John Howard Carpenter ( born January 16, 1948 ) is an American filmmaker , screenwriter , producer and film composer [4] [5] [6] . Carpenter had a significant impact on the development of independent American cinema at the end of the 20th century . Despite the fact that the director worked in various film genres, his name is closely associated with the films of horror and science fiction, shot in the period of the 1970s - 1980s [7] .
| John carpenter | |
|---|---|
| John carpenter | |
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| Birth name | John Howard Carpenter |
| Date of Birth | |
| Place of Birth | Cartridge , New York , USA |
| Citizenship | |
| Profession | filmmaker screenwriter film composer actor producer |
| Career | since 1962 |
| Direction | Independent American Cinema |
| Awards | " Saturn " (1976, 1996, 1999) |
| IMDb | |
Content
Biography
John Carpenter was born on January 16, 1948 in the town of Carthage [6] , New York [6] , USA , grew up in Kentucky , in the city of Bowling Green [6] . Carpenter studied first at Western University of Kentucky [6] , where his father headed the music department, and then at the University of South Carolina, where he was a student as a screenwriter (along with producer John Longenecker) and editor of the short film “ Bronco Returns Billy, ” who won an Oscar in 1970 [8] .
Carpenter began shooting at the age of eight, trying to make a science fiction movie called “Gordon - The Space Monster!” ( Gordon The Space Monster! ), And in 1971, along with his fellow student bench Dan O 'Bannon Bannon ) he makes the short comedy "Dark Star" [5] , which later "grew" into a feature film with a budget of $ 60 thousand and was released in 1974 [6] . Two years later, the next work of the director appears in cinemas - the police film “ Raid the 13th Police Station ” [5] , and in the interval before these films John Carpenter gathered around him two more of the same young directors Tommy Lee Wallace ( Tommy Lee Wallace ) and Nick Castle and created the band The Coupe de Villes.
Following his painting “ Halloween ” (1978) [5] Carpenter not only launched a whole cycle of paintings, but also introduced a new genre in horror films to American cinema - “slasher”, which can be translated as “gutting”. “Halloween” is a scary movie about a maniac killer who escaped from a mental hospital and cracked down on victims during Halloween - All Saints' Day. Created with a budget of 320 thousand dollars, the picture was able to collect 35 million net profit at the box office, and thus for many years remained the most commercially successful film created at an independent studio. A year later, in 1979, after marrying actress Adrienne Barbeau , who in 1983 gave birth to his son Cody ( Cody Carpenter ), the director releases another horror film “ Fog ” ( 1980 ), [5] takes place in a seaside town attacked by the forces of evil. Although this film has been met with controversy by critics, it has been accompanied by commercial success and, thanks to this, since 1981, for three years, Carpenter has been making a whole clip of fantastic films.
The first - “ Escape from New York ” (1981) [5] - tells about how a World War III veteran who became a criminal, Unit Black Flight Special Forces lieutenant, the youngest soldier awarded the President of the United States with two Purple Hearts for courage during operations in Leningrad and Siberia, S. D. Bob “The Serpent” Plissken (also known as John P), whose role was played by Kurt Russell (in the future, Russell will be removed from this director more than once and will become his good friend), is caught and sent to save hostage of the President of the United States in a prison district Mr. Manhattan of New York City [6] . This film had a budget of $ 6 million, which more than paid off already in America alone (25 million). The following projects of the director were equally successful: “ Something ” [5] (1982, according to John Campbell 's story “Who is there?”), “ Christina ” [6] (1983, film adaptation of the famous novel by Stephen King ) and the romantic film “ A Man from the Star” "(1984) [6] .
In the same 1984, Carpenter divorces his wife and is not involved in filming for two years. But already in 1986, he puts on the movie "The Big Trouble in Little China, " starring Kurt Russell [6] . In this mystical film, against the backdrop of oriental paraphernalia, the main character - an ordinary driver - finds himself in the center of confrontation of powerful magicians who settled on the territory of Chinatown in San Francisco [6] . And the stumbling block of all the commotion was a beautiful Chinese girl with green eyes. This picture was a great commercial failure of the director.
