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John Carpenter vs. David Cronenberg. Who made better horror films in their prime?
- Thread starter Rosenkrantz
- Start date
Gotta be Carpenter for sure. The Fly is amazing, but the Thing is even better. Add Halloween, They Live! and Big Trouble to the mix and it's no contest. Escape From New York too. Carpenter killed it in the 80s
Point is moot because the best Carpenter movie doesn't have a Carpenter score.
If we are talking about prime, I have to give the edge to Carpenter. The Thing is like the ultimate horror movie to me. Add Halloween to that and it's an unbeatable combo.
Now if the question was all genres and not just horror, then the answer is different.
Now if the question was all genres and not just horror, then the answer is different.
Interestingly enough last night me and my bf watched The Fly and The Thing. I'm gonna give it to Cronenberg. While I really enjoyed The Thing and Halloween I'm not scared of them they're just good movies to me. The Fly and Dead Ringers are not just good movies they both managed to envoke a response out of me.
What are the other good body horror films from Cronenberg? I already love The Fly, and don't plan on watching Videodrome because of James Wood.
The Thing alone puts Carpenter way out in front on this one.
I have a lot of love for The Fly though.
I have a lot of love for The Fly though.
Scanners, The Brood, Naked Lunch, Existenz, Dead Ringers.
But Videodrome is the body horror movie to watch. Yeah James Woods is a piece of shit but Videodrome is one of the defining movies of the subgenre.
Carpenter's films seem to be more iconic as a whole, but I've always seen them as being from the same directorial tree. Both use amazing special effects and loads their films with lots of social commentary. However, while they are very similar in some ways, Carpenter's films are often more straight forward and simplified in their plots compared to Cronenberg's.
I love them both.
I love them both.
I appreciate the weirdness of Cronenberg but Carpenter was willing to play with more themes and filmmaking elements and genre styles when it came to horror. I felt I got more of a spectrum of material from him. Plus he made two of the most iconic horror movies in history that are inarguable, and I'd argue two more of them are just as iconic.
Also Shivers. I might say James Gunn did it better, but it's still a big one for Cronenberg.
Also Shivers. I might say James Gunn did it better, but it's still a big one for Cronenberg.
I love Cronenberg (for obvious reasons) - but I can't in good conscious give him the nod over Carpenter when it comes to horror.
Crash is not a horror movie in nearly the same sense as Christine.
Carpenter, but Cronenberg has had some bangers and never fallen as hard as Carpenter has.
Cosmopolis sucked but it was a hell of a lot better than...The Ward lmao.
Cosmopolis sucked but it was a hell of a lot better than...The Ward lmao.
This is the closest thing we have in this thread to objective bullshit. Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing Carpenter has done in the horror genre can hold Brundle Fly's puss-filled jock strap.
Only thing Carpenter has that comes close is Starman.
Edit: Also, all you Carpenter stans need to rep Prince of Darkness more.
OP
OP
I think it would be fair to say that Cronenberg is one of the few filmmakers of his generation who has never fallen off, sure, he has a few stinkers and, personally, I'm less than satisfied with his post Eastern Promises output, but he never had a long streak of pure garbage like Rob Reiner, Barry Levinson or even FFC.
Cronenberg's movies are in general thematically deeper than Carpenter's films, which are better as more straightforward entertainment.
Both had one hell of a stretch from the late 70s to the late 80s.
Cronenberg: Shivers, Rabid, The Brood, Scanners, Videodrome, The Dead Zone, The Fly, Dead Ringers
Carpenter: Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, The Fog, Escape from New York, The Thing, Christine, Starman, Big Trouble in Little China, Prince of Darkness, They Live
Both had one hell of a stretch from the late 70s to the late 80s.
Cronenberg: Shivers, Rabid, The Brood, Scanners, Videodrome, The Dead Zone, The Fly, Dead Ringers
Carpenter: Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, The Fog, Escape from New York, The Thing, Christine, Starman, Big Trouble in Little China, Prince of Darkness, They Live
Carpenter's a great if uneven horror film creator.
Cronenberg's a great film creator who did some horror films and expanded out of the genre in weird and fascinating ways. Guy has more interesting things to say than Carpenter imo.
Love them both though.
Also, Cronenberg attempted to make Naked Lunch into a film and it almost kinda works if you squint at it sideways. Film has a look and a soundtrack too. Gotta admire his moxie there.
Cronenberg's a great film creator who did some horror films and expanded out of the genre in weird and fascinating ways. Guy has more interesting things to say than Carpenter imo.
Love them both though.
I also enjoy Existenz more than the Matrix these days. Fight me. Death to the demoness, Allegra Geller!
Also, Cronenberg attempted to make Naked Lunch into a film and it almost kinda works if you squint at it sideways. Film has a look and a soundtrack too. Gotta admire his moxie there.
The Thing is great, but the Fly is a better movie with a better pace, characters, climax, and execution. The Thing has higher highs (the heart attack, the blood test, "You gotta be fucking kidding") but its far too long for its own good and its final confrontation is dorky as hell.
Videodrome is up there too. Although, none of Cronenberg's other horror movies hit on the level of Carpenter's Halloween, Christine, Prince of Darkness, They Live, In the Mouth of Madness, and the Fog.
TLDR:
The Fly is the best horror movie of either director, but I think Carpenter's got the better overall horror movie run.
EDIT: And his music is just outstanding.
Videodrome is up there too. Although, none of Cronenberg's other horror movies hit on the level of Carpenter's Halloween, Christine, Prince of Darkness, They Live, In the Mouth of Madness, and the Fog.
TLDR:
The Fly is the best horror movie of either director, but I think Carpenter's got the better overall horror movie run.
EDIT: And his music is just outstanding.
His son is showing a lot of promise. Possessor is an apple not fallen far from daddy's Videodrome tree. Might even be more visceral.
This is insanely hard for me to choose and having seen 90% of both director's filmographies, it seems to come down to that Carpenter has the best highs while Cronenberg's career is a hell of a lot more consistent. If I had a gun to my head, my gut reaction would be Cronenberg.
The Fly and The Thing are equally good for the same and different reasons. Cronenberg's movies are more cerebral and personal and I prefer those kinds of films.
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It's not just about The Thing though.
The premise is who made the best Horror films in their prime.
So we got Cronenberg's 1975-1986
Shivers
Rabid
The Brood
Scanners
Videodrome
The Dead Zone
The Fly
Vs Carpenter's 1978-1994
Halloween
The Fog
The Thing
Christine
Prince of Darkness
They Live
In the Mouth of Madness
Had to put aside the excellent Assault on Precinct 13, Starman, Big Trouble in Little China and Escape from NY due to not being horror.
Cronenberg was nastier for sure, but more than half of his are rather ... eh (his early efforts mostly, though they sure had a special kind of atmosphere)
The premise is who made the best Horror films in their prime.
So we got Cronenberg's 1975-1986
Shivers
Rabid
The Brood
Scanners
Videodrome
The Dead Zone
The Fly
Vs Carpenter's 1978-1994
Halloween
The Fog
The Thing
Christine
Prince of Darkness
They Live
In the Mouth of Madness
Had to put aside the excellent Assault on Precinct 13, Starman, Big Trouble in Little China and Escape from NY due to not being horror.
Cronenberg was nastier for sure, but more than half of his are rather ... eh (his early efforts mostly, though they sure had a special kind of atmosphere)
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Arguably Friday The 13th created the formula itself, in terms of shifting the slasher from the suspense and character focus of Psycho, Black Christmas, Halloween to gory kill set pieces and disposable characters