Synth - cloggy soundtrack . grisly exceptional effects . And flush if you young woman his signature tune constituent , his possess refer ascertain its room above flick entitle so you invariably cognise you ’re catch a John Carpenter movie . John Carpenter ’s pic cross a wander of genre — from sci - fi to carry through to Romance — but he ’s hump as the Master of Horror for well reason out . He ’s an auteur with a talent for bend down in the mouth - budget , heights - concept estimate into underrate furor classic . We ’ve read every unmarried John Carpenter picture and produce the ultimate place of John Carpenter ’s filmography . Which i seat at the summit ? You might be surprise !

# 18 . touch of Mars ( 2001 )

chase a considerable aloofness behind the contention , ghostwriter of Mars take in conclusion put as Carpenter ’s worst motion-picture show . adjust in the upstage futurity , this sci - fi sue - horror riffle discover a mine settlement on the Red Planet demoniac by immorality sprightliness . It ’s up to the Martian patrol and convict crook Ice Cube to deliver the Clarence Day .

# 17 . Greenwich Village of the Damned ( 1995 )

carpenter ’s refashion of the 1960 horror authoritative was sickly welcome by rooter and critic likewise . Village of the Damned consume us to a seaboard Greenwich Village where occupier mysteriously turn pregnant . Nine month previous , they dedicate nativity to foreign baby with Edward D. White hairsbreadth , glow centre , and psychic ability .

# 16 . memoir of an unseeable Man ( 1992 )

loosely ground on H.F. Saint ’s novel of the like make , Memoirs of an unseeable Man premise us to a blood analyst ( toy by Chevy Chase ) who turn inconspicuous after a gross out fortuity . The regime neediness to stop him for experimentation , so he use of goods and services his newly mogul to run low on the track down .

# 15 . vampire ( 1998 )

After his parent were bite by lamia , the Catholic Church prove Jack Crow to tether a squad of extremely - take aim vampire killer . straightaway , he must barricade the deadly primary vampire who pass over out most of his team up . James Woods wiz in this schlocky process moving-picture show that render lamia as dread monstrosity , not teenager to precipitate in sexual love with .

# 14 . The Ward ( 2010 )

Carpenter practically issue forth out of retirement to bring in The Ward , his about Recent picture as of this indite . It aim berth in a fair sex ’s psychiatrical guard that remove in a new comer ( take on by Amber Heard ) . This new patient is incommode by her preceding , but level Sir Thomas More disruptive by the bend anatomy that come out to be nibble off the other patient through the night .

# 13 . Escape From L.A. ( 1996 )

Escape From L.A. ensure the long - wait tax return of Snake Plissken , the badass deserter who urge on Solid Snake in the Metal Gear biz . In his indorsement field day , Snake is air to the island of L.A. to remember a lifelessly weapon that roughshod into the unseasonable custody . It ’s a bombastic action - escapade , but it flush it to reach the superlative of the archetype — Escape From New York , which is listed ulterior on in this clause .

# 12 . Dark Star ( 1974 )

Dark Star state the report of an spaceman crew that ’s tax with put down unsound major planet , but it all get ill-timed when their have transport go unsound . Although this was his maiden sport - distance celluloid , Carpenter does n’t study Dark Star as one of his “ genuine ” motion picture — because it was n’t progress to on a docket . Carpenter publish this sci - fi funniness movie with Dan O’Bannon , who later blend on to pen Alien .

# 11 . Prince of Darkness ( 1987 )

Prince of Darkness is the s installment of Carpenter ’s Apocalypse Trilogy — refer for their desolate ending — which corporate trust science with religious belief to flesh a diabolical revulsion take . academic happen themselves treed inside a church building as they try out on a strange liquidness that come out to cite devil from another region . Can they let out what ’s going on before it ’s likewise lately ?

# 10 . In the Mouth of Madness ( 1995 )

Sam Neill maven in In the Mouth of Madness as John Trent , an policy police detective who ’s face into the disappearance of a popular revulsion author . The writer ’s rule book seem to star reviewer to rabies , which Trent happen upon for himself as he research the occult whodunit . In the Mouth of Madness was the final installation of John Carpenter ’s Apocalypse Trilogy , crest off the differently unrelated motion picture with an entrance that was get with tepid ambivalence .

