Mogul throwdown: Zemeckis vs. Lucas

Two big names in '80s film-making share a birthday today: George Lucas, 64, and Robert Zemeckis, 57. (Nevermind the guy in the middle of the photo. He's probably just some anonymous fan getting his photo taken with his heroes.)

Though perhaps their signature work was outside our decade -- Lucas' "Star Wars" began in 1977 and Zemeckis' scored with "Forrest Gump" in 1994 -- they each left big footprints in the '80s ... along with a couple of trips and stumbles.

So which Hollywood god should be giving the other one noogies today? Which mogul reigns supreme? Here we go...

HIGHLIGHT FLICKS
LUCAS: George didn't direct much in the 80s, but his writing and producing skills helped crank out hits like the "Indiana Jones" trilogy, "Labyrinth" and even the unlikely "Body Heat."
ZEMECKIS: Robert has the "Back to the Future" trilogy to hang his hat on, though he'd probably rather forget Parts 2 and 3. (I know the rest of us have.)

LOWLIGHT FLICKS
LUCAS: All I have to say here is "Howard the Duck" and Michael Jackson's "Captain EO." 
ZEMECKIS: I'm going to catch grief for this, but I can't stand 1988's "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" OK, then let's talk about the el-bombo "1941" -- released in December 1979, so it was still stinking up screens briefly into the 80s.

FORGOTTEN FLICKS
LUCAS: The would-be Val Kilmer star vehicle "Willow" was written by Lucas. Though I doubt he takes credit for the line, "You are so beautiful! Your eyes! Your whiskers! I have to kiss you!"
ZEMECKIS: Let's start with the guilty pleasure of 1980's "Used Cars." And remember, he also directed "Romancing the Stone," back when Kathleen Turner could still act. (I'm kidding. ... She could never act.)

WHO WINS?
Tough call. George has the "Star Wars" legacy and the upcoming revival of Indiana Jones (stay tuned for this week's podcast!). But maybe we should be thankful that Zemeckis doesn't have a "Back to the Future" prequel for us to kick around. ("Back to the Future 6: Revenge of the Biff")

You tell us! Which one wins this battle?

[Getty Images]

Comments

[Bassnote]

I'll give it to Lucas just for the lasting impact of Star Wars and Indiana Jones (Raiders is in my top 5 favorite movies). Willow had some enjoyable moments, but yes, Howard the Duck was putrid.

Back to the Future is classic, but 2 stunk (I have to admit I kinda liked 3). But, the second IJ movie was pretty much a stinker too (Temple Of Doom... *RETCH*)
Zemeckis loses points for some of his recent films; Polar Express and Castaway. I don't like either movie. Used Cars was funny as heck.

[Melissa]

I'd give it to Lucas just because of Willow. One of my favs of all time.

Even my kids run out of the room when I ask if they want to watch Polar Express!

[Miguel]

All right,i`m defending Zemeckis!
Yes Lucas gave us Star Wars,Indiana Jones,although the movies wouldn`t have been this good if he had directed them.If he had made them,we were discussing the horrible Indiana Smith!!! So thanks to Spielberg,we`re not,but we can discuss the horrible Howard the Duck!(Worst movie of all time?).And,sorry Marissa,but i don`t like Willow,too(did you know John Cusack auditioned for it,and lost it to Val Kilmer).

Zemeckis made the Back to the Future trilogy,and i like it! Also,Steve, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? is great.Curiously i don`t like Forest Gump,or anything he made afterwords(hmm, maybe Cast Away.)

[Miguel]

I`m sorry,it´s Melissa! I`m an idiot.Sorry,Melissa!

[CHAD]

stephen speilberg dirtected 1941. zemeckis co-wrote it. i think its the first time they worked together. if not for 1941, back to the future might not ever have happened. i do like 1941 though. i know its kinda a mess, but its the kind only a great director can do. i mean the scenes with slim pickens on the japanese ship is classic, and dare i say, frickkin hilarious.

[Matt]

Two out of three of the original Star Wars trilogy films are in the 80's, along with "Raiders..." The nod has to go to Lucas, just on the sheer weight of those three alone.

[Douglas Arthur]

This is a tough call to be sure. I think Lucas has had, arguably...okay maybe not so arguably, the largest, longest lasting impact on Pop Culture and the movies in general. But Zemeckis has a broader base of work. Varied films in different styles and themes, not just the fanatastic Sci-Fi stuff. Plus he has the added bonus of writing an episode of one of my favorite shows: Kolchak, the Night Stalker.

Oddly, both Lucas and Zemeckis both did some of their best work with Speilberg. So I think it is only fair to look at the work they have done away from him. What Lies Beneath and, yes, Castaway, have it all over Willow and Howard The Duck, plus, when was the last time you saw Lucas tackle a romantic comedy?

