Ever had a friendly debate with someone that you just couldn't resolve? We do all the time - in fact, we really enjoy them. Our debates help us loosen up and usually spawn some pretty funny quotes.

But still, it can be a little frustrating to get worked up about your point and not have a definitive conclusion. That's where you come in, faithful reader. You see, we'd like you to settle some of our debates once and for all. Read on to find out how you can shape the resolution to Tribesoft's burning questions.

This Month's Studio Rumble: Best Movie Director

Tribester Opinions

This is probably the most difficult question for me to answer as just about everyone that knows me knows I am huge film buff. I strongly believe in the auteur theory which is that even though executing a film is a collaborative exercise it is the director who is responsible for the end result and when you view a director's complete body of work you can see repeating themes, tones and styles across them much as you do with a painter or writer who work solo.

If forced to pick a director as "greatest", as I am with the question, I would have to go with Alfred Hitchcock. I choose Hitchcock as you can obviously see his personal stamp on all his films and he was the first director to really rise above the station role of the studio system that was in place all the way through the birth of films to the mid 60's. Even though Hitchcock worked within the studio system his films were branded and introduced to the public as Hitchcock films. There were other directors (Hawks, Capra, Ford and Wells to name a few) that got their name above the title's before Hitchcock but Hitchcock took it to a completely different level and in doing so became a famous household name, so much so that his name became part of our vocabulary to describe an odd occurrence or situation. All this would be for nothing if his body of work was weak which given the craft in which they were exercised is far from the fact.

That being said there really is no greatest director in my opinion because if you ask me in another five minutes I'll give you a different answer( heck I'm already thinking of switching my answer to David Lean or wait maybe it should by Stanley Kubrik or is it) all in all you would never go wrong in checking out a film by any of the following: Krzysztof Kieslowski, Wim Wenders, Akira Kurosawa, Billy Wilder, Francois Truffaut, Orson Welles, Nicholas Hytner, Peter Weir, Gus Van Sant, Joel and Ethan Coen, Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Shekhar Kapur, Francis Ford Coppola, Bernardo Bertolucci, John Boorman, Terry Gilliam, David Lean, Howard Hawks, Michael Powell/Emeric Pressburger , Stanley Kubrick , Sidney Lumet...the list goes on and on.
-- Tony Passero

My selection for best director is Steven Spielberg. No director has ever put together a more successful body of work which include the iconic blockbusters Jaws, Close Encounters, Indiana Jones, and Jurassic Park. What sets him apart for me is the remarkable fusion of mass appeal and stylistic mastery. I mainly enjoy the films set against a historical backdrop or period such as in The Color Purple, Empire of the Sun, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, Amistad or Munich. Yes, I know, not exactly a groundbreaking, high art choice. Now if you asked me who my favorite director is...well that's a different subject entirely.
-- Joe Kaput

My vote is for Jim Jarmusch, largely based on the films Dead Man and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai. The paced, deliberate nature of the characters and the cinematography in both of these films was mesmerizing.
-- Andy Owens

I always loved Tim Burton. He's even been doing it for longer than most people as well. Even back in I think 2nd or 3rd grade I did a speech about how I'd grow up to be a great director like Tim Burton. Its just that he has such a unique and identifiable vision. When you see a Tim Burton film, part of the appeal is that you know you're going to go see something that no one else could deliver. The tones and character that is in each one gives them a depth and an experience that is uniquely Burton.
-- Charles Koers

Tom Tykwer, Run Lola Run. What a great example of directing ability. The script is about 15 minutes long, with a few commercials it could fit into a thirty-minute sit-com slot. The acting is average, although I give Franka Potenka a big thumbs-up for keeping her green pants running during nearly every scene. Tykwer uses cut scenes, flashbacks, and editing to create a 90-minute music video that is always fun to watch. RLR is a great exposition of a director making an average script into a fantastic film.
-- Mike Chorvat

I am going to have to go with Stanley Kubrick for this one. Anyone who starts a movie career in the 50s and still produces quality films in to the late 90's obviously has tremendous talent. He worked with great actors and actresses to make some of the greatest off the wall films of all time, he seemed to stray away from "feel good" movies. My personal favorite of his is The Shining, it's one of the few horror films that doesn't rely on blood and gore to keep the audience on edge.
-- Carrie Pendergast

Check back soon for my answer!
-- Shannon Kemp