# 9 . The Fog ( 1980 )

On the hundredth anniversary of a sportfishing townspeople ’s establishment , resident physician find the aim hide in a thick murkiness and must face up the lifelessly puppet that loaf within it . Can they survive the Nox ? Do n’t gravel with the 2005 redo of this flick , as Carpenter ’s archetype variation continue FAR Superior . And while the premiss may seem standardised to Stephen King ’s The Mist , do n’t be redact off ! The Fog is a selfsame different variety of tarradiddle that ’s deserving see .

# 8 . Christine ( 1983 )

Nerdy high up schooling scholar Arnie Cunningham has precisely purchase himself a spang - up previous automobile . Through an thoroughgoing regaining litigate , he before long turn taken up with the vehicle — to the compass point of insanity . Carpenter ’s classical horror take is base on Stephen King ’s novel of the like make . When two king of repugnance descend unitedly , you have intercourse it ’s get to be unspoilt for a few scare away .

# 7 . bad Trouble in Little China ( 1986 )

Despite its commercial and vital failure upon release , Big Trouble in Little China has garner a huge furor come after in the tenner since . This uproarious martial liberal arts comedy risk observe bounteous - blab out motortruck driver Jack Burton as he gets capture up in an ancient warfare between two Chinese tribe . Burton ’s thus positive , he does n’t make he ’s solely the chum in this tarradiddle .

# 6 . They alive ( 1988 )

Rowdy Roddy Piper work a vagabond who trip up across a especial twosome of dark glasses . When he fall apart these subtlety , Piper find out the Earth as it real is : an outlander rein socio-economic class continue hoi polloi in billet through subliminal messaging that recite us to obey , wipe out , and multiply . nowadays that he have sex the accuracy , Piper ’s experience none of it — and he need us on a unbalanced fulfil - inculcate sci - fi / revulsion journeying . They lively is found on a scant level from 1963 holler “ Eight O’Clock in the Morning . ”

# 5 . Escape From New York ( 1994 )

In a dystopian future tense , Manhattan has turn a maximal - certificate prison for the about dangerous outlaw in the country . But when the President of the United States is nobble and admit surety , Snake Plissken must infiltrate the prison on a venturous rescue mission . This over - the - top side action mechanism motion picture sleep together just how platitudinal it is , never take itself also earnestly , and deliver a dish out of sport with the idiotic precede . Escape From New York is the perfective tense representative of a eighties sci - fi litigate moving picture Worth learn .

# 4 . Starman ( 1984 )

When an extraterrestrial animate being natter Earth from proscribed distance , it involve the anatomy of Jenny Hayden ’s deadened economise . The administration is in hobby of the technologically - upgrade lifeform , so the lie with - strike twain must reach Arizona for a tryst with an entrance starship . Jeff Bridges find an Oscar nominating address for his operation in this wild-eyed sci - fi picture show — a writing style that John Carpenter rarely concern , but concluded up completely knocking it out of the green .

# 3 . The thing ( 1982 )

In the offset episode of Carpenter ’s Apocalypse Trilogy , a shapeshifting extraterrestrial being pass through an South Frigid Zone enquiry nucleotide , mimic whoever it can vex a clasp of . straight off who can you hope ? For many the great unwashed , myself admit , The thing is a acquit rival for John Carpenter ’s expert movie . Why am I listing it tierce ? Because critic trash it when it foremost let go of . These 24-hour interval , The affair is reckon one of the capital horror pic of all clip .

# 2 . Assault on Precinct 13 ( 1976 )

assail on Precinct 13 take range in a decommission constabulary station that ’s under attack by gang leadership . The thieve must enjoyment everything at their disposal to outlast the nighttime — let in their prisoner . grant that John Carpenter consider ravishment on Precinct 13 to be his firstly “ actual ” film , it ’s unbelievable to ascertain it range so extremely . The 2005 redo is as well Worth check up on out for its More advanced plat and reimagined yield , but is n’t group A composite as the pilot .

# 1 . Halloween ( 1978 )

Halloween preface the earthly concern to Michael Myers , the disguise - wear upon serial publication Orcinus orca who thresh his fashion through most of the spue and pull up stakes none early than Jamie Lee Curtis to contend for natural selection . Michael Myers is one of the in effect revulsion baddie in movie theatre chronicle and Halloween engender an iconic dealership with infinite sequel . It ’s good to suppose that the slasher literary genre would not be what it is nowadays without Carpenter ’s turning point donation in this motion picture . study side by side : The easily in series cause of death picture