The Times has been looking at literary one-hit wonders, writers who pumped out one great tome – or just one tome at all – and then nada.

We thought we’d apply the idea to film directors – those who burst on to the scene then appeared to fade away, those who made one good film and then pumped out pap, and those who seem to be taking the Terrence Malick approach to their work schedules…

Simon West

The film: Con Air, one of the most fun action thrillers to emerge from Jerry Bruckheimer’s big-budget, big-star fun factory. It may not have had a big brain, but it had balls and it had John Cusack and Nic Cage proving they could handle more than drama and quirk.

The follow-up: Ech… Nasty army rape thriller The General’s Daughter didn’t exactly prove to be a great choice, and while he did find box office success with the first Tomb Raider pic, no one would argue it’s a great film.

And now? Lower budget horror thriller When A Stranger Calls was another not-great-but-made-cash outing, which he followed with the little seen Purple Mountain.

He’s currently gearing up a big screen account of the life of Salvador Dali’s life and work, with Antonio Banderas down for the lead.