The movie John Carpenter called “the devil incarnate”
When Halloween was released in 1978, few could shake the image of the knife-wielding, mask-wearing Michael Myers out of their heads, who has since become one of the most iconic horror villains. The movie launched John Carpenter to widespread acclaim, as well as aiding the development of the slasher genre, which boomed in the following decade.
Not only did Carpenter write and direct the movie, but he also created the ominous score, the first of many soundtracks he would make for his films. Proving himself to be a master of the horror genre, equipped with the musical skill to create original pieces that elevated his movies even higher, Carpenter is now one of the most revered names in cinema.
After the success of Halloween, which became one of the highest-grossing independent movies ever made, Carpenter, who already had Dark Star and Assault on Precinct 13 under his belt, made another horror movie, The Fog. He followed this with two of his other most well-known films, Escape from New York and The Thing, before releasing the cult classic They Live in 1988.
As the creator of one of the greatest horror movies ever made, Carpenter is naturally well-versed in the genre. When writing Halloween, the director looked to early slasher progenitors like Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Bob Clark’s Black Christmas.
In fact, Hooper’s classic slasher was released just three years before Halloween, with Carpenter undoubtedly taking inspiration from the use of a masked killer and the final girl trope. He once called it (via Fader) “one of the scariest movies ever,” adding: “The whole idea is scary. You really don’t see anything; it’s not explicit. But it’s what’s going on in your head that’s scary. It’s also extremely funny — it’s almost a comedy. I really loved the movie. Loved it.”
Alongside The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Carpenter also cites movies like Terence Fisher’s The Mummy and Dario Argento’s Suspiria as some of his favourite horror films. However, there is one horror he loves that he once boldly declared “the devil incarnate” – The Exorcist. Released in 1973, the William Friedkin-directed project is one of the most iconic supernatural flicks, influencing a massive wave of similarly-themed movies in the coming years that revolutionised the genre.
The movie explores the demonic possession of a young girl, played by Linda Blair. It contains plenty of horrifying scenes that have left an indelible imprint on the minds of viewers, from the crucifix masturbation scene to Regan’s head-spinning capabilities.
The Exorcist ended up becoming hugely successful, despite Warner Bros’ hesitancy, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated horror film ever made until it was eventually succeeded by It in 2017. Many people believe The Exorcist to be one of the scariest movies of all time, a belief that Carpenter’s statement seems to uphold.
