He's the short, sort of bug-eyed character who turns up in movies by Quentin Tarantino, the Coen Brothers and Jim Jarmusch.

CNN: Main banner

Mr. Fuller, a director of gritty war and crime movies whose work influenced directors from Martin Scorsese to Quentin Tarantino, made two films reimagining his wartime experiences.

WSJ: Filmmakers Went to War and Showed the World

Having a good script always helps -- and Quentin Tarantino's contributions to both "True Romance" and "Crimson Tide" make those the Tony Scott movies that the smarty-pants critics like to single out.

CNN: Scott made tense films for jittery times