A FILMMAKING LEGEND TOURS FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME!

Article By Adam Mast

Chances are, if you grew up a genre fan in the late 70’s and throughout the 80’s, then you are well familiar with the great John Carpenter. His works include DARK STAR, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, HALLOWEEN, ELVIS, THE FOG, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, THE THING, CHRISTINE,  STARMAN,  BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS,  and THEY LIVE  just to name a precious few. He would go on to do more films throughout the 90’s (the horror gem IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS and the under appreciated MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN immediately spring to mind) but there is no question that the 70s and 80s were his heyday.

Carpenter is known primarily for his works of horror, but make no mistake! A look at his resume would lead one to believe that this man isn’t just a great horror director. He’s a great director, period! What a lot of folks tend to forget is that in addition to being quite the stylish storyteller, Carpenter is also one hell of a film composer. In fact, Carpenter was interested in becoming a musician long before he was bewitched by the art of filmmaking. Ultimately, he would marry the two by way of penning the majority of the scores to his many directorial efforts, and he would do so to very strong affect. He once famously made an executive eat  crow for not finding an undeniable classic scary enough by amping up the tension in his seminal horror film, HALLOWEEN,  through the power of an unforgettable score. When that same executive saw a new version of HALLOWEEN with said score in place, her opinion of the film swiftly changed.

Sadly, Carpenter has only directed one feature film in the last 15 years–the little seen THE WARD–but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t kept the creative juices flowing. Far from it. In 2015, Sacred Bones Records released Carpenter’s “Lost Themes,” a fantastically creative collection of atmospheric tracks  that never actually accompanied any of Carpenter’s outstanding films, but easily could have.  2016 would see the release of the equally impressive “Lost Themes II.” Both of these collections are easy reminders of why we fell in love with Carpenter in the first place. For more on “Lost Themes” and “Lost Themes II,” CLICK HERE!

“Night” from “Lost Themes”

“Distant Dream” from “Lost Themes II”

Picking a favorite Carpenter score is virtually impossible because they all have their own unique, atmospheric flavor. Having said that, here are three of my personal favorites:

PRINCE OF DARKNESS

A terrifying score for one of Carpenter’s most under-appreciated films.

HALLOWEEN

An absolute “classic” in every sense of the word.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI0QNdIi508

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA

This score is so much fun! Love, love, LOVE it!

JOHN CARPENTER ON TOUR!

Throughout his illustrious career, Carpenter has told the stories he’s wanted to tell and made the music he’s wanted to make and quite frankly,  he hasn’t anything to prove. So, it came as quite a surprise when Blumhouse Productions (the thrifty distributor responsible for low-budget but extremely well crafted horror films like SINISTER and THE VISIT) announced that they’d be rebooting HALLOWEEN and that Carpenter himself would return in a creative capacity. Rumor also has it that Carpenter may provide the music for this upcoming re-imagining of HALLOWEEN.

Better still, Carpenter is taking his music out on the road for the very first time in his career. This 30 plus date tour will find the composer/filmmaker in both Europe and the U.S. At press time, Carpenter was three dates into the tour and the revealed set-lists thus far  suggest that this is a one-of-a-kind,  must-attend tour event for fans.  Carpenter will be joined on stage by son Cody and godson Daniel Davies.   In addition to tracks from both “Lost Themes” records, Carpenter is bringing  selections from his numerous film score contributions to a live setting. The very idea of hearing “Night,” HALLOWEEN, BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA,  and PRINCE OF DARKNESS live is enough to send this particular Carpenter fan into an absolute frenzy. You can bet I’ll be attending one of these shows!

For more information on the tour, including dates and ticket prices, CLICK HERE! 

While John Carpenter isn’t often mentioned in the same breath as filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, perhaps he should be. He may not be as popular in terms of box-office, but the man certainly knows how to tell a story. Honestly, throughout the 80’s, he was one of my go to entertainers. Whenever I watch a John Carpenter movie or listen to a John Carpenter score, there’s always something unmistakably John Carpenter about it and that’s the true mark of a master storyteller.

If you’re a fan of this unsung filmmaking hero and he happens to be performing in your neck of the woods, you’d be well advised to attend.

Check out more about John Carpenter on his website HERE!