Everyone has to start somewhere, right?   Even cinematic icons and blockbuster big boys started small (or out in left field), in most cases.  The MRC  contains a fairly large collection of directorial debuts, early works, and  misadventures.   Check out the following for fascinating insights into the salad days of movie big names.

Their First Films

Presents eight of the very first films of several French directors who went on to become household names in international cinema. Even in their first attempts it is easy to see what differentiated them from similar colleagues, and also how their styles became so coherent and indentifiable.

L'amour existe / Maurice Pialat (1961, b&w, 19 min.) -- Le chant du styrene / Alain Resnais (1957, col., 14 min.) -- Charlotte et son Jules / Jean-luc Godard (1958, b&w, 13 min.) -- Le coup du berger / Jacques Rivette (1957, b&w, 27 min.) -- Histoire d'eau / Francois Truffaut & Jean-Luc Godard (1958, b&w, 12 min.) -- Le labaratoire de l'Angoisse / Patrice Leconte (1971, col., 11 min.) -- Les surmenes / Jacques Doniol-Valcroze (1957, b&w, 19 min.) -- 24 heures de la vie d'un clown / Jean-Pierre Melville (1946, b&w, 18 min.) DVD 3134

Reel Talent: First Films by Legendary Directors.

Side A. 9 short films: The oval portrait / produced by Department of Cinematography, University of Southern California ; directed and photographed by Richard L. Bare ; story adapted by Richard L. Bare -- 1:42.08 : [a man and his car] / written and directed by George Lucas ; produced at the University of Southern California Department of Cinema by undergraduate students in the senior production workshop -- Electronic labyrinth THX 1138 4EB (1967) / [presented by] the University of Southern California ; written & directed by George Lucas ; produced by Navy students in the Navy production workshop, U.S.C. -- Freiheit / a film by Lucas -- The lift (1972) / written and directed by Robert Zemeckis ; student produced at the University of Southern California Division of Cinema -- A field of honor (1973) / [presented by] the University of Southern California ; written and directed by Robert Zemeckis ; student produced at the University of Southern California Division of Cinema -- Silent night / [presented by] the University of Southern California ; written and directed by James Foley, Jr. ; student produced at the University of Southern California -- Proof / writer and director, Kevin Reynolds -- Perfect alibi (1987) / [presented by] the University of Southern California ; written & directed by Steve Sommers ; student produced at University of Southern California -- Side B. 3 short films and special features: Whatever it takes (1988) / directed by Jon Turteltaub ; written by Randy Runkle and Jon Turteltaub ; student produced at the University of Southern California -- Broken record (1994) / written by Mark Friedman ; produced by Shawn Levy, David Lipper, Serena Krouse ; directed by Shawn Levy -- The goodbye place / written and directed by Richard Kelly ; producers, Paola Cresti, Richard Kelly. DVD 8296

Film collector Jean Marie Boursicot's compilation of advertising films and commercials produced by famous film directors. Featured directors: David Cronenberg, Tim Burton, Luc esson, Woody Allen, Spike Lee, Giuseppe Tornatore, Wim Wenders, David Lynch, Roman Polanski, Francis Ford Coppola, Tarsem Singh, Jean Jacques Annaud, Ridley Scott, Emir Kusturica, Wong Kar Wai, Michel Gondry, Tony Scott, Jean Luc Godard, Tony Kaye, Jan Kounen. 74 min. DVD 3538

Kings of Ads, Vol. 1

Film collector Jean Marie Boursicot's compilation of advertising films and commercials produced by famous film directors. Featured directors: David Cronenberg, Tim Burton, Luc esson, Woody Allen, Spike Lee, Giuseppe Tornatore, Wim Wenders, David Lynch, Roman Polanski, Francis Ford Coppola, Tarsem Singh, Jean Jacques Annaud, Ridley Scott, Emir Kusturica, Wong Kar Wai, Michel Gondry, Tony Scott, Jean Luc Godard, Tony Kaye, Jan Kounen. 74 min. DVD 3538

First Films

Woody Allen - What's Up, Tiger Lily? DVD X1934

Paul Thomas Anderson - Hard Eight DVD 9292

Tim Burton - Pee-wee's Big Adventure  (first feature) DVD 9938

Jane Campion -  An Exercise in Discipline - Peel (short) - DVD 6476

Frank Capra ? The Strong Man (starring Harry Langdon) ? DVD 400

Claude Chabrol - Le Beau Serge DVD 6491

Larry Clark ? Clerks DVD X1148

The Coen Brothers ? Blood Simple DVD 3334

Francis Ford Coppola - You?re a Big Boy Now DVD X6021

David Cronenberg - Stereo DVD 4963

Clint Eastwood - Play Misty for Me DVD X3130

Rainer Werner Fassbind ? Love is Colder Than Death (Liebe ist kälter als der Tod) (first feature) DVD 1655

Sam Fuller ? I Shot Jesse James DVD 8207

Jean-Luc Godard ? Breathless DVD 8726

Amy Heckerling ? Fast Times at Ridgemont High DVD 6058

Werner Herzog - Herakles (short) DVD 6501

Alfred Hitchcock ? The Pleasure Garden (fist feature) DVD X934

Lawrence Kasden ? Body Heat DVD 3827

Akira Kurosawa  - Sanshiro Sugata DVD X2444

Ang Lee - Pushing Hands DVD X4874

Mike Leigh - Bleak Moments DVD X2023

Barry Levinson ? Diner DVD X368

David Lynch ? Eraserhead DVD X671

Satyajit Ray - Pather Panchali DVD 2081

Robert Redford ? Ordinary People DVD 3645

John Sayles - Return of the Secaucus Seven DVD X5326

Martin Scorsese ? Boxcar Bertha (first feature) DVD 3302

John Singleton ? Boyz in the Hood DVD 182

Steven Soderbergh ? sex lies and videotape DVD 471

Todd Solondz ? Welcome to the Dollhouse DVD 621

Steven Spielberg ? Duel (TV) DVD X2643

Quentin Tarrentino ? Reservoir Dogs DVD 3850

Francois Truffaut ? The 400 Blows (Les quatre cents coups) DVD 68

Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski ? Bound DVD X1071

Orson Welles ? Citizen Kane DVD 852