After the Trouble, Carpenter breaks contracts with major movie studios. He puts on fantastic short-budget films “ Prince of Darkness ” (1987) [6] , “ They Live ” (1988) [6] and “ Confession of the Invisible ” [6] (1992, with comedian Chevy Chase in the title role). In 1990, Carpenter marries Sandy King . The marriage is successful (the couple still live together), and in a creative sense, he is in crisis. For five years, he has not released a single full-length film, leaving for television, where he shoots the television series Sacks for Corpses (1993) [6] , in which he acts as a gloomy and funny pathologist, acts as a composer, etc. Carpenter returns to the big movie in 1995. He makes two science fiction films “ In the Maw of Madness ” [6] and “ Village of the Damned ” [6] , however, they also suffer a commercial fiasco. He knocks out a solid 50-million budget for the new post-apocalyptic film Escape from Los Angeles - again with Russell, who returned for the second time to the role of Plissken's “Snake”. But this picture with difficulty was able to recapture only half of its budget.
These blows broke Carpenter, and he was forced to work with large studios again, agreeing to multimillion-dollar budgets and restrictions on director freedoms. Therefore, the following works of the director meet all the canons of the industry of profitable films. Such are the mystical action movie “ Vampires ” (1998) [6] and the space film “ Ghosts of Mars ” (2001) [6] . After this, Carpenter retires for several years until 2005, when he became a producer of a remake of his own painting “Fog”, explaining his involvement in the project in one of the interviews as “he came, greeted everyone and went home” [9] . In the same year, he returned to the director's chair for filming an episode of the anthology “ Masters of Horrors ” called “ Cigarette Burn ” [10] . This film was warmly received by both critics and fans of the director, who compared the tape with Carpenter's early work. In 2006, Carpenter shot another episode for the second season of The Masters - Demon 's Child . The plot of the series tells the story of a young girl who became pregnant by a demon and wants to have an abortion, but her fanatical father and three brothers interfere with this.
In 2010, the first major full-length film by John Carpenter “The Chamber ” was released since the “Ghosts of Mars”, in which Amber Heard played the main role [11] . The tape received discreet reviews from the audience [12] [13] . In the same year, Carpenter acted as a consultant for the computer game FEAR 3 [14] . On October 10, 2010, the director was awarded an award for the general achievements of his whole life at the Freak Show Horror Film Festival [15] , and at the end of the same month it became known that John would undertake the adaptation of the Darkchylde comic strip [16] .
A few years later, on February 3, 2015, Carpenter, always distinguished by his love of writing music, releases his debut album of original compositions entitled Lost Themes , produced in collaboration with his son Cody Carpenter [17] . The release of the album was followed by a short tour. In April 2016, a new disc called Lost Themes II was released . The release of both albums was marked by many positive reviews, personifying the director’s return to form in the musical field [18] .
May 23, 2016 it became known that John Carpenter will act as executive producer of the new film in the series " Halloween ", which is scheduled for release in October 2018. This is the director’s first return to the franchise since 1982 after more than 30 years [19] .
Creativity
John Carpenter is often said to be fascinated by second-rate movies . But despite these opinions, John Carpenter certainly has his own style, which was manifested both in the script and in the production of the film, and especially in the artistic composition of the visual series. Carpenter’s proprietary “picture” is a minimal, but colorful and bright lighting, coupled with the use of technology to the steadicam . Carpenter prefers widescreen shooting , in connection with which almost all of his films released for the big screen were shot in anamorphic format with a ratio of 2.35: 1 and higher. The exception is the film "Chamber", first shot by the director on a 35 mm film .
Carpenter often said that Alfred Hitchcock and Howard Hawks had a great influence on him. Carpenter’s favorite actor can be considered Kurt Russell , who starred in many of his films. Carpenter’s best film is considered the movie “ Halloween ” [5] , which actually laid the foundation for the slasher genre . Carpenter’s work often featured the theme of the apocalypse ; he made several films in the style of post - apocalyptic , among which are the “ Escape from New York ” [6] and “ Escape from Los Angeles ” [6] . Carpenter’s film “ Something ” [6] , shot in the science fiction genre, is also widely known.
Carpenter’s films are often complemented by characteristic music composed by the director himself and performed on a synthesizer . Carpenter emphasized that interest and love for music was aroused by his father, who taught musical theory [20] . In the future, this interest only intensified, thanks to which the director personally wrote the soundtrack to almost all of his films. Many of John Carpenter’s compositions were recognized as “cult”, and released soundtracks were considered rare among music collectors [21] . For several years, Carpenter worked closely with his friend Alan Howarth, who took on the entire technical component of recording compositions, allowing Carpenter to focus on the immediate creative process [22] . The composer's interest in music resumed again in the wake of the release of the solo album Lost Themes [23] .
