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It’s easy to forget that even the most talented filmmakers have to start somewhere – including Darren Aronofsky. The man behind the forthcoming biblical epic Noah has been making movies for years, and this short – an adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr.’s Fortune Cookie shot while he was at the American Film Institute – has now turned up online. It’s interesting to see this early effort from Aronofsky for a number of reasons. It showcases a young talent starting to find his cinematic voice, for starters, but it also is our first inkling of Aronofsky’s fascination with Selby Jr.’s work. The director would return to adapt the writer’s Requiem for a Dream years later. Like all student films, Fortune Cookie is a bit rough around...

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Last week, director Darren Aronofsky officially wrapped what is easily the largest production of his career, "Noah." And with the film not due until March 28, 2014, so begins a long fifteen month wait for the movie. So what can we do until then? How about taking a quick trip back in time... The director's very early, 1994 short "No Time" has made its way online. It's one of three short films he directed as part of the masters program at the AFI Conservatory (the other two were "Protozoa" -- also the name of his production company -- and "Fortune Cookie"). There's not much other detail about it online, but it's a comedy, and it's certainly very different from anything he would go on to do in his professional career. Yes, longtime collaborate Matthew Libatique is behind the camera, and it's an interesting look at the formative work of Aronofsky. Give it a spin below.

Black Swan is the fifth feature to come from the lunatic vision of Darren Aronofsky and with his first Oscar nomination pending, let's look back on his career. While Natalie Portman is front and center for the entire hit movie and Mickey Rourke had a similarly feature-length closeup in The Wrestler, Aronofsky is the star of all five pictures. If not, he has to be considered the co-lead. He's not invisible as a director is the point even though he's not onscreen. But which faces has he used the most to sell his masterpieces and/or follies (depending on your point of view)? 

Left: Aronofsky; Right: His parents (I believe) in The Wrestler

Let's investigate.

The Darren Aronofsky Acting Hierarchy

(Quantitatively Speaking)

5 Films

One character actor has appeared in every Darren Aronofsky feature (and so has Aronofsky's dad, no joke). Will they both appear in The Wolverine, Hugh Jackman's...