Top 5 John Carpenter Films
Some might scoff at my admiration for a director who has
never received the appreciation he is due from the film community at large,
though horror fans have always celebrated him as a true visionary. This is a guy who has provided numerous
signature films in the genre, and in doing so he has provided us with several
iconic characters who stand out in cinematic lore. Carpenter has also engineered some truly
memorable scores, and should we give him extra credit for helping Kurt Russell
make the leap from Disney to Snake Plissken?
I think so.
I have honestly enjoyed all of John’s films going all the
way back to Dark Star, a college film
featuring the late, great Dan O’Bannon, another gifted filmmaker who never
really found the reception his work merited.
Let’s hope America finds a way to embrace Carpenter for who he is and
what he has done within the motion picture industry before he leaves us as
well. And while I’m wishing, I sure
wouldn’t mind seeing Kurt and John work together once again before either of
them calls it a career.
Every time I set out to compose one of these lists it proves
difficult, but this was easily the toughest one yet. After some intense debate that took entirely
too long (just ask Tony) I wound up
with 9 films that I had a very hard time whittling down to 5, and ranking those
5 proved even more difficult. In the end, this is what I came up with, though I’m sure I
got it wrong at some point. It was too
hard not to.
It still baffles me that this
wasn’t received better when it hit theaters in 1982. I know it was the summer of E.T. and the gore factor in The Thing is off the charts, but this is
a landmark film that is ripe with atmosphere and intensity. Whether critics panned it or not, fans have
always lauded it as one of the finest horror films ever, an argument I back
with enthusiasm. It is utterly unique in
a number of ways that extend far beyond Rob Bottin’s magical effects work,
chiefly the claustrophobic introspection centered on an all-male ensemble cast
stranded in Antarctica. It isn’t long
before these unfortunate residents of a remote outpost discover that their ranks
have been infiltrated by a shape-shifting alien monstrosity that can replace
any of them. Before long, no one knows
whether or not the man next to him is still human, and everyone is staring down
a frigid doom that cannot be defeated.
The setting is as much a part of the film as the throbbing score, and
Kurt Russell sports cinema’s finest beard* as R.J. MacReady, a hero so
believable and vulnerable that he seems as real as you or I. MacReady is a quick thinker with guts, and
that’s really about it. At no point does
he morph into some sort of action hero, he’s just a fairly smart guy in a hell
of a pickle who isn’t welling to give up without a fight. The realistic way the characters behave is
remarkable, and the way anxiety gives way to suspicion, anger, and fear keeps
the film grounded while building unbelievable amounts of tension within the
audience. Then the effects extravaganza
begins, and these terrific actors make the most of the clever script as the inescapable
horror stalks them through a bleak landscape of gusting wind and snowbound
terror. The grim ending is a perfect
epitaph to this somber piece that somehow becomes a rollicking good time fueled
by fear and masterful direction. This is
a movie that can stand proudly alongside genre masterpieces like The Exorcist or The Shining, and perhaps it should be noted that each of those
films are revered for wonderful performances and stirring plots as well as
gruesome setpieces and ghastly things that go bump in the night.
2)
Assault on
Precinct 13 (1976)
1n 1976, John shot Assault on Precinct 13 in 20 days. This was 2 years before he directed Halloween, and yet this might be his
true masterpiece. It boasts his first
fantastic score and clearly paves the way for the tense stories the director would
share with us over the years. Though the
budget may provide limitations and there are a few miscues along the way, it is
impossible to ignore the ferocity of this loving ode to the westerns Carpenter
treasured as a boy. One can see pieces
of Snake Plissken in anti-hero Napoleon Wilson, expertly played by John’s
one-time neighbor Darwin Joston, who is a perfect fit for a suave killer who is
equal parts Doc Holliday and John Wayne.
Some of Wilson’s dialogue is lifted directly from Once Upon a Time in the West**, a loving nod to my favorite
western. Austin Stoker plays Bishop, a
black cop who is given the assignment of presiding over a precinct that is
being closed down, a precinct that for all intents and purposes has already
closed. The assignment is clearly an
insult, and Bishop’s superiors enjoy rubbing it in. Bishop doesn’t have long to stew, however,
because things get out of hand shortly after he arrives. First, infamous killer Napoleon Wilson is
transferred to the precinct by mistake shortly after the phone service is
switched over to the new precinct. Then,
a man who has unwittingly started a war with the local gang arrives in search
of refuge and all hell breaks loose. The
precinct is surrounded by the gang, who lay siege to the skeleton crew of cops
and the desperate convicts inside, a divided band of rugged survivors cut off
from any hope of rescue. Soon Bishop and
Wilson are fighting side by side, and the raw action comes fast and furious as
the body count grows. Assault tells a simple story, but it
does so with vigor, and the end result is a riveting action film that clearly
signified the arrival of a powerful director.
Though this is one of his earliest and smaller efforts, Assault on Precinct 13 stands as one of
Carpenter’s most significant contributions to the cinema. Truly gripping.
