In regards to Walter Hill and John Carpenter getting consistent work, I partly think it's because of Hollywood's lack of interest in their workmanlike directorial virtues, but I suspect that's not entirely it. Both of them are in their 60s by now, so I doubt they would want to be working as consistently as perhaps they once did. Also, I suspect they're probably a tad unwilling to jump through the hoops a studio might require when choosing who'll shepherd Final Destination 5 to its slot in the multiplex (or, more likely, its slot in the straight-to-DVD market). Finally, I suspect you're right that they have an established enough name that they're priced beyond the studio hacks, but not enough of a cache to shepherd projects single-handedly like some of their most illustrious generational compatriots (Scorsese, Spielberg, Allen, even perhaps Terrence Malick). Several other directors of Hill and Carpenter's generation have seemingly fallen into this "tweener" state, William Friedkin comes to mind, or maybe even Bob Rafelson (and Michael Cimino, does he even make movies anymore?) It's a shame, because I suspect with the right material, Carpenter and especially Hill could do quite well. But I also suspect there aren't a lot of scripts floating around Hollywood that would fit their meat and potatoes like style, and though both directors both wrote and directed most of their best films, they might be unwilling (or the studio might be unwilling) to commit to a Walter Hill or John Carpenter "auteur" project. The kind of film I think they could do a lot with would be something like 3:10 to Yuma, or maybe something like Red Eye, which featured the best work Wes Craven has done in years. Basically something with a b-movie directness who's script is also good enough to profit from their unassuming storytelling talent. I admit both of them have certainly fallen on hard times, but their storytelling talent is in short supply these days (especially in action films, where it can be the most effective). I'd love to see one or both of them resurrect their career with a slew of hard-nosed action films, or maybe some neo-classical Westerns (both of them certainly have Westerns in their blood). I don't know how 3:10 to Yuma did at the book office, but considering the critical support it received, the public might be willing to embrace some old-fashioned-style b-pictures with tight storytelling and good energy. I know I would.
Michael C
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