10 Great Directors Who Haven't Made Anything Good For Years

1. Kevin Smith

After basically becoming the cinematic voice of an entire geek generation following the release of Clerks, Kevin Smith's "askewniverse" of shared canon films took him from decent indie director, to one of the most important filmmakers of the new millennium. Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back and Clerks II never quite lived up to his first outing, but were all excellent films in their own right.

Since then, Smith's career has only Red State to point to as any sort of saving grace in a mire of bad comedies like Cop Out and Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Jersey Girl in particular, which starred long-time collaborator Ben Affleck and his then-wife Jennifer Lopez was so bland, insipid and formulaic that it more or less derailed Smith's credibility with his original audience.

Smith's remained a huge part of the industry and an important voice in filmmaking, but his next outing is arguably his most risky - a third instalment of Clerks some 21 years after the original. If it goes well, he might find himself a hot Hollywood property again, but if it doesn't it's not likely to be something his filmmaking career ever recovers from. Which of these directors do you think most needs to retire? Share your thoughts below in the comments thread.