The movie John Carpenter admits was a “horror show”
If you were to ask someone to name a director closely associated with the horror genre, John Carpenter’s name would likely enter the conversation. The filmmaker began his career in the 1970s, finding international acclaim with his seminal slasher, Halloween.
Slashers were in their infancy when Carpenter released Halloween, and the popularity of his independently-made project was unprecedented. People were terrified by Carpenter’s creation, which focused on a terrifying masked killer who terrorised innocent teenagers in a quaint suburban neighbourhood.
Complete with a recognisable score made by Carpenter, the film put audiences on edge, with the seemingly arbitrary nature of Michael Myers’ killings suggesting that absolutely no one is safe, even in the comfort of their own home. Carpenter’s work slashed straight through the American Dream, becoming a hit sensation in the process.
Following the success of Halloween, Carpenter released a string of popular horror movies, often incorporating sci-fi elements in them. The Fog, They Live, and The Thing have all become cult classics, especially among horror aficionados, cementing Carpenter’s name as one of the genre’s greatest.
Yet, that doesn’t mean that Carpenter’s filmography is flawless. He managed to make a massive critical and commercial blunder in 1992 when he directed Memoirs of an Invisible Man, which was pretty terrible. Nothing could save Carpenter’s work. It grossed about $14million on a budget of around $30-40m, making it a huge box office flop.
The movie is a comedy, so it is unsurprising to hear that horror maestro Carpenter was not originally meant to direct the film. Penned by Robert Collector, Dana Olsen and William Goldman, the movie was going to be directed by Ivan Reitman, but he clashed so heavily with lead actor Chevy Chase that he left production.
Chase is known for his difficult personality, also coming to blows with Carpenter. As a result, the director had a tough time making the film, telling Variety about the complicated process in 2023.
He revealed, “It gave me a chance to make a quasi-serious movie. But Chevy Chase, Sam Neill — who I love and had a longtime friendship with — and Warner Bros … I worked for them, and it was pleasant. No, it wasn’t pleasant at all. I’m lying to you. It was a horror show. I really wanted to quit the business after that movie.”
Carpenter added that he couldn’t stand a certain actor who starred in the project, clearly alluding to Chase. “God, I don’t want to talk about why, but let’s just say there were personalities on that film … he shall not be named who needs to be killed. No, no, no, that’s terrible. He needs to be set on fire. No, no, no. Anyway, it’s all fine. I survived it.”
Watch the trailer below.
