Film Director Title Belt: That's a Wrap

Some summary comments.

Belts

Since 1970, 19 different directors rose to the challenge and earned a Title Belt.

Six of those directors only managed to earn one Belt - Denis Villeneuve, JJ Abrams, Brad Bird, Ang Lee, David Fincher, and John Carpenter.

Six more only got two: Alfonso Cuarón, Quentin Tarantino, the Coen Brothers, Michael Mann, Robert Zemeckis, and George Lucas.

Three earned three - Peter Jackson, Stanley Kubrick, and Francis Ford Coppola.

James Cameron earned four.

Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese got five.

Steven Spielberg led all directors with eight.

Five decades meant five "Decade Belts" were awarded. They went to Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg twice, Peter Jackson, and Christopher Nolan.

Spielberg led all involved with 19 hits, Scorsese was next with 13 and Tim Burton was the only other director in the double digits with 10.

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Money

Financially the top 10 (in non-adjusted, domestic gross) over the period studied were:

10. George Lucas ($1.744b)
9. David Yates ($1.789b)
8. Tim Burton ($1.839b)
7. Christopher Nolan ($1.867b)
6. James Cameron ($1.949b)
5. Robert Zemeckis ($2.096b)
4. Peter Jackson ($2.105b)
3. Ron Howard ($2.107b)
2. Michael Bay ($2.327b)
1. Stephen Spielberg ($4.552b)

All of those directors scored at least one hit with Michael Bay being the only one not to qualify for a Belt due to only having one hit.

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Awards

Ranking system - 1 point for a nomination, 2 points for a win (Razzies negative points)

Oscars

5. Stanley Kubrick: 13 noms, 1 win = 15pts

5. Alejandro Iñárritu: 7 noms, 4 wins = 15pts

3. Stephen Spielberg: 16 noms, 3 wins = 22pts

2. Francis Ford Coppola: 13 noms, 5 wins = 23pts

1. Coen Brothers: 16 noms, 4 wins = 24pts

*Alfonso Cuarón has 14pts with "Roma" a favorite to win at least one this year which would put him ahead of Kubrick & Iñárritu.

Globes

5. Alejandro Iñárritu: 4 noms, 2 wins = 8pts
5. Ang Lee: 4 noms, 2 wins = 8pts
4. Quentin Tarantino: 7 noms, 1 win = 9pts
3. Martin Scorsese: 9 noms, 2 wins = 13pts
2. Stephen Spielberg: 13 noms, 2 wins = 17pts
1. Francis Ford Coppola: 11 noms, 4 wins = 19pts

BAFTAs

5. Ang Lee: 10 noms, 3 wins = 16pts
5. Coen Brothers: 14 noms, 1 win = 16pts
4. Martin Scorsese: 12 noms, 3 wins = 18pts
4. Stephen Spielberg: 14 noms, 2 wins = 18pts
2. Peter Jackson: 11 noms, 4 wins = 19pts
1. Alfonso Cuarón: 15 noms, 3 wins = 21pts

Saturns

5. Bryan Singer: 8 noms, 2 wins = 12 pts
4. Christopher Nolan: 9 noms, 6 wins = 21pts
3. Peter Jackson: 14 noms, 4 wins = 22pts
2. Stephen Spielberg: 14 noms, 5 wins = 24pts
1. James Cameron: 12 wins, 8 noms = 28 pts

*Tarantino & del Toro both nominated for 9 without a win.

Cannes

5. Coen Brothers: 4 noms, 1 win = 6pts
4. Martin Scorsese: 5 noms, 2 wins = 9pts
3. Steven Soderbergh: 7 noms, 2 wins = 11pts
2. Francis Ford Coppola: 6 noms, 4 wins = 14pts
1. Alejandro Iñárritu: 7 noms, 4 wins = 15pts

Razzies

5. Roland Emmerich: 5 noms, 0 wins = -5pts
4. Brian De Palma = 6 noms, 0 wins = -6 pts
4. George Lucas: 4 noms, 1 win = -6pts
2. Michael Bay: 7 noms, 2 wins = -11pts
1. M Night Shyamalan: 9 noms, 4 wins = -17pts

I find it really unfortunate Shyamalan is treated this way. I think "Lady in the Water" and "The Village" are highly underrated and "Signs" is my favorite movie all-time. So now that I've destroyed my credibility we'll continue.

