DISQUS

soberpimp · 1 year ago

Nice list! The clip from Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams made me want to rent the movie now.

Anyway, how about Richard Linklater's cameo, as the dude in the "boat car", on Waking life. And as the guy in the cab in Slackers?

Dean · 1 year ago

For me, the ultimate and most brilliant of all the director-in-their-own-movie cameos is David Lynch appearing as Agent Cooper's boss, Gordon Cole, in Twin Peaks. The coolness of that part just cannot be denied.

Baanjo · 1 year ago

best Quentin Tarantino cameo ever is in "Sleep With Me" (1994), specifically his gay Top Gun monologue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Wbxh3Xz9c

matt · 1 year ago

I have to be a nerd and say that the character Claude was the guy holding gittes in that scene. Roman Polanski is credited as "Man with Knife" and he certainly is.

p · 1 year ago

You're missing a meta-of-metas addition to this list. In Contempt, Fritz Lang (M) plays himself throughout the whole movie, since the plot is ostensibly about Lang selling out and making a movie for Hollywood Exec Jeremy Prokosch (Jack Palance). (Incidentally, this is exactly what Godard was doing by signing on to make Contempt.) So, Lang is not only in the movie, he is himself, a director, in the movie and does a great job, actually.

But, at the very end, the Assistant Director who yells "quiet on the set" of the movie within the movie, is Godard! So, in this one movie, there's a famous director playing a version of himself, and another famous director, in fact, that very movie's director, playing his assistant. Awesome.

Richard · 1 year ago

How about Harold Ramis as Dr. Betts in As Good as it Gets, and Lawrence Kasdan as Dr. Green the psychiatrist in same movie.

Harold Ramis in Groundhog day (psychiatrist).

Richard · 1 year ago

How about Lawrence Kasden in Grand Canyon in the scene where Steve Martin is reviewing a movie and says "you took out the money shot!" That's Kasden and his wife Meg in the back.

Martin · 1 year ago

There's also another Tarantino (in Desperado) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0y-Qjjd-1U

Rick · 1 year ago

Oliver Stone plays himself in one of the many cameos in Ivan Reitman's Dave (1993). Interviewed by Larry King, Stone presents a conspiracy theory that's also the plot of the film.

Mark Neigh · 1 year ago

Whit Stillman has a cameo in the 1984 VHS only Skyline.

Cineleet · 1 year ago

@P That's fascinating about Fritz Lang and Godard! I'm going to have to add Contempt to my Netflix!

Anthony Starks · 1 year ago

Spike Lee:

3 A.M. (2001)....Filmaker
Summer of Sam (1999) .... John Jeffries
Girl 6 (1996) .... Jimmy
Clockers (1995) .... Chucky
Crooklyn (1994) .... Snuffy
Malcolm X (1992) .... Shorty
Jungle Fever (1991) .... Cyrus
Mo' Better Blues (1990) .... Giant
Do the Right Thing (1989) .... Mookie
School Daze (1988) .... Half-Pint
She's Gotta Have It (1986) .... Mars Blackmon

David D. · 1 year ago

Curtis Hanson, for no apparent reason, is at a dinner party with Meryl Streep in "Adaptation." David Cronenberg has an unforgettable cameo at the end of "To Die For." And of course, John Landis cast dozens of directors in supporting roles in the films immediately following the "Twilight Zone" disaster, I guess to demonstrate solidarity or something.

SeeingI · 1 year ago

John Waters appears in his "Hairspray" as a quack hypno-therapist; in the musical remake (which he did not direct) he appears as a raincoat-wearing flasher. Both brief, witty, blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameos.

I would have included Spike Lee's on-screen appearances in the same category as M. Night Shyamalan's pointless, wooden cameos.

Groovymarlin · 1 year ago

Oh, yeah! That Cronenberg cameo at the end of "To Die For" is one of my favorites. I think he was perfectly cast in that little part.

How about voice-only cameos? I'm pretty sure there's a scene in Young Frankenstein where you hear (but don't see) director Mel Brooks shout a line. Of course, he also provided the sound of the cat yowling during the dart game between Frankenstein and the police commandant. And Harold Ramis directed National Lampoon's Vacation, but doesn't appear in it - except at the end, when the family is being arrested at Wallyworld. He (playing one of the cops) shouts something from off-screen.

Michael · 1 year ago

There were a ton of cameos in Spies Like Us. Joel Coen, Michael Apted, Sam Raimi, Larry Cohen, Martin Brest and BB KIng (ok, not a director) were guarding the Drive-In theater.

Beat That!!

Robert · 1 year ago

A few random comments:
Scorsese's appearance in "Taxi Driver" actually creates something of a continuity error, since you can alse clearly see him sitting in front of the campaign office earlier in the film.

My favorite director's cameo comes from Paul Bartel's car-chase classic "Cannonball". (Sorry, couldn't find a clip of it). Bartel plays a gangster in the film and in one scene is shown eating Kentucky Fried Chicken with two rival hoods, Martin Scorsese and Sylvester Stallone.

That Fuzzy Bastard · 1 year ago

Actually, there's an even more relevant Cronenberg cameo---in The Fly, he's the obstetrician who delivers the maggot-baby in Genna Davis' dream sequence.

Rick. · 1 year ago

Not exactly a favorite but it's memorable for me: Barry Levinson in Rain Man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDtpck7BLkI

mariahep · 1 year ago

nice post....i just love quentin's cameos, the guy is genius....
you forgot a big cameo in the movie Quiz Show, where it appears 3 directors: Martin Scorsese, Barry Levinson, and Douglas McGrath....
very good list

Andrew F · 1 year ago

David Cronenberg as a Buttonface/Decker the psychopathic psychiatrist in Clive Barker's Nightbreed. Spike Jonze as an EMT at the conclusion of David Fincher's The Game. Horror directors and writers in Sleepwalkers: John Landis Lab technician, Stephen King The graveyard caretaker, Joe Dante Lab assistant, Tobe Hooper Forensic technician, Clive Barker Forensic technician. Peter Jackson as the murderous Santa in Hot Fuzz. Michael Bay as leader of Frat Boys gang in Mystery Men ("Dude, more beer!"). David Lynch as a spice miner in Dune ("Yes--yes, Sire!"). Sam Raimi as the Crazy Gunman in Miller's Crossing.

Adam Smith · 1 year ago

I'll second Peter Jackson in Hot Fuzz.

Also, to the person who mentioned Mel Brooks, he actually did a voiceover for The Producers (both films and the musical). His voice is in "Springtime for Hitler", saying "Don't be stupid, be a smartie, come and join the Nazi party". In fact, this voiceover has been recorded and is played during the Broadway musical at each performance, while a different actor lip syncs the line. According to Brooks, the line got such a huge applause during the show's preview run, the actor who lip synced the line promptly asked for a raise.

Kevin · 4 months ago

Not director cameos, but in George Clooney's "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind", a scene involving the old TV game show "The Dating Game" has the contestant choose bachelor #3, when bachelors # 1 and 2 are Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, respectivley.

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