John Carpenter’s 10 Favorite Movies of All Time [Video]
Chad Collins
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When John Carpenter isn’t surreptitiously hoping to fight his critics in a locked room, the horror master is recommending some of his favorite movies for fans and audiences to watch. The seminal director has arguably one of the most fascinating careers of any living filmmaker, regularly taking extended breaks and shifting effortlessly from horror to action and back again. Ask anyone about their favorite John Carpenter movie and you’ll likely get a different answer from each of them.
His work remains some of the most influential there is in the genre space, culling from classics, subverting expectations, and emerging as something altogether distinct. The fine folks at IndieWire have rounded up the Master of Horror’s ten favorite movies ever, so read on below to see what they are. Not all of them are horror movies, though it’s easy to see where each one influenced any given leg of John Carpenter’s career.
Bringing up Baby
One of the funniest movies of all time, Bringing Up Baby undoubtedly influenced John Carpenter’s careful balance of screwball comedy and horror (They Live, for instance) in his genre work.
Only Angels Have Wings
This Howard Hawks romance is a technical marvel, no doubt an influence on John Carpenter as he regularly experimented with form and structure in his own work.
Rio Bravo
John Carpenter really likes Howard Hawks. This Western’s influence can be seen in the likes of Escape From New York.
Scarface
This 1932 original is a perennial (and John Carpenter’s fourth pick from Howard Hawks’ seminal filmography).
The Exterminating Angel
A surrealist masterpiece, it’s easy to see how Carpenter was thematically inspired by Luis Buñuel’s work here.
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
Carpenter’s work is regularly centered on class, and with The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie ranking here, it’s easy to see where Carpenter regularly culls inspiration.
Chimes at Midnight
This Orson Welles Shakespeare reinterpretation has style and scope to spare.
Chinatown
Another class-centric masterpiece, this time with noir influences, is one of the greatest movies ever made. John Carpenter himself would visit Chinatown with Big Trouble in Little China.
The Searchers
John Carpenter’s style often sees him deconstructing the tropes audiences expect to see, and in The Searchers, John Ford did just the same with longstanding Western convention.
Vertigo
Of course, Alfred Hitchcock, the Master of Suspense himself, would need to be placed on the Master of Horror’s list. Vertigo is one of Hitchcock’s best, and as early as Someone’s Watching Me!, Carpenter’s adoration for Hitchcock was evident.
What do you think? Which of these classics have you seen? How do you think they’ve influenced John Carpenter’s career? Let me know over on Twitter @ChadisCollins.
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