TOP TEN JOHN CARPENTER FILMS
John Carpenter is probably my all time favorite film director, not just of the horror genre but in all of cinema. First off, the subject matter of his films were the initial draw. I love horror films and back when I was first making my way through horror, his movies seemed of a higher quality and more suspenseful than many of the rest. I was young and just starting to discover directors and following specific director's films.
I tried many directors going for the most obvious first like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. And while many of these films helped shape my love of cinema, it was John Carpenter's films that really got me. It was in his films that I discovered the value of widescreen (remember this was back in the VHS full screen days) and the art cinematography. I first began noticing the framing of the shots in John Carpenter's films and how it could be used to enhance the narrative and viewing experience. It was more than just pointing the camera.
Then I discovered John Carpenter was doing more than just directing. I was seeing his name credited for writing, producing, editing, and music. One of the first aspects of his films that struck me were the film scores. I learned how to play the Halloween Theme on the piano because I loved it so much. I credit John Carpenter for starting my love affair with film scores. And of course, the writing. Ultimately what was compelling me to watch these films were the stories. They were exciting, thrilling, suspenseful, and shocking.
I could go on and on about how much I appreciate the films of John Carpenter and I no doubt will go on about it in the future. For now though, suffice it to say, that he is my all-time favorite film director and the biggest reason why I love cinema and horror as much as I do.
So, here are my top ten favorite John Carpenter films.
This was so hard to rank them as I really like them all. From Dark Star to Memoirs of an Invisible Man to The Ward. I imagine the order will change back and forth throughout the years of my life (the top three are pretty solid though) but these films listed below are easily my absolute favorites of his.
As always I've included a bonus
I tried many directors going for the most obvious first like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. And while many of these films helped shape my love of cinema, it was John Carpenter's films that really got me. It was in his films that I discovered the value of widescreen (remember this was back in the VHS full screen days) and the art cinematography. I first began noticing the framing of the shots in John Carpenter's films and how it could be used to enhance the narrative and viewing experience. It was more than just pointing the camera.
Then I discovered John Carpenter was doing more than just directing. I was seeing his name credited for writing, producing, editing, and music. One of the first aspects of his films that struck me were the film scores. I learned how to play the Halloween Theme on the piano because I loved it so much. I credit John Carpenter for starting my love affair with film scores. And of course, the writing. Ultimately what was compelling me to watch these films were the stories. They were exciting, thrilling, suspenseful, and shocking.
I could go on and on about how much I appreciate the films of John Carpenter and I no doubt will go on about it in the future. For now though, suffice it to say, that he is my all-time favorite film director and the biggest reason why I love cinema and horror as much as I do.
So, here are my top ten favorite John Carpenter films.
This was so hard to rank them as I really like them all. From Dark Star to Memoirs of an Invisible Man to The Ward. I imagine the order will change back and forth throughout the years of my life (the top three are pretty solid though) but these films listed below are easily my absolute favorites of his.
As always I've included a bonus
#11
ESCAPE FROM L.A.
I go back and forth with this one on putting it in the top ten. I love the character of SNAKE PLISSKEN and he is oh so cool in this film. I must admit that when I first saw this film I didn't like it as much as I had hoped and I didn't quite understand the tone. As the years have passed and my tastes have trended away from straight forward dramatic cinema to more stylized films my appreciation for this movie has grown. With each viewing I seem to like it more and more. Yes, there are some moments where the special effects look a little painful as well as some moments of pure over the top melodrama. But it is so much fun. Pure entertainment.
I really enjoy all the cameos from Bruce Campbell, Cliff Robertson, Peter Fonda, Pam Grier, to Al Leong. The film score by John Carpenter and Shirley Walker is outstanding. And the basketball scene is one of my favorites and a standout moment in the film.
#10
THEY LIVE
They Live was another of Carpenter's film that I couldn't quite connect with as a kid but as I've grown older I've come to love the film more and more. They Live is one of Carpenter's most socially commentative films, shining a light on a world of subliminal control. To me this film feels a little like the end of a Carpenter era. There's a certain feeling and esthetic to Carpenter's films from 80's and 70's, from the narratives to the music to the actors, that I just love. Some of these esthetics go missing in the later films but not entirely. They Live possesses all the hallmarks of a Carpenter film I love.
Rowdy Roddy Piper vs Keith David, hands down one of the best fight scenes in all cinema! That fight is probably the standout scene for me in this film and later the immortal line, "I came here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum."
They don't make movies like this anymore.
