10 Best John Carpenter Films from the ’70s-’80s

Director, writer, and composer John Carpenter has been a creative juggernaut for over four decades, writing, directing, and scoring most of his films. Although many of his films can be called our favorites, let’s take a closer look at 10 of the best John Carpenter films from the 1970’s-1980’s.

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Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

In what would be a recurring theme in his career, Carpenter’s first film in this run (his second feature overall), an “urban western” action thriller inspired by Howard Hawks’ Rio Bravo and George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, opened to disappointing box-office returns and mixed reviews.

The plot involves an unlikely group of individuals who find themselves holed up inside a police station defending themselves against a ruthless street gang in South Central Los Angeles. Initially derided by critics and audiences for its violence (particularly the graphic murder of a young girl), it wasn’t until it hit the European market that the film began to gain traction. Since then, the film has been lauded as one of the greatest action movies of the ’70s and one of the best films in Carpenter’s career (it’s his highest rated film on Rotten Tomatoes at 98%). It has influenced countless films over time, such as Die Hard, From Dusk till Dawn, and Shaun of the Dead. A remake was released in 2005 starring Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne.

Halloween (1978)

Carpenter followed up Assault with his most well-known and enduring film. Shot in 20 days and produced for only $300,000, Halloween would go on to gross over $47 million domestically and another $23 million internationally, making it one of the most successful independent movies ever. Although reviews were generally unkind upon its initial run, the film has grown to mythic proportions in the 40 years since and is lauded as a genuine classic (it currently sits at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes).

The tremendous success of the film (originally titled The Babysitter Murders) made silent killer Michael Myers a pop culture icon and launched the careers of Carpenter and star Jamie Lee Curtis. Carpenter also provided the iconic score for the film, delivering what many consider to be the greatest horror theme song of all time. It would go on to spawn ten sequels/pseudo-sequels/reboots/retcons to date, including the upcoming David Gordon Green-directed Halloween, a direct sequel to this very film, along with loads of merchandise, including apparel, collectible figures, and video games.

Halloween is widely considered to be the movie that ignited the slasher genre (although it was not the first, by any stretch) and is regarded by many as the greatest horror movie ever made.

The Fog (1980)

After Halloween, Carpenter directed two made-for-television movies (Someone’s Watching Me! and Elvis, the first of many collaborations with Kurt Russell) before moving on to his next theatrical feature. Following up on the massive success of Halloween was a daunting task, but Carpenter proved up to the challenge, delivering an atmospheric, spooky horror film with The Fog, a classic ghost tale mixed with modern-day (at the time) horror aesthetics.

Featuring yet another classic score by Carpenter, it re-teamed him with his Halloween lead Jamie Lee Curtis and starred then-wife Adrienne Barbeau in her feature film debut. The Fog tells the story of a group of revenant mariners returning to the town of Antonio Bay via a supernatural, glowing fog, hell bent on exacting revenge for being sabotaged and killed by the town’s residents 100 years prior. Although not the huge box-office hit that Halloween was, The Fog was still quite profitable, making over $21 million domestically off a $1 million budget. It is still held in high regards among most fans of the genre.

Escape From New York (1981)

Carpenter took a mini-break from horror to direct this sci-fi/action gem. Starring Kurt Russell, Escape from New York takes place in a dystopian future (in the distant year of 1997!) in which the island of Manhattan has been transformed into a maximum security prison. Russell’s iconic character, Snake Plissken, a former soldier and current prisoner, is given 24 hours to save the president when Air Force One crashes on the NYC borough. The film also featured Carpenter players Donald Pleasence, Adrienne Barbeau, and Tom Atkins and was produced with Carpenter mainstay Debra Hill.

Carpenter and crew did a tremendous job of creating a bleak, grimy future New York City, building great tension and uneasiness with the look and tone of the film. (Quick trivia note: the movie was actually filmed in St. Louis, Missouri!) Escape was released to generally positive reviews and was a box-office hit, grossing $25 million from a $6 million budget. The movie has been a big influence on film and television since its release (Cloverfield, for example, features the Statue of Liberty head as seen on the Escape poster) and Russell’s character Snake Plissken has become a fixture in pop culture, heavily influencing film and video game characters, such as Metal Gear series hero Solid Snake. A not-so well-received sequel, Escape from L.A., was released in 1996.

The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter was a bit reluctant to take the reins on directing The Thing, as he held the original film adaptation, Howard Hawks’ The Thing from Another World, in high regard (he even paid homage to it four years earlier in Halloween). He didn’t think he could match or improve upon the original, but changed his mind after reading the novella on which it was based, John W. Campbell’s Who Goes There? Frequent Carpenter collaborator Kurt Russell was once again cast as the lead and acclaimed makeup and effects guru Rob Bottin was brought on to handle creature effects for the film.

