Book Description
John Carpenter, a quintessential horror movie director, is a true film auteur--a writer, director, composer, producer, editor, and actor--whose unique and inspired work has brought him the praise and admiration of both film critics and horror cultists. He is both the product of and an important participant in the American filmmaking tradition, and the intelligent, moody, and strange films with which his name is so quickly associated are sometimes simply Westerns in disguise. Essentially a lengthy, lively, and candid interview with Carpenter, this book covers his background, his inspirations, and his ups and downs in Hollywood and thoroughly discusses each of his films. Among the many and varied subjects that pop up are his Bible Belt childhood, German expressionism, Howard Hawks, John Wayne, The King, Barbra Streisand, Michael Myers, Kurt Russell, Stephen King, quantum physics, and attractive female extras. Among Carpenter's films are Dark Star, Halloween, Assault on Precinct 13, The Fog, Escape From New York, The Thing, Christine, Big Trouble in Little China, Prince of Darkness, They Live, Village of the Damned, In the Mouth of Madness, and Escape From L.A. In addition to penning most of the screenplays for the films he has directed, he co-wrote The Eyes of Laura Mars.
Customer Reviews:
AN AMAZING BOOK.......2006-08-28
This is an excellent work,probably the best thing a John Carpenter fan could wish for,almost as fascinating and exciting as the movies themselves,John Carpenter in his own words,with the help of the excellent questions provided by the author,most of them of the kind I would like to raise myself.Only fault there is not much talk on his latest movies,at least not to the extent I would like.A great book to read and have,and a great gift to everyone who ever really felt what a John Carpenter film feels like.
If you are a fan of John Carpenter, then you need this book!.......2004-07-08
Featuring details from all his films, including the writing, the problems, the music and everything in between. This is an essential book for any John Carpenter fan! It also gives details of his childhood, Howard Hawks and other films that have inspired him, Growing up in Bowling Green and his time learning the trade he knows so well.
finally a great book on a great director........2004-04-30
this book is great. it covers every film in good detail and carpenter doesn't sugar coat any details and shares some great stories. this book is contagious and essintle reading for any who loves the films of john carpenter or films in his genre. do your self a favor and buy this book now!
An essential for any fan of John Carpenter........2004-02-29
While I have always been a huge fan of John Carpenter, enjoying each of his movies on more than just one level, I never really knew that much personal information about the man behind the camera. This book changes all that with a lengthy interview that touches on topics both professional and personal. Both film buffs and Carpenter fans will come away feeling as if they have been talking with the quiet, self-deprecating man that has written, scored, and directed such trend starting classics as Halloween and Escape from New York. This is required reading for any Carpenter fan. Highest recommendation.
Like Carpenter talking to you in your living room.......2003-12-08
In John Carpenter: The Prince of Darkness, French author and magazine publisher Gilles Boulenger conducts a lengthy (book-length, obviously!) interview with the man who has done more for the horror movie genre than any other director working today.
In the book, Carpenter touches on and discusses each of his films - from the student project Dark Star from 1970 to his most recent (at the time of this book) The Ghosts Of Mars - revealing his thoughts and memories on the inspiration, method, problems, filming, cast, box office, lessons learned from his successes and failures, and more.
We learn of such disparate topics as: his first initial directing efforts as a child; being inspired by German expressionism; the inspiration drawn from Howard Hawks movies and how many of Carpenter's films are simply westerns in disguise; his early obsession and present-day compulsion to make films; and even trying to write a movie for Barbara Streisand (sort of!);
It is a wonderful, in-depth look into the mind of a modern-day director. Particularly interesting is seeing, through Carpenter's own words, his growth in maturity as a director, both in his craft and, sadly, learning how the "studio system" really works--executives who don't know what they're doing making decisions that usually worked to the disadvantage of the film.