#9
VAMPIRES
I remember this movie coming out during a Hollywood rush of vampire films. There was the original BLADE plus others like SUBSPECIES 4, THE WISDOM OF CROCODILES, RAZOR BLADE SMILES, and more. There was a vampire film craze going on which continued for the next few years. John Carpenter's VAMPIRES differentiated itself from the coven by being a unique mix of the horror and western genres. It was a higher profile film than most and showcased vampires in a different light than most. The vampires in this film are fairly animalistic and hard as hell to kill.
The opening scene sets the tone with a raid on a vampire nest. The following scene our lead vampire, Valek (played wonderfully by Thomas Ian Griffith) slaughters nearly all the hunters. The vampire Valek gets my vote for one of the most menacing vampires in all cinema. Really, the first twenty minutes of this film are incredible, matched only by the epic old west showdown at the end. This movie is one of my favorite vampire films as well as a favorite Carpenter film.
The opening scene sets the tone with a raid on a vampire nest. The following scene our lead vampire, Valek (played wonderfully by Thomas Ian Griffith) slaughters nearly all the hunters. The vampire Valek gets my vote for one of the most menacing vampires in all cinema. Really, the first twenty minutes of this film are incredible, matched only by the epic old west showdown at the end. This movie is one of my favorite vampire films as well as a favorite Carpenter film.
#8
IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS
John Carpenter's Lovecraftian epic! I was first struck by the film's soundtrack, another composition of Carpenter's and Jim Lang (they also collaborated on the soundtrack for BODY BAGS). Then there's Sam Neill fresh from Jurassic Park, whom I couldn't help but like. But where this film really shines for me is in the creature designs and pervading infection of madness. I love me some monsters and this movie may have some of Carpenter's last great monsters. Jurgen Prochnow's character of Sutter Cane is unnerving and creepy. And the world's descent into madness is striking and terrifying.
The moment where Cane's agent axes through a window, asks Sam Neill, "Do you read Sutter Cane?" and prepares to kill Neill is one of my favorite unsettling scenes in the movie. Then there's the sequences at Hobb's End where we meet Sutter Kane and see these monsters from another world. I love H.P. Lovecraft's stories and the ancient evil mythos he created. Seeing Carpenter adapt Lovecraft was like seeing two of my favorite horror masters come together. There is no other Carpenter film or Lovecraft film adaptation quite like In The Mouth of Madness.
#7
ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13
Westerns were once the most popular genre films, from the golden age of cinema through the silver age. During the silver age the western began transforming as audiences preferences changed. Thus was born the urban western. From urban westerns came modern action films. Assault On Precinct 13 may be my favorite urban western and one of my all time favorite action films. It's THE RAID before The Raid. It also contains two of the most underappreciated film characters in cinema: Napoleon Wilson and Ethan Bishop. Two characters from different ends of the spectrum discovering when their lives are on the line that they're not so different after all.
The movie is brutal. Shocking. An act of revenge unleashes a tidal wave of violence. The movie opens subtly, gradually setting all the pieces in place before erupting into a fast paced, high body count, intense action epic. I remember discovering this film well after having seen the Die Hards, the Terminators, the Rambos, and others and being floored by it. Assault On Precinct 13 was ahead of its time in terms of action, pacing, and violence but yet retained classic heroic character types from the bygone eras of cinema's rich past. There's no other movie like it. Highlights include... well the whole siege of Precinct 13, every line out of Darwin Joston's mouth, and Kim Richards death. As I'm typing this I feel the movie should be placed higher (closer to number one) on the list. But the following movies are just so damn good too!
#6
PRINCE OF DARKNESS
"Devil" movies all kind of follow a similar narrative. It's either possession or birthing the antichrist. Not John Carpenter's "Devil" movie. Carpenter breaks the mold with this bizarre, incredibly potent, sci-fi/religious horror masterpiece. A secret room in the basement of an old church is discovered, within lies a shrine and corroded cylinder filled with green glowing liquid. Since the discovery the sun has been acting strange. Homeless vagabonds have begun gathering around the church like mindless zombies. And whomever sleeps in proximity of the church experience strange dreams, almost like messages being sent to them. A team of students and scientists gather at the church to study the secret room and the cylinder when the green liquid escapes. And all Hell breaks loose.
This is such a crazy movie but so well done and oh so scary. It is such an original premise and unlike any horror film you've ever seen. Carpenter masterfully builds the tension in this film until it's practically boiling over at the climax. And the end is one of my favorite film conclusions. It's filled with wonderful characters and Carpenter regulars like Donald Pleasence, Dennis Dun (Wang from Big Trouble In Little China), Victor Wong (also from BTILC), and Alice Cooper! The movie has one of Carpenter's scariest film scores, with the help of composer Alan Howarth. All these elements come together to create one of my favorite horror films from any director and one of the best films in Carpenter's filmography.
