Examining John Carpenter’s Horror Legacy

“The reasons I got into it in the beginning were very pure. I was driven by a creative urge to be a part of Hollywood and to make my mark in the movies”-John Carpenter

Carpenter‘s debut feature came in the form of science-fiction comedy “Dark Star” (1974). Together with Alien co-writer Dan O’Bannon, the two fledgling filmmakers multi-tasked their way through the whole shoot while both were students at the University of Southern California. While this caused a difficult shoot which was only made worse by a shoestring budget, Dark Star gained both filmmakers recognition in Hollywood.

Gaining notoriety for his ability to make quality films on low budgets, Carpenter was approached about making an exploitation movie for under $100,000. The result was “Assault on Precinct 13” (1976), about a community that’s become overrun with gang warfare, and the desperate police chief’s best line of defense is a convicted murderer. Originally turning in a lackluster performance at the box office, Assault has since been regarded as one of the best action films of its time, and one of Carpenter’s best works. The film is also memorable for Carpenter’s minimal score (which he composed on a synthesizer).

Carpenter’s reign at the top of the box office charts began with the release of “Halloween” (1978). Once again given a small budget to work with ($325,000) Carpenter wore many hats during the production, writing, directing and scoring the film. Carpenter recruited his longtime girlfriend Debra Hill to produce and co-write the film. The film’s financiers wanted someone with star power to perform in the film, and Hammer horror veteran Christopher Lee was originally offered the role of psychologist Dr. Sam Loomis. Lee turned the role down, and former James Bond villain Donald Pleasance stepped in to perform the role. The film featured two notable nods to “Psycho:” one is the name of Sam Loomis (a name taken from a character in “Psycho”) and the other is the casting choice of Jamie Lee Curtis (who was the daughter of actress Janet Leigh, who was slain in the shower sequence of “Psycho”).

The release of Halloween marked a turning point in the horror genre. It cemented the “slasher-film” formula. Even though little happens in the film, Carpenter’s minimal score once again helped “Halloween” become one of the most successful independent movies ever.

Carpenter’s next major film was another horror film. “The Fog” (1980) turned out to be one of the most difficult shoots of John Carpenter’s career. After filming the entire movie, the director was unhappy with the finished product and ordered reshoots and new scenes be added. Even with this difficulty, The Fog was released to both critical and commercial success.

Carpenter returned to the realm of horror with the stunning movie “The Thing” (1982). Despite having innovative special effects and a great cast, The Thing turned out to be the first financial failure for the director. This caused an initial offer to direct Stephen King’s “Firestarter” to be pulled from the table. Not to be deterred, Carpenter answered back the next year by directing another Stephen King vehicle (if you’ll pardon the awful pun) “Christine” (1983), about a homicidal ‘57 Plymouth Fury. This release saw much more positive responses.

Carpenter’s last major box office success came in the form of “Starman” (1984), a science fiction romance that was nominated for several awards. This was followed by the release of “Big Trouble in Little China” (1986). Even though this action flick has become a cult classic over time, it initially failed at the box office.This failure caused Carpenter to focus more on indie filmmaking. It was during this time that “Prince of Darkness” (1987) and “They Live” (1988) were released. Both films were mostly panned upon their release, but like much of John Carpenter’s work, they have become underrated cult classics.

After a string of commercial and critical failures through the 90’s and early 2000’s, Carpenter came back with a couple episodes of the television series Masters of Horror. His final trip to the box office came in 2010 with the release of The Ward. This final horror outing received a lukewarm reception at best. Carpenter was also recently profile on The Director’s Chair program on Robert Rodriguez’s new El Rey Network (click here for listings). While his career has been full of ups and downs, John Carpenter’s legacy as a Master of Horror remains strongly intact.