RZA: American Gangster - Ridley Scott is greatest living director | Lex Fridman Podcast Clips

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GUEST BIO:
RZA is a rapper, record producer, filmmaker, actor, writer, philosopher, and the mastermind of the legendary hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan.

PODCAST INFO:

SOCIAL:

[EagerSnake]

Ridley Scott is probably THE ONLY director that hasn't received the PRAISE and RECOGNITION he deserves. He's the main reason why I still go to the movies, I know when that little Directed by appears, and says Ridley Scott, I know I'm in for a treat.
I still hope to have the chance to meet him one day and say, THANK YOU sir.

[wattsnottaken]

IMO This is Ridley Scott’s second best movie after Alien. This man never misses. One of my favorite directors

[daninbox]

Compared to the consensus GOAT Stanley Kubrick...

2001 vs. Blade Runner
Shining vs. Alien
Spartacus vs. Gladiator
Full Metal Jacket vs. Black Hawk Down

Ehh... maybe he has a point.

[switchcapturebutton]

The directors cut of Kingdom of Heaven is amazing. It’s a shame most have only seen the original version.

[srinivasvangala]

Ridley Scott vs Stanley Kubrick
1) Blade Runner vs 2001: A Space Odyssey
2) Alien vs The Shining
3) Gladiator vs Spartacus
4) Thelma & Louise vs Dr. Strangelove
5) The Martian vs A Clockwork Orange
6) Black Hawk Down vs Full Metal Jacket
7) American Gangster vs Paths of Glory
8) Kingdom of Heaven (Director's cut) vs Barry Lyndon
9) Prometheus vs Eyes Wide Shut
10) Legend vs Lolita
11) Black Rain vs The Killing

[neoluddite]

“Yooo man!! you got some Blue Magic baby? You know me. . This is Boogaloo, baby”.

[jonathanhall]

The man has made some classics, but he has also made some absolute duds. If I was a studio exec picking someone to do my next movie it would Denis Villinueve. I think he is the go to right now. But that new Ridley Scott movie looks good, I just cannot fathom why they cast Matt Damon in that roll. Doesn't make sesne.

[filmbuff]

He has been living off the reputation of only two truly great films, Alien & Blade Runner. The rest are enjoyable, but no where near as great, or just down right garbage. Was he ever really that great in the first place? Would he really be held in such high regard if it weren't for Alien & Blade Runner? No. As enjoyable as something like Gladiator is, its still a standard historical epic that could have been directed by just about any other competent director. Its not as great as other period epics like Lawrence of Arabia, or Spartacus.

American Gangster is also enjoyable, but its also something that could have been done by just about any other good director. Compare it to Scorsese's gangster films, & you can tell they are pure Scorsese. No other director could have made them as great.

He has made some truly awful films like Alien Covenant & Hannibal. The smugness in his Alien prequels is extremely insufferable. He is given pretty much the entire credit for the Alien series, when it isn't entirely deserved. Dan O'Bannon introduced H R Giger's work to Scott which made him want to use his designs, & lets be honest, while I love the original Alien, the main reason why it is so highly regarded is because of Giger's design. The plot was simple & done before. As brilliant as it is on a technical level, he was just emulating Kubrick.

The tall pale white guys in his Alien prequels are some of the most uninspired, cringe designs I've seen.