#5
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA
By no means a horror film, but by god, this is one of the most enjoyable film I've ever watched. Like Prince of Darkness, this is one of Carpenter's craziest film premises: a martial arts action comedy Chinese ghost story. And it works! Kurt Russell is hilarious, doing his John Wayne impression the whole time, and being the most ineffectual lead hero in cinema history. At the same time, the hero sidekick played by Dennis Dun, is so badass and heroic. It's like the Green Hornet/Kato dynamic. And when Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) actually does something useful its by accident or a reflex action.
And there's plenty more to feast upon in this film. There's the crazy martial arts brawl near the beginning of the film. There's the menacing supernatural martial arts masters, the Three Storms (the bosses of the game if you will). The weird monsters that pop up here and there. And the wonderful opposing forces of Victor Wong (Egg Shen) and James Hong (Lo Pan) who engage in a video game like spirit battle. Big Trouble In Little China is exciting, funny, badass, and even a little scary at points. It's one of those movies that is so out there that you've never really seen anything like it. I could watch this movie over and over again.
#4
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK
The pessimistic dystopian future action film. Again this is John Carpenter putting a spin on the western genre like he did before with Assault On Precinct 13. While Precinct 13 was an homage to the Howard Hawks classic western RIO BRAVO, Escape From New York assumes a darker spaghetti western personality in the vein of A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS. Snake Plissken is a dubious hero at best, caught between two opposing sides that he cares little if anything for. Snake is your classic outlaw forced through a situation not of his choosing. On one hand he is there to save the President from the criminals, but then you find out that the United States government are just as bad as the criminals they've locked away. The lines between good and evil become very blurred with a seemingly nihilistic criminal in Snake Plissken at the center.
John Carpenter's social commentary is thrust right in our faces. Kurt Russell does his own take on Clint Eastwood's MAN WITH NO NAME character with a little of Charles Bronson's HARMONICA thrown in for flavor. And it's all so cool. The premise is your classic "Rescue Mission Behind Enemy Lines" which is universally exciting but what makes it standout so well are the narrative motifs Carpenter turns on their heads. On top of it all there are outstanding performances across the board from Harry Dead Stanton, Isaac Hayes, Adrienne Barbeau, Ernest Borgnine, and Donald Pleasence as the President. And then there is presence of a genuine western icon and one of my favorite actors of all time, Lee Van Cleef. I already go full nerd over this whole movie but if it had had Peter Cushing in it as well I probably would've gone blind from sheer awesomeness.
#3
THE FOG
One of my all-time favorite horror films, THE FOG stands out from Carpenter's other horror films in that it's a "camp fire ghost story" wrapped around an old murder mystery. On the 100th anniversary of their murder, the spirits of the dead return to wreak their revenge. The film is set up brilliantly from the opening sequence with actor John Houseman regaling the children with a spooky campfire tale, then moves into town where things slowly start unraveling. At first it's little things like car alarms suddenly going off for no reason. Then a chair moves by itself. And more until finally we see the fog bank that moves against the wind, seemingly with a mind of its own. I feel this film is one of Carpenter's best examples of narrative architecture.
The tension and suspense are wonderful, with the fog coming to eerie life and seeking out its victims. Originally the film never showed what was in the fog, but due to test screenings Carpenter and Debra Hill felt the film needed a bit more power. So they added in the ghost ship and ghouls. And I'm glad they did because the ghouls are among my favorite elements of this movie. The legendary make-up effects master, Rob Bottin, first collaborated with Carpenter on this film and designed the ghosts. These designs are incredibly potent and evocative of the Blind Dead knights templars from the films of Amando de Ossorio (horror film villains for which I have a soft spot for). The film's finale when the ghosts confront their final victim is a frightening scene, one which is forever embedded in my memory.
#2
THE THING
How does one begin to describe perfection?
John Carpenter's THE THING may be the greatest horror film ever made, in my opinion. It's tension and suspense are second to none. The gore in the film is spectacular. And the monster is beyond anything your nightmares could dream up. I remember watching this film as an adolescent on Sci-Fi channel (before it changed to Sy-Fy) and being absolutely blown away (and that was the edited for television version!). I have since watched the film countless times and it never gets old. All the actors do an incredible job and Kurt Russell delivers one of the best performances of his career. Even Wilford Brimley is incredible in this film.
