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Every John Carpenter Movie Ranked from Best to Worst

While Michael Myers may get all the glory, we're taking a look at the man behind the legend - John Carpenter - and the illustrious career he had in the wake of his cultural milestone, Halloween. Carpenter's work behind the camera may only be overshadowed by his work in the recording studio, as he's produced some of the most iconic film scores of the past 50 years and provided multiple generations with the soundtrack to their nightmares. Here is every John Carpenter film ranked from Best to Worst:

#18. The Ward

I think we can all agree, it'd be great to see a new project from John Carpenter. It's been 12 years now since his last film, The Ward, which was his first feature length endeavor after a 9 year hiatus before that. But I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone whose enthusiasm didn't dip at least a little bit when THIS was his return to director's chair. While quality can vary in Carpenter's work from film to film, you at least always felt like you were watching one of HIS movies. The Ward, however, could easily be confused with any number of M. Night copycats from the mid 2000's, hinging the entire film's success upon an unearned twist in the final moments. Hopefully this isn't the sour note Carpenter ends his directorial career on, but we'll see...

#17. Village of the Damned

Cinematographer Dean Cundey did a lot to help craft the signature John Carpenter look of the early 1980's and conversely, Gary B. Kibbe did the same for Carpenter's work in the 90's. But not in a good way. Starting here with Village of the Damned, Carpenter's films just lack the grand scope and epic feel they had in the previous decade. And more often than not, they come off looking like a made for TV Sci-Fi Channel Movie of the Week. Village of the Damned has a decent premise but lacks a satisfying resolution, mostly due to the telekinetic showdown finale falling flat. Not a lot happens on screen, save for a weird sequence of Kirstie Alley on an operating table. It is pretty wild that JC made a movie featuring both Luke Skywalker and Superman though...

#16. Dark Star

It's hard for me to really compare Dark Star with the rest of John Carpenter's work, because this feels more like a film school group project than an actual movie meant for general audiences. I mean sure, it's cool to see the roots of Alien screenwriter Dan O' Bannon crafting his spaceship design techniques and Nick Castle (who would go on to play The Shape in Halloween) as a hilarious "alien" creature that's essentially just a beach ball. But if you have no established connection point for the people who made this film, there's no reason to really watch it or find any of it entertaining. The goofy humor and nods to Kubrick are kinda charming but overall, this just isn't something fit for mass consumption.

#15. Vampires

The biggest detractor for John Carpenter's Vampires is the fact that the best action sequence is in the first 20 minutes of the film. After that, we're left with Sheryl Lee re-purposing her Laura Palmer performance as a newly bitten vampire and not much else. But James Woods makes for a great vampire hunting gang leader and Thomas Ian Griffith's performance as Valek is phenomenal. He's maybe one of Carpenter's most compelling villains, at least visually anyways. I just wish these great characters had a better story to tell. But it's a fine Saturday afternoon B-movie, nonetheless.

#14. Ghost of Mars

Speaking of B-movies, Ghost of Mars is a lot more fun than people give it credit for. Yes, everyone is unnecessarily horny with Natasha Henstridge's character. And Ice Cube gives a pretty dreadful performance. But it's not entirely unwatchable, in a trashy straight to video kind of way. But maybe I'm biased because of the ass kicking collaboration between Anthrax and Carpenter on the film's score. If you ever wanted to hear John Carpenter ghost write for a late 90's butt rock band, this is your chance. It also feels like you can pick up on John's passion for video games here because this movie definitely feels like a co-op shoot em up for Playstation 2.

#13. Starman

I don't know what it is about Starman, I just can't get into it. It's not bad, just wholly uninteresting to me. It also feels like the turning point in Carpenter's career where he went from being absolutely unstoppable to a mere mortal. Between being one of the few films Carpenter didn't score, having his regular DP Dean Cundey off working on Back to the Future, a divorce with Adrianne Barbeau looming and the alleged dispute behind the scenes fracturing his relationship between longtime frequent collaborator Nick Castle (who was working on his own breakout sci-fi directorial effort in The Last Starfighter at the time) - this feels like it's coming from a changed John Carpenter. But then again, it is a PG rom-com road movie, hinging on the chemistry of Karen Allen and Jeff Bridges to sell it's narrative. And that's almost enough. But not quite.

