The Films of John Carpenter

by John Kenneth Muir

The films of John Carpenter cover a tremendous range and yet all bear his clear personal stamp. From the horrifying (Halloween) to the touching (Starman) to the controversial (The Thing) to the comic (Big Trouble in Little China), his films reflect a unique approach to filmmaking and singular views of humanity and American culture.

This analysis of Carpenter's films includes a historical overview of his career, and in-depth entries on each of his films, from 1975's Dark Star to 1998's Vampires. Complete cast and production information is provided for each. The book also covers those films written and produced by Carpenter, such as Halloween II and Black Moon Rising, as well as Carpenter's work for television. Appendices are included on films Carpenter was offered but turned down, the slasher films that followed in the wake of the highly-successful Halloween, the actors and characters who make repeated appearances in Carpenter's films, and ratings for Carpenter's work. Notes, bibliography, and index are included.

Genres: Film, Media Tie In, Nonfiction

277 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

John Kenneth Muir (born 1969) is an American literary critic. He has written as of 2023 thirty two books, many in the fields of film and television, with a particular accent on the horror and science fiction genres. He has been described as one of the horror genre's "most widely read critics", and as an "accomplished film journalist". He is the creator of the 2023 audio drama Enter the House Between, as well as the new novellas based on the series.

Reviews

[Ryan Splenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's wonderful to see a film criticism book devoted to one of the greatest "masters of horror," John Carpenter. Although I just pigeonholed him into that specific genre, we must also thank him for numerous sci-fi (Escape From New York, Starman) and action/adventure (Assault on Precinct 13, They Live) works as well. John Muir passionately defends Carpenter's standing as an auteur, and ultimately finds some positive aspect in all of his films (including the duds). Two key things stand out in this work: 1. John Carpenter is a huge fan of Howard Hawks and the Western genre. Muir skillfully argues this by pointing out many examples of Carpenter's use of the standard Western conventions used in his movies - just within the horror/sci fi context. 2. Muir was one of the early adopters in recognizing the positives and strengths in underrated films like The Fog, Prince of Darkness, They Live, and even The Thing! Muir deserves some credit for thoroughly analyzing these works and bringing them the much deserved credit that they deserve!

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Took me a while to read through this, as it's both dated (originally published prior to GHOSTS OF MARS) and a fairly surface-level recounting of Carpenter's filmography.

Here's what the films are, here's what critics thought of them at the time, here's what the author thinks, etc. And it's fine, it's exactly the kind of reference book I like to page through when I'm listening to music or something, but the definitive book on Carpenter has yet to be written.

[David Keep · Rating 3 out of 5]

When it was good it was very good

A patchy look at a personal favourite of mine but flawed. The book only goes as far as 1998 and, while Carpenter has done little since, the lack of an update is a shame as is the omission of Elvis. The rest of the book is beautifully written and insightful

[Daniel Gaddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very much like reading a high school textbook. Good information, but a little formulaic.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly exhuastive look at Carpenter's films up to 2000. Often brilliant.

[Carlos Marin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decente no es suficiente.

[Drew · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a let down. I'm a huge John Carpenter fan, but obviously not as much of a fan as the author. This book read like a combination of IMDB, Wikipedia and a rabid Carpenter fan. If I hadn't seen any other movies but Carpenters, or none at all, I'd walk away from this book thinking that all that came before Carpenter was weaker than his take and that everything good that followed in motion pictures was derivative of, or worse, than Carpenter's films. The only films he disliked, but still found sympathy for, were Village of the Damned and Vampires. I actually liked Vampires, but I'm a sucker for a vamp flick (pun intended).

I have to say something good about the book, so I will say I like his ratings of all the John Carpenter movies in Appendix E. His top three are my top three but in a slightly different order. He chooses The Thing, then Halloween, then Assault on Precinct 13. I'd move Assault on Precinct 13 to the first slot, pushing the others down one.

If I had to assign one word to this book, I'd choose hagiography. I recommend people stick to IMDB and Wikipedia for background on Carpenter's films. For the rest, please just watch the movies. They are special.

[Jilles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Walking down memory lane when John Carpenter was a name to be reckoned with and his new movie like Escape from New York and The thing was something to look forward too.

[m. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent overview of Carpenter's films up until, and including, Vampires, giving each one a thorough examination and fitting it within the wider context of Carpenter's work.