8. Simon West
No,
Con-Air isn't even close to a masterpiece, but Simon West's debut feature (which pits soon-to-be-released convict Nicolas Cage against an airplane packed to the brim with the world's worst murderers and rapists) is rockin' Hollywood fare. What has West done since, you ask? Well, nothing of much worth, which is why you're probably not even familiar with the man in the first place. Since
Con-Air, West has helmed a
Tomb Raider movie, guided a team of '80s action movie heroes for
The Expendables 2, and directed a couple of middling thrillers. He'd have been better off as a slice of oft-forgotten movie trivia: "Hey, why didn't that
Con-Air guy make another movie? That thing was awesome!"