An American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor.
An American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor.
Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.
Most films in Carpenter's career were initially commercial and critical failures, with the notable exceptions of Halloween (1978), The Fog (1980), Escape from New York (1981), and Starman (1984).
However, many of Carpenter's films from the 1970s and the 1980s have come to be viewed as cult classics, and he has been acknowledged as an influential filmmaker. Cult classics that Carpenter directed include: Dark Star (1974), Assault on Precinct 13 (1976), The Thing (1982), Christine (1983), Big Trouble in Little China (1986), Prince of Darkness (1987), They Live (1988) and In the Mouth of Madness (1995).
His films are characterized by minimalist lighting and photography, static cameras, use of steadicam, and distinctive synthesized scores. Carpenter is also notable for having composed or co-composed most of the music of his films; some of them are now considered cult as well, with the main theme of Halloween being considered a part of popular culture. His music is generally synthesized with accompaniment from piano and atmospherics. He released his first studio album Lost Themes in 2015, and also won a Saturn Award for Best Music for Vampires (1998).
Carpenter is an outspoken proponent of widescreen filming, and all of his theatrical movies (with the exception of Dark Star and The Ward) were filmed anamorphic with a 2.35:1 or greater aspect ratio. The Ward was shot in Super 35, the first time Carpenter has ever used that system. Carpenter has stated he feels that the 35mm Panavision anamorphic format is "the best movie system there is", preferring it over both digital and 3D film. Many of Carpenter's films have been re-released on DVD as special editions with numerous bonus features.
Carpenter has been the subject of the documentary film John Carpenter: The Man and His Movies, and American Cinematheque's 2002 retrospective of his films. Moreover, in 2006, the United States Library of Congress deemed Halloween to be "culturally significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.
In 2010, writer and actor Mark Gatiss interviewed Carpenter about his career and films for his BBC documentary series A History of Horror. Carpenter appears in all three episodes of the series. He was also interviewed by Robert Rodriguez for his The Director's Chair series on El Rey Network.
Many filmmakers have been influenced by Carpenter, including James Cameron, Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight was heavily influenced by The Thing), Guillermo del Toro, Robert Rodriguez, Edgar Wright, Danny Boyle, Nicolas Winding Refn, Bong Joon-ho, among others.
The video game Dead Space 3 is said to be influenced by Carpenter's The Thing, The Fog and Halloween, and Carpenter has stated that he would be enthusiastic to adapt that series into a feature film.
External links
Filmography (Movies)
In Search of Darkness: 1995-1999
Character:Self
Release Date:19/12/2025
I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:04/12/2025
In Search of Darkness: 1990-1994
Character:Self
Release Date:24/11/2024
Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters
Character:Self
Release Date:31/10/2024
In Search of Darkness: Part III
Character:Self
Release Date:25/11/2022
Halloween in Hollywood
Character:Self
Release Date:01/10/2022
Studio 666
Character:Engineer
Release Date:24/02/2022
In Search of Tomorrow
Character:Self - Interviewee
Release Date:19/02/2022
The History of Metal and Horror
Character:Self
Release Date:17/09/2021
In Search of Darkness: Part II
Character:Self
Release Date:06/10/2020
AGFA Mystery Mixtape #4: Follow Your Own Star
Character:Self
Release Date:14/07/2020
The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:08/04/2020
The Rise of the Synths
Character:Narrator (voice)
Release Date:15/11/2019
1982: Hollywood Summer
Character:Self
Release Date:06/09/2019
In Search of Darkness
Character:Self
Release Date:01/05/2019
Henchman: The Al Leong Story
Character:Self
Release Date:15/12/2018
John Carpenter: Live Retrospective
Character:Self
Release Date:31/10/2018
Dark Glamour: The Blood and Guts of Hammer Productions
Character:Self - Filmmaker
Release Date:06/08/2017
Monstres, l'ennemi de l'intérieur
Character:Self
Release Date:12/05/2017
John Carpenter: Live At Primavera Sound 2016
Character:Self - Keyboards
Release Date:02/06/2016
It Takes a Village: The Making of Village of the Damned
Character:Self
Release Date:12/04/2016
The Puppet Man
Character:The Taxi Driver
Release Date:22/01/2016
Jean-Michel Jarre: A Journey into Sound
Character:Self
Release Date:19/09/2015
Carpenter on Quatermass
Character:Self
Release Date:04/12/2014
Why Horror?
