John Carpenter: Films: Part I (1974-79)

Dark Star (1974)
Dir. John Carpenter

Unless you're a hopelessly dedicated John Carpenter fan, then you'll likely want to stay far away from Dark Star. It's his low budget student film expanded to feature-length.

It's pretty terrible, really, but it's also interesting for a number of reasons. Most notably the script was co-written with Dan O'Bannon and plays like a prototype of his later success, Ridley Scott's Alien (1979).

Also, the music has that cheap and creepy Carpenter vibe. I love Carpenter's music.

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

Dir. John Carpenter

An extended introduction slowly cranks the anticipation to maximum level and keeps the viewer glued to the screen.

The pay-off is delivered, the Cholo shit hits the police fan and the film finds its stride.

What follows is a classic siege movie set in South Central, Los Angeles, but respectful to the Westerns of a bygone era. Fans of the genre will spot many nods in that direction.

Carpenter admitted that it's essentially a version of Howard Hawks' celebrated Rio Bravo (1959) transposed to an urban environment. Put simply, it worked before and it works again in the new location.

Halloween (1978)
Dir. John Carpenter

Halloween is more than just another cheap independent slasher flick. It's a masterclass on how to create, pace and sustain tension when working with a limited budget.

The unease and sense of foreboding that permeates every crucial scene is in large part due to Carpenter's use of music. Like Hermann's score on Psycho (1960) it has a stabbing, piercing, onomatopoeic quality that keeps your nerves on a knife edge.

The faceless, unstoppable force that is Michael Myers taps into a very human, deep-rooted fear of what's hidden behind the mask we all wear, but Michael's inner evil is so powerful that even blankness can't hide it.

Someone's Watching Me! (1978)

Dir. John Carpenter

Carpenter made a Hitchcock film. Aficionados of the fat man will spot his trademark camera movements, framing, POV shots, the camera holding on objects and the famous zoom/dolly.

It has moments reminiscent of Psycho (1960), Rear Window (1954) and Vertigo (1958), Hitch's three best films, in my opinion.

When it's not lovingly being Hitch it's being typical Carpenter, who excels at the victim trapped inside scenario.

It's likely not a very engaging film for casual viewers, but for fans of either director it's definitely a fun experience.

Elvis (1979)

Dir. John Carpenter

John Carpenter's first film with Kurt Russell was a biopic of the boy from Tupelo who went on to take over the music world. The casting might seem odd on paper, but Russell does a damn fine job at TCB, although he needs to work on his fake strumming because it was embarrassing.

It begins in '69, just before the King's Vegas comeback. It then jumps back to his musical beginnings before meeting itself again at the end.

It couldn't possibly cover all the important things, so focuses instead on Elvis' loves and losses and how they affect him on a personal level.

It's a TV Movie but it's available as a region free Blu-ray with a 1.78:1 ratio, approx 162 mins.

John Carpenter: Films: Part II (1980-84)