Movies John Carpenter vs Clint Eastwood

[The Good The Bad The HBK]

Eastwood debut as a director in 71, Carpenter in 74, whose film's do you enjoy more?



Clint Eastwood (2x Oscar Winner for Best Picture and Director)




1. High Plains Drifter
2. The Outlaw Josey Wales
3. Heartbreak Ridge
4. Unforgiven *
5. A Perfect World
6. The Bridges Of Madison County
7. Mystic River
8. Million Dollar Baby *
9. Letters From Iwo Jima
10. Gran Torino
11. The Changeling
12. Invictus
13. The Mule
14. Sully
15. Richard Jewell
16. Sudden Impact
17. Pale Rider
18. American Sniper



John Carpenter

1. Darkstar
2. Assault on Precent 13
3. Halloween
4. Escape From NY
5. The Thing
6. The Fog
7. Christine
8. Starman
9. Big Trouble in Little China
10. They Live
11. Prince of Darkness
12. In the Mouth of Madness
13. Memoirs of An Invisible Man
14. Escape From LA
15. Ghost Of Mars
16. Village of the Damned
17. Vampires
18. The Ward

 

[Chesten_Hesten]

Tough one.



John Carpenter is to action / horror what Sam Peckinpah is to Westerns.



Clint's has a bigger resume, that's all ill say.

 

[BreatheSherBro]

Eastwood easily. I grew up watching Westerns though. My dad and grandpa both loved them.

 

[IDGETKTFO]

Carpenter. Never even knew Clint Eastwood directed movies. Honestly only even heard of a few of those Clint Eastwood movies.
I don't even think they belong in the same category.
Carpenter and its not even close.

 

[BisexualMMA]

I think Eastwood has more legit good movies and also the best movie between the two of them. Carpenter is no joke though.

 

[pv3Hpv3p]

Carpenter is more fun

Eastwood makes better movies

 

[zapataxiv]

carpenter

 

[Jack Reacheround]

I have to give Clint the nod on this one. There are so many of his movies that I just love.

I do love quite a few John Carpenter movies too. But they’re really very different movies. Clint’s movies have a more serious tone to them which makes me take them… more seriously.

 

[Sweater of AV]

Clint

 

[deviake]

Carpenter easily.

They Live, The Thing, Escape From New York, and Big Trouble In Little China are fucking classics and trump anything Eastwood has done (for me). The Thing is of one my favorites period.

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Since the poll is asking which director’s films we ENJOY more then it’s easily Carpenter. But if the poll was asking who is the better director then it would have to be Eastwood.

 

[armbarforhire]

No contest Carpenter, I really enjoy the first half of his career.

 

[Tone C]

Clint

Agreed.

 

[moreorless87]

Don't think its very close at all personally, High Plains Dirfter was interesting but after that I'v always felt Eastwood made first generic hard man actioners then equally generic shmaltzy melodramas for men were as Carpenter is one of the greatest horror directors ever along with one of the greatest entertainment blockbusters ever in Big Trouble.

One a very individual genius, the other a competent industry journeyman.

 

[Jackonfire]

John Carpenter and its not even close

 

[SaiWa]

Carpenter by a landslide victory.

The Thing alone makes Carpenter a GOAT. i can leave that movie on in the background 24/7 and still enjoy it.

 

[tomjones]

I'm not a fan of Clint Eastwood films tbh.

 

[BisexualMMA]

Don't think its very close at all personally, High Plains Dirfter was interesting but after that I'v always felt Eastwood made first generic hard man actioners then equally generic shmaltzy melodramas for men were as Carpenter is one of the greatest horror directors ever along with one of the greatest entertainment blockbusters ever in Big Trouble.

One a very individual genius, the other a competent industry journeyman.

I'll give you that you're definitely more likely to get something outside the box or innovative from Carpenter. It's hard to picture Eastwood making anything as stylized as Escape from NY.

But you were also more likely to get a piece of doggy doo from Carpenter, although Eastwood isn't entirely above that either (Firefox and that train terrorist movie). But with Carpenter's resume, some of his doggy doo actually made the list of his movies to consider. Eastwood's doggy doo is way down the list and didn't get mentioned. And good stuff like Play Misty for Me didn't even make his list in here.

 

[moreorless87]

I'll give you that you're definitely more likely to get something outside the box or innovative from Carpenter. It's hard to picture Eastwood making anything as stylized as Escape from NY.

But you were also more likely to get a piece of doggy doo from Carpenter, although Eastwood isn't entirely above that either (Firefox and that train terrorist movie). But with Carpenter's resume, some of his doggy doo actually made the list of his movies to consider. Eastwood's doggy doo is way down the list and didn't get mentioned. And good stuff like Play Misty for Me didn't even make his list in here.

I would say after Darkstar(which I think certainly has its charms) Carpenter is actually very consistent as far as They Live, theres some up and down I spose that not everything is on the level of The Thing or Big Trouble but I think every film is definitely what I'd call good.

Things certainly went downhill pretty fast after that but honestly I think that fits more into what I said, a more individual and inspired director against a competent but IMHO pretty unremarkable one, same way Ron Howards career has held up very nicely.

 

[Two Crows]

For my money, Unforgiven is easily the best film on both lists combined, but aside from that, Carpenter has too many iconic pictures to pick Eastwood.

Assault on Precinct 13, aside from being great 70's fun (like The Warriors) was heavily influential on Tarantino (so, by proxy, all crime films post 1994).

Halloween defines it's own genre to this day.

The Thing is a legitimate contender for best horror film ever.