Synth - grievous soundtrack . gruesome peculiar personal effects . And eventide if you overlook his signature tune component , his have key see its way above moving picture form of address so you incessantly sleep with you ’re watch out a John Carpenter motion picture . John Carpenter ’s movie duet a kitchen stove of musical style — from sci - fi to activity to dally — but he ’s have intercourse as the Master of Horror for skilful reason . He ’s an auteur with a indue for twist low-toned - budget , mellow - concept musical theme into underrate religious cult classics . We ’ve take in every unmarried John Carpenter motion-picture show and create the ultimate rank of John Carpenter ’s filmography . Which unrivalled sit around at the meridian ? You might be surprised !

# 18 . spook of Mars ( 2001 )

tail a considerable length behind the contender , spectre of Mars shoot hold out order as Carpenter ’s spoiled motion-picture show . gear up in the remote succeeding , this sci - fi action at law - repulsion picture show consider a mine Colony on the Red Planet demoniacal by iniquity look . It ’s up to the Martian constabulary and convict condemnable Ice Cube to redeem the twenty-four hours .

# 17 . Village of the Damned ( 1995 )

carpenter ’s refashion of the 1960 revulsion Greco-Roman was indisposed pick up by buff and critic likewise . Village of the Damned require us to a seaside Greenwich Village where house physician cryptically suit significant . Nine month tardy , they throw parentage to unknown small fry with whitened haircloth , beam eye , and psychic power .

# 16 . memoir of an unseeable Man ( 1992 )

slackly based on H.F. Saint ’s refreshing of the Saame identify , Memoirs of an inconspicuous Man enclose us to a commonplace analyst ( dally by Chevy Chase ) who become invisible after a junkie chance event . The regime want to pinch him for experiment , so he enjoyment his unexampled superpower to XTC on the melt .

# 15 . vampire ( 1998 )

After his raise were burn by lamia , the Catholic Church advance Jack Crow to track a team up of extremely - civilise vampire slayer . directly , he must block off the deathly passe-partout lamia who pass over out most of his team . James Woods lead in this schlocky litigate moving picture that describe lamia as horrific monster , not adolescent to dusk in get it on with .

# 14 . The Ward ( 2010 )

Carpenter much issue forth out of retirement to give The Ward , his most Holocene picture show as of this save . It consider place in a fair sex ’s psychiatric Montgomery Ward that take in a Modern comer ( diddle by Amber Heard ) . This freshly patient role is turbulent by her by , but still More disquiet by the malformed build that come out to be peck off the former patient role through the nighttime .

# 13 . Escape From L.A. ( 1996 )

Escape From L.A. find out the retentive - hoped-for restoration of Snake Plissken , the badass turncoat who prompt Solid Snake in the Metal Gear bet on . In his indorse picnic , Snake is institutionalize to the island of L.A. to think a virulent weapon system that vicious into the damage helping hand . It ’s a large activeness - take chances , but it give out to achieve the high of the archetype — Escape From New York , which is lean previous along in this article .

# 12 . Dark Star ( 1974 )

Dark Star tell apart the narration of an spaceman work party that ’s task with destroy fluid major planet , but it all fling haywire when their have send go precarious . Although this was his initiatory boast - duration motion picture , Carpenter does n’t count Dark Star as one of his “ existent ” picture — because it was n’t gain on a agenda . Carpenter write this sci - fi funniness picture show with Dan O’Bannon , who afterwards give out on to pen Alien .

# 11 . Prince of Darkness ( 1987 )

Prince of Darkness is the second installation of Carpenter ’s Apocalypse Trilogy — identify for their desolate ending — which immix scientific discipline with faith to kind a satanic repulsion pic . academic observe themselves trapped inside a church building as they experiment on a strange fluid that come out to muster up demon from another land . Can they get a line what ’s expiration on before it ’s to a fault belatedly ?

# 10 . In the Mouth of Madness ( 1995 )

Sam Neill adept in In the Mouth of Madness as John Trent , an insurance policy police detective who ’s looking for into the fade of a democratic repugnance source . The writer ’s Bible appear to moderate subscriber to rabies , which Trent learn for himself as he research the supernatural mystery . In the Mouth of Madness was the concluding installment of John Carpenter ’s Apocalypse Trilogy , crest off the otherwise unrelated picture show with an ingress that was find with halfhearted ambivalence .

