Pretty much the undisputed Master of Horror, John Carpenter is, like Wes Craven, responsible for some of the spooky genre’s most iconic entries. His filmography isn’t completely stocked with winners, but what director’s is? That filmography consists of 18 theatrical feature films, and, without a doubt, it was a filmography of diminishing returns. The last seven movies are nowhere near as well-regarded as those that preceded them, but even in those final films, there’s that distinctly Carpenter touch that makes them something special. And, of course, there are the soundtracks that far more often than not he supplies.
Speaking of Carpenter’s music, he’s still very active in that medium today. Will Carpenter ever direct another film? One hopes, but considering The Ward was 15 years ago, it seems decreasingly likely. It would be great, though, because The Ward is one of two films of his (including Memoirs of an Invisible Man) that in no way feel like one of his. We Carpenter fans need a better swan song, one that would rank with his best. Or, in other words, the films that follow.
10) Vampires
When it comes to later years Carpenter, Vampires stands above Ghosts of Mars and Village of the Damned, but it shares some of their problems, too. Though, with those two films, there was a case of excellent set-up followed by a flatline whereas, here, there’s a pretty decent execution of that set-up.
Vampires‘ ace in the hole (and the reason it’s here instead of Starman), though, is James Woods, who is having an absolute ball as vampire hunter Jack Crow. His extremely vocal and often controversial political vocalizations may have gotten him essentially blacklisted by Hollywood at this point, but Woods was always one of the more charismatic perpetually serious actors on the block. Here he gets to have fun, and it works.
9) Prince of Darkness
The second entry of Carpenter’s so-called Apocalypse Trilogy (which, in spite of its apocalyptic vibes, does not include They Live), Prince of Darkness isn’t the masterpiece The Thing is, but it’s quite a bit more effective than the subsequent In the Mouth of Madness. But, it shares the same core problem as In the Mouth of Madness.
Specifically, Prince of Darkness can be a bit overstuffed and ambitious for its own good. The difference comes down to execution. Many Carpenter aficionados agree that, like many of his films, In the Mouth of Madness starts off far better than it ends. If there’s any example of a movie of his where it really falls off in the third act, that’s it. Prince of Darkness, however, starts a bit slow and improves as it progresses. The despair-laden ending is the best part, so once the credits roll, you’re left with a better taste in your mouth.
Rent Prince of Darkness on Prime Video.
8) Big Trouble in Little China
Oft referenced by more modern pop culture touchstones such as It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Big Trouble in Little China is arguably Carpenter’s definitive cult film. For the most part, either you love it or you hate it. There aren’t many folks out there who fall in the middle.
But even Big Trouble in Little China‘s detractors have to admit that it’s a wholly unique film. There’s really nothing else out there quite like it, even after decades of subsequent cinema history. That alone has substantial merit, even if its tone isn’t always the most accessible thing in the world. With wacky imagery, an iconic magic-fueled alley fight, and Kurt Russell at his most charming, Big Trouble in Little China is a winner, even if it takes a few viewings to fully recognize that.
Stream Big Trouble in Little China on Prime Video.
7) Christine
One of only two Stephen King movies to ever be released at Christmastime, Christine wasn’t the blockbuster Carpenter needed after the financial failure of The Thing, but it did all right for itself. And, in time, it has been correctly recognized as one of the better King adaptations.
The key to its success comes down to casting (and, per usual, the music). John Stockwell and Alexandra Paul are charming in the protagonist roles, but in the end, this is Keith Gordon’s movie. It’s tough to call his Arnie Cunningham a true antagonist, it’s more the 1958 Plymouth Fury he’s driving that is the antagonist, but Gordon nails his character’s justifiable anger just as much as he nails every other emotion. And Cunningham is a character who goes through a lot of different emotions. Gordon makes you believe every step of his transformation.
Rent Christine on Prime Video.
6) Assault on Precinct 13
With just his second film, Carpenter showed himself to be a filmmaker with some guts. Assault on Precinct 13 is an intense movie, yet even though it features a little girl getting gunned down next to an ice cream truck in the first act, it never crosses the line into unpleasantness.
