4. John Woo
Notable Films: A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard BoiledLast Film:Red Cliff (2006) Yes, John Woo is a name that is synonymous with action cinema. From trademarks that are often homaged and mocked with equal aplomb, no one could film an action sequence like Woo. If proof were needed, I'd refer you to sit down and have a Hard Boiled and The Killer double feature. He made the shoot out become a graceful ballet of gunplay, that has been imitated to death in the years since these films came out. Though many felt that when Hollywood came calling Woo sold out, making commercial films like Broken Arrow, Face/Off and Mission: Impossible II. Though each of these films have their moments, nothing can rival the hospital finale from Hard Boiled which features the entire third act of the film comprising of a forty minute shoot out. Though after experiencing disdain with the Hollywood system, he returned to his native China and made the one film that he'd wanted to make for his entire career. The historical epic Red Cliff. The completely different in tone from his famous works of cops and criminals, the historical epic, with it's lengthy run time (Over four hours) feels like a book end to Woo's career. He finally made the film he'd wanted to for all those years and now he could return and take it easy. Except everyone wants him to revisit the films that made his name. We all want a final Heroic Bloodshed movie that can school all the pretenders on how it's done. Though it doesn't look like Woo will be making a return to Detective Tequila anytime soon.