#12. Escape From L.A.

As the only sequel John Carpenter has directed himself, Escape from L.A. is actually more of a soft remake than anything else. It's essentially the same plot as Escape from New York with an L.A. skin laid over top of it. And a shit ton of bad mid 90s CGI, somehow aging this film more rapidly than it's 15 year predecessor. But as dumb as the movie is (and believe me it REALLY is) for some reason it's still a guilty pleasure of mine. Maybe I'm nostalgic for the 90s blockbuster aesthetic, but I find it to be a fun world to revisit, even if the new characters (looking at you Utopia) and lack of action sequences make this a pretty disappointing follow up. But having not seen Escape From New York before this probably gave me much lesser expectations to hold this up against as a 9 year old kid watching one of his first R-Rated movies.

#11. Memoirs of an Invisible Man

This passion project from Chevy Chase sees the SNL alumn trying to bridge into more serious acting roles but the brief moments of comedy here, really just make you miss his sense of humor throughout the rest of the movie. Memoirs gets caught in between not being grounded enough or humorous enough to fully work but supporting roles from Sam Neil and Michael McKean help the proceedings quite a bit. A harmless 90 minute sci-fi romance that could've benefited from more romance. And comedy.

#10. Prince of Darkness

The second entry in Carpenter's apocalypse trilogy feels like it would pair incredibly well with Jordan Peele's Us. And not just because of the scissors used as a murder weapon. But like Peele's film, I find myself more entranced with the thematic concepts presented in both movies as opposed to their physical manifestations. Here instead of Tim Heidecker groaning in a red jumpsuit, we get Alice Cooper leading a faceless mob of homeless people and a bloody mirror girl. But if you took Thomas Ian Griffith from Vampires and cast him as the literal embodiment of darkness here, it would give this film a much more threatening antagonist and rank it right among Carpenter's best work. But as it is, the movie needs a more compelling villain.

#9. Assault on Precinct 13

Regarded now mostly as a Master of Horror, it's easy to forget that Carpenter started his career equally renowned for his gritty action films. Assault on Precinct 13 feels like a cross between The Warriors and Night of the Living Dead with an unexpected and unique brand of humor infused. It's a brilliant feature debut for Carpenter; flexing his incredible capacity for writing, directing and most notably - music. The anxiety wrapped around Assault on Precinct 13 is ratcheted up immeasurably thanks to one of the most dynamic scores of his career and helps to add an extra layer of personality to his work that no other director can really replicate on their own.

#8. Big Trouble in Little China

Kurt Russell and John Carpenter are one of the best actor/director duos in cinematic history. And amid the ultra-macho 1980's onslaught of Schwarzenegger and Stallone shoot-em-ups, here we have Kurt Russell willing to make a fool of himself as a dimwitted meathead who doesn't quite realize he's not the action hero he sees himself as, but rather the comic relief. And while the film certainly has sci-fi and action elements, this supernatural kung-fu adventure comedy is proof that Carpenter can tackle just about any genre you throw at him. The balance of action and comedy is spot on and really makes me wish we got more of this kind of genre-bending work from Carpenter. But unfortunately, it's another one of his films that wasn't appreciated nearly enough in it's time.

#7. Christine

While a killer car from the 1950's may not be the most horrific of Stephen King's premises, Carpenter does a great job of bringing the levity this film needs to succeed. King's stories are always made all the more impactful due to his knack for delivering such rich and well developed characters. Yes, Christine is a killer car movie but it's more about Arnie's coming of age story and developing a sense of personal identity. Couple the character driven relationships with some remarkable performances courtesy of Keith Gordon, John Stockwell and Alexandra Paul and you've got a really solid adaptation on your hands.


