10 Filmmakers EMBARRASSED By Their Own Movies

5. Tony Kaye - American History X

There are many ways in which to express your embarrassment over a project you worked on. But they don't get much more extreme than arguing with the Director's Guild of America to have your name straight up wiped from a film altogether because being associated with it makes your skin crawl.

This is, of course, the story of Tony Kaye and American History X.

Tony Kaye has been known to be difficult to work with, but American History X was apparently the worst example, with Kaye being notoriously uncooperative with New Line Cinema. It got so bad at one point that they straight up blocked him out of the editing room so they could finish the film without his meddling. As a result, Kaye infamously despised the theatrical cut of the movie and demanded that the DGA scrub his name from the film.

The DGA, obviously, did not do this, and so Kaye was left with the unfortunate fate of being lauded and praised for making a pretty damn good movie. Oh, the poor dear.