Most of us would probably say that John Carpenter is amazing. He’s by far my favorite filmmaker of all-time. Yes, his movies are great but he’s master of many things.

He’s incredible at crafting stories and knowing what to do and when to do it. No time is wasted in his films.

That’s a very important part of filmmaking. You want to make sure that every scene in your film makes the story move forward or develops a character/relationship further. John Carpenter does this perfectly.

His horror films are unique because of the dread that he fills immediately in his stories. HALLOWEEN, THE THING, THE FOG, PRINCE OF DARKNESS are prime examples of this. We are scared without being told much about the story to begin with just because of the editing and music.

The editing maxizines the dread even further in his storytelling along with his color palates and the angles that he uses. His establishing shots really set the mood for what you think you’re in for.

We already know his scores are incredible but it’s how he uses the music that he has composed. He uses music throughout his films/scenes when music wouldn’t normally be used and it sets the tone and mood perfectly depending on the genre.

Most filmmakers use a music cue/score for powerful moments in a film. Carpenter uses music almost like dialogue. It’s like a character in the film...almost like a villain. No one else has done this or at least consistently like JC.

Another huge part of why it all works is he uses same actors and crew. He created a cinematic family. His actors and crew are having a great time so we are having a great time. Most of the characters in his films are charismatic and a lot of that has to do with the friendships

that he has built. I could go on and on with other reasons why his films work so well but I would be here till the end of time. He’s an amazing filmmaker through and though. If we never had John Carpenter, horror and film in general would be way different. I’m thankful for him.