Carpenter, John (F.E.A.R.)

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We often get invited to press junkets and such, but this one was a bit unusual. We were asked if we would like to interview director John Carpenter about the new video game F.E.A.R., and of course any time we have the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Carpenter, we take it.

So I went to the interview under the impression that John had a hand in developing the game or was otherwise involved with it. Come to find out he just likes it and was there to help promote it. It was a different way to go about promoting a video game, but an effective one since it did draw us in.

While there we discussed a few things other than gaming like his love of the NBA, politics, his Masters of Horror, segment as well as his feelings on The Fog remake, which really didn’t sound very good at all which explained a lot about his attitude and behavior during my now infamous set visit. I think it was what John didn’t say about The Fog remake that spoke volumes. You make the call.


Question: So are you much of a gamer, John?

John Carpenter: Little bit, yeah. I’ve been playing since… well I was around for the original Pong (laughs). I started getting into it a little bit when my son was young, and then with him I got into it really big time. I suppose the first big step I took was with Sonic and I thought, “Wow, look at this! This is fun.”

Q: Do you have any particular favorites?

JC: I love platform games, cartoon adventure games. I love most games. I get a little bored with racing games and the NBA stuff, which after a while it gets to be the same old thing. You’re trading players now and making trades and creating your own characters and that’s fun.

Q: What differentiates this game from other similar games?

JC: The graphics and the game play. The graphics are unbelievable; they’re fabulous. The game play is extraordinary. This is really, really hot and it’s really scary and it’s really fun to play. It’s the scariest game I’ve played.

Q: What was your direct involvement in the development of the game?

JC: I got to watch them as they played it and I got to play it myself.

Q: So you didn’t put any of your own ideas into it?

JC: No, I’m just here to pimp it, that’s all (laughs).

Q: So how does this measure up to the other horror games out there?

JC: This is the best I’ve played. It’s got a combination of first person shooter with a horror feel to it that goes beyond that and the story is fabulous. It also takes place in a real environment today as opposed to on a spaceship. It’s not in the past; it’s not World War II. It’s terrific.

Q: Were you actually surprised and were there actually elements of suspense in the game when you played?

JC: For me, yes because there is much more freedom in this game then in a lot of them that I’ve played in terms of where I live and what I see. In the beginning I was like, “Oh, I’ve got this.” But I didn’t, and it really puts you in a place where you’re anxious. “Oh gee, what’s going to happen to me? What’s the story about?” Anxiety is the secret to all cinematic success. It’s what you do to an audience; you put them in a state of anxiety. You try to get an audience to invest in the character that’s on the screen and you worry about what’s going to happen to them throughout the entire film. Now you’re the character. You’re playing it. “So what’s going to happen to me?” It’s the graphics and the game play that pulls you into something like this where you get immersed in it. This is the closest that I’ve ever come to playing a movie.

Q: If this were a horror movie what type of movie would it be?

JC: It would be John Carpenter’s F.E.A.R. that’s what it would be (laughs).

Q: Would it have a sense of Asian horror? Would it be a gore flick?

JC: All of that. You’re right, there is a little bit of Asian horror in here there is a bit of American paramilitary type of deal in here. If I made it I would make it good and gory, sure.

Q: With all of the horror games being made into films like Silent Hill and Resident Evil would you.

JC: Have you heard anything about Silent Hill?

Q: I visited the set and it looked amazing.

JC: Of course you never know from the set visits…

Q: Well, the sets looked amazing and they’ve got a great director in Christophe Gans who directed Brotherhood of the Wolf.

JC: He’s got some talent.

Q: Would you ever want to adapt this into a film?

JC: If it worked, yeah. If the deal worked and we had enough money to do it. A lot of times in the early days when they made movies for video games they were under funded.

Q: A lot of the major studios nowadays a making toned down PG-13 horror films. Do you think video games are able to offer more of the gore and going all the way that they can’t?

JC: You got it. It’s more fun. It’s a place you can go that is almost like a secret. This is the real thing; I can play this instead of sitting in a theater and watching these little girly movies.

Q: As far as the visuals go how did you feel about the look and feel of the video game?

JC: It’s extraordinary. Not just the story telling elements that take you out, you have to experience it. When you walk down a hallway this is just really terrific stuff. This has come a long way.

Q: Your film The Thing was made into a video game; do you see any of your other films becoming games?

JC: Any movie I have ever made would make a great game as long as I’m a character in the game (laughs).

Q: You were a character in The Thing game correct?

JC: Yes I am. Doctor Faraday.

Q: What about a They Live game?

JC: I’d love to do a They Live game. That would be a lot of fun.

Q: What about Snake Pliskin?

JC: Now that I have control over. So if you would like to put up the money for that (laughs) lets talk after.

Q: What can you tell us about “Cigarette Burns” your segment in Masters of Horror?

JC: Masters of Horror. Each of us to about an hour just a little under an hour. The disappointing news from that is that Roger Corman won’t be able to do his.

Q: Why?

JC: Because his wife said no. When the wife says no then that’s it. “Cigarette Burns” was just one in a number of scripts that I read that was just, “Well now this is what I’m talking about.” I read several great horror scripts. All of them took place at night. A lot of them were very familiar the ones I read were. This one, though, I had never seen before. It also has a little bit of similarity in story to a movie I made back in the early nineties called In the Mouth of Madness. This one is about a movie that causes you to go insane and kill, kill people in the theater (laughs) which is really fun. This one character’s search for this infamous film called Absolute End of the World. If you see it your reality changes and such. It was great fun to do, great fun.

