Woody Allen--

Before there was:

There was: Mannie Hall—the first ever transgender romantic comedy, that will make you laugh, cry, and call your mother.

Orson Welles--

Before there was:

There was: Citizen Pain-- a banned roman à clef about the secret BDSM exploits of Chuck Kane and a certain famed sled.

Bryan Forbes--

Before there was:

There was: The Stepford Hives--a docudrama about allergy and house fraus.

Werner Herzog--

Before there was:

There was: Aguirre, the Wrath of Mod--wherein hungry models float around on a raft, ravaging random fast food joints in search of the McDonald’s Golden Arches and the perfect Big Mac in New York, Paris, and Milan.

Stanley Kubrick--

Before there was:

There was: Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Mom--a black comedy in which the modern woman sets down her defenses and lets herself love the woman who brought her into this world—after trying to bomb her suburban home.

François Truffaut--

Before there was:

There was: The 400 Mows--a touching coming of age American New  Wave film about the nation's passion for greener pastures--or lawns, at any rate. Look out for the sequel, Of Leaf Blowers and Miracle-Gro.

Francis Ford Coppola--

Before there was:

There was: The Godmother--a feminist manifesto about Donna Vito Corleone, who keeps the local momsters in check by going to the mattresses and dealing them mortal doses of tasty Italian pastry if they disrespect her Cannoli.

Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack--

Before there was:

There was: King Long--the 4 hour Dirk Diggler biopic.

Preston Sturges--

Before there was:

There was: The Lady Leave--a screwball comedy about a man and woman who carry on an affair after meeting in English as a Second Language class, followed by a brutal public breakup.

Peter Jackson--

Before there was:

There was: The Lord of the Dings-- a sweeping science fiction tour de force about the quest to find the fabled bat in the belfry.

Vincente Minnelli--

Before there was:

There was: Meet Me in St. Mooey-- a romantic cow tipping musical, featuring the beloved bovine ditty “Have Yourself a Mooey Little Christmas.”

George Lucas--

Before there was:

There was: Star Boars-- an epic battle between pig species in a galaxy far far away.

The Coen brothers--

Before there was:

There was: Miller’s Flossing-- in which a town is torn apart by warring factions arguing over whether Miller has ever, in fact, taken a dental string to those foody front teeth of his. 

Quentin Tarantino--

Before there was:

There was: Pulp Friction—a gory, nonlinear tale of forbidden love between the wise-cracking oranges in your local produce aisle.