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Cronenberg or Carpenter?

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View Poll Results: Which director's work do you you like better?
David Cronenberg
45.56%
John Carpenter
54.44%
Voters: 90. You may not vote on this poll

Cronenberg or Carpenter?

 
Old 07-31-10, 09:21 PM
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Cronenberg or Carpenter?

Both have made their fair share of fantasy/horror/science fiction films (although Cronenberg has branched out in recent years).

Who do you prefer and why?
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Old 07-31-10, 09:24 PM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

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Old 07-31-10, 09:25 PM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

Carpenter, although it's a pretty good match, as that was a pretty hard decision to come to.
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Old 07-31-10, 09:30 PM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

I have to go with Cronenberg. As the years have passed he has obviously matured a lot more. Carpenter seems to have stalled and hasn't made a really good movie in at least 10 years.
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Old 07-31-10, 09:42 PM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

Anyone who can come up with a bizarre enough idea for the movie In The Mouth Of Madness has my vote. Cronenberg has some pretty bizarre movies out too, but Carpenter has more. -kd5-
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Old 07-31-10, 10:04 PM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

Despite his medicore output the last 10 years, Carpenter will always be my favorite Director.

Can't wait to see The Ward.
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Old 07-31-10, 10:06 PM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

Carpenter has some of the best genre films ever made on his resume. He created the slasher genre with Halloween. Its true that Carpenter is no longer a relevant film maker and Cronenberg has had something of a career renaissance later in life. But Carpenters Catalog pisses all over Cronenberg's and I love Cronenberg.
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Old 07-31-10, 10:08 PM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

I am woefully behind on both their filmographies, so for me it comes down to Big Trouble in Little China vs. A History of Violence. I loves me some Jack Burton, and I loves me some erotic Maria Bello. It's a bit of a toss-up, since each speaks to different parts of me. I'll cast a vote later, once I've mulled this over further.
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Old 07-31-10, 10:10 PM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

Both are great directors, but Carpenter for me. His batting average is lower than Cronenberg's, but he's made more movies that I love and can rewatch over and over:

Halloween
Escape from New York
The Thing
Big Trouble in Little China
In the Mouth of Madness
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Old 07-31-10, 10:23 PM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

trying to pick my favorite and this is what my head feels like:

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Old 07-31-10, 10:30 PM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

Carpenter of my favorite director. I do enjoy movie of John Carpenter work with Kurt Russell.

well there one of Cronenberg's film I saw in A History of Violence and also Cronenberg did appear starring in Jason X (2002).

Carpenter is all the way!
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Old 07-31-10, 10:52 PM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

I love Carpenter, especially his work with Kurt Russell, but Cronenberg is more original, more creepy, and more consistent. Cronenberg takes it.
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Old 07-31-10, 11:04 PM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

Aside from Kurosawa, Cronenberg is the most consistent director I've enjoyed. He may not make masterpieces on the level of Kurosawa, but if you've enjoyed one of his films, chances are very good that you will like just about every other movie in his filmography. I would say he's even more consistent than directors like Scorsese and Spielberg who have made some real stinkers. Cronenberg deals with interesting recurring themes without repeating himself, and is the most cerebral of "horror" directors. Carpenter has made some of my favorite films, but he's very hit and miss and hasn't made a good movie in about 15 years(In the Mouth of Madness) while Cronenberg's last couple of films rank among his best.

Some of the replies voting for Carpenter seem obvious that they've barely seen any Cronenberg films.

Last edited by DaveyJoe; 07-31-10 at 11:08 PM.
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Old 07-31-10, 11:10 PM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

If a gotta choose, I choose Cronenberg based on The Brood. Plus he gets points for being Dr. Phillip Decker.
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Old 07-31-10, 11:14 PM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

I've seen about 13 Cronenberg films, so I would consider myself a fan. That being said, Carpenters classics are about as good as you can get in the Horror/Thriller genre.
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Old 07-31-10, 11:30 PM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

My two favorite filmmakers, though Cronenberg is number one. For the record, David Lynch would round out my top three.
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Old 08-01-10, 03:39 AM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

Carpenter.

Cronenberg might have an overall track record that is much more consistent and good, but Carpenter's best is extremely hard to top.
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Old 08-01-10, 05:02 AM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

Originally Posted by JumpCutz
Who do you prefer and why?
Cronenberg. He sure has a way of making these sexy ladies appear more sexier: Barbara Steele, Rosanna Arquette, Lynn Lowry, Maria Bello, Deborah Harry, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Deborah Kara Unger, Miranda Richardson, Holly Hunter
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Old 08-01-10, 05:38 AM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

Originally Posted by kd5
Anyone who can come up with a bizarre enough idea for the movie In The Mouth Of Madness has my vote.
H.P. Lovecraft is not an option in this poll

I'll have to go with Cronenberg. Carpenter sure has made a lot more crap.
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Old 08-01-10, 06:36 AM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

When Cronenberg makes a bad movie, I can't watch it (EXISTENZ, anyone?). I can only think of one film of his that I thought was really good--THE FLY.

When Carpenter makes a mediocre movie (e.g. THEY LIVE, PRINCE OF DARKNESS), I can still watch it and get some entertainment value out of it. And his good movies are pretty awesome, e.g., THE THING. Heck, I even liked GHOSTS OF MARS. And I'll never forget seeing ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 at the Museum of Modern Art as part of a series of films from the previous couple of years that had been unjustly neglected. (This was around 1977 or 78.) "Wow!" was the collective response that night.

Cronenberg's an interesting guy, but his films leave me cold (except for THE FLY). Carpenter's a wild man and somewhat erratic in his results, but I'll always opt for a Carpenter film over a Cronenberg.
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Old 08-01-10, 08:38 AM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

Cronenberg. Didn't take much thought.
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Old 08-01-10, 09:49 AM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

The Thing is one of my top three horror films of all time and I'll give extra points for Carpenter's music across the board, but I'll give a slight nod to Cronenberg because the concepts that he explores are on a different level. Cronenberg's classics are a genre within a genre.

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Old 08-01-10, 09:58 AM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

A fan of both, but I'll go with Cronenberg because he has yet to jump the shark career-wise as Carpenter did starting in the mid-'90s.
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Old 08-01-10, 10:01 AM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

For me it is definitely John Carpenter; though I am a huge fan of both film-makers. Even though both are known for having their own sort of trade-mark horror I wouldn't really compare their work to one another though.
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Old 08-01-10, 11:56 AM
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Re: Cronenberg or Carpenter?

Originally Posted by Ash Ketchum
When Cronenberg makes a bad movie, I can't watch it (EXISTENZ, anyone?). I can only think of one film of his that I thought was really good--THE FLY.

When Carpenter makes a mediocre movie (e.g. THEY LIVE, PRINCE OF DARKNESS), I can still watch it and get some entertainment value out of it. And his good movies are pretty awesome, e.g., THE THING. Heck, I even liked GHOSTS OF MARS. And I'll never forget seeing ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 at the Museum of Modern Art as part of a series of films from the previous couple of years that had been unjustly neglected. (This was around 1977 or 78.) "Wow!" was the collective response that night.

Cronenberg's an interesting guy, but his films leave me cold (except for THE FLY). Carpenter's a wild man and somewhat erratic in his results, but I'll always opt for a Carpenter film over a Cronenberg.
eXistenZ is an awesome film, and Ghosts of Mars is wretched.
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