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John Carpenter

Highest Rated: 97% Halloween (1978)

Lowest Rated: 4% The Fog (2005)

Birthday: Jan 16, 1948

Birthplace: Carthage, New York, USA

For most of his life, John Carpenter had been directing films. Surrounded by artistic influences ever since he was young - his father was an accomplished violinist and his mother routinely took him to movies - Carpenter naturally made the transition from childhood experimenter, to film student, to finally, professional director. Unexpected, however, was his making one the most important horror films ever in "Halloween" (1978), a chilling tale of a serial killer terrorizing a small town that was shot for a mere $300,000 and became one of the most profitable films of all time. Without stars, special effects or visible gore - there was nary a drop of blood on screen - "Halloween" launched Carpenter's career, while spawning untold numbers of imitators, no less than six direct sequels, and one (awful) remake. Though he went on to direct other seminal films - "Escape from New York" (1981), "Christine" (1983) and "Big Trouble In Little China" (1986) - Carpenter was forever remembered for creating a new horror subgenre - the slasher flick - that has often been imitated, but never duplicated.

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Highest rated movies

97% 89% Halloween Watchlist
96% 80% Assault on Precinct 13
Watchlist
88% 59% Someone's Watching Me!
Watchlist
87% 80% They Live Watchlist
86% 77% Escape From New York
Watchlist
86% 70% Starman
Watchlist
85% 92% The Thing
Watchlist
79% 72% Halloween Watchlist
76% 65% The Fog
Watchlist
73% 47% Body Bags
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Death of a Unicorn Original Music - 2025
40% 57% Halloween Ends Executive Producer $64.0M 2022
39% 66% Halloween Kills Executive Producer,
Original Music
$92.0M 2021
79% 72% Halloween Executive Producer,
Original Music
$159.5M 2018
33% 26% The Ward Director - 2010
No Score Yet 83% Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown Unknown (Character) - 2008
No Score Yet 38% Bloodsucking Cinema Unknown (Character) - 2007
No Score Yet 74% Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film Self - 2006
4% 19% The Fog Writer,
Producer
$29.5M 2005
60% 48% Assault on Precinct 13 Writer $19.9M 2005
20% 38% John Carpenter's Vampires: Los Muertos Executive Producer - 2002
10% 24% Halloween: Resurrection Writer $30.3M 2002
23% 25% John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars Director,
Writer,
Original Music
$8.4M 2001
67% 74% American Nightmare Self - 2000
56% 49% Halloween H20: 20 Years Later Writer,
Original Music
$55.0M 1998
44% 47% John Carpenter's Vampires Director,
Original Music
$20.2M 1998
54% 39% John Carpenter's Escape From L.A. Director,
Writer,
Original Music
$25.5M 1996
28% 28% Village of the Damned Director,
Original Music
$8.6M 1995
8% 36% Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers Original Music $14.7M 1995
59% 74% In the Mouth of Madness Director,
Original Music
$8.9M 1995
73% 47% Body Bags Director,
Executive Producer
- 1993
28% 33% Memoirs of an Invisible Man Director $13.4M 1992
39% 54% Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers Original Music $17.9M 1988
87% 80% They Live Director,
Screenwriter,
Original Music
$12.3M 1988
63% 61% Prince of Darkness Director,
Screenwriter
$12.9M 1987
43% 25% Black Moon Rising Screenwriter,
Executive Producer
$3.4M 1986
73% 82% Big Trouble in Little China Director,
Original Music
$11.0M 1986
86% 70% Starman Director - 1984
50% 40% The Philadelphia Experiment Executive Producer - 1984
72% 64% Christine Director,
Original Music
- 1983
85% 92% The Thing Director - 1982
51% 30% Halloween III: Season of the Witch Producer,
Original Music
- 1982
34% 63% Halloween II Screenwriter,
Producer,
Original Music
- 1981
86% 77% Escape From New York Director,
Screenwriter,
Music
- 1981
76% 65% The Fog Director,
Writer,
Original Music
$69.5K 1980
67% 65% Elvis Director - 1979
88% 59% Someone's Watching Me! Director - 1978
61% 43% Eyes of Laura Mars Screenwriter - 1978
97% 89% Halloween Director,
Writer,
Producer,
Original Music,
Non-Original Music
$47.5M 1978
96% 80% Assault on Precinct 13 Director,
Screenwriter,
Film Editing,
Original Music
- 1976
73% 64% Dark Star Director,
Writer,
Producer,
Original Music
- 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet Last Foxtrot in Burbank Film Editing - 1973
No Score Yet 50% Resurrection of Broncho Billy Writer - 1970

TV

Credit
83% 77% John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA Guest 2024
No Score Yet 48% The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Guest 2023
18% No Score Yet John Carpenter's Suburban Screams Director 2023
63% 80% Masters of Horror Director 2005-2006