J.J. Abrams is also a well-known writer, also responsible for television and motion-picture dramas such as LOST and Cloverfield. He specializes in stories with an unexpected angle or perspective.

Woody Allen rivals Steven Speilberg in the number of films he has directed. His films tend to be New York based dramas which he writes himself. Probably would win more Oscars if he seemed to care about them.

Wes Andersen creates independent movies and fascinating characters like no one else. Casts the Wilson brothers and Bill Murray.

The suddenly white-hot comedy writer/producer. Discovered Seth Rogan and Jay Baruchel.

Mel Brooks is an unstoppable director of epic comedies. The only comedy director on this list, he is not afraid of putting a stupid gag into a script.

Known for directing dark animated features, Batman and Johnny Depp.

Well known for horror films and groundbreaking special-effects.

James Cameron directed Terminator 2, which is a pretty damn good film. Famous for outlandish special effects and unbelievable budgets.

Brilliant crime-based dramas with fascinating characters, themes of greed and an ace comic thread.

Best known for the Godfather movies.

An ace at bringing ugly and difficult-to-visualize scenes to the big screen.

Champion of fun romantic comedies and drama.

Master of stylized action movies.

Having Clint Eastwood direct your film is the shortest path to an Oscar nomination.

Some directors refuse to put fart jokes in their movies. The Farrelly brothers are not those directors.

Mel Gibson, like all successful directors has proven that his own vision and ideas are good enough to believe in.

He is not afraid of taking large financial risks. May have made $200 million dollars on a single movie.

Master of Suspense. His movies seem to hold their entertainment and monetary value for many decades.

Ron Howard is responsible for a string of commercial and culturally successful movies.

I've seen most of his movies. I think most Americans have seen most of his movies.

John Hughes made eight really good movies. He defined and changed American life in the eighties.

He is like George Lucas without ILM.

Peter Jackson is the guy who did the Lord of the Rings movies. As if you could forget. He probably lives in fear that he will never again get to do something as epic.

Spike Jonze specializes in filming the unfilmable.

Also, music videos.

Stanley Kubrick would be the master of suspense if we hadn't already given that title to Hitchcock. He made very good, epic movies.

Born in Taiwan. He is a good bet for a Best Picture Oscar in the next five years.

Spike Lee's movies feature epic and well-wrtten characters and (always?) deal with race relations.

George Lucas is probably the most well-rounded movie-maker on this list. He founded at least five entertainment companies and loves to be on the cutting edge of technology.

Sindey Lumet is known for political and judical thrillers.

Leo McCarey directed about 110 films.

Michael Moore is probably the most famous living documentary filmmaker. He has more experience getting behind the scenes than Borat.

Mike Nichols directed a bunch of different movies which you have heard of.

Roman Polanski has had an infamous and terrible life story featuring Nazis, the Mansons and statutory rape.

I know Sam Raimi because of Evil Dead and Spider-Man.

He strikes me as a guy who would be happy making $100,000 films as long as he kept getting to make them.

An English director who excels at Crime Caper action and an interwoven storyline.

George Romero is the king of Zombie movies.

Martin Scorsese can celebrate his very solid and steady body of successful films.

May someday escape his reputation for a twist ending.

Like Woody Allen, M. Night Shyamalan obviously doesn't want to make the same kind of movies that other people are capeable of making.

Executive producers love Zack Snyder. He has been very successful at translating stylized works onto the big screen.

The Colorist.

Broke onto the big time with Sex, Lies and Videotape. Now known for Traffic and the Ocean's Eleven franchise.

Regarded as the best director.

Invented the summer blockbuster with Jaws.

Has never done a mob movie.

Oliver Stone is the King of Historical Dramas. He has pretty much made a movie about everything that happened in the 60s.

Quentin Tarantino emerged as the director who had the nerve to put calculated violence and disturbing events on film.

Ridley Scott is an absolutely dependable action-heavy hit-maker. Even the worst of his movies is worth your money.

I'd love to see him do a Terminator movie.

Creates experience movies often involving one main title character.

The Matrix directors.

Masters of the fight sequence.

Australian Director with a history of characters in a foreign setting.

Billy Wilder probably won more Oscars than anyone else on this list (6).

Made comedies and dramas.

John Woo is the face of Hong Kong action movies and was the first to survive a move to Hollywood production.

When in doubt: shootout.

Among the best at fully integrating cutting edge effects in a movie, is becoming the superstar of modern 3-D films.