TEN BEST IRISH FILM DIRECTORS WHO GET LITTLE RECOGNITION IN IRELAND

Fed up with the latest Irish movie that is rubbish but everyone says is great? Fed up hearing about some award-winning short filmmaker who is the next-big-thing when they are yet to direct a feature? Fed up watching those no-hopers nominated at the IFTAs who are better suited to working in television? Well here is a list of ten lesser-known Irish directors who have made plenty of feature films yet never get much of a mention in little old Ireland:

Rex Ingram
No, not the black actor who appeared in movies such a Cabin in the Sky. Rather the director from Rathmines who made great movies back in the 1920s. The kind of movies you can buy in cheap DVD box sets in Tesco. You know, silent films. Anyone watch these?

Brian Hurst
Directed the best version of Scrooge. Enough said.

Steve Barron
The guy who made those seminal music videos from the 1980s. He even did that Billie Jean video. Then he made the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Another one he directed was Rat (see the post on The Ten Most Underrated Irish Movies). Criminally neglected in Ireland because he left decades ago.

John Moore
Only in Ireland would commercial success be inversely proportional to critical acclaim. Sure, he does lots of lousy remakes but so what? How many Irish movies are original anyway?

Roy Neill
In a country where English-born directors are considered Irish I claim Roy Neil as Irish. Why? He was born on a ship off the Irish coast that is why. Who he? He directed Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, one of the best of the Universal horrors. He is our best horror director! Even better than the people who made Boys Eats Girl!!!!! Another great movie he made was The Scarlet Claw. The best of the old Sherlock Holmes movies with Basil Rathbone.

Michael O'Herlihy
Directed many, many TV movies including Cry of the Innocent. Anyone seen it? I have it on DVD and it has a great scene where a plane crashes into an Irish house. Far more memorable than shooting a cabbage!

Herbert Brenon
Another silent Irish director long forgotten. He made one of the earliest versions of the Dr Jeckyl story. Also, the first Irish director nominated for an Oscar.

William Taylor
Another Irish silent director in Hollywood. Most of his films are considered lost now. Even if they were rediscovered he would still be more famous for being murdered!

Norman Cohen
In a politically-correct country like Ireland where only the blandest of movies get made it's no surprise that Norman Cohen never gets mentioned. Says it all when I have most of his stuff on DVD and didn't realise he was Irish until recently. He directed lots of late '60s and early '70s titles such as the Confessions sequels and Till Death Do Us Part (great movie).

Montgomery Tully
Another forgotten Irish director. Probably because although he made almost fifty B-features none seem to be available on DVD?