Contributions to the film industry and the legacy of John Carpenter have been repeatedly recognized and recognized. Many Carpenter films have been reprinted repeatedly in special versions with bonuses and comments of the director himself. Several documentaries have been dedicated to Carpenter, including John Carpenter: The Man and His Movies and a special retrospective released by American Cinematheque in 2002. In 2006, Carpenter’s film “ Halloween ” was included in the US National Film Register as having “cultural heritage” [24] . In 2010, Carpenter appeared in three episodes of the A History of Horror documentary series [25] .
Many filmmakers and celebrities named Carpenter and his work among his main inspirers. Among them, Jeff Nichols [26] [27] , Jack Thomas [28] , Marvin Cren [29] , Guillermo Del Toro [30] , Quentin Tarantino [31] and others were called their idol director. The creators of the game Dead Space 3 called “Halloween”, “ Fog ” and “ Something ” as sources of inspiration, while the director himself expressed interest in creating a film adaptation of the game [32] . Certain films, such as Special Midnight Edition and Blood Glaciers, were called by their creators as a tribute to or reinterpretation of Carpenter's work [27] [29] .
Filmography
- 1974 - " Dark Star " / Dark Star
- 1976 - Assault on Precinct 13 / Assault on Precinct 13
- 1978 - Halloween
- 1978 - Someone's Watching Me
- 1978 - Eyes of Laura Mars
- 1979 - Elvis / Elvis
- 1980 - The Fog / The Fog
- 1981 - Escape from New York / Escape from New York
- 1981 - Halloween 2
- 1982 - The Thing
- 1983 - Halloween 3 : Season of the Witch
- 1983 - Christine
- 1984 - "The Man from the Star " / Starman
- 1984 - The Philadelphia Experiment / Philadelphia Experiment
- 1986 - “ Big Trouble in Little China ” / Big Trouble in Little China
- 1986 - “ Black Moon Rising ” / Black Moon Rising
- 1987 - Prince of Darkness
- 1988 - “ Aliens Among Us ” / They Live
- 1992 - " Confession of the Invisible " / Memoirs of an Invisible Man
- 1993 - " Bags for corpses " / Body Bags
- 1995 - In the Mouth of Madness / In the Mouth of Madness
- 1995 - Village of the Damned
- 1996 - Escape from Los Angeles / Escape from LA
- 1998 - Vampires / Vampires
- 2001 - Ghosts of Mars / Ghosts of Mars
- 2005 - Cigarette Burns / Cigarette Burns
- 2006 - “ Demon Child ” / Pro Life
- 2010 - The Chamber / The Ward
Awards and nominations
| Category | Year | Film | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturn Award (Golden Scroll from 1973 to 1977) | |||
| 1976 | " Dark Star " | ||
| 1982 | " Escape from New York " | Nomination | |
| 1987 | "The Big Trouble in Little China " | Nomination | |
| 1988 | " Prince of Darkness " | Nomination | |
| 1990 | " Aliens among us " | ||
| 1996 | Reward | ||
| 1999 | Vampires | Reward | |
| Avoriaz Film Festival | |||
| 1979 | Halloween | Reward | |
| 1980 | Fog | Reward | |
| 1984 | Christina | Nomination | |
| 1988 | " Prince of Darkness " | Reward | |
| Festival " Fantasporto " | |||
| 1989 | " Aliens among us " | Nomination | |
| 1993 | " Confession of the invisible " | Nomination | |
| 1994 | “ Bags for corpses ” (TV) | Nomination | |
| 1995 | " In the jaws of madness " | Nomination | |
| Reward | |||
| Edgar Allan Poe Prize | |||
| 1979 | “ Someone is following me ” (TV) | Nomination | |
| Bram Stoker Award | |||
| 1999 | Vampires | Nomination | |
| 2007 | Reward | ||
| CableACE Award | |||
| 1991 | The Devil (TV) / El Diablo | ||
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | |||
| 1979 | Reward | ||
| Nebula Award ( American Science Fiction Writers Association ) | |||
| 1976 | " Dark Star " | ||
| Catalonia International Film Festival | |||
| 1995 | Village of the Damned | Nomination | |
| 2001 | The Ghosts of Mars | Nomination | |
| 2006 | “ Cigarette Burn ” ( episode of the series “ Masters of Horrors ”) | Nomination | |
| Reward | |||
| 2008 | Reward | ||
Notes
- ↑ German National Library , Berlin State Library , Bavarian State Library , etc. Record # 118892487 // General regulatory control (GND) - 2012—2016.