Following a bumpy production in which the film’s budget became a constant struggle, the film was released to disappointing box office returns and was panned by critics and audiences. A tale of paranoia and isolation featuring a parasitic, shape-shifting alien, Carpenter attributes the film’s initial failure largely to its nihilistic, dark tone. In the 36 years since its release, the reception to the film has completely flipped and it is now considered one of the greatest sci-fi films AND one of the greatest horror films of all time (I placed it at #1 on my list of Greatest Horror Remakes). Multiple filmmakers, from Guillermo del Toro to Quentin Tarantino, cite it as a major influence. Many also consider it to be Carpenter’s greatest directorial effort. Not bad for a film that nearly destroyed Carpenter’s career upon release.

Christine (1983)

In a rush to capitalize on all things Stephen King, Columbia Pictures bought the rights to King’s novel about a possessed 1958 red Plymouth Fury before the book was published in early 1983. The film was released in December of that year. Carpenter has stated that he viewed the project as more of a job than a passion project (ala The Thing from the year prior), but he took it on in order to get his career back on track after that film’s reception.

Although it received lukewarm reviews and tepid box-office returns, the film has been embraced by fans of both Carpenter and the horror genre in general and is a bona fide cult classic. Much like The Fog, the story builds on suspense and feelings of unease as it heads towards a chaotic finale. Carpenter’s visual style and directorial methods are all on full display here. His trademark synth score is present as well, and it is truly one of his best, which says a lot.  

Starman (1984)

Carpenter followed Christine with Starman, a sci-fi/romance/road trip movie starring Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen. Long before he was the Dude, Bridges starred as an alien being who arrives on Earth and assumes the identity of Allen’s deceased husband. With the aid of supernatural abilities, the pair travel cross-country to a rendezvous point for Bridges’ alien character in Arizona. In many ways, Starman  is an anomaly for Carpenter. He didn’t write it, didn’t score it, it doesn’t feature any of his usual players, and it is equal parts drama/romance as it is sci-fi. According to Carpenter, he chose to do the film (multiple other directors had been pursued before he came onboard) both as a response to the box-office failure of The Thing and to show he could do more than just horror/exploitation cinema.

Starman was met with generally positive reviews and, despite a soft opening weekend, would go on to gross a respectable $28 million at the domestic box office. Bridges earned an Academy Award nomination for his role (the lone nomination for a John Carpenter film) and it would prove to be a strong catalyst for his acting career. He almost didn’t get the part, however, as both Kevin Bacon and Tom Cruise were initially offered the role. As is often the case with Carpenter films, Starman is now regarded as a standout of the genre.

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

John Carpenter’s lightest and most colorful film in this run, Big Trouble combines action, comedy, and sci-fi brilliantly to produce a highly entertaining, quirky tale. A large part of that is due to the outstanding performance of Carpenter fave Kurt Russell as Jack Burton (seriously, one of the best performances of his career). In short, Burton is tasked with helping his friend (Dennis Dun) rescue his fiancee (pre-Sex in the City Kim Cattrall) from a ruthless sorcerer (James Hong) in the San Francisco Chinatown underworld. The script, not written by Carpenter, was originally intended to be a western but was reworked to be a modern-day western/martial arts hybrid.

A critical and commercial bomb upon its release (it made back only about half of its production budget), Carpenter claims it as a major reason he became disillusioned with the Hollywood filmmaking system. However, it has since gone on to become a beloved cult classic, influencing multiple films and video games (Thor: Ragnarok and Mortal Kombat, as examples) and has spawned its own board games, action figures, and comic books!

Prince of Darkness (1987)

The second chapter in John Carpenter’s “Apocalypse Trilogy” (the first being The Thing and the third being 1995’s In the Mouth of Madness), Prince of Darkness can be loosely summarized thusly: A priest (Donald Pleasance, Dr. Sam Loomis from Halloween) enlists the aid of a quantum physics professor (Victor Wong) and his students in investigating a mysterious cylinder of green liquid which may contain the corporeal spirit of Satan himself. Yeah, it’s a pretty heady plot, but the film is pretty powerful in its depiction of evil and its effects on mankind.

Carpenter’s trademark dark tone and unnerving score takes what should be an absurd concept (did I mention an army of mind-controlled homeless people and telepathic video messages sent from the future?) and turns it into a tense horror/suspense film. That being said, it’s not Carpenter’s best film, by far, and is not held in the same regard as many on this list, but it is still considered a cult classic nonetheless.

They Live (1988)

“I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass…and I’m all out of bubblegum.”

A sci-fi movie about hidden aliens living among us who are revealed via special sunglasses starring a professional wrestler. Yep, that pretty much describes They Live. It sounds absolutely ridiculous, but the movie succeeds on so many levels. Carpenter adapted the film from a variety of sources, primarily a short story and comic by Ray Nelson and artist Bill Wray. He made the movie as a response to commercialism and the power of advertising and it has gone on to have a lasting effect in both pop culture and counterculture movements.

A very modest hit at the time (it grossed $13 million domestically off a $3 million budget), the film has continued to grow in popularity and prominence since its release and has influenced many filmmakers and artists with its visuals and message. Of course, any discussion of the movie is incomplete without mentioning the incredible 6-minute fight scene between star Roddy Piper and co-star Keith David. They Live is now regarded as one of John Carpenter’s greatest achievements, behind maybe only Halloween and The Thing.