John Howard Carpenter is an American filmmaker, composer, and actor primarily known for his horror, action, and science fiction films from the 1970s and 1980s. Considered a master of horror, he has also composed music for many of his films. In 2019, he received the Golden Coach Award at the Cannes Film Festival, with the French Directors' Guild praising him as a "creative genius."
January 16, 1948: Birth of John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter was born in Carthage, New York on January 16, 1948.
1951: The Thing from Another World
The 1951 film "The Thing from Another World" by Howard Hawks used the same source material as Carpenter's "The Thing," though Carpenter's film adhered more closely to the original novella.
1953: Move to Bowling Green
John Carpenter's family moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 1953.
1958: The Year of the Plymouth Fury
The car featured in "Christine" is a 1958 Plymouth Fury.
1958: Release of The Crawling Eye
The Crawling Eye, which inspired The Fog, was released in 1958.
1962: Early Short Films
Around 1962, John Carpenter created several short films, including Godzilla vs. Gorgo and Terror from Space.
1968: Transfer to USC
Carpenter transferred to the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 1968 to study filmmaking.
1969: Captain Voyeur
Carpenter wrote and directed Captain Voyeur in 1969.
1970: The Resurrection of Broncho Billy
In 1970, The Resurrection of Broncho Billy, which Carpenter co-wrote, edited, and scored, won an Academy Award.
1974: Start of Movie Theme Anthology Period
The earliest movie themes included in Carpenter's "Anthology" album date back to 1974.
1974: Start of Movie Themes Period
This year marks the beginning of the period covered by Carpenter's Anthology album, showcasing movie themes from 1974.
1974: Release of Dark Star
Dark Star, co-written with Dan O'Bannon, was released in 1974.
1974: Release of Dark Star
Dark Star was released in 1974.
1974: Release of Black Christmas
Bob Clark's Black Christmas was released in 1974.
1976: Release of Assault on Precinct 13
Assault on Precinct 13 was released in 1976.
1976: Release of Assault on Precinct 13
John Carpenter released Assault on Precinct 13 in 1976.
1978: Eyes of Laura Mars
Eyes of Laura Mars, adapted from Carpenter's script Eyes, was released in 1978.
1978: Release of Halloween
Halloween was released in 1978.
1978: Release of Halloween
In 1978, John Carpenter released Halloween, a film that became a commercial success and contributed to the slasher genre.
1978: Meeting Adrienne Barbeau
John Carpenter met actress Adrienne Barbeau on the set of his television film "Someone's Watching Me!" in 1978.
1978: Release of Halloween
John Carpenter released Halloween in 1978.
January 1, 1979: Marriage to Adrienne Barbeau
John Carpenter married actress Adrienne Barbeau on January 1, 1979.
1979: Collaboration with Kurt Russell
John Carpenter and Kurt Russell began their collaborations with the TV movie Elvis in 1979.
1980: Release of The Fog
John Carpenter released The Fog in 1980.
1980: Release of The Fog
The Fog was released in 1980.
1981: Release of Escape from New York
Escape from New York was released in 1981.
1981: Release of Escape from New York
Escape from New York was released in 1981.
1982: The Thing
In 1982, John Carpenter released "The Thing," a science fiction horror film with notable special effects and a score by Ennio Morricone. Based on the novella "Who Goes There?," the film is part of Carpenter's "Apocalypse Trilogy."
1982: Halloween III: Season of the Witch
In 1982, John Carpenter was involved with "Halloween III: Season of the Witch."
1982: Release of The Thing
John Carpenter released The Thing in 1982.
1982: Release of The Thing
John Carpenter released his remake of The Thing from Another World, simply titled The Thing, in 1982.
1983: Christine
Carpenter directed the film adaptation of Stephen King's "Christine" in 1983, a story about a teenager obsessed with a supernatural car.
1983: Release of Christine
Christine was released in 1983.
May 7, 1984: Birth of Cody Carpenter
John Carpenter's son, Cody Carpenter, was born on May 7, 1984. Cody later became a musician and composer.
1984: Loss of "Firestarter" Project
Due to "The Thing's" poor performance, Carpenter lost the opportunity to direct the 1984 film "Firestarter." His contract with Universal was also bought out.
1984: Starman
In 1984, Carpenter directed "Starman," a romantic comedy about an alien, which received award nominations for Jeff Bridges' acting and Jack Nitzsche's musical score.
1984: Release of Starman
John Carpenter released Starman in 1984.