Total Awards

10. Quentin Tarantino: 29 noms, 4 wins, 0 R's = 37pts

9. Ang Lee: 23 noms, 8 wins, 0 R's = 39pts

8. Alejandro Iñárritu: 27 noms, 13 wins, 0 R's = 53pts

8. James Cameron: 27 noms, 13 wins, 0 R's = 53pts

6. Alfonso Cuarón*: 33 noms, 9 wins, 0 R's = 51pts

5. Coen Brothers: 39 noms, 7 wins, 0 R's = 54pts

4. Martin Scorsese: 40 noms, 8 wins, 0 R's = 56pts

3. Peter Jackson: 37 noms, 12 wins, 0 R's = 61pts

2. Francis Ford Coppola: 35 noms, 15 wins, 0 R's = 65pts

1. Stephen Spielberg: 59 noms, 13 wins, 0 R's = 85pts

*As noted before Cuarón likely to add to wins total at this coming Oscars ceremony, Coens also have a nominee, as well as Adam McKay although even a sweep of his three nominations would only give him 21 total points.

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Honorable Mentions

The following directors were missed, neglected, or ignored during the "research" portion of this little project and might have contended for a Belt or at the very least have recorded at least a one-hit wonder. If you have any others in mind, suggest them or do your own analysis to see if they'd be Belt contenders.

Kathryn Bigelow - "The Hurt Locker" ('08), "Zero Dark Thirty" ('12)

Mike Newell - "Four Weddings and a Funeral" ('94), "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" ('05)

Richard Curtis - "Love Actually" ('03)

Patty Jenkins - "Monster" ('03), "Wonder Woman" ('17)

George Miller - "Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior" ('82), "Happy Feet" ('06), "Mad Max: Fury Road" ('15)

Woody Allen - "Annie Hall" ('77), "Interiors" ('78), "Broadway Danny Rose" ('85), "Hannah and Her Sisters" ('86), "Crimes and Misdemeanors" ('89), "Bullets Over Broadway" ('95), "Midnight in Paris" ('12)

Spike Lee - "She's Gotta Have It" ('86), "Do the Right Thing" ('90), "Jungle Fever" ('91), "Blackkklansman" ('18)

The following directors plied their craft before the time period I looked at, but likely would be Belt holders in the '30s, '40s, and '50s:

Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Frank Capra, Orson Welles, William Wyler, and others

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I hope you enjoyed reading these as much as I enjoyed compiling them. To conclude matters, I'll make Oscar picks, although my track record in Award prognostication is notoriously horrible. So bet your house on these picks:


Best Picture - "Roma" Alfonso Cuarón

Lead Actor - Rami Malek "Bohemian Rhapsody"

Lead Actress - Lady Gaga "A Star Is Born"

Supporting Actor - Mahershala Ali "Green Book"

Supporting Actress - Regina King "If Beale Street Could Talk"

Director - Alfonso Cuarón "Roma"

Animated Feature - "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Animated Short - No Clue

Adapted Screenplay - "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" Coen Brothers

Original Screenplay - "First Reformed" Paul Schrader

Cinematography - "Roma" Alfonso Cuarón

Best Documentary Feature - No Clue

Best Documentary Short Subject - No Clue

Best Live Action Short Film - No Clue

Best Foreign Language Film - "Roma" Alfonso Cuarón

Film Editing - "Vice" Hank Corwin

Sound Editing - "Black Panther" Benjamin A Burtt, Steve Boeddekker

Sound Mixing - "A Star Is Born"

Production Design - "Black Panther" Hannah Beachler

Original Score - "Mary Poppins Returns" Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

Original Song - Shallow "A Star Is Born" Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt, Benjamin Rice

Makeup and Hair - "Vice"

Costume Design - "The Favourite" Sandy Powell

Visual Effects - "Avengers: Infinity War"