OldBoy

So Judd seems to be this generations John Hughes or at least as some magazines have said the savior of comedy.

Now, Judd's films follow a similar formula as Hughes, though more raunchiness ensues obviously, but most of them seem to have that heart after all the slapstick is done. Much in the same way Hughes' comedies begin and end. You get the laughs, the ha ha laughs, the chuckles, and some totally random gut busters (see mailslot scene in "Uncle Buck").

Now, I've seen some of the Hughes comedies recently and they don't seem to hold up as well as when I first saw them, but they are real, they are funny, and they have heart. In the long run I think Apatow's might hold up better, but of course that has yet to be seen.

So who do you think should take the "teen-transition-adult-life-sex-and all that comes in between-laughs with heart" crown??

zombiezilla

John Hughes makes GREAT movies, so I say JH. Apatow is a flash in the pan, at best.

Mopower

Half of JH career has been gold the other half complete shit. Unless you call Baby's Day Out "Great".

The Bus

John Hughes's directorial record is better than Apatows. As a writer, however, I would pick Apatow.

illennium

Only one of them made Freaks & Geeks.

EdTheRipper

I really like both of them.

Kal-El

Love Hughes, hate Apatow. I haven't seen anything he's made that's even remotely memorable or funny as anything by Hughes.

fumanstan

Never really cared for any of the popular Hughes stuff. I'd vote Apatow.

zombiezilla

"Baby's Day Out" is INCREDIBLY under-rated, and very funny. The scene in the park with the cops and the crooks chatting is one of the funniest things ever put to film....far funnier than anything I've seen from Apatow.

PopcornTreeCt

John Hughes made good movies but they never made me laugh. Judd Apatow gets the thumbs up from me.

Rockmjd23

Neither.

JPRaup

Both strictly directing, these are the movies I enjoy and can watch over and over again

John Hughes:
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
The Breakfast Club (1985)

Apatow:
Knocked Up (2007)
The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

so Hughes wins in that aspect.

If we are talking writing/producing:

Apatow
# Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) (producer)
# Superbad (2007) (producer)
# Knocked Up (2007) (producer)
# Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) (producer)
# The TV Set (2006) (executive producer)
# The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) (producer)
# Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) (producer)
# The Cable Guy (1996) (producer)

Hughes:
# Dennis the Menace (1993) (written by)
# Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) (characters) (written by)
# Home Alone (1990) (written by)
# Christmas Vacation (1989) (written by)
# Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) (written by)
# Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) (written by)
# European Vacation (1985) (also story)
# The Breakfast Club (1985) (written by)
# Vacation (1983) (screenplay) (short story "Vacation '58")

Hughes, wins barely. Once Apatow comes out with more movies he will surely be in the lead.

Brent L

Hughes is the king of this sort of thing for the 80's, and Apatow for the 00's.

I can't flat out pick one over the other since Apatow is really just now hitting his stride. I think I'll end up picking Apatow though once it's all said and done. Freaks & Geeks, Undeclared, then all of his recent movies really add up for me.

I just looked over Apatow's IMDB list, and I had no clue he co-wrote Heavyweights and episodes of The Critic and The Larry Sander's Show - pretty cool.

gotrice487

Apatow

Julie Walker

I think Apatow is overrated so far and not 'that' funny. And I haven't found his films entertaining either. And that's a bad thing in my opinion. A comedy should be either funny/amusing and or entertaining even if not a laugh riot.


I think Apatow tries to hard and drags things on way to long to have much impact. Comic timing is not one of his high points nor attention to pacing. All the 'raunchy vulgar' dialogue feels forced and not funny. And the 'heart' moments feel fake and superficial. So i'm not a fan of this guy so far. And yet it seems plenty love him and make his films huge hits.

Hughes was never a laugh riot director either. But I've gotten more amusement out of his films than Apatow. And the entertainment value was much higher. And attempts at serious drama moments in Breakfast Club felt more 'real' and 'full of heart' than anything Apatow has attempted.

PopcornTreeCt

I noticed that a couple weeks ago when I was watching it. Great little funny film.

Brent L

Yeah, I don't mind that flick either. It's nothing worthy of too much note, but it's something to watch on a lazy Saturday afternoon for a few laughs. I really liked it when it first came out when I was younger.

FantasticVSDoom

My only complaint with Apatow at the moment is that he could use a little editing in his films... But this one is pretty hard to rate. I guess I would give it to Apatow by a hair.

RobCA

Haven't seen any of Apatow's films, so I'm gonna have to go with Hughes.

Rob

Brack

I like both, but it's a shame John Hughes hasn't done more than write recently, and that's mostly just kids stuff (why?!?!?).

mikelowry

Superbad was fantastic so I'm for Apatow.

RichC2

As a director - Hughes
As a producer/writer - Apatow

Doesn't hurt that Superbad was more inline with my High School experienace than anything in any John Hughes movie.

Doughboy

When John Hughes was at his peak from 1985-87, he topped anything that Apatow's ever done. And believe me, I'm a big fan of The Ben Stiller Show, Freaks and Geeks, and The 40 Year Old Virgin(theatrical cut).

mdc3000

Time will tell this one IMO... Apatow is going to have a long career ahead of him, whereas Hughes is pretty much done... those few years in the 80's though, Hughes made some really classic films. Freaks and Geeks gets close to those IMO and I love most of the movies Apatow has produced and directed, so it's really tough... Ferris is one of my all time favourite movies though, so Hughes by a hair, but 2 years from now, I could be saying Apatow.

mikelowry

Close race I can see.