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John Carpenter

John Carpenter

Highest Rated: 96% 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.

Photos

John Carpenter ESCAPE FROM L.A., John Carpenter, 1996, (c)Paramount IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS, director John Carpenter, on set, 1995. ©New Line Cinema TALES FROM THE SCRIPT, screenwriter John Carpenter, 2009. ©First Run Features TALES FROM THE SCRIPT, screenwriter John Carpenter, 2009. ©First Run Features GHOSTS OF MARS, Ice Cube, director John Carpenter, on set, 2001. (c)Screen Gems JOHN CARPENTER'S VAMPIRES, James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, John Carpenter, 1998. (c)Columbia Pictures VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, director John Carpenter, 1995. (c)MCA/ Courtesy: Everett Eollection. THE FOG, Adrienne Barbeau, John Carpenter, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, 1980, (c) Embassy CHRISTINE, director John Carpenter, on-set, 1983, ©Columbia Pictures / THE THING, director John Carpenter, 1982, (c) Universal ESCAPE FROM L.A., director John Carpenter (l.), 1996, (c)Paramount VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, from left: Christopher Reeve, director John Carpenter, on set, 1995. ©Universal Pictures VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, from left: Kirstie Alley, director John Carpenter, on set, 1995. ©Universal Pictures The Real History of Science Fiction, John Carpenter, 04/19/2014, ©BBCAMERICA THE WARD, director John Carpenter, Amber Heard, on set, 2010. ©ARC Entertainment (II)
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
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
43% 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
30% 27% Village of the Damned Director,
Original Music 		$8.6M 1995
8% 36% Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers Original Music $14.7M 1995
60% 73% In the Mouth of Madness Director,
Original Music 		$8.9M 1995
73% 42% Body Bags Director - 1993
26% 32% Memoirs of an Invisible Man Director $13.4M 1992
39% 53% Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers Original Music $17.9M 1988
86% 80% They Live Director,
Screenwriter,
Original Music 		$12.3M 1988
63% 61% Prince of Darkness Director,
Screenwriter 		$12.9M 1987
74% 82% Big Trouble in Little China Director,
Original Music 		$11.0M 1986
86% 70% Starman Director - 1984
72% 64% Christine Director,
Original Music 		- 1983
84% 92% The Thing Director - 1982
50% 29% Halloween III: Season of the Witch Producer,
Original Music 		- 1982
33% 63% Halloween II Screenwriter,
Producer,
Original Music 		- 1981
88% 77% Escape From New York Director,
Screenwriter,
Music 		- 1981
75% 65% The Fog Director,
Writer,
Original Music 		$69.5K 1980
60% 65% Elvis Director - 1979
88% 49% Someone's Watching Me! Director - 1978
61% 43% Eyes of Laura Mars Screenwriter - 1978
96% 89% Halloween Director,
Writer,
Producer,
Original Music,
Non-Original Music 		$47.5M 1978
96% 80% Assault on Precinct 13 Director,
Screenwriter 		- 1976
72% 65% 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% 72% John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA Guest 2024
No Score Yet 49% The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Guest 2023
18% No Score Yet John Carpenter's Suburban Screams Director 2023
63% 77% Masters of Horror Director 2005-2006