While you won’t find Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg revealing details of their upcoming productions — or Peter Jackson admitting he'll direct "The Hobbit," a fair number of filmmakers have jumped into the Twitter fray.
Some offer up tidbits about their movies; others tell you more about their travel plans or their favorite sports teams.
Though not all have what you'd say have embraced the format enthusiastically. For some reason, directors' tweets seem to be more sporadic than most.
Quentin Tarantino (@QJTarantino), for instance, posted “Sorry its been a while, I’ve been promoting the movie” way back in September, but his 72,000 followers haven’t heard a thing from him since then.
Then there's Taylor Hackford (@TaylorHackford), the president of the Directors Guild. Hackford joined the service in early April, and announced his participation thusly: “I am sending out my first tweet into the universe … let's see what happens to it. Maybe if I leave bread crumbs it'll find its way home.”
Since then, he only posted once more, back in May: a link to his “Love Ranch” trailer.
Hmm … Could it just be that directors are busier than the rest of us?
(Also see our previous guides: 30 Must-Follow Movie Insiders, 30 Must-Follow Music Insiders, 50 Must-Follow TV Insiders, 25 Must-Follow Media Insiders, 25 Must-Follow TV Superfans)
Here are 25 directors who seem to be sticking with it:
Tom Hanks
“Larry Crowne,” “That Thing You Do!”
@tomhanks
Why you should follow: His Oscars may have come from acting, but as he goes into post-production on his second movie, “Harry Crowne,” Hanks supplies frequent updates, shout-outs to his stars (“George ‘Take 1’ Takei!”), and lots of photos.
Recent sample tweet: “Pastrami day on Larry Crowne. When in Alta Dena, try a sandwich from The Hat on Lake. Hanx”
If you do, be prepared for: A loose definition of the word “focus” in his Twitpix.
Ron Howard
“Apollo 13,” “A Beautiful Mind”
@RealRonHoward
Why you should follow: There aren’t many Oscar-winning directors on Twitter, which helps make up for his leisurely pace (12 tweets since he began in late April) as Howard shoots “Cheaters” in Chicago.
Recent sample tweet: “Been watching a lot of Fuse on the set, great music programming!. #fuserocks”
If you do, be prepared for: Only happy talk – but then, you probably knew that
Jon Favreau
“Elf,” “Iron Man”
@Jon_Favreau
Why you should follow: The actor/director tells you what else he loves (Buster Keaton, “The Pacific,” Red Dead Redemption, James Taylor and Carole King) in between looking back at “Iron Man 2” and shooting “Cowboys & Aliens.”
Recent sample tweet: “Another first for me. Stampeding horses.”
If you do, be prepared for: Lots of “Cowboys & Aliens” updates.
Michael Moore
“Fahrenheit 9/11,” “Bowling for Columbine”
@ MMFlint
Why you should follow: Moore’s tweets rarely have much to do with the movies, but the persona on display in his films – a proudly liberal gadfly and agitator railing against corporate sleazeballs and office-holding numbskulls – comes through loud and clear.
Recent sample tweet: "Obama has first victory against an insurgency; Celebrates by continuing stupid war.”
If you do, be prepared for: Rabble rousing, of course.
Kevin Smith
“Clerks,” “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”
@ThatKevinSmith
Why you should follow: The verbose, opinionated “Clerks” director says “I deal with everything maturely … except Twitter.” His multi-part rant against Southwest Airlines was only the beginning. He might tweet more than everybody else on this list combined.
Recent sample tweet: “EATERIES OF DALLAS! A very fat, very HUNGRY man is nearing town. Which one of you wants my dinner dollars?”
If you do, be prepared for: As much foul language as you’ll find in the guy’s movies.
Judd Apatow
“The 40 Year Old Virgin,” “Knocked Up”
@JuddApatow
Why you should follow: Well, because he’s Judd Apatow, which means he might write something funny any minute. So far, though, the pickings have been a bit slim.
Recent sample tweet: “Get my account verified? Who am I, Brittany Spears? Isn't how boring it is proof enough? Who do I call, the king of Twitter?”
If you do, be prepared for: A gradual move out of inactivity.
Richard Kelly
“Donnie Darko,” “Southland Tales”
@JRichardKelly
Why you should follow: He makes dense, thorny movies, but on Twitter Kelly is surprisingly populist: he even says nice things about “MacGruber,” “Sex and the City 2” and “Splice.”
Recent sample tweet: “This morning I hit the snooze button on three consecutive levels to extract myself out of limbo. #INCEPTION”
If you do, be prepared for: Lots of David Lynch love.