Through the book we read, fascinated, as Carpenter's career comes to resemble a roller coaster - we read as the director's films slowly rise in terms of success, accolades, and budget, culminating in a huge hit or peak - invariably followed by a huge failure, sending Carpenter plummeting back down the ride that is a career as a film director, resulting in him basically having to start over from scratch.
Author Boulenger is an intelligent and insightful interviewer. He seems to know every minute detail about Carpenter's movies and often brings to the table telling insights and interpretations that even Carpenter hadn't thought of, but readily agrees to.
The book is generously illustrated with photographs and some sketches, including a handsome 24-page collection of color photos.
Only a few minor problems for me with the book: while each of Carpenter's films are touched on and discussed, some are not "...thoroughly..." discussed as the book's back cover offers. While one can argue their quality or importance, some films, such as Body Bags and Elvis: The Movie--among others--are allotted just one or two pages.
Also, while the behind-the-scenes photos in the book are interesting and fun to have, many of the production photos reproduced here are very common and have been seen many times before. More unique, less often-seen photos would have been nice.
But those two minor quibbles cannot begin to take away from the greater achievement of the book - a fascinating, thoughtful, career-spanning, one-on-one personal conversation with the man who's made some of the most important and interesting horror movies in the past few decades.
Highly recommended.
Average customer rating:
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Order in the Universe
Robert C. Cumbow
Manufacturer: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
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ASIN: 0810837196 |
Book Description
An obscure independent filmmaker until Halloween (1978), John Carpenter has been applauded for his classic sense of compositions, yet reviled for his B-film sensibility. With a chronology of Carpenter's career, a detailed filmography, photos, brief plot synopses, and a thorough index, this volume will be treasured by film scholars and fans alike.
Book Description
John Carpenter is a seminal figure in the history of horror and science fiction filmmaking. His work in these genres has been highly influential in their ongoing development. This book gives Carpenter's output the sustained critical treatment it deserves. It comprises essays that address the whole of Carpenter's work, as well as others which focus on a smaller number of key films. Some essays take on wide-ranging issues such as Carpenter's approach to remakes and the question of genre, while others are organized around a specific theme or technical aspect of Carpenter's film-making. The text's key strength is that it draws upon an international group of scholars offering a variety of expertise. Films discussed include Assault on Precinct 13 (1976), Halloween (1978) and its subsequent sequels, Escape from New York (1981), Escape from L.A.(1996), The Fog (1980), The Thing (1982), Village of the Damned (1995) and Ghosts of Mars(2001). The book also features an exclusive interview with John Carpenter.
Customer Reviews:
"Trust is a hard thing to come by these days . . .".......2007-01-09
. . . says MacReady in John Carpenter's The Thing. This is the exact opposite attitude of the military hero in Howard Hawks's original version, The Thing from Another World. In Carpenter's movies you can't trust the church, the government, the economic system, literature, the weather, or even your own children not to betray you.
I've been a Carpenter cultist since I first saw Halloween, so I was surprised at how much new there is in this collection of essays on Carpenter's films.
There are articles on Carpenter's music, his partnership with Kurt Russell, his early movies, his "siege movies" (Carpenter has admitted that many of his films are Howard Hawks's Rio Bravo dressed up with gangsters or Martians or a futuristic setting), Lovecraft's influence, and Carpenter's apparent attitudes toward men and women. There's also a short interview with Carpenter (interesting if you are just starting to read about his filmmaking, but it doesn't go too deep).
A few things in particular struck me. First (I alluded to this at the start of this review) is how unlike Howard Hawks's movies John Carpenter's films really are. Carpenter says he wishes he could work in the old Hollywood studio system the way his heroes like Hawks did.
Carpenter may admire Howard Hawks's work ethic and his ability to switch from genre to genre, but Carpenter's films tell a different story.
In a Howard Hawks movie the heroes are often the military or the government working together to protect Us from Them (The Thing from Another World). But in a John Carpenter movie the government IS the threat to the innocent (Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Starman, They Live) or at least it's incompetent leadership incapable of protecting us even when it's honestly trying (the sheriff in Halloween, the scientists in The Thing).
