The Best Director Of The '80s Isn’t Spielberg Or Scorsese, It’s John Carpenter, And Here’s Why

I consider myself a cineast, so you know I’m a Scorsese devotee, and I appreciate much of Spielberg’s filmography. However, if we’re talking about the king of the ‘80s, then the best filmmaker of that era is John Carpenter.

Now look, I know what you’re thinking. If there’s any “John” who’s the king of the ‘80s, it’s Hughes. And while yes, I find Hughes funny, too, I wouldn’t put the crown on his head when it comes to the filmmaker who defined the decade, because Carpenter has that on lock. Yeah, his work in the ‘70s is nothing to sneeze at (I mean, hello, Assault on Precinct 13, freaking Halloween!), but the ‘80s is when Carpenter truly shone.

So, while there were other great directors of that decade, here’s why John Carpenter was the best that the ‘80s had to offer.

Spielberg Dominated The 80s...But Mostly With Indiana Jones

Do you love Indiana Jones? If so, then Spielberg was your guy in the ‘80s because he directed not one, but THREE Indiana Jones movies, those being Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and Last Crusade (and, for the record, I'm one of those weirdos who prefers Temple to Crusade).

He also blessed us with E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Empire of the Sun, The Color Purple, and, er, Always, which I like, but it often gets forgotten in Spielberg's expansive filmography. So, he had a pretty great ‘80s, right?

I mean, yeah, obviously. But, if you don't like Indiana Jones (and surprisingly, I do know people who don't), then the decade isn't nearly as impressive. Of course, E.T. is toward the top of Spielberg's catalog, but while I do cherish The Color Purple, Empire of the Sun and Always aren't typically at the top of anybody's Spielberg tier-list.

So, if you don't love Indy, then you'd probably prefer Spielberg's output from the ‘70s, which gave us Jaws, Duel, Close Encounters, and his hidden gem, The Sugarland Express. Either that or the ‘90s, which gave us Jurassic Park, Schindler's List (in the same year!), and Saving Private Ryan. So, the ‘80s were a great time for Spielberg…but mostly if you're an Indy fan.

Scorsese Had A Great Variety In The 80s, But You Really Have To Be A Certain Type Of Film Fan To Enjoy It

As I said up top, I consider myself a cineast. And, as one, I love Martin Scorsese's movies. In that way, I could argue that Scorsese had the best track record in the ‘80s. But honestly, you really have to be a certain type of film fan to feel that way.

For one thing, you have two of the best Scorsese/Robert De Niro movies in the ‘80s with The King of Comedy and Raging Bull. You also have one of his hidden gems in After Hours from 1985. The Color of Money, which was a long overdue sequel to The Hustler, came out in ‘86, and his last film of the decade was 1988’s The Last Temptation of Christ.

So, as I already said, Scorsese had one hell of a decade, starting with Raging Bull, and bookending it with The Last Temptation. Be that as it may, besides The Color of Money, most of his films feel like they’re for cineasts only. Raging Bull is a masterpiece, but with its violence and unlikeable protagonist, it’s not quite easy viewing. The King of Comedy is one of my favorite Scorsese films, but it was a flop, and it often makes people uncomfortable.

After Hours is great, but anxiety-inducing, and The Last Temptation of Christ is phenomenal, but polarizing, given the subject matter. So, the ‘80s might be my favorite decade of Scorsese’s, but it’s definitely not for everyone. Do you know whose filmography was for everyone, though?...

Carpenter, On The Other Hand, Had Something For Everyone

This is where John Carpenter comes in, because he honestly had something for everybody in the ‘80s. Don’t believe me? In 1980, we got The Fog, which is an eerie supernatural horror film that still holds up today. In ‘81, we got a quintessential sci-fi action movie in Escape From New York, which gave the world one of the coolest anti-heroes ever in Snake Plissken.

In ‘82, we didn’t just get another horror flick, we got THE horror flick in The Thing, which we called the greatest horror movie of all time. In ‘83, we got one of the best Stephen King movies in Christine, which was also a horror movie, but one very different from The Fog, and The Thing. And in ‘84, Carpenter swerved on us and gave us one of the best love stories of the decade with the sci-fi romance drama, Starman (Which, unlike Spielberg’s Always, I think anybody could enjoy).

In ‘86, we got one of my favorite movies of all time, the fantasy action comedy Big Trouble in Little China, which I’ve rewatched endlessly. In ‘87, we got Carpenter’s weird, underappreciated cult classic Prince of Darkness. And, for his last film of the decade, we got the prescient sci-fi action horror film, They Live in ‘88.

I mean, is that a list or what? Yes, a lot of the films are horror movies, but they’re different kinds of horror movies. Plus, we got romance and action films in the mix as well. Like I said, there's something for everybody. But, I want to circle back to one film in particular…

The Thing Is Also Probably The Best Horror Movie Of All Time, And The Best Movie Of The ‘80s

It's sometimes hard to pinpoint which director has the best movie in a given decade. For the ‘70s, it's probably Coppola, Lucas, or Spielberg, with The Godfather, Star Wars, or Jaws, respectively. In the ‘90s, it's likely Tarantino, Scorsese, or Spielberg again, for Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas, or Jurassic Park, respectively.

But, when it comes to the ‘80s, I have one definitive pick, and that's John Carpenter's The Thing. Sure, it doesn't end up on everybody's “best of the ‘80s” list, but it's always the movie that keeps coming back to me when I think of the decade.

A remake of 1951's The Thing from Another World, Carpenter's version gets underneath your skin from the very beginning. And, like Blade Runner (another film people call the best of the decade), people have been debating its meaning and ending for literal decades now.

If anything, The Thing has risen in stature since its initial release (as it was a flop). It's gone from being a cult classic to what is often called the best horror movie of all time, and for this to be just ONE classic in Carpenter's output for the decade, it really is saying something. In fact…

Almost Every Movie Carpenter Made In The ‘80s Is Now Considered A Classic

The final reason why I think Carpenter is the best director of the ‘80s is that all of his movies from this time period are now considered classics in some way.

For example, growing up in the ‘80s, I remember watching Big Trouble in Little China pretty much every weekend on basic television, and I didn't even know it was a commercial failure when it was initially released, as it had already gained legendary status by the ‘90s (possibly because Mortal Kombat blatantly pulled from it).

Christine is now considered one of the stronger Stephen King adaptations, Starman is remembered for its touching performances, They Live is constantly referenced, and we likely wouldn't have Snake from the Metal Gear series if not for Escape From New York.

It's for these reasons and more that I think Carpenter was the best director of the ‘80s. But, what do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts.