Spot The Famous Filmmaker: The Greatest Director Cameos...

By Oliver Lunn

"Oh, look! There’s Tim Burton lurking in the background of Cameron Crowe’s Singles!" 

Whether they’re reclusive filmmakers like Terrence Malick (who appeared in his own Badlands) or DIRECTORS whose fame often eclipses their films (Hitchcock's cameos), brief appearances by filmmakers can end up making you feel like you’re in the cinematic equivalent of “Where’s Wally?”. You see their face and you’re inclined to tell everyone around you: “Look! Found him, there’s Martin Scorsese, see, in the back of Robert De Niro’s cab!”

It’s a fun game though, and we want you to play it with us. 


Harmony Korine in Good Will Hunting 

SPOTTED: After a brief appearance in Larry Clark’s Kids (which Korine penned himself), the 20-year-old popped up in Gus Van Sant’s classic, opposite none other than Matt Damon. Yes, that's Harmony Korine in the background playing another weirdo. Oh, and Korine also pops up briefly in Van Sant’sLast Days. 



Martin Scorsese in Round Midnight

Old Scorsese fancies himself as a bit of a Hitchcock when it comes to appearing in his own films (TaxiDRIVER, The King of Comedy, etc.) but it was in Bertrand Tavernier's Round Midnight where we were most taken aback to find the New Yorker. And wait, he’s in a taxicab yet again! What is it with this guy and those yellow NYC cabs?



David Lynch in Dune 

Forget Sting’s appearance, Lynch’s high-pitch, alien-like voice actually lends itself quite nicely to the sci-fi film, wouldn't you say? If only there was more of him in it.



Francois Truffaut in Close Encounters of the Third Kind  

OK, so it's not so much a cameo as a full-blown performance from the feted French New Wave director, but we couldn’t resist. It’s Francois Truffaut, PEOPLE! - the director of The 400 Blows, in a Steven Spielberg movie! 



Francis Ford Coppola in Apocalypse Now 

You really can’t miss the inimitable Francis Ford Coppola here (or as we like to call him, FFC) - that beard! The formidable director also, perhaps, hints at his tyrannical side on the set of his classic Vietnam movie: "DON'T LOOK AT THE CAMERA!" Jeez, Francis, chill out. 

Jean-Luc Godard in Cleo From 5 to 7

This film-within-a-film is surely one of the most fun cameos we’ve ever come across. If you thought Godard was a director who took himself too seriously, think again, and check out those slapstick moves while you’re at it.



Michael Bay in Coyote Ugly

(Blink and you'll miss it.) So we know we said “greatest director cameos”, but we thought this one might be of comedic value, if nothing else. Is Michael Bay ever not funny? Even when he’s serious the guy comes across as a bit of a joke.



Steven Spielberg in The Blues Brothers

Spielberg’s had cameos in Jaws and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, but it’s in The Blues Brothers where his thespian skills really come to the fore, largely thanks to that incredible tache.



Quentin Tarantino in Little Nicky

Like Harmony Korine, Quentin Tarantino’s eccentric side was obviously drawn on for his bizarre appearance in Little Nicky, that irritating Adam Sandler movie. Still, without Tarantino it might’ve been worse.

http://grolschfilmworks.com/ca/features/spot-the-famous-filmmaker-the-greatest-director-cameos