During the late seventies and the entire decade of the eighties, nobody was hotter in the field of horror movies than John Carpenter. As a director, Carpenter put out a body of horror that would include what some people might consider the greatest horror movie of all time, and then followed that with several more hits over the next decade. Here is a look at the John Carpenter directed horror movies from that time period.
Halloween (1978) Few new when this movie hit theaters in 1978 that it would end up being the iconic horror movie of it’s generation. John Carpenter directed this film with an edge had seen before, and even fewer since. The movie is a slasher flick to be sure, but it is so much more. From the haunting music to the genius use of shadows and suspense throughout the movie, Halloween is one movie that John Carpenter hit out of the park. It set the bar extremely high for Carpenter, and he has spent an entire career aspiring to that lofty status.
The Fog (1980) The Fog was a movie that was heavily anticipated as it was billed, “from the director of Halloween” and it had been two years since horror fans had seen Carpenter. When it did hit the theater, fans flocked to it. Unfortunately, it was not the critical hit that he had hoped for. Over time, however, The Fog has become a bit of a cult classic and is much better than given credit for.
The Thing (1982) This movie was the crowning jewel for Carpenter in my opinion. It is one of the scariest horror movies of all time, and is impossible to walk away from. Once you begin watching it, you have to finish it. The Thing is annually voted amongst the top horror movies of all time.
Christine (1983) The Stephen King classic is given the Carpenter treatment and the result is a bit of an awkward vision. The movie is excellent, but it just does not have that Carpenter feel to it. My guess is that he was trying too hard to stick to the script for the sake of King. Just my guess.
Prince of Darkness (1987) Another severely underrated movie, Prince of Darkness is one that you do not want to watch alone. The movie is very violent, and in a very real kind of way. The movie really makes you think about death. Scary from start to finish, Prince of Darkness is a return to the Carpenter that we know and love.
John Carpenter is an icon in the modern horror film genre, and these films are a large reason why. Though he will always be connected with Michael Myers and Halloween, John Carpenter was much better than just one movie. The horror movie genre would not be the same without him.
Image Credited To Flickr User nwistheone
I love “The Thing”. Most people don’t know the movie. It was so original and different from other horror flicks. Carpenter is indeed agenius and I look forward to more movies out of him.
Comment by ClassicMovieFan — July 15, 2009 @ 9:32 pm