Every so often, a director surprises audiences with a film they wouldn’t expect them to direct, like Martin Scorcese tackling a family movie with Hugo or conspiracy theorist Oliver Stone directing a straightforward non-agenda account of 9/11 with World Trade Center. However, there are some directors that make movies so out of left field, it’s shocking.
Some of these movies prove these directors are versatile and successful at taking risks. However, others prove that they should have probably stayed in their own lane. Here are ten films from ten directors that will cause audiences to say – they directed that?
10 Ghost (1990) – Jerry Zucker
Ghost was the super-romantic classic starring Demi Moore as a woman who’s haunted by her murdered lover’s ghost, played by Patrick Swayze. The movie received five Oscars nominations including Best Picture and Whoopi Goldberg won for Best Supporting Actress.
In a big genre switch, at the helm was Jerry Zucker, who up until then was famous for movie spoofs, having previously directed Airplane, Top Secret! and produced The Naked Gun. His brother, David Zucker, would later spoof Ghost’s famous pottery scene in Naked Gun 2 1/2.
9 Lenny (1974) – Bob Fosse
Lenny is a raw, black and white biopic of late comedian Lenny Bruce. Dustin Hoffman gives a gritty and realistic portrayal of the comedian known for pushing the limits of comedy and being persecuted for it before his kind of comedy became commonplace.
Surprisingly, legendary dance choreographer Bob Fosse directed the film. In the past, Fosse had directed musicals on Broadway, and in movies like Cabaret and Sweet Charity. Besides a scene involving Bruce’s stripper girlfriend, there is no dancing in Lenny, yet Fosse delivers an uncompromising and brutally honest film.
8 Three Men And A Baby (1987) – Leonard Nimoy
Three Men And A Baby is a classic comedy about three bachelors whose lives get turned upside down when a baby is left for them to take care of. The movie was a big hit and a sequel followed.
The film’s director was none other than Mr. Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy. This would be the first non-Star Trek film he directed after directing Star Trek III and IV. He would then direct a few more films, but none were as big a hit as Three Men and A Baby.
‘); document.write(‘