David Lynch
“Blue Velvet,” “Mulholland Drive”
@DAVID_LYNCH
Why you should follow: Non-sequiturs, plugs for transcendental meditation, detailed descriptions of his weekend carpentry projects – pretty much everything you’d expect from a man who can turn the weather report into performance art.
Recent sample tweet: “This weekend I will be working with fire in the pink cookie.”
If you do, be prepared for: A very polite all-American kind of guy, with a twist.
Brett Ratner
“X-Men: The Last Stand,” “Rush Hour”
@BrettRatner
Why you should follow: Despite his reputation, the “Rush Hour” director doesn’t tweet about partying. But there’s plenty of name-dropping: “my friend Edward Norton,” “my man Russell Simmons” …
Recent sample tweet: “Actors I want to work with: Ted Levine, F. Murray Abraham, Danny Huston, Gong Li, Mickey Rourke.”
If you do, be prepared for: A whole lotta enthusiasm for his friend Tony Robbins' new show "Breakthrough."
Eli Roth
“Hostel,” “Hostel: Part II"
@eliroth
Why you should follow: He’s probably better known these days for acting in “Inglourious Basterds,” but the “Hostel” director is an amusing read as he pretends to live-tweet from “Sex and the City 2,” wonders whether to buy a Mercedes S Class or BMW Series 7, and has a "nerdgasm" at Comic-Con.
Recent sample tweet: “Every time someone wants to add me as a business contact on Plaxo I feel like they're contacting me from another planet.”
If you do, be prepared for: Mucho machismo.
Darren Bousman
“Repo! The Genetic Opera,” “Saw II, III and IV”
@Darren_bousman
Why you should follow: A culty director’s take on what he sees and what he buys and where he goes, with occasional talk about his movies.
Recent sample tweet: “Last night Laura and I watched Police Academy 2, and ended the night with some ADAM WEST Batman… Not sure it gets any better…”
If you do, be prepared for: The meatiest stuff (his biographical ramblings about “what they don’t teach you in film school”) requires following links.
Lee Daniels
“Precious”
@leedanielsent
Why you should follow: Here’s another choice based on potential. Daniels posted half a dozen tweets last March and April, then did nothing for more than a year. Now he’s back – and if he sticks with it this time, he’s entertaining and enthusiastic enough to be a fresh new voice.
Recent sample tweet: “On my way to Sony. Life is good.”
If you do, be prepared for: Being patient with the guy.
James Gunn
“Super,” “Slither”
@james_gunn
Why you should follow: He’s got an inside track to the legendary schlock house Troma – and since he’s now made a movie with Kevin Bacon (the upcoming “Super,” which also stars Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page and Liv Tyler), he’s connected to everybody.
Recent sample tweet: “New horror movie idea: Night of 1,000 Gibsons. Drunkenly stumbling, swinging, slurring, breathing heavy – it could be scary as s—!.”
If you do, be prepared for: Rude questions. (“Ladies only – would you have sex with Dr. Phil for a million dollars cash?”)
Jon Hurwitz
“Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay”
@jonhurwitz
Why you should follow: You’ll hear “Harold and Kumar 3” news, lots of talk about his beloved Mets, and more of an edge in his humor than most better-known directors supply.
Recent sample tweet: “I live my life by one guiding principle: Always order tater tots when they are on the menu.”
If you do, be prepared for: A first-time father’s obsession with his newborn daughter.
Amando Iannucci
“In the Loop”
@ Aiannucci
Why you should follow: His tweets reinforce what was already clear from his Oscar-nominated film and British TV show “The Thick of It”: Iannucci is sharp, smart and very funny. And he likes to puncture showbiz pomp, which always plays well.
Recent sample tweet: “Am away, but hearing of end of UKFilmCouncil. Mad move by macho numbercrunchers. It made UK a gargantuan load of money. They're wangpots.”
If you do, be prepared for: References that’ll be hard to understand unless you live in London.
Duncan Jones
“Moon,” “Whistle”
@ManMadeMoon
Why you should follow: The British director (and son of David Bowie) used Twitter to launch his entertaining-if-doomed Oscar campaign for “Moon” star Sam Rockwell; he replies to lots of followers’ tweets and keeps his eyes on pop culture.
Recent sample tweet: "Driving through California countryside has made me really want to write a Western. One day … "
If you do, be prepared for: Videogame talk. Lots of videogame talk.
Robert Luketic
“Legally Blonde,” “Killers”
@ robluketic
Why you should follow: He made a movie with Ashton Kutcher, so the guy’s gotta be an avid Twitter user. And he includes lots of video and photos.
Recent sample tweet: “Promise me something. Do not tweet and drive. As tempting as it may be.”
If you do, be prepared for: Long strings of replies to other people's tweets.
