Topsy-Turvy

Preston Sturges

No one has put a spin on this crazy world quite like Preston Sturges. In a few short years, he created a benchmark for smart comedy that still stands today.

DVD Classics

A look at the careers of historically significant directors or genres through new DVD releases.

DGA Quarterly Fall 2015 Classics Howard Hawks
Fall 2015

In an excerpt from his latest book, Richard Schickel takes an intimate look at Howard Hawks—and what may be "the best filmography in the history of American cinema."

DGAQ Classics Orson Welles
Summer 2015

He spent much of his career trying to salvage troubled productions. But in his centennial year, Welles’ glorious experiments are still thrilling to anyone who cares about directing.

DGAQ Classics I Love Lucy
Spring 2015
I Love Lucy

It may seem old-fashioned by today’s standards, but as the first multi-camera series filmed live in front of an audience, I Love Lucy revolutionized how sitcoms were made—and created a blueprint for strong directors.

DGA Quarterly Werner Herzog
Winter 2015
Werner Herzog

For almost half a century, Werner Herzog has been circling the globe capturing extraordinary images for both documentaries and features. Look closely and you can see the wonder of it all.

DGA Quarterly Classics David Lynch
Fall 2014
David Lynch

The mysteries of David Lynch are meant to be experienced, not solved. In works like Eraserhead, Twin Peaks, and Mulholland Dr., he created a dream world of dread and beauty unlike any other.

Nicholas Ray
Summer 2014
Nicholas Ray

Godard famously once said, "the cinema is Nicholas Ray," and for a remarkable decade from 1948-1958, it was—before he flamed out in true American fashion.

Sidney Lumet
Spring 2014
Sidney Lumet

In his 50-year career, Sidney Lumet combined social issues with complex characters to make crackling entertainment. As time goes by, his body of work looks even more impressive-and unique.

Winter 2014
John Cassavetes

John Cassavetes’ work was emotionally raw and intentionally untidy—and continues to influence directors with its passion and purpose.

Fall 2013
Stanley Kramer

Following World War II, a host of directors, led by Stanley Kramer, began tackling the hot-button issues of their day. We celebrate Kramer’s centennial with a look back at a time when movies mattered.

Summer 2013
Preston Sturges

No one has put a spin on this crazy world quite like Preston Sturges. In a few short years, he created a benchmark for smart comedy that still stands today.

Raoul Walsh
Spring 2013
Raoul Walsh

From the silents through the studio days, Raoul Walsh perhaps made more movies than anyone, yet is largely forgotten today. In a personal appreciation, Richard Schickel considers the director’s contribution to film history.

Winter 2013
Buster Keaton

As a director of almost geometric precision, Buster Keaton created the template for physical comedy. With a new Blu-ray box set, his genius looks as fresh as ever.

Fall 2012
John Frankenheimer

In his six decade career, John Frankenheimer was fascinated with the machinations of politics and approached it from all angles—and it never looked the same.

DGA Quarterly Summer 2012 DVD Classics
Summer 2012
Warner Archive Collection

The enterprising Warner Archive Collection offers unsung films by major directors.

DVD Classics
Spring 2012
Paramount and Universal Classics

As both Paramount and Universal Studios celebrate their centennials this year, it’s a fitting time to remember some of the directors who helped give the studios their identity.

DGA Quarterly Winter 2012 DVD Classics Leo McCarey
Winter 2012
Leo McCarey

With an improvisational style fashioned from silent films, Leo McCarey coaxed great performances from some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Yet his role as a master of American film comedy is often forgotten.

DGA Quarterly Fall 2011
Fall 2011
Movies for Television

Some of the best films of the last 20 years have been made-for-television.

DGA Quarterly Summer 2011 DVD Classics Mel Brooks
Summer 2011
Mel Brooks

Because Mel Brooks’ films are so full of outrageous gags and scabrous humor, his skill as a director is often overlooked. A reassessment is due.

