John Carpenter’s 10 Greatest Characters
Matt Molgaard
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7. Arnie Cunningham (Christine):
Arnie Cunningham undergoes the greatest personality change you’ll see in any John Carpenter film. He begins as a nerdy, introverted sissy who’d lost a few grand in lunch money and taken about 1,000 beatings in the past… simply because he looked like a victim. By the time the final act is in motion, he’s nearly unrecognizable: a rebellious punk with hatred in his eyes, beer in his throat, and a lust for murder in his heart. Keith Gordon did a phenomenal job with this character, and the fact that he didn’t pick up one single noteworthy award is absolutely appalling.
6. Stevie Wayne (The Fog):
Adrienne Barbeau has accomplished something virtually unrivaled. Her voice work here may perhaps be the first time an actress has elicited serious hormonal rage in male viewers. Stevie Wayne uses her sultry voice to make us all melt. But there’s more to this character than pure sexuality; she’s a mother, desperate to get to her son and ensure his safety as a ship full of ghouls descend on the beach front of Antonio Bay. She’s as strong willed and determined as she is sexy, and we love that about her. A looker inside and out, Stevie Wayne is sublime.
5. Jack Burton (Big Trouble in Little China):
A wise-crackin’, skull-bustin’ badass in a cut-off tee, Jack Burton was one truck driver not to fuck with. Whether menacing men or gruesome monsters, Jack was willing and prepared to toe the line with anyone. Burton’s hard headedness is one of the focal reasons we love this character so damn much. The only other quality to rival that hard headedness would no doubt be his beautiful haircut!
4. Sam Loomis (Halloween):
The voice of reason, the only man to see a monster as a monster truly is, Dr. Sam Loomis was the thread of hope that coursed through John Carpenter’s Halloween. An edgy man by nature, Loomis moved with the urgency of a police officer in the middle of a foot chase. He never let up in his pursuit of Michael Myers, and we adored him for that. The last thing Loomis wanted to see was more death doled out by the hands of Michael Myers. Although in the end he failed, his attempt at stopping the unstoppable was valiant and exceptionally inspiring.
