Bad Directors: Renny Harlin 10

This Finnish import got his first taste of Hollywood success after helming the successful fourth entry in the Nightmare on Elm Street series. Harlin followed up his debut with the cult classic The Adventures of Ford Fairlane and the runaway smash Die Hard 2. The following year found Harlin directing Sylvester Stallone and John Lithgow in Cliffhanger, another smart and profitable action thriller. So how did Renny Harlin go from being the go-to action director of his time to the butt of Hollywood insider jokes? Two words. Cutthroat Island. Also known as one of the costliest flops of all time, not only did this epic misfire bankrupt Carolco, the company behind it and most of your favorite '80s blockbusters, it also stunted Harlin's then-wife Geena Davis' acting career and made his name synonymous with failure. The Long Kiss Goodnight and Deep Blue Sea were two last desperate stabs at former glory before a long career of obscure or direct-to-DVD efforts such as Driven, Mindhunters and 5 Days of War. Renny Harlin will be back in 2014 with his version of Hercules, which will be squaring off against Brett Ratner's version starring The Rock.