DGA Quarterly 2011 DVD Classics Robert Wise I Want to Live
Spring 2011
Robert Wise

A careful re-viewing of Robert Wise’s work reveals the imprint of an artist.

DGA Quarterly Winter 2010-11 DVD Classics
Winter 2011
D.W. Griffith

Griffith's career will always be controversial but his pioneering contributions to the language of film are undeniable.

Fall 2010
Michael Powell

Michael Powell’s vivid palette comes alive in a magnificent restoration of his classic The Red Shoes.

Summer 2010
John Huston

John Huston's restless nature animated all of his films. With a brilliant restoration of The African Queen, as well as his other films on DVD, the director's adventurous spirit endures.

Spring 2010
Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood is one of the best-known directors in the world. A box set from Warner Bros., as well as existing discs, offer a chance to rediscover his amazing body of work.

DGAQ DVD Classics - The Golden Age of Television
Winter 2010
Golden Age of Television

The golden age of television presented exciting opportunities for a generation of young directors. A new box set revisits the art and innovations of early movies made for TV.

Fall 2009
Victor Fleming

With special 70th anniversary editions of The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind, the time is right to reassess the career of the underappreciated Victor Fleming.

Summer 2009
Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin is usually remembered for the oversized character he created. But he was also a director of sublime gifts, as his beautifully restored films on DVD confirm.

Spring 2009
William A. Wellman

In his raucous, unpredictable and often brilliant career, William A. Wellman, one of the Guild's founders, churned out crackling entertainments in nearly every genre.

Winter 2009
Alfred Hitchcock

New and improved DVDs of Hitchcock classics and rarities demonstrate the enduring appeal of the director's work.

DGA Quarterly Fall 2008 DVD Classics
Fall 2008
Anthony Mann

Anthony Mann directed Westerns, film noirs and epics-all with his signature psychological intensity.

DGA Quarterly Magazine Summer 2008 DVD Classics
Summer 2008
Political Films

Hollywood has cast a cynical eye on the political process for years. We survey our changing national attitudes as reflected in films.

DGA Quarterly Spring 2008 DVD Classics
Spring 2008
Ernst Lubitsch

Famous for his touch with sophisticated comedy, Ernst Lubitsch also laid the groundwork for the modern musical, as demonstrated in a new box set.

DGA Quarterly Winter 2007-08 DVD Classics
Winter 2007/2008
Kino's Film Noir Box Sets

We never seem to exhaust our appetite for film noir, as two intriguing new box sets demonstrate

DGA Quarterly Fall 2007 DVD Classics
Fall 2007
Samuel Fuller

Newspaperman-turned-director Samuel Fuller used lurid, over-the-top plots and expressionistic filmmaking to create a body of work that still stings today.

DGA Quarterly Summer 2007
Summer 2007
Sergio Leone

Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns featured iconoclastic heroes, broad landscapes and unforgettable music.

DGA Quarterly Spring 2007 DVD Classics Janus
Spring 2007
Janus Films

A collection of 50 classic pictures from Janus Films brings the art house to your house.

DGA Quarterly Winter 2006 DVD Classics Frank Capra
Winter 2006
Frank Capra

Think you know Frank Capra? Think again. A new box set of his Depression-era classics offers a chance for reappraisal.

DGA Quarterly Magazine Fall 2006 DVD Classics
Fall 2006
Akira Kurosawa

A new DVD of Seven Samurai demonstrates why the director was the amster of subtle spectacle.

DGA Quarterly Magazine Summer 2006 DVD Classics John Ford
Summer 2006
John Ford

Two new box sets celebrate the great American director.

DGA Quarterly Spring 2006 DVD Classics
Spring 2006
Media Movies

Every generation makes its own movie about the media.

DGA Quarterly Magazine Fall 2005 DVD Classics
Fall 2005
Sci-Fi Films

Sure, 50s sci-fi films are fun, but the best of them are also smart, well-made and compelling even today.