10 Great Directors Who Made Terrible Debut Films
3. Richard Linklater - It's Impossible To Learn To Plow By Reading Books
Richard Linklater may be best known for directing Jack Black classic School of Rock but his biggest contribution to cinema may be introducing a sense of realism from his coming-of-age comedy Dazed and Confused to the remarkable 'Before' trilogy.
Dazed and Confused may have been his first hit but Linklater had directed several films before that including his debut, and possibly the worst film title ever, It's Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books. In some ways Linklater's first film is the most Linklater film he has ever made: a slice of life drama which features its protagonist aimlessly wondering through the world in the vein of Boyhood.
However, this film which was shot on Super 8 mm film and with very little dialogue was too experimental for audiences and critics and was forgotten almost instantly. Whether it was before its time or just a bit of a mess, It's Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books has failed to enter the cultural conversation to this day.