Most Influential: John Hughes or Harold Ramis?

Personally


I am going to say Ramis.

I would go with John Hughes. But Ramis was great too.

Ramis

More timeless, more universally appreciated comedies. Hughes' movies are still great, but not as great as they were when I was a teenager.

Easy, Ramis

2 of my top 3 comedies are Harold Ramis films. While Hughes made some great teen angst movies, and Home Alone is a classic Christmas movie, for me personally, it's Ramis, by a lot.

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who do you think had the biggest cinematic influence?

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Ramis. But Hughes was a very close second.

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So, is it fair to compare the two and if so who do you think had the biggest cinematic influence?

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I think it is fair - they're probably the "twin towers" of 1980s comedy directors.

Certainly Hughes influenced other filmmakers - look no further than Kevin Smith.

However, Ramis' films had a more broad appeal, in my opinion. Hughes films were targeted at my generation, specifically, as I was born in the late 60s and graduated from high school in the mid-80s.

There were fewer than 6 years separating them in age, they were both from the Upper Midwest and both had an affiliation with Chicago.

Both filmmakers produced popular comedy films, with, generally, a core group of actors we saw over and over.

For me - Ramis' films are funnier and stand the test of time, while I identify more with the characters in Hughes' films. I hear both men's films quoted on a regular basis by casual and more serious film fans. It is difficult to answer the question as to which man is/was more influential. Probably close, and probably Ramis.

Their significant interaction was National Lampoon's Vacation - a classic Hughes script, based on his real life experience going to Disneyland as a kid in the late 1950s, and was directed by Harold Ramis. One of the best comedies of all time.

Hughes.

I'm going with Hughes b/c they made a bigger impact on me than Ramis. Of course I was the prime target of Hughes' movies when they were released but overall he's a better director and writer and pretty much created a genre.

The only knock I have on Ramis, well it's probably not a knock, is Ghostbusters. I never understood the fascination with that movie at the time. It was everywhere and saturated pop culture, but to me it isn't funny or good.

Both made templates for many to follow, but I'd go Ramis.