Another interesting thing is how much like David Cronenberg Carpenter is in one respect: the control he demands over every aspect of his films. Among the "new wave horror directors" (including George Romero, Tobe Hooper, Wes Craven, Joe Dante, and others) Carpenter is usually compared to directors like George Romero - - in other words the meat movie directors. But Carpenter uses suspense, not shock. (That's not a criticism of Romero - - his style is perfect for his story of the Decline and Fall of the American Empire.)
Carpenter is also like Hitchcock. He uses our unease to play us like a musical instrument, the way Hitchcock bragged of playing his audiences. (The current issue of Cineaste, vol. XXXII, no. 1, has a fascinating article by Jack Sullivan on Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann's music, especially for Psycho.)
That brings me to just a couple of complaints about this book. The only real flaw was the tendency of some authors to write in academic jargon. (I wish every critic with a Ph.D. could write as entertainingly as the authors in the Open Court Press series, Popular Culture and Philosophy.) A few essayists also keep referring to the same works by cultural/film critics such as Julia Kristeva and Robin Wood, more it seems to show they are masters of their field than because it adds to their arguments.
Also, I wish some of the essayists had mentioned the recently deceased Debra Hill, Carpenter's producing partner and writer of Halloween and The Fog. Debra Hill was born in the real Haddonfield and gave the world Michael Myers. Without Debra Hill there would have been no John Carpenter.
I debated whether to rate this book four or five stars, but besides presenting new ideas about Carpenter's movies, it was a lot of fun to read. If you like Carpenter's films, you'll enjoy this book.
Average customer rating:
- A solid look at a great genre talent.
- A fine pocket-sized Carpenter reference...and it's fun
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John Carpenter (Pocket Essentials)
Michelle Le Blanc , and
Colin Odell
Manufacturer: Pocket Essentials
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ASIN: 1903047374 |
Customer Reviews:
A solid look at a great genre talent........2003-12-07
This Pocket Essentials entry looks at the career of John Carpenter, following him from his impressive debut with Dark Star all the way to Ghosts of Mars (which is only mentioned as a nearly finished production). With very little written about the man out there, this book should be considered essential for any Carpenter fan. The autuer argument is solidly made and hard to disagree with. The pluses/minuses criticism of each film is mostly fair, although a tad overboard in the enthusiasm department - but who can blame them. This is Carpenter they are talking about! As far as I am concerned, the man can still deliver a solid retro b-movie. Recommended, but it might leave you wishing for an even more in depth and photo illustrated Carpenter film study to read.
A fine pocket-sized Carpenter reference...and it's fun.......2002-01-29
There is precious little out there between two covers about John Carpenter. This edition (from the pocket essentials series) is a concise and enthusiastic overall reference for the Carpenter fan or the would-be fan. My one caveat would be that perhaps the authors are a little blind when it comes to some of the movies where Carpenter had less than absolute control (the big studio productions). It really isn't enough to say that Memoirs of an Invisible Man was better than most Hollywood fare (because it wasn't), or to forgive Prince of Darkness by calling it a noble attempt at cerebral horror (because it isn't). But these are informed opinions and they provide food for thought. And that is really the best thing about this book -- it's smart and enthusiastic and it talks about my favorite director. And it made me think.
Average customer rating:
- The charm of evil: the films of Terence Fisher
- "what might be the only type of book on my fav director."
- "what might be the only type of book on my fav director."-A+
- Dixon's Book Pays Tribute to a Great Director
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The Charm of Evil
Carpenter John
Manufacturer: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
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ASIN: 0810823756 |
Book Description
Terence Fisher brought the modern Gothic horror film to life in the second half of the twentieth century. As director John Carpenter (Halloween) notes in his introduction, Terence Fisher and The Curse of Frankenstein was the beginning of it all for the modern horror film...
