10. Paul W.S. Anderson - Video Game Adaptations
Let's establish one thing before beginning: this is not the same filmmaker who gifted the world with Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood and The Master. That's Paul Thomas Anderson and he's the best working director today. This man, Paul W.S. Anderson, is responsible for Mortal Kombat, Aliens Vs. Predator and the Resident Evil films. They're all based on video games and to a lesser extent so is his film Death Race. (I'm aware it's a remake of the 1975 Paul Bartel cult classic, but let's be real, it's just a film version of Twisted Metal.) Now, I'm sure Anderson has his own devoted fan base of people who actually think the Resident Evil films offer something qualitative to the cinematic arts, but he's really just cashing in on borrowed material. I know none of the films actually follow any of the games but let's take a peek at the recipe: Zombies + Hot Women + ??? = Profit. That same recipe works for aliens, predators, killer cars and Goro. I can't speak to what genre Anderson might actually excel in, but he does have a new film coming out soon called Pompeii and it's not based on a video game, but is an original piece from two of the writers who brought you Batman Forever, the writer behind Sherlock Holmes and the creator of Downton Abbey. So maybe the recipe here is: Terrible Batman + Average Holmes + British People = ??? Let's hope original action films set in ancient Greece is a niche that lets Anderson shine bright.