Over the past few decades, there have been filmmakers that have made their mark on the trajectory of movies. Whether it’s their cinematography, plotlines, or overall tone, these filmmakers entertain countless fans, and inspire the next generation.
You can’t talk about horror or action film genres without getting to John Carpenter. Making movies since the 1960s, he has had blockbuster hits on the silver screen and become a fan-favorite with his own brand ofpulpy, tense horrorand over-the-top, explosive action. But what are the best of John Carpenter’s movies throughout the era?
10Dark Star
The Final Frontier
While he was a horror powerhouse, Carpenter was definitely unafraid to take a comedic approach to the dark genre. Movies like Dark Star show that in spades.
Part sci-fi, part comedy, part horror, it follows the crew of a nearly defunct interstellar planet destroyer. The result is an odd movie, but full of Carpenter’s usual influence of somehow diving into the usual tropes of a genre (high-tech computer scenes, a ragtag crew, etc.) and making them his own, this time with a distinct comedic edge. One thatpaved the wayfor other horror/comedies like Shaun of the Dead and Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil.
9Prince Of Darkness
A Hell Of A Ride
The second of Carpenter’s self-named Apocalypse Trilogy, Prince of Darkness is a pulpy take on horror, one that helped solidify Carpenter’s unique style in the genre.
An abandoned church filled with dubious slime is the gateway to hell itself, and Satan is keen on escaping. It’s a plot that only Carpenter could follow through on with an over-the-top religious horror plot, but one he was able to balance without alienating the audience by being critical of the church. Add in Donald Pleasence and even Alice Cooper, and you have quite the mix. Pulp horror may have been big in the 80s, but this was the era that brought horror movies into the mainstream.
The Apocalpse Trilogy also contains The Thing, and Mouth of Madness.
8Elvis
All Shook Up
Some may find it a surprise that Carpenter also tried his hand at a biopic as well, in the form of the 1979 Elvis film. It isn’t the go-to movie people remember him for, but it did show that Carpenter wasn’t afraid to try new things.
The first movie that Kurt Russell, this time as Elvis himself, and Carpenter worked together, beginning a life-long shared passion and friendship between the two that would continue as Russell was the lead in many of Carpenter’s more experimental films. The fact that this film was the first time the duo met makes it well worth this list, but it was far from a bad look at Elvis' life. Unfortunately, it was a made-for-TV title that never saw the silver screen.
7Escape From New York
Don’t Mess With Snake
From time to time, you may really see how Carpenter’s unique style comes out. It does so often in alien and supernatural horror, but also in over-the-top action movies.
Another movie starring Kurt Russell, this time as Snake Plissken, a special forces soldier and all-around cool guy who has to rescue the president of the U.S. from a New York City overrun by criminals and violence. The 80s were full of heavy-hitting action movies, but few pulled out all the stops like Escape From New York does with rabid gangs of thugs chasing the protagonist, and the classic image of the Statue of Liberty’s head lodged in the streets of Manhattan.
6Christine
She’s Real Sensitive
There is a long list of directors who have taken on the challenge of trying to transfer one of Stephen King’s novels into film, and to varying levels of success.
For example, Carpenter had his hand in moving one of King’s dozens of novels in the form of 1983’s Christine. The blood-red ‘58 Plymouth Fury is the star and antagonist of the show. It may not be the most-talked-about King adaptation or Carpenter movie, but it’s a classic in the way of bringing out the off-beat horror that Carpenter has become synonymous with, something that he and King share a passion for in their plots.
5In The Mouth Of Madness
Like The Book?
It’s one thing to make your own stories as a horror filmmaker, it’s another to take on the work of a cornerstone in the horror genre across media. That’s exactly what Carpenter did in this film, loosely based on the work of H.P. Lovecraft’s Mountains of Madness.
Cosmic horror and insanity can be a tough concept for any filmmaker, which is why it’s so impressive how well Carpenter made this movie with a modern twist. It’s set in the modern age, mixed with the popular slasher horror genre to connect to audiences, and then it slowly changes your view of the world around you. Starring Sam Neill, fresh out of Jurassic Park fame, it came out to mixed reviews, but has held up well under scrutiny compared to other takes of Lovecraft’s works.
Sam Neill also went on to play a leading role in another cosmic horror film, Event Horizon, a few years later.
4Big Trouble In Little China
Myth Meets Legend
While a large part of the horror film genre, Carpenter wasn’t opposed tobranching out into other genreshe found interesting, especially ones that were full of action.
Look at Big Trouble in Little China, starring Carpenter’s long-time friend and favored actor Kurt Russell. There’s no horror involved in this mix of New York action and Chinese myth, but it never seems to slow Carpenter at all. Not only was it a pivotal role for Russell, but it also helped show how much range Carpenter really had by being able to switch from movies that would be horror and slasher classics to action movies, especially those with an eastern influence.
3Halloween
Evil Never Dies
Every so often, there comes a movie that becomes a cornerstone of the genre. When it comes to horror, you may’t go for long without noting everything the Halloween series has done for horror fans and films everywhere.
John Carpenter’s Halloween is right up there with the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street series as powerhouses of early horror movies. Carpenter’s legacy was solidified with Michael Myers thanks to solid and creepy sound design, a simplistic slasher character, and a plot that struck deep into the heart of suburbaners everywhere. The acting of Jamie Lee Curtis as the final girl in the series was enough to drive it all home. The torn-up William Shatner mask is now synonymous with horror just as the hockey mask and the knifed-glove are.
2They Live
Obey
Some of Carpenter’s best work is when he mixes genres. They Live sees the professional wrestler Roddy Piper take on an alien invasion thanks to a special set of sunglasses. It’s a twist on the classic alien invasion plot, except they invaded a long time ago and have become the leading group in society.
What follows is part alien horror, part action movie, and part critique of the era of U.S. marketing and politics that Carpenter was living in. Even as a loose satire, the plot doesn’t feel heavy-handed, and you’ll find yourself at the edge of your seat as Piper’s character moves through a world that he no longer recognizes. No matter what facet of the movie draws you in, it’s easilymemorable and quotableafter all this time.
1The Thing
Who Can You Trust?
A movie that solidifies John Carpenter’s legacy as a filmmaker, perhaps more than any other, is The Thing. Not only does it show his expertise in writing and camerawork, but his abilities as a horror icon as well.
Carpenter’s version of arctic horrorsees the balance of friendship and camaraderie break apart when you can’t trust who is who they say they are. The intense sense of dread that suffuses the entirety of the movie is something that a lot of modern horror can’t match. The characters you were introduced to all become as much of a threat as the monster itself. Balance that out with practical effects that people still rave about, and you have a concoction of a film that you’ll never forget watching the first time.
