Top 10 John Carpenter Films

Since I've started my film blog, I've realised I have only reviewed films. So from now on I will do a list of Top Ten things to do with films. My first top ten will be John Carpenter films. He his one of my favourite directors and has made films in a number of differing genres ranging from sci-fi, comedy and to of course, horror.


Here's my list of the best John Carpenter films

1. The Thing (1982)

A remake or a reworking of a classic? Matters not when you watch the film you will forget there ever was an original. The Thing brings together suspense with out and out gore from Rob Bottin's dazzling special fx and a wonderful script and brilliant acted by an all male cast, it's not short of a classic that was never given it's recognition on it's initial release. Still watchable and still jaw dropping. 

2. Halloween (1978)

The birth of the slasher film. It's not an easy burden to bear but in John Carpenter's hands you'll be in for a pure scarefest. Starting the film with the bravado steadicam we come into the film from the killers point of view, we the audience are implemented in the act of murder. A massive success which has gone on to spawn countless of pale imitations but this is only one that truly needs to be seen. A masterful work of suspense with barley a drop of blood or gore, it's given us the cold silent killer in a mask and provide a spine tingling soundtrack.

3. Assault On Precinct 13 (1976)

A modern remake of Howard Hawks "Rio Bravo". John Carpenter has always been heavy influenced by Hawks and this is his homage to the great director. A  siege film with a simplistic plot yet highly effective thriller. A mass of hundreds against a handful of men and women, held up in an abandon police station all caught up in a spat of mindless violence. The action is tightly edited and the pace is spot on. A low budget classic that deserves viewing (This remake has also in turn been remade into a less successful vehicle staring Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne).

4. Escape From New York (1981)

Set in an alternative future (1997), New York has become a maximum security prison and the president has been taken captive and the government enlist the help of a criminal Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) to retrieve him. A classic sci-fi adventure action flick which stars the iconic Snake Plissken as an anti-hero forced into rescuing a president he cares nothing about. A film full of ideas and another great soundtrack it as a crying shame that this movie had a disappointing follow up. Forget the sequel and watch this cult classic.

5. In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

The last great Carpenter film which is a cry shame as this film is brilliantly wonderful at times even if the plotting can get a bit confusing but stick with it as it can be really entertaining. It tries to be overly intelligent with it's reality clashing with fiction, though the film has fun in doing so. Sam Neill stars as an insurance investigate trying to find the whereabouts of a missing horror novelist. A film seeped in Lovecraftian and Stephen King references, it's fully of little winks and nods that you may miss on first viewing. It's a fitting end to Carpenter self proclaimed Apocalypse trilogy.


6. Starman (1984)

A romantic sci-fi drama which is Carpenter's most human and touching film. An alien crash lands onto Earth and takes the form of a widows dead husband and kidnaps her so he can meet a deadline to return home. Jeff Bridges stars as the Alien and provides an emotional performance as a being trying to learn why we do what we do and to understand what it is to be a human. It's a great testament to Carpenter who handles the story and characters very capably but like many of Carpenters big budget movies it wasn't a big hit, so there wasn't many more opportunities for Carpenter take on more mature themes and serious dramas.

7. The Fog (1982)

A wonderful effective tale about a group of zombie like ghost who come back to a coastal town in California to take their revenge. When the town begins it's 100 year celebrations, a fog bank starts to roll in, but this isn't any normal fog, there is something within the fog. A film that is fully of creepy atmosphere and a great sense of impending doom. The film isn't perfect by any means but what the film lacks in character development, it makes up for in suspense and tone.

8. Prince of Darkness (1987)

An Apocalyptical horror story about the arrival of a being who will bring the end to the world. An interesting ideas film about Satan's attempt at bringing his "father" to our dimension. The power of the film relies heavy on the viewers imagination as the film is more heavy on the dialogue than in action. A well crafted slow burner. Will you be able to look at mirrors in the same way after this..... The middle segment of John Carpenters Apocalypes trilogy, starting with The Thing, then The Prince of Darkness and ending with In the Mouth of Madness. 

9. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Yet again, another flop but a film that shouldn't be taken seriously as the film clearly has it's tongue in it's cheek. A film that confused audiences on it's initial release, this film mixes western action with eastern martial arts and mythology . Starring Carpenter's regular Kurt Russell who accidently gets caught up in a mystical battle between good and evil in San Francisco's Chinatown. A fusion of genres which is fun and funny. A comedy as well as an action film it has a hero who isn't the most heroic and a villian who isn't completely human. A film definitely for those who would like a good laugh with no thinking required. 

10. They Live (1988)

Starring wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper as a drifter who stumbles across some  special  sunglasses that reveal a secret alien invasion plot taking place. The glasses allow him to see the world as it really is. Subliminal messages and aliens posing as humans are revealed and only he can stop them. A wildly imaginative piece of storytelling, which returns to Carpenters roots of low budget and effective narrative.




With so many of his films being remade or re-worked, you wonder why Hollywood doesn't let Carpenter free rein to work on new material. The latest film of his in the works is Escape from New York, you only have to watch one of his films to see what a talented director Carpenter is. Pretty much most of his back catalogue has been remade, The Fog, Halloween, The Thing and Assault on Precinct 13, if his films weren't any good at all why would they be remade? Watch and enjoy.