It’s an action film first, but even before he officially moved into horror with Halloween, one can feel his proclivity for that genre here. Precinct 13 is grim and claustrophobic, with an ingenious core concept and top-notch performances from Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, and Carpenter favorites Charles Cyphers and Nancy Kyes.
Stream Assault on Precinct 13 on Prime Video.
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5) The Fog
Carpenter had to follow Halloween up with something, so he went with a ghost story. Is The Fog perfect? Not at all. Some of it doesn’t even make sense (e.g. how the corpse gets up from the autopsy table). But, in terms of possessing that tone that is distinctively his, it is absolutely peak early Carpenter.
Many of his cast favorites are here, and some of them were never used better. This is especially true of Adrienne Barbeau, who is dynamite in the lead role of Stevie Wayne. The main flaw of The Fog is that there just isn’t enough of it. At an hour and 29 minutes, the viewer wants more right as the credits are winding up to roll. But, if there’s any complaint about a film that’s actually a compliment, it’s that it isn’t long enough. And there’s an argument to be made that this is Carpenter’s best score outside Halloween. For proof, just listen to the up-tempo theme that plays over Andy Wayne’s run across the beach.
Watch The Fog on Prime Video.
4) They Live
The latter half of Carpenter’s filmography consists of exactly one great film and that film is They Live. Bolstered by a great central performance from the late Roddy Piper, featuring the best fist fight in movie history, and equipped with a genuinely surprising betrayal in the final minutes, it’s a blast of a movie.
More importantly, though, They Live is Carpenter’s smartest movie, hands down. An incisive and biting attack on commercialism, it’s not a movie that pulls its punches. Carpenter managed to craft a goofy action-horror flick around some really pointed ideas, and it’s impressive.
Rent They Live on Prime Video.
3) Escape from New York
Escape from New York is influential even over 40 years later, with talks of a remake or legacy sequel popping up frequently. It is essential Carpenter. For one, most of his casting favorites are here. Donald Pleasence, Adrienne Barbeau, Christine‘s Harry Dean Stanton, Charles Cyphers, Buck Flower, and Tom Atkins are all here. But it’s Isaac Hayes and, especially, Kurt Russell (Carpenter’s top leading man) who steal the show. As for Hayes, The Duke is the best character he has ever played outside Chef in South Park. When it comes to Russell, even with such a storied and lengthy career, Snake Plissken is the character with which he’s most associated. And rightly so.
Escape from New York also benefits from the apocalyptic tone that Assault on Precinct 13 carried to an extent and They Live, Prince of Darkness, and In the Mouth of Madness carried in full. Furthermore, like Halloween and The Fog before it, Escape from New York comes equipped with an absolute A+ soundtrack by Carpenter. Like the movie that surrounds it, the music is wildly different than those two horror classics, but it’s every bit as memorable.
Stream Escape from New York on fuboTV.
2) Halloween
Carpenter’s breakthrough movie didn’t just give birth to a long-running slasher franchise, it inspired any number of similar films, from Friday the 13th and The Burning to Valentine and Scream. Halloween was and remains the true start of the slasher subgenre, even more than the earlier Psycho and Peeping Tom.
But what it really is, more than a slasher film, is a thriller. It’s subtle, methodical in crafting its scares. Michael Myers feels like he’s in the room with the characters (and you, the viewer) at all times. Quite often he is, or close by, peering into the window in the background, but not always. The original Halloween is best viewed as a one-off. The reason for this is that you’re not looking at Michael Myers as the unkillable center of a massive franchise, you’re looking at him as just a man who broke out of a mental health clinic. Now he’s come home and he’s stalking the first group of teens he saw. There’s no rhyme or reason, no real emotion behind it, he’s just there.
Stream Halloween on fuboTV.
1) The Thing
Like Blade Runner and The Shining, Carpenter’s The Thing was a film that, at the time, underperformed commercially and wasn’t properly appreciated by critics. And, since its time of release, it has gone on to be seen by many as a perfect film. And it truly is that.
An ingenious work that holds immense power no matter how many times it’s rewatched, The Thing is terrifying, engrossing, and entertaining in equal measure. Perhaps just as important as all that, though, is the fact it displays the single most impressive display of horrific practical effects in the genre’s history.
Rent The Thing on Prime Video.
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