1985: Carpenter's Interview with Starlog
In a 1985 interview with Starlog, Carpenter publicly discussed the negative reception of "The Thing," expressing surprise at being labeled a "pornographer of violence."
1986: Big Trouble in Little China
Carpenter's "Big Trouble in Little China," a big-budget action-comedy, was released in 1986 and became a financial failure.
1986: Release of Big Trouble in Little China
Big Trouble in Little China was released in 1986.
1987: Release of Prince of Darkness
Prince of Darkness was released in 1987.
1988: They Live
"They Live," which developed a cult following, was released in 1988.
1988: Release of They Live
They Live was released in 1988.
1990: Marriage to Sandy King
John Carpenter married film producer Sandy King in 1990.
1992: Reevaluation of "The Thing"
By 1992, "The Thing" began to be reevaluated, with critics like Peter Nicholls recognizing its potential as a classic.
1992: Memoirs of an Invisible Man
In 1992, Carpenter released "Memoirs of an Invisible Man", which became a notable failure.
1994: Release of In the Mouth of Madness
In the Mouth of Madness was released in 1994.
1995: Village of the Damned and In the Mouth of Madness
Carpenter released two films in 1995: "Village of the Damned" and "In the Mouth of Madness", another Lovecraftian film, neither of which did well commercially or with critics initially.
1996: Escape from L.A.
Carpenter released the sequel "Escape from L.A." in 1996, which received mixed reviews.
1996: Release of Escape from L.A.
Escape from L.A. was released in 1996.
1998: End of Movie Theme Anthology Period
The most recent movie themes included in Carpenter's "Anthology" album date to 1998.
1998: Vampires
"Vampires," a film starring James Woods, was released in 1998.
1998: Saturn Award for Vampires
John Carpenter won a Saturn Award for Best Music for the soundtrack of Vampires in 1998.
1998: Sentinel Returns Soundtrack
Carpenter composed the soundtrack "Earth/Air" for the video game "Sentinel Returns" in 1998.
1999: Carpenter's Reflection on "The Thing"
In a 1999 interview, Carpenter attributed the initial negative reception of "The Thing" to its nihilistic tone, which clashed with the optimistic atmosphere surrounding the release of "E.T." two weeks earlier.
2001: Ghosts of Mars
Carpenter released the unsuccessful film "Ghosts of Mars" in 2001.
2002: American Cinematheque Retrospective
A retrospective of John Carpenter's films was held by the American Cinematheque in 2002.
2005: Bob Clark Interview
In 2005, Bob Clark discussed Carpenter's inquiry about sequel ideas for Black Christmas.
2005: Masters of Horror: "Cigarette Burns"
In 2005, Carpenter directed "Cigarette Burns" for the Showtime series "Masters of Horror."
2005: Remakes and "The Fog"
Remakes of Carpenter's films "Assault on Precinct 13" and "The Fog" were made in 2005, with Carpenter having limited involvement in the latter.
2006: Masters of Horror: "Pro-Life"
Carpenter directed the episode "Pro-Life" for the second season of "Masters of Horror" in 2006.
2006: Halloween's National Film Registry Induction
In 2006, John Carpenter's film "Halloween" was deemed "culturally significant" and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress.
2007: Death of Bob Clark
Bob Clark passed away in 2007.
2008: "The Thing" in Empire Magazine
In 2008, Empire magazine ranked "The Thing" among the 500 greatest movies of all time, solidifying its status as a horror classic.
2009: Release of Clarkworld
The documentary Clarkworld was released in 2009.
September 13, 2010: The Ward Premiere
"The Ward," Carpenter's latest directorial effort as of November 2023, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13, 2010.
October 10, 2010: Lifetime Achievement Award
Carpenter received the Lifetime Award from the Freak Show Horror Film Festival on October 10, 2010.
2010: Appearance in A History of Horror
John Carpenter was interviewed by Mark Gatiss for the BBC documentary series "A History of Horror" in 2010, appearing in all three episodes. He was also interviewed by Robert Rodriguez for "The Director's Chair" on El Rey Network.
July 2011: The Ward Release
"The Ward" was released in the United States in July 2011, receiving generally negative reviews.
2011: Rediscovery of Captain Voyeur
Captain Voyeur was rediscovered in the USC archives in 2011.
2012: Co-ownership of Storm King Comics
In 2012, John Carpenter and his wife Sandy King became co-owners of Storm King Comics.
February 3, 2015: Lost Themes Release
Carpenter's album "Lost Themes" was released on February 3, 2015.
