Person Details

Birthday:

Aliases: Martin Quatermass , Frank Armitage , John T. Chance , Rip Haight , John Howard Carpenter , ジョン・カーペンター , ジョン・ハワード・カーペンター , 존 카펜터 , 约翰·卡朋特

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Carthage, New York, USA

Homepage: http://www.theofficialjohncarpenter.com/

Movie Involvements: 202

TV Involvements: 11


Most Famous Work

Biography

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.

Most Famous Work

Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Average
8
The Real History of Science Fiction
Average
7
The Thing
Average
8

The Thing

(1982) Norwegian (video footage) (uncredited)
The Movies That Made Us
Average
7

The Movies That Made Us

(2019) Self (Archival Footage)
Halloween
Average
8

Halloween

(1978) Paul (voice) / Michael Myers (uncredited)
The Fog
Average
7

The Fog

(1980) Bennett
They Live
Average
7

They Live

(1988) Voice That Says 'Sleep'
Escape from New York
Average
7

Escape from New York

(1981) Secret Service #2 / Helicopter Pilot / Violin Player

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2023 Self
2022 Self
Self
N/A
Engineer
Self - Interviewee
2021 Self
2020 Self
Self
2019 Self (Archival Footage)
Narrator (voice)
Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
2018 Self
Self
2017 Self - Filmmaker
Self
2016 Self - Keyboards
Self
The Taxi Driver
2015 Self
Self
Self
2014 Self
Self
Self
2012 Self
2011 Self/Host
Self
Self
2010 Himself (voice)
Self
 Self
2009 Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
2008 Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
2007 Self
Self
2006 Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
Self (archive footage)
Self
2005 Self
Self
Self
2004 Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
Self
2003 Self - Filmmaker
Self - Filmmaker
Self - Filmmaker
Self
Self (voice)
2002 Self (archive footage)
Self
Self
Self
2001 Self
Self
Self
2000 Self
Self
Self
Self
1999 Self
1998 Self
1995 Self
Man at Gas Station Phone
1994 Trenchcoat Man / Gimp
1993 Coroner
1992 Helicopter Pilot
1991 Self
1990 Self
1989 Self
Self
1988 Voice That Says 'Sleep'
Self
1986 Worker in Chinatown (uncredited)
Self
1984 Man in Helicopter (uncredited)
1982 Norwegian (video footage) (uncredited)
Self
Self
1981 Secret Service #2 / Helicopter Pilot / Violin Player
1980 Bennett
Self
1978 Paul (voice) / Michael Myers (uncredited)
1976 Gang Member (uncredited)
1974 Talby Voice
1958 N/A
1955 Self
N/A
Self
Year Character Movie/Tv

Production

Sound

Year Role Movie/Tv
2023 Main Title Theme Composer
2022 Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
Music
2021 Music
2018 Original Music Composer
2016 Music
2002 Music
2001 Original Music Composer
1998 Music
1996 Original Music Composer
1995 Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
1993 Original Music Composer
1989 Main Title Theme Composer
1988 Original Music Composer
Main Title Theme Composer
1987 Original Music Composer
1986 Original Music Composer
1983 Original Music Composer
1982 Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
1981 Original Music Composer
Original Music Composer
1980 Original Music Composer
1978 Original Music Composer
1976 Original Music Composer
1974 Original Music Composer
1970 Music
Original Music Composer
Year Role Movie/Tv

Creator

Year Role Movie/Tv
2023 Creator
Year Role Movie/Tv

Writing

Year Role Movie/Tv
2022 Characters
2021 Characters
Original Film Writer
2018 Characters
2013 Characters
2007 Original Film Writer
2005 Original Film Writer
Original Film Writer
Characters
2001 Writer
1999 Teleplay
1998 Characters
1996 Screenplay
Characters
1995 Characters
1991 Writer
1990 Writer
1989 Characters
1988 Screenplay
1987 Screenplay
1986 Screenplay
Story
1981 Screenplay
Screenplay
1980 Screenplay
1979 Writer
1978 Writer
Screenplay
Writer
Screenplay
Story
1976 Writer
1974 Screenplay
1970 Writer
1969 Writer
Original Film Writer
Characters
Year Role Movie/Tv

Directing

Crew

Editing

Camera

Year Role Movie/Tv
1968 Camera Operator
Year Role Movie/Tv

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