First Time Filmmakers, Ranked

2025-11-03

EPISODE 204: First-Time Filmmakers. Some directors arrive fully formed, kicking down the door with a debut that rewrites the rules. In this episode, we rank the first films from some of cinema’s boldest voices:Charles Laughton’s haunting The Night of the Hunter (1955),Peter Bogdanovich’s Targets (1968),Paul Schrader’s blue-collar nightmare Blue Collar (1978),The Coen Brothers’ breakout Blood Simple (1984),and Philip Ridley’s surreal The Reflecting Skin (1990). Five debuts. Five filmmakers announcing themselves to the world...

EPISODE 204: First-Time Filmmakers.

Some directors arrive fully formed, kicking down the door with a debut that rewrites the rules.

In this episode, we rank the first films from some of cinema’s boldest voices:
Charles Laughton’s haunting The Night of the Hunter (1955),
Peter Bogdanovich’s Targets (1968),
Paul Schrader’s blue-collar nightmare Blue Collar (1978),
The Coen Brothers’ breakout Blood Simple (1984),
and Philip Ridley’s surreal The Reflecting Skin (1990).

Five debuts. Five filmmakers announcing themselves to the world.
Which one deserves to be preserved for all time?

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Credits
Host: Jason
Produced by: Binge Movies
Franchisees: Heather, Dan, Jason, Matt, Pete
Support: patreon.com/bingemovies

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