Customer Reviews:
The charm of evil: the films of Terence Fisher.......2006-09-26
" The charm of evil " is until today the most exhaustively documented book about the work and life of horror movies' master Terence Fisher -or as he prefered to named them " adult fairy tales " - the most influential film creator in the ground of the " fantastique " who took the genre into a more artistic and symbolic way. The book ( almost 600 pages ) contains comments of Fisher himself and from many members of Hammer about his filmwork, many photographs taken during his shootings, the plot of all his movies and his complete filmography chronologically arranged with technician remarks and the complete cast. The book is opened with a beautiful introduction by John Carpenter ( " The fog " ; " The thing " ). A must to have for all Fisher's fetishists.
"what might be the only type of book on my fav director.".......2000-12-27
Terence Fisher,--what more can i say or comment on who to me is my all-time favorite director of film (thus,most notably the horror field) Terence Fisher not only gave birth to the modern horror film (The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), but his work enfluenced generations to come,(people who we know today, martin Scorseasee, Stevein speilberg ext,) with his masterful works of art. With supream reigning masterpeices such as his 3 best(my opinion) Frankenstein must be Destroyed (1969), wich is a technical masterpeice, not have i seen a film that clicks so well, in it's flawless compostion, and pacing, and story narritive, it's whole cynical veiw of the world,. This with out doubt is Fisher's most cynical piece. The Devil Rides out (1968), is another prime example as being fisher at his very best, exploring human realationships, and his facination for the romantism that he has brought to most his best and personal works. And finnaly The Horror of Dracula (1958), often considered Hammer's crown jewl of horror. This perfectly captures the essence of the stoker novel, and his take on victorian society is superaltive, and not to mention the execution in every scene and shot is absolultely flawless (possiably D.P. Jack Asher's best work). So if u have a great admiration for Terence fisher and his films this is the book to get, trust me, even if u know quit a bit, there is with out a doubt that u will indeed learn more about One of the greatest British-film directors who ever made their mark on the silver screen. "Long live the King!"-
"what might be the only type of book on my fav director."-A+.......2000-12-27
Terence Fisher,--what more can i say or comment on who to me ismy all-time favorite director of film (thus,most notably the horrorfield) Terence Fisher not only gave birth to the modern horror film(The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), but his work enfluenced generationsto come,(people who we know today, martin Scorseasee, Steveinspeilberg ext,) with his masterful works of art. With supream reigningmasterpeices such as his 3 best(my opinion) Frankenstein must beDestroyed (1969), wich is a technical masterpeice, not have i seen afilm that clicks so well, in it's flawless compostion, and pacing, andstory narritive, it's whole cynical veiw of the world,. This with outdoubt is Fisher's most cynical piece. The Devil Rides out (1968), isanother prime example as being fisher at his very best, exploringhuman realationships, and his facination for the romantism that he hasbrought to most his best and personal works. And finnaly The Horror ofDracula (1958), often considered Hammer's crown jewl of horror. Thisperfectly captures the essence of the stoker novel, and his take onvictorian society is superaltive, and not to mention the execution inevery scene and shot is absolultely flawless (possiably D.P. JackAsher's best work). So if u have a great admiration for Terencefisher and his films this is the book to get, trust me, even if u knowquit a bit, there is with out a doubt that u will indeed learn moreabout One of the greatest British-film directors who ever made theirmark on the silver screen. "Long live the King!"-
Dixon's Book Pays Tribute to a Great Director.......2000-09-08
It's sad to think that there's only one book in English that deals with the life and work of Terence Fisher. Working within a limited form and exploitation industry, the best of Fisher's films transend craft. There is poetry in the economic way this director manipulates the conventions we take for granted in Horror Movies. Mr. Dixon's book takes Fisher's sense of craft and style seriously. He shows us that Fisher became one of the major artist working in the British film industry. Other well known directors became famous directing big budget projects. But what would a David Lean do if he had to work with the tight budgets, short shooting schedules, and often on the same sets from film to film the way Terence Fisher had to work? One of the most remarkable things about Fisher is that he took what others would consider limitations and created enduring works of art; visually stunning, compelling and poetic works of art. Dixon's book validates this fact. I learned a great deal from it and enjoyed the insider's view it communicates. Thank-you, Mr. Dixon.
