‘Dream’-maker John Carpenter
Few film directors are as simultaneously loved and loathed as John Carpenter, a man who’s been cranking out tongue-in-cheek B-movies with unapologetic gusto for 40 years. Carpenter — who rose to prominence as a master of often on-thecheap horror and sci-fi during the 1970s and ’80s with such classics as Halloween, Escape from New York, The Thing and They Live — has slowed his once-furious output. Since 2001’s
Vampires, he’s helmed just one film, 2010’s The Ward. However, he’s currently prepping for production a promising adaptation of the Goth-friendly horror comic
Darkchylde, so it would appear the 64-year-old Carpenter intends to keep it real well past retirement age. In the meantime, he joins the likes of Gillian Anderson, Christopher Lloyd, Lou Ferrigno, Rose McGowan and Levar Burton in Toronto this weekend as one of the celebrity guests at Fan Expo Canada. The Star had a quick chat with him from his Hollywood home.
Q: Without sounding too much like a fan-boy, you must be treated like a god at events like Fan Expo.
A: That’s the reason that you go to things like this. I haven’t been to very many, but the fans are so wonderful. They just truly love genre films. They love science fiction and horror, and they’re just so loyal. This means so much to them and you just can’t get better than that. I think it’s wonderful.
Q: It seems like it always takes your movies a few years to be recognized for their importance. Do you think that’s because horror and sciencefiction films still aren’t regarded as being as smart as they really are compared to “serious” dramas?
A: I don’t quite know why. I still don’t know why. But it’s OK with me. He who wins in the end, wins. But horror movies have been with us since the beginning of cinema because of the very reasons you’re mentioning. They’ve got so much to them. They comment on the times you’re living in and they comment on the humanity you’re living around. They’re really amazing. That’s one of the reasons that they’re so durable and last throughout time. . . . Also, if you watch movies from the past, those serious dramas don’t hold up so well.
Q: It’s hard to play favourites, but your remake of The Thing is now thought by many to be your finest work. I seem to recall that taking quite a beating upon release. It must feel good to have revenge in hindsight.
A: Oh, it was big-time panned. So it feels good. It feels better than it did back then. Oh god. What was shocking wasn’t necessarily that the critics didn’t like it because a lot of times critics don’t like horror films — they don’t get into them — but it was the fans, the horror and science-fiction fans. They thought I had raped the Madonna, that I had done something awful. And man, I couldn’t believe it.
Q: So is this Darkchylde adaptation going to happen?
A: I’m working on it. We made a screenplay of it. We’re working on the effects now with Weta, Peter Jackson’s effects house, and raising some money. But right now I’m recovering from some eye surgery that’s taking a little while to get over. I had a detached retina, which is a pretty big deal. But I can see. I can still see. Not great yet, but I will. Q: That must have been scary. A: When you have that, you’re in danger of losing your eyesight, which is not a good thing if you’re in my kind of career. So it’s something you have to take care of right away. I was visiting my father in Kentucky when it happened and had to have emergency surgery, but luckily it all worked out and things are getting better.
Q: I’m just glad that you’ve stuck to your guns all these years and have never really felt the urge to start making “serious” movies.
A: I’ve enjoyed my career. I’ve enjoyed making everything. Man, I’ve had a great life. People say “blessed,” but that’s a terrible thing to say. It’s just been great. I get to make movies. Other people have to work for a living. I get paid to make these dreams. There’s nothing better than that.