3)
Big Trouble
in Little China (1986)
This film was regarded as a flop
upon its initial release, though it has since gained a cult following due to
its tremendous humor and flair. Big Trouble is easily Carpenter’s most
entertaining film, and Kurt Russell has never been more likable. Jack Burton is a hilarious character, a
fast-talking trucker who shows just how creative Carpenter and Russell were at
their apex. Here is a film where the
roles are essentially reversed. Jack
Burton may be the main character, and he’s certainly a lovable loudmouth, but
he clearly plays second fiddle to Dennis Dun in the sidekick role as Wang
Chi. Confused? You shouldn’t be. Jack does all the talking and Wang does all
the heavy lifting while Jack tries to get his bootknife out of its sheath. The story pits them against a powerful
necromancer (Jack’s take on Lo Pan: “Tall guy, weird clothes. First you see
him, then you don't.”) and three supernatural warriors, as well as legions of
kung-fu cultists. Or something like
that. The laughs are plentiful, the
action is thrilling, and the movie never slows down. Throughout this goofy odyssey, Russell lights
up the screen as Jack Burton, an egomaniac who constantly offers up gems like “When
some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your
favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye
and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back
in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like
that: ‘Have ya paid your dues, Jack?’ Yessir, the check is in the
mail." Kim Catrall, James Hong, and
Victor Wong are also on hand for a whimsical adventure with an absolute buffoon
on center stage, which makes for a hell of a show. Big
Trouble in Little China is an absolute blast, and Kurt Russell gives another
unforgettable performance as one of the most unlikely heroes ever.
I honestly wanted to put Prince of Darkness here because it is a
far more frightening film, but it doesn’t have the cultural significance of
Carpenter’s smash hit on a shoestring budget.
Halloween is a film that may
have given birth to the so-called “slasher” films of the 70s and 80s, a craze
that proved lucrative for the industry while inspiring pointed debate about
motion picture violence. Jamie Lee
Curtis became a star here, and the term “Scream Queen” became a badge of honor
for the heroines in such pictures.
Donald Pleasance excels in a role that both Christopher Lee and Peter
Cushing would come to regret turning down, as the character of Loomis has
become a fan favorite over the years.
Simply put, this the story of the boogeyman, in this case a soulless
psychopath named Michael Myers. Michael
is a heartless murderer who stalks the night in a bleached William Shatner
mask, silently pursuing and slaughtering innocent teens without any palpable
emotion. His distance and his utter lack
of humanity are what make Michael truly horrifying, and not once does he do
anything that in any way complicates this frightening portrait of mindless
evil. Curtis rises to the challenge as a
babysitter with guts, but can she and Loomis hope to conquer a madman with no
conscience and an insatiable appetite for murder? The score was an instant classic and the film
put Carpenter on the map in a big way for good reason. One need only watch any other so-called
slasher film to recognize Carpenter’s subtlety and precision at work in this
tense little gem where every shot matters and the small budget yields several
big scares.
5)
Escape From
New York (1981)
Kurt Russell makes John Carpenter’s
Top 5 for the third time in his signature role, the grizzled war vet who can’t
be killed though everyone thinks he’s already dead. Yes, I’m talking about the one and only Snake
Plissken. Snake is a joy to watch, and
this film is so decidedly off-the-wall that one can’t help but enjoy the
ride. In the near future (which just so
happens to be our recent past) New York has become a lawless prison. Bridges are mined and rivers are patrolled by
helicoptor. There’s only one way in, and
there’s no way out. When the president
crash lands in this savage wasteland, it’s up to one man to go in and get him
out, but that one man doesn’t want any part of it. Only by injecting him with a terminal virus
and promising him the cure if and when he completes his mission are the
authorities able to convince Snake to take on the job. Nothing goes as planned, however, and in
Carpenter’s hands this slick thrill ride becomes a grisly descent into a world
gone mad. A number of stars take part in
the decadent fun, including Donald Pleasance as the president, Lee Van Cleef as
Snake’s cold-as-ice commanding officer, Isaac Hayes as the sadistic Duke of New
York, and Harry Dean Stanton as Brain, a brilliant criminal who just might know
the way out. As time runs out for Snake
Plissken, audiences are treated to a delightfully dirty adventure that gave
birth to a character like no other. Escape from New York benefits from another great performance from
Russell and another great score, and few action films are as subversive and
unpredictable.
Girl in "Chock Full O'Nuts": You're a cop!
Snake Plissken: I'm an asshole.
Other films
considered:
Prince of Darkness
They Live
The Fog
In the Mouth of Madness
*I have written numerous pieces wherein I referenced either The Thing or Kurt Russell’s performance,
and I always note that as MacReady he sports the cinema’s finest beard of all
time.
I am truly envious.
**If you pick up the wonderful special edition dvd of Once Upon a Time in the West, Carpenter
offers up several terrific observations in the documentaries located in the
special features section.
This Top 5 was previously published by RVA Magazine.