Book Description
The films of John Carpenter cover a tremendous range and yet all bear his clear personal stamp. From the horrifying (Halloween) to the touching (Starman) to the controversial (The Thing) to the comic (Big Trouble in Little China), his films reflect a unique approach to filmmaking and singular views of humanity and American culture.
This analysis of Carpenter's films includes a historical overview of his career, and in-depth entries on each of his films, from 1975's Dark Star to 1998's Vampires. Complete cast and production information is provided for each. The book also covers those films written and produced by Carpenter, such as Halloween II and Black Moon Rising, as well as Carpenter's work for television. Appendices are included on films Carpenter was offered but turned down, the slasher films that followed in the wake of the highly-successful Halloween, the actors and characters who make repeated appearances in Carpenter's films, and ratings for Carpenter's work. Notes, bibliography, and index are included.
Customer Reviews:
LESSER THAN EXPECTED.......2006-05-27
I was rather dissappointed reading this book.Altough It provides interesting insight to the historical aspects of Carpenter's work it lacks indepth analysis when attempting to comment on the films.I understand there's a well meaning effort here to address the average viewer and that is done successfuly,giving Carpenter the status he deserves,but to me Carpenter's movies are a lot more than that and some suggestions regarding some screenplay details seem to loose the point completely.
John Carpenter's Movies.......2004-05-14
I ordered this book after buying and enjoying three others by this author and found this one to be another excellent addition to my library. This book contains detailed information on each of Mr. Carpenter's films including a synopsis,list of cast and crew,critical reception for each film and a section with the author's commentary. This book is extremely well written and a very enjoyable read. I find myself looking through it often and it has led me to pick up some of John Carpenter's movies to add to my collection.
For anyone who is a John Carpenter fan or a horror fan this is one book they should not be without and for the casual movie fan they would enjoy adding this book to their library.
The other books I have by John Kenneth Muir are: Horror films of the 1970's, Wes Craven: the Art of Horror and Eaten Alive at a Chainsaw Massacre: the films of Tobe Hooper. These are all excellent books and I highly recommend them to horror fans and movie fans alike. I am currently awaiting the release of his next book: The Unseen Force: the Films of Sam Raimi as I know it will be another excellent addition to my library.
IF YOU LOVE TO WASTE MONEY , THEN THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!.......2002-06-22
this is one of the worst books i've ever bought. if you have ever read Fangoria magazine you would have gotten better pictures and more information on mr. carpenter. how can a book like this not go into detail about carpenters famous movie scores! the book is not complete for they don't even mention the made for tv movie ELVIS he made with kurt russell.better information could be obtained from dvd production notes.somebody please write a fitting tribute to a great director.
The Ultimate John Carpenter Guide.......2001-06-21
Perhaps the greatest research and analysis of any filmmaker (let alone of Carpenter himself) I've had ever the joy of reading. Muir certainly gave me a completely different perspective of Carpenter's films. I actually found myself going back and re-watching scenes of his films I've watched a million times in a new light (After learning of Carpenter's motivations for "Escape From L.A." in this book, I went from seeing it as a so-so sequel, to terrific remake!). I can't reccomend it enough to anyone who, like myself, would call Carpenter their favorite director. His reviews and insights are both honest and insightful (his critique of the Carpenter produced "Halloween III", a guilty pleasure of mine, had me roaring with laughter). Don't balk at the price, it's absolutley worth it as it is packed full of fascinating information. If you-re a die hard Carpenter fan, you'll be missing out if you pass this up.
Erudite, engaging and enjoyable.......2000-06-16
Muir's comprehensive analysis of the works of John Carpenter moves even the dilettante to review them with a more appreciative perspective. Muir reveals interesting sociological and psychological themes within Carpenter's works that compel the reader to truly re-evaluate Carpenter's talent.
