Directing
John Carpenter
EN, KO, PT, FR cinema · 164 credits
Born
16 January 1948 (age 78)
Birthplace
Carthage, New York, USA
Also known as Martin Quatermass · Frank Armitage · John T. Chance · Rip Haight · John Howard Carpenter · ジョン・カーペンター
An American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction. Most films in Carpenter's career were initially commercial and critical failures, with the notable exceptions of Halloween (1978), The Fog (1980), Escape from New York (1981), and Starman (1984). However, many of Carpenter's films from the 1970s and the 1980s have come to be viewed as cult classics, and he has been acknowledged as an influential filmmaker. Cult classics that Carpenter directed include: Dark Star (1974), Assault on Precinct 13 (1976), The Thing (1982), Christine (1983), Big Trouble in Little China (1986), Prince of Darkness (1987), They Live (1988) and In the Mouth of Madness (1995). His films are characterized by minimalist lighting and photography, static cameras, use of steadicam, and distinctive synthesized scores. Carpenter is also notable for having composed or co-composed most of the music of his films; some of them are now considered cult as well, with the main theme of Halloween being considered a part of popular culture. His music is generally synthesized with accompaniment from piano and atmospherics. He released his first studio album Lost Themes in 2015, and also won a Saturn Award for Best Music for Vampires (1998). Carpenter is an outspoken proponent of widescreen filming, and all of his theatrical movies (with the exception of Dark Star and The Ward) were filmed anamorphic with a 2.35:1 or greater aspect ratio. The Ward was shot in Super 35, the first time Carpenter has ever used that system. Carpenter has stated he feels that the 35mm Panavision anamorphic format is "the best movie system there is", preferring it over both digital and 3D film. Many of Carpenter's films have been re-released on DVD as special editions with numerous bonus features. Carpenter has been the subject of the documentary film John Carpenter: The Man and His Movies, and American Cinematheque's 2002 retrospective of his films. Moreover, in 2006, the United States Library of Congress deemed Halloween to be "culturally significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. In 2010, writer and actor Mark Gatiss interviewed Carpenter about his career and films for his BBC documentary series A History of Horror. Carpenter appears in all three episodes of the series. He was also interviewed by Robert Rodriguez for his The Director's Chair series on El Rey Network. Many filmmakers have been influenced by Carpenter, including James Cameron, Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight was heavily influenced by The Thing), Guillermo del Toro, Robert Rodriguez, Edgar Wright, Danny Boyle, Nicolas Winding Refn, Bong Joon-ho, among others. The video game Dead Space 3 is said to be influenced by Carpenter's The Thing, The Fog and Halloween, and Carpenter has stated that he would be enthusiastic to adapt that series into a feature film.
Known for
Filmography
서울 배경의 공포 액션
Untitled Bong Joon-ho Horror Film
Original Music Composer
Escape from New York
Escape from New York
Executive Producer, Original Film Writer
Carpenter
as Self (archive footage), Original Film Writer
I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not
as Self (archive footage)
The Spot
Thanks
Studio 666
as Engineer, Music
In Search of Tomorrow
as Self - Interviewee
Halloween Ends
Original Music Composer, Characters, Executive Producer
Firestarter
Original Music Composer
John Carpenter Live: Behind the Scenes
Original Music Composer, Executive Producer
Prince of Darkness
Original Film Writer
Halloween Kills
Original Music Composer, Characters, Executive Producer
The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
as (archive footage)
Valley of the Dead
Additional Music
The Rise of the Synths
as Narrator (voice)
Halloween
Executive Producer, Characters, Original Music Composer
Dark Glamour: The Blood and Guts of Hammer Productions
as Self - Filmmaker
The Puppet Man
as The Taxi Driver, Music
John Carpenter: Live At Primavera Sound 2016
as Self - Keyboards
Why Horror?
as Self
Halloween: Existence
Characters
Charlie Brown: Blockhead's Revenge
as Self/Host
The Ward
Director
Let There Be Light: The Odyssey of Dark Star
as Himself (voice)
Monsterland
as Self
Halloween II
Characters
Halloween
Original Film Writer, Characters
Working with a Master: John Carpenter
as Self (archive footage)
Big John
as Self
Pro-Life
Director
Cigarette Burns
Director
The Fog
Producer, Original Film Writer
Assault on Precinct 13
Original Film Writer
An Opera of Violence
as Self - Filmmaker
Do You Remember Laurie Zimmer?
as Self (voice)
The Wages of Sin
as Self - Filmmaker
Something to Do with Death
as Self - Filmmaker
Scoring "Resident Evil"
as Self (archive footage)
Vampires: Los Muertos
Music, Executive Producer
Halloween: Resurrection
Characters
Ghosts of Mars
Director, Original Music Composer, Writer
Silent Predators
Teleplay
Vampires
Director, Original Music Composer
Caged In
Thanks
Escape from L.A.
Original Music Composer, Characters, Director, Screenplay
Village of the Damned
as Man at Gas Station Phone, Director, Original Music Composer
In the Mouth of Madness
Director, Original Music Composer
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers
Characters, Main Title Theme Composer
The Silence of the Hams
as Trenchcoat Man / Gimp
Body Bags
as Coroner, Original Music Composer, Director, Executive Producer
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
as Helicopter Pilot, Director
Fear in the Dark
as Self
Blood River
Writer
Horror Cafe
as Self
El Diablo
Writer
First Works
as Self
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers
Main Title Theme Composer, Characters
They Live
as Voice That Says 'Sleep' (voice) (uncredited), Original Music Composer, Screenplay, Director
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
Main Title Theme Composer, Characters
Prince of Darkness
Director, Original Music Composer, Screenplay
The Boy Who Could Fly
as The Coupe de Villes
Big Trouble in Little China
as Worker in Chinatown (uncredited), Director, Original Music Composer
Black Moon Rising
Screenplay, Story, Executive Producer
Starman
as Man in Helicopter (uncredited), Director
The Philadelphia Experiment
Executive Producer
Christine
Original Music Composer, Director
The Thing
as Norwegian (video footage) (uncredited), Director, Additional Music
Halloween III: Season of the Witch
Producer, Original Music Composer
Escape from New York
as Secret Service #2 / Helicopter Pilot / Violin Player, Original Music Composer, Screenplay, Director
Halloween II
Producer, Screenplay, Original Music Composer
The Fog
as Bennett, Original Music Composer, Screenplay, Director
Elvis
Director
Halloween
as Paul (voice) / Michael Myers (uncredited), Screenplay, Original Music Composer, Director, Producer
Someone's Watching Me!
Director, Writer
Zuma Beach
Writer
Eyes of Laura Mars
Screenplay, Story
Assault on Precinct 13
as Gang Member (uncredited), Director, Writer, Editor, Original Music Composer
Dark Star
as Talby Voice, Screenplay, Director, Producer, Original Music Composer, Original Story
The Stationmaster
Music, Musician
The Resurrection of Broncho Billy
Music, Writer, Editor
Captain Voyeur
Director, Writer, Producer
Good Morning, Dan
Camera Operator