Adam McKay
“Anchorman,” “Talladega Nights”
@ghostpanther
Why you should follow: McKay has been rumored to be behind the phony @fakeparamount account, but he’s denied it. On his verified account he offers a pretty basic blend, but it works: Occasional news, a little gossip, some issue-oriented stuff, links to international trailers, and enough one-liners to preserve his rep as a funnyman.
Recent sample tweet: “Olivia munn, Eva mendes and liv Tyler were all within five feet of each other at last nights party. It started to hail from hotness overlap.”
If you do, be prepared for: A surprising amount of politics
Errol Morris
“The Fog of War,” “The Thin Blue Line”
@errolmorris
Why you should follow: The award-winning documentarian serves up a unique blend of philosophy, psychology and introspection; he’s got a clear, strong voice that’s is his own, and one he manages to fit nicely into 140 characters.
Recent sample tweet: “Just because you direct movies doesn't mean you have something to say. (Unfortunately, this applies to me as well.)”
If you do, be prepared for: A certain amount of semantic hair-splitting.
Jason Reitman
“Juno,” “Up in the Air”
@JasonReitman
Why you should follow: No Oscar nominee chronicled the process as fully (and entertainingly) as Reitman did during the “Up in the Air” run: with links to interview-question pie charts and junket videos and a keen eye for the absurdity of awards season, he made Twitter part of the process.
Recent sample tweet: “I bought a banjo.”
If you do, be prepared for: He’s between films and the Stanley Cup playoffs are over, so he’s not quite as motivated these days.
Morgan Spurlock
“Super Size Me,” “Freakonomics”
@MorganSpurlock
Why you should follow: The guy who ate every meal for a month at McDonalds for the Oscar-nominated "Super Size Me" jumps into everything whole hog, which means he's currently sharing lots of info about his upcoming projects, including a Comic-Con movie.
Recent sample tweet: “In a cab to JFK – will be in San Diego by nightfall, and then I won't be out of my Princess Leia slave costume for the next 12 days, Sweet."
If you do, be prepared for: Inside doc talk.
Adam Shankman
“Hairspray,” The Wedding Planner”
@ adammshankman
Why you should follow: When he produced the Oscars, the dangerously enthusiastic Shankman actually broke news via Twitter. Now it’s mostly “So You Think You Can Dance” talk, though no doubt we’ll soon get every detail of the “Step Up 3D” release.
Recent sample tweet: “Woke up beaming. New day. Fresh slate, and nothing but grt things to get done this week! Man, who slipped me the happy pill???”
If you do, be prepared for: So much happiness that your life will seem mundane and depressing by comparison.
Lee Unkrich
“Toy Story 3”
@leeunkrich
Why you should follow: Pixar’s man of the year is a tweeting maniac, organizing charity auctions and sponsoring contests and interacting incessantly with his followers; now he's giving a guided tour of the film's international premieres and his various travels.
Recent sample tweet: “I flipped through the actual stack of "All work and no play" pages in the Kubrick archives. I shall never wash my hands again.”
If you do, be prepared for: Chimps!
Gus Van Sant
“Drugstore Cowboy,” “Milk”
@Gus_Van_Sant
Why you should follow: Is his recent silence a ploy? Will he return with more random sentences for us to puzzle over? There’s no telling. But when he’s tweeting, the Oregon-based auteur is fascinating in a “what the hell is he talking about?” kind of way.
Recent sample tweet: “I still have the handful of jellybeans you gave me in my pocket. I like having them there.”
If you do, be prepared for: Long periods of silence, broken by inscrutability.
Edgar Wright
“Shaun of the Dead,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”
@edgarwright
Why you should follow: It figures, given his films, that the British director would enthusiastically embrace his online community with frequent musings on movies, music and pop culture, along with "Scott Pilgrim" news and hints about yet-unannounced projects.
Recent sample tweet: “Oh my god. Stallone says he'll take me to see The Expendables opening day, if I take him to Scott Pilgrim. Done deal. Done done done.”
If you do, be prepared for: Contests, but with only vague promises of prizes.
And an honorable mention to one more:
Fake Michael Bay
“Tranformers,” “Armageddon” and “The Rock” if this was really Michael Bay … which it isn’t
@michael_bay
Why you should follow: It’s not Michael Bay, but a wicked parody of an egomanical, testosterone-heavy action director who may or may not bear any resemblance to the actual Bay. Whatever, it’s a hoot.
Recent sample tweet: “I won't go into detail, but you should just know that my shaving routine involves seven lasers and a diamond saw.”
If you do, be prepared for: The knowledge that your amusement comes at the expense of the real Michael Bay, who has feelings too.