The book was obviously written by an author who "knows his stuff" and appreciates the full value of the subject matter. This is what makes reading this work enjoyable and entertaining. I recommend this book to any fan or critic of the works of John Carpenter.
Average customer rating:
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John Alden Carpenter: A Bio-Bibliography (Bio-Bibliographies in Music)
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0313264309 |
Book Description
To study this composer is to study the tastes and trends of the American people from 1912 through World War II. This bio-bibliography presents Carpenter's life and works, as well as the contemporary views, reviews, and criticisms that reveal historical attitudes and prejudices of American life in those troubled times. Looking back several decades, it is possible to discover what was enduring, what was transitory, and what elements would become important to our present state of musical composition. This volume includes a biography, a list of works and performances, a discography, and an annotated bibliography and will be of interest to students of music, dancers and choreographers, history buffs, and music lovers alike. Throughout, one will find many "gems" from reviews. Although Carpenter was an American with a Harvard education who quoted American popular tunes, he was also an eclectic. He wrote many works in a French impressionistic style, some with Germanic forms, and sometimes borrowing Spanish, Russian, and Oriental melodies, rhythms, and instruments. He was inspired by programmatic ideas and even wrote the program notes for his Adventures in a Perambulator suite. Humor and fantasy can be found in this suite, which depicts a baby's stroll through the park with its nurse, and in Krazy Kat, his jazz pantomime based on George Herriman's cartoon strip. Jazz first appeared at the Metropolitan Opera House in the 1926 production of Skyscrapers, Carpenter's ballet of work and play. Carpenter was born in Park Ridge, Illinois, 28 February 1876 and died 26 April 1951 in Chicago. New recordings of his music have recently been issued in LP and CD formats.
Average customer rating:
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John Alden Carpenter: A CHICAGO COMPOSER (Music in American Life)
Howard Pollack
Manufacturer: University of Illinois Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0252070143 |
Book Description
With this generous biography, Howard Pollack restores to the public eye a prolific and gifted artist whom Walter Damrosch called "the most American of our composers."
Well respected and widely performed during his lifetime, John Alden Carpenter (1876-1951) was one of the first American composers to be influenced by Debussy and Stravinsky and one of the first composers anywhere to incorporate elements of popular song and jazz into concert music. His highly original yet refined orchestral music was championed by Bruno Walter, Fritz Reiner, Otto Klemperer, Serge Koussevitzky, and other celebrated conductors, and his sensitive songs were performed by such legendary singers as Alma Gluck and Kirsten Flagstad.
Avidly interested in vernacular culture and receptive to a wide range of musical influences, Carpenter set verses by American poets including Langston Hughes and Vachel Lindsay and created a ballet score based on George Herriman's celebrated comic strip Krazy Kat. His whimsical suite Adventures in a Perambulator was on the docket for Walt Disney's planned sequel to Fantasia, and his ballet Skyscrapers, which enjoyed successful mountings in New York and Munich, was the only American work commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev for the Ballets Russes.
Pollack skillfully balances Carpenter's personal and musical lives, covering his interactions with musicians of every stripe, his high profile in the Chicago Renaissance cultural scene, and his two marriages (first to the designer and art collector Rue Winterbotham and then, following a protracted affair, to the Chicago socialite Ellen Borden).
In this expansive, fair-minded biography, Pollack explains the factors that pulled Carpenter out of the spotlight and argues persuasively for Carpenter's continuing importance.
Average customer rating:
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Skyscraper Lullaby: The Life and Music of John Alden Carpenter
Howard Pollack
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Institution Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1560984007 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, published by Institute for Evolutionary Psychology on March 1, 2002. The length of the article is 831 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: The Films of John Carpenter. (book review)
Author: J. Robert Craig
Publication:
Journal of Evolutionary Psychology (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2002
Publisher: Institute for Evolutionary Psychology
Page: 94(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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The Films of John Carpenter