October 19, 2015: All Tomorrow's Parties Announcement
On October 19, 2015, it was announced that Carpenter would perform his compositions in London and Manchester.
2015: Release of Lost Themes
Carpenter released his studio album Lost Themes in 2015.
February 2016: Lost Themes II Announcement
In February 2016, Carpenter announced "Lost Themes II," released on April 15 of the same year.
2016: Influence on The Void
The 2016 film "The Void" is considered by many critics and fans to be heavily influenced by John Carpenter's works.
2016: Release of Lost Themes II
Lost Themes II was released in 2016.
2016: Carpenter's Music Focus
In 2016, John Carpenter prioritized his music career over filmmaking, prompted by renewed interest in his music due to Death Waltz reissues and his "Lost Themes" albums, leading him to tour as a musician for the first time.
2016: Carpenter's Music Interest
In a 2016 interview, Carpenter revealed his father's work as a music teacher influenced his early interest in music, significantly impacting his career in composing music for most of his films, with soundtracks becoming cult items for record collectors. The Death Waltz record company also reissued several of his soundtracks.
October 20, 2017: Anthology Release
Carpenter released his album "Anthology: Movie Themes 1974–1998" on October 20, 2017.
2017: Release of Anthology: Movie Themes 1974–1998
Anthology: Movie Themes 1974–1998 was released in 2017.
October 2018: Halloween (2018) Release
In October 2018, John Carpenter returned to the Halloween franchise as executive producer, co-composer, and creative consultant for the film simply titled "Halloween." This marked his first direct involvement since 1982's "Halloween III: Season of the Witch." Notably, this film disregarded previous sequels, acting as a direct sequel to the original 1978 film.
2018: Halloween (2018) Involvement
Despite focusing on music, Carpenter was still involved in the 2018 reboot of "Halloween" and its subsequent sequels.
2018: Return to Halloween Franchise
John Carpenter returned to the Halloween franchise as a composer and executive producer for the 2018 film.
2019: Golden Coach Award
In 2019, John Carpenter was awarded the Golden Coach Award at the Cannes Film Festival and recognized as "a creative genius."
February 28, 2020: Destructive Field Release
John Carpenter was featured on the track "Destructive Field" on his godson Daniel Davies' album "Signals," which was released on February 28, 2020.
July 2020: Skeleton and Unclear Spirit Release
Two tracks, "Skeleton" and "Unclear Spirit," from the album "Lost Themes 3: Alive After Death" were released in July 2020.
October 27, 2020: Weeping Ghost Release
The single "Weeping Ghost" from the forthcoming album "Lost Themes 3: Alive after Death" was released digitally on October 27, 2020.
December 2020: The Dead Walk Release
The track "The Dead Walk" from the upcoming album "Lost Themes 3: Alive After Death" was released in December 2020.
February 2, 2021: Lost Themes 3: Alive After Death Release
Carpenter's third solo album, "Lost Themes 3: Alive After Death," was released on February 2, 2021.
2021: Release of Lost Themes III: Alive After Death
Carpenter released Lost Themes III: Alive After Death in 2021.
2021: Halloween Kills
John Carpenter worked as a composer and executive producer on the sequel "Halloween Kills" in 2021.
2021: Work on Halloween Kills
Carpenter worked on Halloween Kills in 2021.
2022: Work on Halloween Ends
Carpenter worked on Halloween Ends in 2022.
2022: Halloween Ends
John Carpenter continued his involvement with the Halloween franchise by working as composer and executive producer on "Halloween Ends" in 2022.
June 2023: Toxic Commando Announcement
During Summer Game Fest in June 2023, John Carpenter's collaboration with Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive on a zombie first-person shooter video game, "John Carpenter's Toxic Commando," was announced.
August 2023: Anthology II Announcement
A fifth collaboration with Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies, "Anthology II: Movie Themes 1976-1988", was announced in August 2023.
October 6, 2023: Anthology II: Movie Themes 1976-1988 Release
John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies' collaborative album "Anthology II: Movie Themes 1976-1988" will be released on October 6, 2023.
March 2024: Lost Themes 4: Noir Announcement
A fourth "Lost Themes" album, subtitled "Noir," was announced in March 2024, to be released on May 3rd on Sacred Bones Records, featuring collaborations with Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies, and preceded by the single "My Name is Death."
2024: Toxic Commando Release
"John Carpenter's Toxic Commando" is set to release in 2024 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows via the Epic Games Store.
2024: Release of Lost Themes IV: Noir
Lost Themes IV: Noir is set to be released in 2024.