See where it ranks on our list of the Top 10 Stephen King Movies of All Time

#6. They Live

Like Prince of Darkness before it, They Live has an absolutely phenomenal concept. I'd go as far to say it's perhaps even the strongest of his career. But the execution - particularly after Roddy Piper uncovers the alien conspiracy around him, plunging the film into 1950's B-movie invasion territory - quickly sours what should be one of the best movies of the 1980s. This visually striking social commentary serves as a spiritual predecessor to Boots Riley's Sorry To Bother You set in the blue collar L.A. slums of Alex Cox's Repo Man. Cultivating a cult following over the years, this is a film absolutely worthy of your time - as it's thematic content will linger in your head far after the credits roll. Just stick through that excruciatingly long fight scene.


#5. In The Mouth of Madness

Certainly Carpenter's most overlooked film, In The Mouth of Madness is one of the most criminally underrated horror movies of the 1990s. Paying homage to horror scribes Stephen King and more directly H.P. Lovecraft, this film may not have the visceral impact of some of Carpenter's other offerings but it's easily one of the best psychological horror films you'll find anywhere. The devilishly blurred lines of perception and reality are handled so spectacularly well, it's truly a shame that this film never received the critical or financial success it deserved, because it really could have served as an interesting evolution point for Carpenter as a storyteller.

#4. Escape From New York

There are so many great elements to Escape From New York - the pulsating synth score, the biting satirical political commentary, the nightmarish atmosphere, the explosive action - all of which makes for an immersive showcase of Carpenter's incredible abilities. And then to top it all off you have Snake Plissken. Kurt Russell's portrayal of the anti-hero at the center of Escape From New York is one of the greatest ever captured on film. It's a legendary role for Russell and likely the one he'll be remembered for. Drop him into a dystopian island prison with 24 hours to rescue the President and you've got a timeless action classic.

#3. The Fog

Living in the immediate shadow of Halloween, The Fog doesn't get nearly the respect it deserves. Carpenter's follow up to Halloween is a slow build, atmospheric fever dream that hits all the hallmarks of Carpenter's best work. Humor, horror, social satire, stunning photography, an incredible soundtrack (maybe his best, honestly) and fucking pirate ghosts exacting revenge to expose the unjust history of a small coastal California town. What more could you ask for?! Not to mention the astounding ensemble cast of genre legends like Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, Tom Atkins, Charles Cyphers, Hal Holbrook, Nancy Kyes and George "Buck" Flowers. A brisk 89 minute ghost story, oozing with the haunting aura of dread and revenge, The Fog is an underrated gem.

#2. Halloween

With 12 direct sequels and an entire sub-genre built around replicating it's cultural impact as THE seminal slasher film, it's hard to really grasp the full weight of Halloween's impact on horror and film making in general. While it wasn't the first film to feature a masked assailant wielding a knife and stalking down unsuspecting teenagers, John Carpenter crafted one of the most revolutionary horror films of all time with his suburban nightmare tale of the night he came home. And as horrifying as Michael is, the most enduring legacy the film has is it's iconic score. Right up there with Jaws and Psycho, the Halloween theme is one of the most legendary pieces of music ever created for film. The entire score carries the film so fluidly, that the visual and audio components are somehow simultaneously inseparable and yet autonomously effective on their own. Written, directed, produced and composed by John Carpenter - Halloween is the culmination of creative genius firing on all cylinders.


#1. The Thing

Without a doubt, THE BEST horror remake of all time, The Thing is John Carpenter's magnum opus. An alien invasion creature feature about paranoia and fear unraveling an Antarctic research team; The Thing is a slow burn masterpiece. The tension and suspense are crafted to perfection and brought to life by the brilliant ensemble cast, lead by Kurt Russell and Keith David. This hellishly claustrophobic tale of isolation has only gotten better with time, as it's critical reception was incredibly harsh upon release, even earning Ennio Morricone a Razzie Nomination for Worst Musical Score (what in the actual fuck?!) But everything from the icy cold setting to the gruesome practical effects and yes, Morricone's score - make this not only one of the best horror film's of it's era, but all time. And the more isolated technology allows us to be in our every day lives, the more that this film's legacy and relateability will only continue to grow.


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