Week 33: “The Horror Films of John Carpenter”
John Carpenter is a name synonymous with horror. There is not a horror fan out there that
doesn’t know this name and the importance that he has had on the genre and on
generations that have grown up watching his films. It has been a while since Carpenter has
released a new film (2010’s The Ward)
so what better time to look back at the horrors he has concocted than Halloween
where I’m sure many people sit down to enjoy one of his finest films which is
the original Halloween (1978).
Growing up Halloween
was one of my favorite and most influential horror films. I was not only a Halloween fan but a Michael
Myers fan as well. This film is the
reason why I love slasher films so much.
Myers is the iconic slasher whose life has gone through some amazing
changes due to the talented hands that have crafted the stories and films
throughout the years. Carpenter was the
first to impress audiences upon his idea of what the Boogeyman was and for many
it endures to this day. Michael Myers is
the “real” Boogeyman and that is because Carpenter made him so.
In 1980 he would unleash his next major horror film which is
The Fog. Now, this is one of Carpenter’s creepiest
films because it’s all about mood and atmosphere and what you don’t see rather
than what you do see since everything is shrouded in the mist and fog. This was also more terrifying for me because
I identified with the young child being chased by the fog (since I was so young
when I first saw the film). This film is
suspenseful and terrifying from beginning to end as audiences are placed in the
tropes of a ghost story that the characters are trapped in. I still love this movie today but for
different reasons as I now know all the actors by name and love watching them
crew the scenery as only they can in a Carpenter film. Who doesn’t love watching Jamie Lee Curtis, Adrienne
Barbeau, Janet Leigh, Tom Atkins, Charles Cyphers, John Houseman, and Hal
Holbrook, to name a few. This is one of
the best movies of the ‘80s.
As much as I love the previous two films Carpenter’s most
realized and affecting film is ‘82’s The
Thing. This is a dark and
unforgiving film that is claustrophobic yet provides one of the best ensemble
casts of any of Carpenter’s films. There
is not a flaw in this film unless you think the film is too violent and too
depressing which it is but that is the beauty of the film. It is bleak and a socially conscious powder
keg of a film where no one can trust their friends not themselves. This is my favorite Carpenter film. He was never at the top of his game as much
as when he crafted this film. With the
exception of the musical score, this is pure Carpenter. If there is one film that I tell people to
see above all other Carpenter films this is it.
In ’83 Carpenter would put his own spin on a Stephen King
novel with his adaptation on Christine. This is a fun and entertaining film but was
never one of my favorites. Until I was
able to fully appreciate Carpenter’s entire career, this was the film (growing
up) that I always forgot he directed.
The style and execution of this film is pure Carpenter but I always
thought that this film was one that could’ve been directed by anyone and it
still would have been effective. The most
important aspect of this film for me is the soundtrack with the excellent choice
of music (which I believe has more to do with inspirations from King’s novel
but since I haven’t read this novel yet I can’t be 100 percent). I actually haven’t seen this film in quite
some time because when I’m in a Carpenter mood, this is never the film that I
pull out but in terms of films based on King’s novels this is one of my
favorites.
1987 saw the release of another one of my all-time favorite
Carpenter films which is Prince of
Darkness. By the time ’87 came
around I knew the name “John Carpenter” because his name was always above the
title of the film. This film about the
resurrection of Satan by way science is one of the smartest horror films ever
crafted which is both moody and atmospheric as well as suspenseful and
terrifying. Carpenter is working on all
cylinders here as he captures the tone and mood of dread of his original Halloween while also capturing the
comedy of Big Trouble in Little China
and the science and dread of The Thing
while continuing to be technically above many of his contemporaries. The cinematography in this film is magic as
is musical score. This is not nearly as
disturbing as The Thing which has
turned people away but not simply seen as a “simple” slasher film like Halloween either so this film inhabits a
strange place on Carpenter’s resume.
In ’94 my “guilty pleasure” Carpenter film is released which
is In The Mouth of Madness. I think with this film Carpenter is having a
lot of fun and everything is on board with him.
This film has the perfect mix of established and character actors with
Sam Neill, Jurgen Prochnow, Julie Carmen, David Warner, John Glover, Bernie
Casey, Frances Bay and Charlton Heston.
This is a cast that shouldn’t work but does. Despite the controversy of the film’s
monsters and violence being cut, the film actually works better for not showing
the monsters in full glory (like those seen in The Thing). I think that
showing the monsters would have destroyed the integrity of the story being told
which is about a man going mad due to what he sees or what he thinks he
sees. This also happened to be the very
first Carpenter film I ever saw on the big screen so it holds a special place
for me.
Vampires was released
in ’98. This is a film I really had high
hopes for because James Woods was the star (which I’ve always thought is one of
the best actors of his generation).
Unfortunately, after a really stellar first half of the film it soon
falls apart the moment Wood’s team of vampire hunters are all massacred. It becomes a less interesting film from then
on despite Woods doing his best to hold it all together. That and the fact that I’ve never been a big
fan of vampire films put this on the bottom of my list of favorite Carpenter
films. Surprisingly, I do believe that
this is one of the few Carpenter films that I believe would work better as a
television series where the story could be opened up (as long as all the
violence is kept intact).
Carpenter’s most recent horror film The Ward is held less together by Carpenter’s talents and more by
the performance of Amber Heard who holds the film together. It is a slow burning psychological film which
is contrary to most of his previous films unless you look back at The Fog which it has a lot in common
with in terms of mood and atmosphere. I
enjoy this film and recognize that it’s not one of his strongest horror films
but it is effective for the story it is trying to tell.
Carpenter has had a long and illustrious career and has
provided generations with countless nightmares and for this his films and his
name will endure. I grew up watching (and
re-watching) his films and will continue to do so as I pass off my love of his
films to new audiences.
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