The only thing better than the superb performances in this picture are the monster effects. Not only is each and every monster in this movie shocking and horrific, but if you take the time to seriously analyze their compositions these "things" go beyond description. There's the skinless head of a dog on the end of what looks like an arm attached to a writhing mass of flesh and tentacles with spider legs, and two monstrous humanoid clawed arms reaching straight up for the ceiling. Then its belly (if that is indeed its belly) opens up revealing a veiny shaft with a venus flytrap like head. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are no other monsters in the whole of cinema like these and they truly embody the word "thing" because you literally can't point to anyone organism and say "oh, that's just a crab monster." It really is... the thing.
I love love love monsters. And this film, to me, is the king of all horror monster films.
#1
HALLOWEEN
What on earth could possibly beat the greatest horror film ever made (The Thing), you ask? It could only be John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN. The cinematic merit of this film needs no explanation, but why it is number one on my list boils down to sentimental reasons. While far from the genesis of my love for horror, Halloween was what started my obsession with modern horror. I saw Halloween when I was in sixth grade, so I was about 11 or 12 years old, and it opened my mind to cinema as a craft and art form rather than a means of entertainment to pass the time. I first grasped the meaning and importance of "widescreen" or "letterbox" format from this film as well as the function of cinematography. It was due to this film also that I realized the importance of the director and became intrigued with the name "John Carpenter."
And of course there is the terrifying character of Michael Myers. The first Halloween film I ever saw was HALLOWEEN IV: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS (I rented it from Davidson and Main Street because I thought the VHS cover looked creepy). I thought Michael Myers was scary as hell (again I was 11 or 12 years old). Eventually that film led me back to the original and Michael Myers took on a whole new meaning of creepy. The way he stalked the three young women in this film, always there, watching, at the very far corner of the frame I thought was incredibly unnerving and frightening. And then of course there is the "Van Helsing" of the series in Donald Pleasence. He's fantastic in Halloween and I have become a big fan of his work as a result of Halloween.
Halloween is the reason why I even started noticing directors and the reason why I looked in the direction of John Carpenter at all. To me Halloween is his greatest film and will probably always be in my eyes... although The Thing is very close. Very close.
And there you have it!
Are you fans of John Carpenter too?
Which of his films are favorites of yours?
Let me know in the comments below!
And for more top ten lists check out these others linked below!
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TOP TEN CINEMA SAMURAI
THE 100 GREATEST KAIJU
TOP TEN FAVORITE KAIJU
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TOP TEN FIGHTING GAME GALS
What on earth could possibly beat the greatest horror film ever made (The Thing), you ask? It could only be John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN. The cinematic merit of this film needs no explanation, but why it is number one on my list boils down to sentimental reasons. While far from the genesis of my love for horror, Halloween was what started my obsession with modern horror. I saw Halloween when I was in sixth grade, so I was about 11 or 12 years old, and it opened my mind to cinema as a craft and art form rather than a means of entertainment to pass the time. I first grasped the meaning and importance of "widescreen" or "letterbox" format from this film as well as the function of cinematography. It was due to this film also that I realized the importance of the director and became intrigued with the name "John Carpenter."
And of course there is the terrifying character of Michael Myers. The first Halloween film I ever saw was HALLOWEEN IV: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS (I rented it from Davidson and Main Street because I thought the VHS cover looked creepy). I thought Michael Myers was scary as hell (again I was 11 or 12 years old). Eventually that film led me back to the original and Michael Myers took on a whole new meaning of creepy. The way he stalked the three young women in this film, always there, watching, at the very far corner of the frame I thought was incredibly unnerving and frightening. And then of course there is the "Van Helsing" of the series in Donald Pleasence. He's fantastic in Halloween and I have become a big fan of his work as a result of Halloween.
Halloween is the reason why I even started noticing directors and the reason why I looked in the direction of John Carpenter at all. To me Halloween is his greatest film and will probably always be in my eyes... although The Thing is very close. Very close.
And there you have it!
Are you fans of John Carpenter too?
Which of his films are favorites of yours?
Let me know in the comments below!
And for more top ten lists check out these others linked below!
TOP TEN ACTION MOVIE HEROES
TOP TEN CINEMA SAMURAI
THE 100 GREATEST KAIJU
TOP TEN FAVORITE KAIJU
TOP TEN GIANT MONSTER MOVIE CLASSICS
TOP TEN UNIVERSAL MONSTERS
TOP TEN DC SUPER HEROES
TOP TEN WOMEN OF DC
TOP TEN MARVEL COSMIC WOMEN
TOP TEN DOCTOR STRANGE VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPER HEROES
TOP TEN MARVEL HEROES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPER HERO TEAMS
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPER HEROES
TOP TEN MARVEL HEROES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPER HERO TEAMS
TOP TEN FIGHTING GAME GUYS
TOP TEN FIGHTING GAME GALS
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