The Films of John Carpenter

The Films of John Carpenter

Author: John Kenneth Muir

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2015-09-15

Total Pages: 277

ISBN-13: 0786493488

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The films of John Carpenter cover a tremendous range and yet all bear his clear personal stamp. From the horrifying (Halloween) to the touching (Starman) to the controversial (The Thing) to the comic (Big Trouble in Little China), his films reflect a unique approach to filmmaking and singular views of humanity and American culture. This analysis of Carpenter's films includes a historical overview of his career, and in-depth entries on each of his films, from 1975's Dark Star to 1998's Vampires. Complete cast and production information is provided for each. The book also covers those films written and produced by Carpenter, such as Halloween II and Black Moon Rising, as well as Carpenter's work for television. Appendices are included on films Carpenter was offered but turned down, the slasher films that followed in the wake of the highly-successful Halloween, the actors and characters who make repeated appearances in Carpenter's films, and ratings for Carpenter's work. Notes, bibliography, and index are included.


The Cinema of John Carpenter

The Cinema of John Carpenter

Author: Ian Conrich

Publisher: Wallflower Press

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 9781904764144

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The aim of this book is to give John Carpenter's output the sustained critical treament it deserves. It comprises essays that address the whole of Carpenter's work as well as others which focus on a small number of key films.


Order in the Universe

Order in the Universe

Author: Robert Cumbow

Publisher: Scarecrow Press

Published: 2002-07-16

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 0585383022

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An obscure independent filmmaker until Halloween (1978), John Carpenter has been applauded for his classic sense of compositions, yet reviled for his "B-film" sensibility. This second edition of the first book-length analysis finds in Carpenter's films a vision of a profound but unexpected order in the universe. The author analyzes Carpenter's early independent work, his made-for-television movies, his big Hollywood films (The Fog, Escape from New York, The Thing, Stephen King's Christine, Starman), his more recent independent work (Big Trouble in Little China, Prince of Darkness, They Live), and his contributions to films he did not direct. This edition fully updates the 1990 edition with attention to the films made since that date. With a chronology of Carpenter's career, a detailed filmography, photos, brief plot synopses, and a thorough index, this volume will be treasured by film scholars and fans alike.


John Carpenter

John Carpenter

Author: Gilles Boulenger

Publisher:

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13:

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John Carpenter, a quintessential horror movie director, is a true film auteur -- a writer, director, composer, producer, editor, and actor -- whose unique and inspired work has brought him the praise and admiration of both film critics and horror cultists. He is both the product of and an important participant in the American filmmaking tradition, and the intelligent, moody, and strange films with which his name is so quickly associated are sometimes simply Westerns in disguise. Essentially a lengthy, lively, and candid interview with Carpenter, this book covers his background, his inspirations, and his ups and downs in Hollywood and thoroughly discusses each of his films. Among the many and varied subjects that pop up are his Bible Belt childhood, German expressionism, Howard Hawks, John Wayne, The King, Barbra Streisand, Michael Myers, Kurt Russell, Stephen King, quantum physics, and attractive female extras. Among Carpenter's films are Dark Star, Halloween, Assault on Precinct 13, The Fog, Escape From New York, The Thing, Christine, Big Trouble in Little China, Prince of Darkness, They Live, Village of the Damned, In the Mouth of Madness, and Escape From L.A.In addition to penning most of the screenplays for the films he has directed, he co-wrote The Eyes of Laura Mars.


Assault on the System

Assault on the System

Author: Troy Howarth

Publisher:

Published: 2020-09-25

Total Pages: 464

ISBN-13:

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[STANDARD EDITION - SAME CONTENT AS THE COLOR EDITION, BUT WITH BLACK & WHITE INTERIOR] THERE'S MORE TO THE MASTER OF HORROR THAN MEETS THE EYE! His name is synonymous with horror thanks to the landmark hit HALLOWEEN (1978), but there's a lot more to John Carpenter than just that.Like so many, Carpenter found a much-needed escape from reality at the movies-and his love of the medium inspired him to start up his own fanzines when he was just a kid. He initially aspired to make westerns, but fate had other ideas in mind. Sooner than resist being typecast as a horror filmmaker, Carpenter embraced the moniker of "master of horror," all the while dipping in and out of the genre as he tried his hand at everything from sci-fi romps like THEY LIVE (1988) to gritty action thrillers like ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981) and romantic fantasies like STARMAN (1984). Carpenter's love of old school Hollywood, embodied in his passion for the films of Howard Hawks, inspired him to create a persona which eschews arthouse pretentions in favor of classical storytelling and craftsmanship. Working with budgets low and high, he always saw to it that his films looked and sounded as slick and professional as possible-and his use of anamorphic Panavision in virtually all of his theatrical features gives even the smallest of his films a larger-than-life pictorial allure. Carpenter doesn't specialize in real life: he specializes in movies-and all the artifice that entails. Then there's the music-that distinctive minimalist approach to synthesizer scoring which gives his films an even more unmistakable personality. As the son of an accomplished musician and music historian, Carpenter brought his flair for music, as well as his sense of timing, to bear on a variety of subjects. One of the constant themes running through Carpenter's work is a deep distrust of authority in its various forms. Early hopes of finding acceptance within the Hollywood system soon gave way to an understanding that he preferred being his own boss, working outside of the system in order to preserve the integrity of his vision. ASSAULT ON THE SYSTEM: THE NONCONFORMIST CINEMA OF JOHN CARPENTER charts Carpenter's trajectory from screenwriter-for-hire to director of low-budget oddities like DARK STAR (1974) to his meteoric rise and fall within the very system he came to distrust. All of Carpenter's films are analyzed in detail, including his forays into made-for-TV fare, and his various sideline projects as a writer, a composer, and a producer are also examined. Brand new interviews with Carpenter, his wife Sandy King-Carpenter, and actor Keith Gordon also help to provide a glimpse into the man, his methods, and what makes him tick.In addition, there are hundreds of eye-catching images, including theatrical posters, stills, behind the scenes shots, and more.The end result is a comprehensive celebration of one of America's great, yet oft-unsung auteurs, and a true independent spirit in his chosen medium. Guest essays by: Matty Budrewicz & Dave Wain, Lee Gambin, John Harrison, Randall D. Larson, Robert Russell LaVigne, Francesco Massaccesi, Paul Poet, and Nick Smith. Published by WK Books, publishers of Weng's Chop Cinema Megazine and Monster! Digest.


Why Horror Seduces

Why Horror Seduces

Author: Mathias F. Clasen

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 201

ISBN-13: 019066651X

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Why do humans feel the need to scream at horror films? In Why Horror Seduces, author Matthias Clasen looks to evolutionary social science to show how the horror genre is a product of human nature.


John Carpenter

John Carpenter

Author: Colin Odell

Publisher: Oldcastle Books

Published: 2011-03-31

Total Pages: 172

ISBN-13: 1842434985

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Tension. Fear. Exhilaration. Atmospheric synthesizers. You're in John Carpenter territory. One of the most iconic directors of American cinema John Carpenter has astonished audiences the world over with his tightly crafted horror, thriller and science-fiction films. Not just a director, Carpenter's talents also extend to writing the screenplays and soundtracks to many of his films. From the existential comedy classic Dark Star through to the terrifying smash hit Halloween, the taut siege of Assault on Precinct 13 to the visceral Vampires there's action and tension all around. But it's not all ghosts from The Fog or horrific mutations in The Thing, there's time for romance in the science-fiction road movie Starman and even for The King himself in the superior bio-pic Elvis - The Movie. John Carpenter's films are always memorable, distinctive and unashamed of their genre roots. The John Carpenter Kamera Book explores his films and his work as a director, composer, writer and producer. It examines Carpenter's influences and style and the films that have, in turn, been influenced by him. An indispensable guide to the ultimate cult auteur.


The Official Making Of Big Trouble In Little China

The Official Making Of Big Trouble In Little China

Author: Tara Bennett

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2017-01-17

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 1608868710

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"To commemorate its 30th anniversary, The official making of Big trouble in Little China is the first-ever comprehensive look at how legendary film director John Carpenter made his 1986 mystical action-comedy"--Back cover.


Horror Films FAQ

Horror Films FAQ

Author: John Kenneth Muir

Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation

Published: 2013-08-01

Total Pages: 394

ISBN-13: 1480366811

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(FAQ). Horror Films FAQ explores a century of ghoulish and grand horror cinema, gazing at the different characters, situations, settings, and themes featured in the horror film, from final girls, monstrous bogeymen, giant monsters and vampires to the recent torture porn and found footage formats. The book remembers the J-Horror remake trend of the 2000s, and examines the oft-repeated slasher format popularized by John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) and Friday the 13th (1980). After an introduction positioning the horror film as an important and moral voice in the national dialogue, the book explores the history of horror decade by decade, remembering the women's liberation horrors of the 1970s, the rubber reality films of the late 1980s, the serial killers of the 1990s, and the xenophobic terrors of the 9/11 age. Horror Films FAQ also asks what it means when animals attack in such films as The Birds (1963) or Jaws (1975), and considers the moral underpinnings of rape-and-revenge movies, such as I Spit on Your Grave (1978) and Irreversible (2002). The book features numerous photographs from the author's extensive personal archive, and also catalogs the genre's most prominent directors.