The Father Of Halloween: A John Carpenter Retrospective
Director John Carpenter has been making iconic horror-science fiction type movies for over 30 years. His movies always include fantastic music, familiar actors and ironic humor. Some of his gorier or more intense horror films are perfect for Halloween movie nights.
In 1974, Carpenter’s most famous Horror Movie, “Halloween” is released. This is when we were all introduced to escaped-mental patient Michael Myers and young actress Jamie Lee-Curtis. Avid horror movie fans believe that this movie was the beginning of a new phase of slasher films.
The movie following “Halloween,” “The Fog,” wasn’t a box-office hit but it did get critical-acclaim from horror movie fans and some critics. It’s a great movie for a quiet foggy night.
“The Thing,” released in 1982 is probably the most intense, frightening, suspenseful and just plan grossest movie of all John Carpenter’s films. The special and visual effects bring the paranoia of the characters to life and many who watch this movie enjoy viewing it repeatedly while others had to close their eyes or leave the room.
For more Halloween movie viewing, 1995′s “Village of the Damned” about a town where all the women mysteriously get pregnant by some strange, unknown life-form. When the babies arrive, they are anything but bouncing bundles of joy. The most popular word used to describe the children is “creepy.”
“Vampires” (1998) is fun, campy and starred James Woods. It also is nothing like the popular Vampire movies of today. It’s a ‘macho’ Vampire movie without the romance or the sparkles of hunky teen actors.
Another favorite is the Stephen King story, “Christine,” about a 1958 Plymouth Fury. Carpenter captured the essence of the book and didn’t disappoint fans of the original story.
There are many other John Carpenter movies worth watching. “Escape from New York,” “Assault on Precinct 13,” “Starman,” with a very young and handsome Jeff Bridges and, the biggest cult-classic of all-time, “Big Trouble in Little China” with Kurt Russell and Kim Cattrell.