- ↑ SNAC - 2010.
- ↑ Discogs - 2000.
- ↑ John Carpenter's The Ward
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 A Lord of Fright Reclaims His Dark Domain
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 From All Movie Guide: A director whose quick-witted and full-blooded approach to genre filmmaking has won him both mainstream success and a cult following, John Carpenter was born in Carthage, NY, in 1948
- ↑ Jason Zinoman . John Carpenter Directs 'The Ward' , The New York Times (June 24, 2011). Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ Awards for The Resurrection of Broncho Billy at IMDb
- ↑ John Carpenter, David Foster for "The Fog" . Dark Horizons Date of appeal June 19, 2016. (unavailable link)
- ↑ Masters of Horror: Cigarette Burns (Television ) . Dread Central (December 8, 2005). Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ Interview with 'The Ward' Director John Carpenter . Bloody Disgusting! (June 3, 2011). Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ Robert Levin. 'The Ward' Marks John Carpenter's Unspectacular Return to Directing . The Atlantic. Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ The Ward . Metacritic. Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ Badass Announcement Trailer - FEAR 3 . Dread Central (April 10, 2010). Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ John Carpenter to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award from the Freak Show Horror Film Festival . Dread Central (July 6, 2010). Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ John Carpenter Bringing Darkchylde to the Screen . Shock Till You Drop (October 30, 2010). Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ Sacred Bones Releasing Horror Icon John Carpenter's Debut Solo Album Lost Themes, Share "Vortex" | Pitchfork . pitchfork.com. Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ Lost Themes by John Carpenter . Metacritic. Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ Dave McNary. John Carpenter Boards New 'Halloween' Movie . Variety (24 May 2016). Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ John Carpenter Interview & Gear Guide . PMT Online (May 13, 2016). Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ Death Waltz announce reissue of John Carpenter and Alan Howarth's They Live OST . FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music. Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ Alan Howarth talks John Carpenter scores and Chills in the Chapel . SciFiNow. Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ John Carpenter Talks Debut Album 'Lost Themes' & Why Music Is Easier Than Directing . Billboard . Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ About This Program - National Film Preservation Board . The Library of Congres. Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss - BBC Four . BBC Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ Michael Shannon is On the Run in Supernatural MIDNIGHT SPECIAL Trailer (inaccessible link) . Nerdist (November 21, 2015). Date of treatment June 19, 2016. Archived March 14, 2016.
- ↑ 1 2 Midnight Special: First Image and Poster Reveal Sci-Fi Thriller . Collider (November 13, 2015). Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ Infliction: An Interview With Jack Thomas Smith . New Jersey Stage. Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ 1 2 “BLOOD GLACIER” (Movie Review ) . FANGORIA®. Date of treatment June 19, 2016. Archived March 4, 2016.
- ↑ Michael Nordine. Guillermo del Toro Praises John Carpenter in Epic Twitter Marathon . IndieWire - The Voice of Creative Independence (23 May 2016). Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ John Carpenter: analysing his style and growing influence . Den of Geek. Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
- ↑ Luke Holland. Top 10 games that should be movies - and their ideal directors . The Guardian (May 15, 2013). Date of treatment June 19, 2016.
Literature
- Fedorov A., Samsonov G. John Carpenter: a man from the star // "Video-Ass Express": magazine. - 1994. - No. 26 . - S. 22-28 .
- The Cinema of John Carpenter: The Technique of Terror / Eds. Ian Conrich, David Woods. - Wallflower Press, 2004 .-- 219 p.
Links
- Official website of director John Carpenter
- Vitaliy Karatsupa. John Carpenter at the Fiction Archive website
- Big John (2006) A documentary about life and work
- Awards and nominations on the IMDb website
- Unofficial forum directed by John Carpenter
- John Carpenter section in the Senses of Cinema Database
- John Carpenter Biography
- Carpenter interview compilation (link not available)