Brack

The Spielberg vs Carpenter didn't feel like a fair comparison. Maybe this one isn't either, but they both came into their own in the 70s/early eighties. Who was the better filmmaker?

Crocker Jarmen

Carpenter in the 1980's
Cameron in the 1990's

Brack

To each their own, Aliens and The Terminator were classics. Can't think of anything from the 80s as good.

JumpCutz

The Thing
Halloween


I prefer Carpenter's work.

Solid Snake

This one seems kind of odd. Cameron was probably a much better director in using the living hell out of his budget. Also... A master action director. They're too different to have in a versus. Previous VS. was more reasonable. Also Cameron's work is smaller in comparison to Carpenter. But Cameron did raise the bar.

Brack

Yeah, Spielberg vs Carpenter is reasonable, but Cameron vs Carpenter isn't? Oookay.

Brack

Halloween was from the 70s, fyi. The Thing is on equal footing. I never found The Prince of Darkness as great as many in that other thread gushing over a film with good ideas that was simply poorly executed.

Brack

And was The Abyss really an action movie?

Solid Snake

While stylistically they're very different and they did change up genres. Have a larger filmography as well. Closer in age too.

Haven't seen it since like... Early 2000s but I wouldn't call it an action flick from what I can remember.

My comment on Cameron being an action director is just that. Doesn't mean that's all he did with his direction.

Jaymole

I picked Carpenter as he has a larger body of work that I enjoy. I have not liked a Cameron film since Terminator 2.

Brack

Larger filmography does not trump lower. I'm sure Cameron could have worked just as much, but he chose not.

You could then argue Carpenter was an action director. He made Big Trouble in Little China, Escape from New York/LA, Vampires, and The Ghosts of Mars. All action movies.

I'm not going to hide my bias, I prefer Cameron to Carpenter, but I have a lot of respect for Carpenter and think some of his movies are some of the scariest movies ever made (Halloween and The Thing).

hanshotfirst1138

Carpenter was the king of lean B-movies, Cameron is the master of excess and makes big budget blockbusters. What's especially odd is that there was a point where Cameron was conscious enough of his B-movie roots that there was some sort of line of continuity between them (T1). Still, since Carpenter hasn't been as revisionist with his films, I might be inclined to go with him.

arminius

Carpenter, he has more movies that I like to watch. Cameron is just too full of shit.

Why So Blu?

It's a draw for me. T2 is my favorite film of all time but John Carpenter is my favorite director of all time.

Troy Stiffler

In a greased-up naked fight to the death? Probably Cameron. Carpenter is very skinny and easier to grab at.

Solid Snake

In a fight? Cameron.

inri222

I agree with this.

Solid Snake

Not even true lies?!

OldBoy

JC all the way!!

Supermallet

No, if Carpenter is skinnier that would make him harder to hold on to in a greased up naked fight to the death.

God, it's like you've never oil wrestled another man.

hanshotfirst1138

Or you could just go and see a double-bill of The Transporter and Women in Love.

UAIOE

I'd have to say Cameron, as I grew up on more of his movies than Carpenter's.

Mike86

As much as Cameron made some films I really love like Aliens, The Terminator, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (True Lies is okay) I honestly don't like him that much aside from those films. Not to say he hasn't made technically good films aside from those but he's kind of a meh director to me.

Troy Stiffler

Not in a non-gay kind of way. No.

inri222

Too bloated and too much style over substance. For a good Arnold film give me T1 or Predator.