With the trailer for Halloween Ends dropping, there's another opportunity to reflect on the career of the Master of Horror himself, John Carpenter. Few directors can say that they've had such an iconic and illustrious career, with one genre-defining classic after another.
But when one's career includes gargantuan hits like Halloween and The Thing, some other films sometimes get eclipsed. Fans on Reddit certainly think so. Redditors have shared their thoughts on what they think are underrated John Carpenter movies that were ahead of their time, unfairly compared to his more popular works, or might not appeal to fans of his horror fans.
Vampires (1998)
Some viewers consider Vampires to be little more than cheesy schlock, but others have embraced it, particularly for James Woods' acclaimed performance as the uber-flawed vampire hunter, Jack Crow.
The movie follows a band of vampire hunters that are stalked by the world's oldest vampire, Jan Valek. Vampires isn't exactly Carpenter's classiest film. That just might be what some fans love about it, though. It's off-the-wall and wildley bloody and is probably the closest Carpenter ever came to making a pure grindhouse flick. As Reddit user MovieMike007 puts it, "...if you ignore the implausibility of the plot, and just relish in the performance of James Woods, you will most likely have a lot of fun."
Escape From L.A. (1996)
Escape from New York is one of Carpenter's most beloved films, but Escape from L.A. didn't garner the same level of praise. Released ten years after the original, this sequel shocked fans with its campy, almost self-parody approach, leading it to bomb.
Since then, fans have come to appreciate the movie's satirical nature, and Kurt Russell's return to one of his most iconic roles in Snake Plissken is still a highlight. Reddit users like ScrapMetalDrone are enthusiastic, writing, "I know everyone hates it because it's so campy but I even love Escape from LA."
Dark Star (1974)
Underseen if not underrated, Dark Star was actually Carpenter's directorial debut. He made it for his university, collaborating with Alien screenwriter Dan O'Bannon. Following a trio of astronauts who are stuck out in outer space, it couldn't be more of a black sheep among his filmography, and its zany, off-the-wall humor isn't likely to satisfy Halloween fans.
Still, it's fascinating to see an entirely different side to Carpenter, and the movie's sense of humor usually lands, thanks to intentionally absurd effects and the sincere efforts of a master in the making. Reddit user ArabiaFats praises it by saying, "Dark Star is somewhat understandably not given a whole lot of acclaim due to its tightrope budget, but the script (by Dan O'Bannon) is my pick for the most quotable thing Carpenter has directed yet."
Prince Of Darkness (1987)
Easily one of Carpenter's most ambitious films, Prince of Darkness is a part of the Apocolypse Trilogy that includes The Thing and was sadly misunderstood by audiences when it first came out. Exploring the line between science and religion, Prince of Darkness follows a group of grad students investigating an ancient vial of ooze that might actually be the essence of evil.
Carpenter wrote the script himself under a pen name and went for an all-out examination of theology, science, and an exploration of evil. Reddit user daniel-sahn is passionate about it, saying, "Prince of Darkness is one of my favorite movies ever. The concept itself is fantastic."
Assault On Precinct 13 (1976)
One of Carpenter's pre-Halloween films, Assault on Precinct 13 is a pivotal movie in his filmography. The movie centers around a group of cops and convicts that have to band together to fend off a street gang that's trying to invade the police station. It's essentially a modernization of the movie western crossed with the invading armada of foes from Night of the Living Dead.
Assault on Precinct 13 doesn't have the polish of Carpenter's later films, but it's unbelievably impressive for a low-budget, sophomore film. The tension is nail-biting, the characters are endearing, and the score is honestly one of Carpenter's best. As Reddit user askyourmom469 describes it, " It's basically John Carpenter's homage to Night of the Living Dead and it's great."
Christine (1983)
One would think that a meeting of the minds between John Carpenter and Stephen King would be a horror fan's ultimate dream, but Carpenter's adaptation of Christine is surprisingly one of his lesser-known efforts. That's despite the fact that it has one of Carpenter's eeriest scores, one of his more tragic villains, and one of the most iconic automobiles in movie history.
Christine centers on Arnie, a nerdy geek who becomes obsessed with a supernaturally possessed car, one which starts going after his enemies. While it'd be difficult for a single film to adapt a dense book like the original novel, Carpenter effectively uses cinematic language to communicate Arnie's psychology, making it a worthy adaptation of King's classic. u/Based Sentinel says, "Watching Arnie's transformation and the overall ambiance just lures me in whenever it's on cable."
In The Mouth Of Madness (1994)
The third entry of the famed "Apocolypse Trilogy," In the Mouth of Madness was underestimated by critics and audiences at the time. Thankfully, there's been a growing fanbase of those who love the film for its Lovecraftian venture into the world of boundary-pushing, surreal horror.
The film follows an insurance salesman played by a compelling Sam Neil who's hired to locate a missing horror author, Sutter Kane. His journey leads him down a psychological odyssey where fiction and reality blend into a nightmarish, sanity-testing mystery. Reddit user Paytockmaster sums it up by saying, "I'm on the boat with you. ItMoM is still the best lovecraftian movie you can find up to this day. A loveletter to HPL, Stephen King and literature horror itself. I like it even more than The Thing."
Starman (1984)
Carpenter's only Academy-Award nominated film, Starman centers around Jeff Bridges as an extraterrestrial who takes the form of a widow's dead husband, getting her to take him across the country as the feds are after him. Many of Carpenter's films have been accused of cynicism and nihilism, but that's not a speck of that in Starman.
Carpenter proved that his talents stretched beyond horror and action, delivering a film that's simultaneously charming, fantastical, romantic, and atmospheric. While it might alienate some of his genre fans, it also boasts one of the best performances in his filmography from the Dude himself, Jeff Bridges. As Reddit user u/b0xcard writes, "Starman absolutely rules...It looks great. It has two fantastic lead performances. It makes me weep like a bebe. Totally underrated in his filmography."
Big Trouble In Little China (1986)
This wacky but clever martial-arts fantasy flick bombed when it came out, probably because its sense of humor was too ahead of its time. Kurt Russell plays a clueless truck driver who becomes ensnared in a battle between different supernaturally-empowered tribes within Chinatown. Kurt Russell was billed as the lead, so audiences were baffled that the character was so incompetent.
However, that's the real magic of Big Trouble in Little China. Aside from having some of Carpenter's most exciting set-pieces and some truly charming VFX work, Kurt Russell emerges as one of the funniest leading men in movie history and inspired a whole new generation of action stars. There probably wouldn't be a Chris Pratt without Jack Burton. Reddit users like Davenator99 adore the film, calling it "The most underrated movie of all time!"
They Live (1988)
One of Carpenter's boldest ventures, They Live was doomed to bomb. It went after consumerism at the height of the Reagan Revolution, and it offered a scathing critique of the American Dream that audiences just weren't ready for, but that's precisely what's made it age so beautifully and why Carpenter's fans celebrate it.
They Live follows a homeless man who discovers that the world has been secretly taken over by aliens and turned into something of a colony for the galaxy. Not only does They Live still serve up highly entertaining set-pieces, dialogue, and characters, but it's an ingenious premise that Carpenter realized to its potential. Reddit user PensiveKnitter agrees, writing, "It's amazing! Very on point especially in today's world. Dare I say it feels like a decent remake with the Internet wouldn't go a miss."