million mark that slow learners still consider as the measure of a hit, isn't anymore. Higher ticket prices -- not to mention production and distribution costs -- pushed that break-off point to somewhere around $150-million. If you're considering a filmmaker from before the 1970's when blockbusters became imperative, box office totals don't count much at all.

One name that immediately comes to mind is Orson Welles, who reinvented American cinema with Citizen Kane -- arguably the greatest movie of all time -- and never matched himself again. certainly there are academics who will advocate The Magnificent Ambersons, and Touch of Evil has its share of brilliant film noir moments. But Citizen Kane set the bar too high for anyone to clear, which Welles often admitted as his career became a joke.

I'm also considering these directors of Academy Award winners for best picture, who never sniffed an Oscar again: Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves), Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy), Hugh Hudson (Chariots of Fire), and Michael Cimino (The Deer Hunter).

Those are just off the top of my head. Now tell me what's in yours.

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Comments

[Kennedy]

Steve,
How about the team that brought us "Blair Witch Project?" Haven't seen much of a follow-up.

[Steve Persall]

You know, you have a good point there. As much as I admired BWP, those guys went blank after that. Good call.

[Kennedy]

Was the comedy world dealt a large blow when Jerry Lewis' "The Day the Clown Cried" was never released? I'm sure it would have topped the Bellboy, if you count unintentional, awkward laughs.

[idiotwind]

Maybe Kevin Smith, mired in cult-land after "Clerks" and "Dogma"?
Or Vincent Gallo, who gave us "Buffalo 66" before turning into a bitter creep?
Or Don Roos, who hasn't done much since "The Opposite of Sex." (Guess you can tell i'm a big Christina Ricci fan.)
How about Randal Kleiser, who scored with "Grease" and "The Blue Lagoon" before losing his touch?

[Dan]

The director that came instantly to mind for me was Doug Liman, who did the interesting Swingers and then a parade of crap like Mr. and Mrs. Smith afterward.

[Mike]

This opinion may cause a stir: Quentin Tarantino. 'Reservoir Dogs' was great, and 'Pulp Fiction' was fantastic. But 'Pulp' set the bar so high, and I don't feel Quentin's trying as hard to make GOOD movies anymore(I know 'Death Proof' was an homage to Grindhouse crap, but come on.)

[Steve Persall]

QT also came to mind, Mike. I think I may have to agree with you (so far, I'm hoping).

[Steve Persall]

Sorry, Dan, but I can't agree with Liman. His movie Go made my top-10 list, and his Bourne chapter was pretty darn good. And I liked Mr. and Mrs. Smith, which reminds me that I'm seeing Angelina Jolie tonight in Wanted (a.k.a. Mrs. Smith Goes It Alone).

[James Thorner]

Including Bruce Beresford would be a mistake. His best movie, Breaker Morant, was long before Driving Miss Daisy. He had a successful career as an Australian filmmaker before he went Hollywood. Michael Cimino is a hack. Fire away on him. Kevin Smith after "Chasing Amy" deserves to be the list.

[Kennedy]

James,
No one named Michael is more of a hack than Michael Bay. Also, what about Guy Ritchie? A tad bit overhyped due to the Mrs?