It is so close I'd like to call it a draw, but I have to say that nothing Zemeckis has ever done has giving me the feeling I had as a 10 year old sitting in the front row watching Star Wars for the first time. So just for that fact, I am siding with Lucas.

[jane]

On paper, it's Lucas. His producer's CV cannot even be touched.

But seconding Douglas' comments, I personally appreciate Zemekis' ability to create a varied body of work, encompassing many genres. Romancing the Stone is a frothy delight and Used Cars a true forgotten gem.

The intellectual (and commercial) nod goes to Lucas. Although I myself probably enjoyed Zemekis' work more. (Not a Willow fan. And let's not even start on Captain EO.)

[Melissa]

I fell asleep in the the theater attempting to watch Castaway. YAWN!

[jane]

And yes, I do know how to spell Zemeckis. Although my previous post is not indicative of this. Blame it on the multi-task. And an early release day from school.

[Neil]

I am sort of confused if we are just sticking with the 80's era of their film making or the overall career. If we go with the overall I would have to say Lucas was amazing, not to mention he made American Graffiti which is one of my all time favorites, and sparked much of the 50's revival and shows like Happy Days, Lavergne and Shirly, and the movie Grease. If we just stick with 80's I might go with Zemeckis, Used Cars is a classic, still love Romancing the Stone, and Back to the Future is one of all time favorites, I just put it on my Zune so I can watch it on my trip to Vegas tonight.

[Jeff in Cuba]

It mya not be enough to put me firmly in the Zemeckis camp, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE "Used Cars".

"I know what you're saying. You're saying you can't afford the classic luxury of the 1972 Buick Centurian, but I'm here to tell you that you can't afford not to buy this car, and I'm going to make it easy on you..."

Classic.

[Michelle]

Lucas has "Tucker--with the awesome Jeff Bridges--to his credit too.

[Walter Cox]

Did anybody notice that they both directed the delicious Leah Thompson in the 80s? Wasn't she the girl in Howard the Duck?

[GlennS.]

I have to give it to Zemeckis. Lucas may have had the most cultural impact with Star Wars, but don't forget he took an extra-long break from actual movie directing while Zemeckis kept pumping them out, and in a lot more genres too. I love Back to the Future, Romancing the Stone, and Castaway.

As for Used Cars, I didn't care much for it when I saw it many years ago. I just remember thinking it was kind of mean-spirited. Guess I'll have to re-watch it again some time. I'm a little more jaded now, so I'd probably love it.

[Spears]

All comedy in the early 80s was mean-spirited. I can't actually back that up, but it just sounds right, doesn't it?

[Tom]

I'd go with Zemeckis. "Used Cars' is a great flick with many classic quotes.

"Look out Marshall Lucky, it's high prices!"

"A red chariot to take my a$% straight to Hell!"

Plus, Spielberg produced it, it's a win/win.

[Pages]

I kind of feel like both these guys have sort of fallen off the horse now. Neither of them seem to be capable of dealing with live actors anymore, and now prefer to make films that supplant creativity with technology.

As a side note, the entire Back to the Future trilogy, as well as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, are both awesome.

[Miguel]

I`m with Pages.Absolutely right.

Why do people give credit to George Lucas in Indiana Jones? All he did was creating a caracter named Indiana Smith that was supposed to be a James Bond with a whip! Indiana Jones is 100% Spielberg.Imagine Lucas directing that awesome opening sequence on Raiders.I fear some Ewoks would come out of those trees!

Zemeckis,at least in the 80s,DIRECTED very,very entertaining movies!

Now,they are just two nerds!

[Gary]

Ya, isn't it ironic...Spielberg directed 1941... That horrible farce with Belushi in it? I'm waiting for his box set: Schindler's List, Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, Flags of Our Fathers, AND 1941... I'm sure he likes people to forget that one.

[Marissa]

I'm not dissecting anything. I'm a Star Wars nerd and an Indiana Jones drooler.

[Douglas Arthur]

hey Marissa, are you also a "Close Encounters" capitulator? Sorry. Couldn't resist.

[Marissa]

Douglas, you know how I lurrrrve me some Close Encounters. ::doing alien sign language::

[GlennS.]

Speaking of Howard the Duck, I was just listening to the first Pretenders album and had forgotten that Chrissie Hynde mentions ole' Howard on the opening track. When that album came out around 1980, Howard the Duck was actually considered a pretty cool character to namedrop. Guess it only took one movie to blow that notion out of the water.

[The Lunchbox]

Now I know I can ignore your movie criticisms because you didn't like '1941'.

[Spears]

Lunchbox, you liked 1941?

[Douglas Arthur]

Count me in on the 1941 lovers, too. Gets way too much in the way of bad pub. I found it to be a lot of fun...of course I was like 13 or 14 at the time. But I have fond memories of it.