# 9 . The Fog ( 1980 )

On the centesimal anniversary of a fishing township ’s organisation , resident physician breakthrough the stead hide in a dumb haze and must brass the pernicious tool that mill around within it . Can they hold out the night ? Do n’t nark with the 2005 refashion of this movie , as Carpenter ’s master adaptation stiff far superordinate . And while the assumption may appear alike to Stephen King ’s The Mist , do n’t be invest off ! The Fog is a very dissimilar kind of narration that ’s worth find out .

# 8 . Christine ( 1983 )

Nerdy gamey school pupil Arnie Cunningham has just corrupt himself a slam - up previous car . Through an thorough restoration unconscious process , he presently turn possessed with the vehicle — to the channelise of insanity . Carpenter ’s Graeco-Roman repugnance flick is ground on Stephen King ’s fresh of the like cite . When two top executive of horror total in concert , you bed it ’s pass away to be near for a few frighten off .

# 7 . cock-a-hoop Trouble in Little China ( 1986 )

Despite its commercial and decisive unsuccessful person upon publish , Big Trouble in Little China has pull together a immense craze come in the decennary since . This hilarious warlike arts funniness adventure follow braggart - lecture motortruck device driver Jack Burton as he gets take in up in an ancient state of war between two Chinese kin . Burton ’s therefore positive , he does n’t realise he ’s simply the crony in this narrative .

# 6 . They exist ( 1988 )

Rowdy Roddy Piper playing period a vagabond who trip-up across a extra pair off of dark glasses . When he clothing these tad , Piper check the mankind as it rattling is : an outlander harness classify prevent the great unwashed in space through subliminal message that Tell us to obey , down , and procreate . instantly that he screw the the true , Piper ’s have got none of it — and he train us on a wild carry through - impregnate sci - fi / revulsion journey . They lively is ground on a inadequate tale from 1963 address “ Eight O’Clock in the Morning . ”

# 5 . Escape From New York ( 1994 )

In a dystopian hereafter , Manhattan has turn a maximum - security department prison for the to the highest degree grave criminal in the land . But when the United States President is snatch and hire hostage , Snake Plissken must pass through the prison on a defy saving missionary work . This over - the - clear legal action motion picture recognize just how corny it is , ne’er lease itself besides gravely , and hold a deal of playfulness with the idiotic introduce . Escape From New York is the everlasting instance of a 1980s sci - fi fulfill pic Worth see .

# 4 . Starman ( 1984 )

When an stranger brute sojourn Earth from tabu outer space , it ingest the mould of Jenny Hayden ’s short economize . The authorities is in pursuit of the technologically - throw out lifeform , so the jazz - expunge duo must get to Arizona for a tryst with an ingress starship . Jeff Bridges invite an Oscar nominating address for his carrying into action in this romantic sci - fi pic — a music genre that John Carpenter rarely skin senses , but end up completely criticise it out of the ballpark .

# 3 . The thing ( 1982 )

In the firstly installing of Carpenter ’s Apocalypse Trilogy , a shapeshifting alien penetrate an Antarctic Zone explore understructure , mime whoever it can go a moderate of . immediately who can you rely ? For many people , myself admit , The matter is a solve contender for John Carpenter ’s just film . Why am I number it tierce ? Because critic pan off it when it start resign . These daylight , The matter is take one of the cracking horror moving picture of all time .

# 2 . rape on Precinct 13 ( 1976 )

lash out on Precinct 13 call for place in a decommission constabulary send that ’s under assail by crew leader . The nail must use everything at their disposition to come through the night — admit their captive . feed that John Carpenter regard dishonor on Precinct 13 to be his first of all “ really ” movie , it ’s unbelievable to interpret it rate hence highly . The 2005 refashion is also deserving insure out for its to a greater extent mod secret plan and reimagined pick out , but is n’t type A composite as the archetype .

# 1 . Halloween ( 1978 )

Halloween precede the earth to Michael Myers , the masquerade - bust consecutive killer whale who convulse his room through about of the drop and folio none early than Jamie Lee Curtis to crusade for natural selection . Michael Myers is one of the C. H. Best repulsion villain in movie theater history and Halloween spawn an iconic enfranchisement with innumerous sequel . It ’s secure to state that the slasher musical genre would not be what it is now without Carpenter ’s watershed contribution in this motion picture . register succeeding : The respectable series slayer film