Q: One of the points being promoted with the Masters of Horror was that this was for the first time ever giving the director complete freedom. Do you feel you got that on this project?

JC: If you can do it in ten days you’ve got complete freedom. That’s what we had. Think about it, an hour in ten days. You’ve got to move like the wind.

Q: Did it bring back some feelings from back when you made films like Halloween?

JC: Yes, the pain. The pain of getting up in the morning and going to work. It is a challenge but it is fun also. Look, that’s exhilarating. That is really fun to do if you’ve got a manageable script. If you’ve got a script where you don’t have to blow the world up in scene number two (laughs) in ten days because it’s not going to look like anything.

Q: With the release of The Fog remake approaching, which other film of yours would you like to see remade if any? Or was that your first choice.

JC: Oh God no! (Laughs) Oh God no. The Fog was something that my ex-partner who is deceased now and it was near and dear to her heart. Debra Hill died earlier this year and she was my co-writer and producer on the original Fog. She always wanted to remake that film. So it was from her perseverance that it got made. The Fog was not one of my favorites of the movies I had done just to be frank with you. It was a very difficult thing. I don’t know. I’d love to see They Live remade updated to now. With its political content I would love to see that.

Q: Have you been approached about any other remakes?

JC: Yeah I’m always approached about doing them. I always thought there would be a great remake in The Thing. If you remember there was a comic book version put out by Dark Horse comics that was a sequel and boy was that great. They could have just done that. The way they drew it too was pretty great.

Q: Wasn’t there talk about a Sci-fi Channel movie version of it?

JC: And they have been developing it but I don’t know. That’s been a long time. I don’t know.

Q: Obviously you have played the game but have you already finished it?

JC: No I have not finished it but I have seen the end and I’m not allowed to tell you.

Q: You know how sometimes the game is the experience and the end is anticlimactic and it doesn’t really matter; does the end matter in this one? Is it special?

JC: It matters. It’s special.

Q: Do you ever play on-line against other people?

JC: Rarely. They kick my ass and I’m getting tired of it. I have a question: Why don’t more great games come out in the summer time? Why is it always fall? I would think like movies they would play all summer. I don’t get it. There are some of us who are older than the children that would like to get good games in the summer time (laughs).

Q: How did you see the game evolve during your involvement with F.E.A.R.?

JC: You have to understand, I came in when it was done. I came in to see it and give my opinion on it. I didn’t create this game or have any involvement in creating it. This is the most fun because I just got to play it. That’s the good part. That’s what it’s all about.

Q: Has this inspired you at all to get involved in developing a game?

JC: You know I have been involved a little bit in developing a couple of games. We’ll see if they come out or not. I got one good idea. One real good idea.

Q: Is there anything actually in development?

JC: I’m not going to tell you (laughs).

Q: What did you think about the Assault on Precinct 13 remake?

JC: I thought it was good. I thought it was very good. I was impressed. I liked the director and he was a good guy. He shot it very differently then I did. He used a lot of close ups. He liked close ups. I don’t know why but he does. The cast was terrific. And the whole idea of putting it in the snow was just a great idea.

Q: Speaking of remakes have you seen the final cut of The Fog remake?

JC: I have.

Q: And what did you think about that?

JC: I am not going to talk to you about it. I’m not objective about someone else’s film nor would I want to tell you if I had a negative impression of it or a positive impression. Let the film speak for itself.

Q: So it’s that bad huh?

JC: I had nothing to do creatively with The Fog remake. I’m just along for the ride. If I was a director I wouldn’t want… I would be in hell if I had directed the original Thing and Howard Hawks was the producer. I wouldn’t have done it. It’s his; it’s a killer to have somebody there like that on your film. I wouldn’t want to make Halo with what’s his name as the executive producer. It’s not your movie. So I stayed away. I just stayed away. I visited the set, “How are you guys doing? Good luck, God Bless.”

Q: I was actually there on the set that day and you didn’t seem too thrilled to be there.

JC: Oh, were you? (Laughs)

Q: Yeah and you didn’t seem too excited to be there (laughs).

JC: I had to get up and get dressed and come in and I could have been sleeping.

Q: What platform do you normally play? I know this is a PC game.

JC: I rarely play PC games. Play Station 2, X-Box and Game Cube I have them all.

Q: Were you comfortable playing this because it is slightly different?

JC: It is slightly different (laughs) and at my age it takes a little longer to adapt. To everything as a matter a fact. To real life it takes longer to adapt (laughs). I still haven’t adapted to the political situation in this country right now and I don’t think I ever will.

Q: You seem to have pretty strong opinions about that.

JC: That is a whole other conversation.

Q: It seems that in recent years films like The Thing and They Live that may not have been appreciated as much when they were released seem to not get the recognition they deserve. Is that gratifying for you?

JC: Yeah, that is really neat. That is one of the great things about being me is you see movies that maybe were under appreciated when they first came out rise up and people see them.

Q: What about future film projects is there anything in the works?

JC: The wonderful thing about my life right now is that I don’t have to work anymore if I don’t want to. So something that looks like fun and a good story and the right circumstance I’ll do it.


In addition to being a big fan of the game John Carpenter will be judging a F.E.A.R. fan film contest. Two other unique approaches that have been taken with F.E.A.R. are an eight minute long prequel movie that has been made to set up the main character of Alma, who is the main antagonist in the film, and there is a DVD Special Director’s Edition of the game that will contain an unseen episode. F.E.A.R. will be available in stores on October 18th, but you should just pre-order it through Evilshop right here. And be sure to check out F.E.A.R.’s official site here!

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