John Carpenter has built a reputation that is untouchable. His films have held the attention of viewers for more than three decades, and he’s helped to birth some of the most memorable personalities to ever grace a screen. That is a direct result of understanding content, understanding performers, and understanding the merging of both. It’s a trick that Carpenter mastered early in his career, which has afforded him the tools to build unforgettable celluloid with identities that the viewer can relate to.
Regardless of what your favorite John Carpenter film may be, it’s impossible to deny the man’s accomplishments in character examination and excavation. He brings the best out of his performers, and he does so on a consistent basis. Rarely will you see a performer miscast in a Carpenter piece, and that also speaks to his professional insight and extensive experience.
Carpenter knows character. And as a result, we know his characters. Especially these 10!
10. Sutter Cain (In the Mouth of Madness):
About as creepy as any villain that Carpenter has introduced, the Lovecraftian Sutter Cane had tricks up his sleeve that set him apart from the majority of his Carpenter created peers. I mean, come on now; the dude is essentially a walking, talking portal to a monstrous hell. That’s a frightening dude if ever there was one. And the manner in which Jürgen Prochnow approaches the character… oh good god, it’s paralyzing just thinking about it.
9. Nada (They Live):
Decades ago critics called “Rowdy” Roddy Piper a cheap stand-in for frequent collaborator Kurt Russell. Maybe there’s a hint of truth in that, but it doesn’t matter one bit. Even though Piper plays a role very befitting of Russell, he puts his own spin on a cool creation with wicked body slams and a hint of compassion in those eyes. He’s paranoid, but for good reason, and he’s also determined to see that humanity remains as pure as possible. And he’s likable through the entire adventure.
8. Nick Castle (The Fog):
What made Tom Atkins’ work as Nick Castle so successful was the fact that he never crossed the line that separates a courageous man from a bona fide superhero. Nick was very human. He was susceptible and frightened, but he did his best to make sure that the ones around him, the ones he cared about, were safe. He put his life and his mustache on the line more than once, and we not only respect him for that, we love him for that. And, just so we’re really, really clear: An extra shout-out goes to that caterpillar we all envy.
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.
3. Snake Plissken (Escape from New York):
Hard as a damn rock and as rugged as… well, his face after a half dozen hours without a shave, Snake Plissken is the man’s man. He takes no shit, dishes out swift ass whoopins, always delivers a memorable walkaway line, and really, just doesn’t give a damn about anyone. He’s an anti-hero to fear and look up to simultaneously, and he’s also the greatest thing to emerge from John Carpenter’s social commentary piece, Escape from New York.
2. R.J. MacReady (The Thing):
This Kurt Russell fella… he just can’t seem to do wrong. He’s always a hero, and he’s always a leader. Even in the cramped confines of a camp located deep in the heart of no man’s land, with no one in a position of legal power to oversee things, Russell steps up as the boss. In this case the macho man with all the cards is R.J. MacReady, a helicopter pilot with a taste for hard liquor and a thin attention span. But he’s got a will to survive like few others, and he’s always got his head on straight. If you’ve got to stare down a hopeless situation, you want R.J. MacReady by your side.
1. Laurie Strode (Halloween):
Laurie Strode reminded us what a truly pure heroine is. Laurie Strode reminded us of everything we could want from a final girl. Innocent to a near fault, Laurie Strode was the darling of the big screen in 1978. Jamie Lee Curtis’ work is so natural and moving that the picture immediately becomes a rally behind natural beauty and internal strength. We all wanted Laurie to survive her dreadful encounter with the menacing Michael Myers, and when she did, we all breathed a collected sigh of relief. No disrespect to the women who took on this position prior to Curtis, and no disrespect to those who have done so in the years beyond the release of Halloween, but Laurie Strode is THE quintessential scream queen.