Character:Self
Release Date:03/10/2014
The Birds: Hitchcock's Monster Movie
Character:Self
Release Date:06/11/2012
The Future of Fear
Character:Self
Release Date:25/11/2011
Charlie Brown: Blockhead's Revenge
Character:Self/Host
Release Date:31/10/2011
Scary Girl
Character:
Release Date:31/10/2011
Nightmare Factory
Character:Self
Release Date:27/10/2011
The Original Monster Mash
Character:Self
Release Date:08/10/2011
Let There Be Light: The Odyssey of Dark Star
Character:Himself (voice)
Release Date:26/10/2010
Halloween: The Inside Story
Character:Self
Release Date:25/10/2010
Fasten Your Seatbelt: The Thrilling Art of Alfred Hitchcock
Character:Self
Release Date:24/11/2009
The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style
Character:Self
Release Date:03/11/2009
Nightmares in Red, White and Blue
Character:Self
Release Date:06/08/2009
Monsterland
Character:Self
Release Date:29/03/2009
Tales from the Script
Character:Self
Release Date:10/01/2009
Fantastic Flesh: The Art of Make-Up EFX
Character:Self
Release Date:07/10/2008
Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of Hitchcock
Character:Self
Release Date:07/10/2008
Bernard Herrmann: Hitchcock's Maestro
Character:Self
Release Date:07/10/2008
In the Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy
Character:Self
Release Date:07/10/2008
Partners in Crime: Hitchcock's Collaborators
Character:Self
Release Date:07/10/2008
Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown
Character:Self
Release Date:24/07/2008
Bloodsucking Cinema
Character:Self
Release Date:26/10/2007
Commemoration: Howard Hawks' 'Rio Bravo'
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2007
Big John
Character:Self
Release Date:11/12/2006
Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon
Character:Self
Release Date:14/11/2006
Born to Controversy: The Roddy Piper Story
Character:Self
Release Date:14/11/2006
Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet
Character:Self
Release Date:14/11/2006
Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film
Character:Self
Release Date:13/10/2006
Halloween: 25 Years of Terror
Character:Self
Release Date:26/07/2006
Working with a Master: John Carpenter
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:28/03/2006
Hollywood's Greatest Villains
Character:Self
Release Date:01/12/2005
The Perfect Scary Movie
Character:Self
Release Date:29/10/2005
Snake Plissken: Man of Honor
Character:Self
Release Date:06/06/2005
Hollywood's Creepiest Creatures
Character:Self
Release Date:30/10/2004
Christine: Ignition
Character:Self
Release Date:28/09/2004
Christine: Fast and Furious
Character:Self
Release Date:28/09/2004
Christine: Finish Line
Character:Self
Release Date:28/09/2004
John Carpenter: The Man and His Movies
Character:Self
Release Date:23/03/2004
Return to 'Escape from New York'
Character:Himself
Release Date:16/12/2003
An Opera of Violence
Character:Self - Filmmaker
Release Date:18/11/2003
The Wages of Sin
Character:Self - Filmmaker
Release Date:18/11/2003
Something to Do with Death
Character:Self - Filmmaker
Release Date:18/11/2003
Halloween: A Cut Above the Rest
Character:Self
Release Date:05/08/2003
Do You Remember Laurie Zimmer?
Character:Self (voice)
Release Date:07/03/2003
Scoring Resident Evil
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:15/11/2002
Masters of Horror
Character:Self
Release Date:06/11/2002
Tales from the Mist: Inside 'The Fog'
Character:Self
Release Date:27/08/2002
Red Desert Nights: Making Ghosts of Mars
Character:Self
Release Date:04/12/2001
Hidden Values: The Movies of the Fifties
Character:Self
Release Date:04/09/2001
Dario Argento: An Eye for Horror
Character:Self
Release Date:15/04/2001
Scream and Scream Again: A History of the Slasher Film
Character:Self
Release Date:28/10/2000
Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre
Character:Self
Release Date:01/10/2000
The American Nightmare
Character:Self
Release Date:11/09/2000
Guns for Hire: The Making of 'The Magnificent Seven'
Character:Self
Release Date:13/05/2000
Halloween: Unmasked
Character:Self
Release Date:13/09/1999
The Thing: Terror Takes Shape
Character:Self
Release Date:08/09/1998
After Sunset: The Life & Times of the Drive-In Theater
Character:Self
Release Date:29/09/1995
Village of the Damned
Character:Man at Gas Station Phone
Release Date:28/04/1995
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
Character:Self
Release Date:22/05/1994
The Silence of the Hams
Character:Trenchcoat Man / Gimp
Release Date:11/03/1994
Body Bags
Character:Coroner
Release Date:08/08/1993
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Character:Helicopter Pilot
Release Date:28/02/1992
Fear in the Dark
Character:Self
Release Date:29/10/1991
Horror Cafe
Character:Self
Release Date:11/04/1990
First Works
Character:Self
Release Date:10/10/1989
Stephen King's World of Horror
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1989
They Live
Character:Voice That Says 'Sleep' (voice) (uncredited)
Release Date:04/11/1988
The Making of 'They Live'
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1988
The Boy Who Could Fly
Character:The Coupe de Villes
Release Date:15/08/1986
Big Trouble in Little China
Character:Worker in Chinatown (uncredited)
Release Date:30/05/1986
Stephen King's World of Horror
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1986
Starman
Character:Man in Helicopter (uncredited)
Release Date:13/12/1984
The Thing
Character:Norwegian (video footage) (uncredited)
Release Date:25/06/1982
The Making of 'The Thing'
Character:Self
Release Date:09/06/1982
Take One: Fear on Film
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1982
Escape from New York
Character:Secret Service #2 / Helicopter Pilot / Violin Player
Release Date:23/05/1981
The Fog
Character:Bennett
Release Date:01/02/1980
Fear on Film: Inside 'The Fog'
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1980
Bringing A Legend To Life
Character:Himself
Release Date:10/03/1979
Halloween
Character:Paul (voice) / Michael Myers (uncredited)
Release Date:24/10/1978
Assault on Precinct 13
Character:Gang Member (uncredited)
Release Date:08/10/1976
Dark Star
Character:Talby Voice
Release Date:30/03/1974
Television Appearances
John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in L.A.
Character:Self
Amityville: An Origin Story
Character:Self
Charles Band’s Full Moon Freakshow
Character:
The Movies That Made Us
Character:Self (Archival Footage)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Character:Self
Track Stories
Character:Self
The Director's Chair
Character:Self
The Real History of Science Fiction
Character:Self
A History of Horror
Character: Self
100 Scariest Movie Moments
Character:Self
Through the Night with...
Character:Self
100 Years of Horror
Character:Self - Interview
The Rifleman
Character:
Images
