CARPENTER, John 1948–
(Frank Armitage, Johnny Carpenter, John T.
Chance, Rip Haight, Martin Quatermass)

PERSONAL

Full name, John Howard Carpenter; born January 16, 1948, in Carthage, NY (raised in Bowling Green, KY); son of Howard Ralph (a music professor) and Milton Jean (maiden name, Carter) Carpenter; married Adrienne Barbeau (an actress), January 1, 1979 (divorced November, 1988); married Sandy King (a producer), December 1, 1990; children: (first marriage) John Cody. Education: Attended Western Kentucky University, c. 1968; graduate work in film at the University of Southern California, 1968–72. Avocational Interests: Helicopter piloting, music, Elvis, old Cadillacs, NBA.

Addresses: Agent— William Morris Agency, One William Morris Place, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Publicist— Guttman Associates PR, 118 S. Beverly Dr., Suite 201, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Contact— c/o Big Deal Productions, Inc., 5632 Van Nuys Blvd., #376, Van Nuys, CA 91411.

Career: Director, producer, actor, screenwriter, and composer. Performer in the rock group, Coup de Villes; The Horror Hall of Fame, member of board of directors; Emerald Productions (a production company), founder; Hye Whitebread Productions (a production company), cofounder, 1979.

Member: Directors Guild of America, Writers Guild of America—West, American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.

Awards, Honors: Academy Award, best short subject (live action), 1970, The Resurrection of Bronco Billy; Golden Scroll Award (with others), best special effects, 1976, for Dark Star; London Film Festival special award, 1977; Edgar Allan Poe Award, best made–for–television mystery movie, Mystery Writers of America, 1978, for Someone's Watching Me!; New Generation Award, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, 1979; Critics' Prize, Avoriaz Film Festival, 1980, for The Fog; American Institute for Public Service Jefferson Award, outstanding public service benefitting local communities, 1980; International Fantasy Film Award nomination, best film, 1989, for They Live; CableACE Award (with Bill Phillips), writing a movie or miniseries, 1991, for El Diablo; International Fantasy Film Award nomination, best film, 1993, for Memoirs of an Invisible Man; Grand Prize Award nomination, Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival, 1984, for Christine; International Fantasy Film Award nomination, best film, 1994 for Body Bags; Critics Award, Fantasporto, and International Fantasy Film Award nomination, best film, 1995, both for In the Mouth of Madness; George Pal Memorial Award, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, 1996; Saturn Award, best music, Bram Stoker Award nomination, other media, 1999, both for Vampires; Best Film Award nomination, Catalonian International Film Festival, 2001, for Ghosts of Mars.

CREDITS

Film Work:

Director, Revenge of the Colossal Beasts (short film), 1962.

Director, Terror from Space (short film), 1963.

(As Johnny Carpenter) Director, The Warrior and the Demon (short film), 1969.

Director, Sorcerer from Outer Space (short film), 1969.

Director, Gorgo versus Godzilla (short film), 1969.

Director, Gorgon, the Space Monster (short film), 1969.

Editor, The Resurrection of Bronco Billy (short film), Universal, 1970.

Producer, director, and music director, Dark Star, Jack H. Harris, 1974.

Director and (as John T. Chance) editor, Assault on Precinct 13 (also known as John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13 ), Turtle Releasing Company, 1976.

Director and (uncredited) producer, Halloween (also known as John Carpenter's Halloween ), Compass, 1978.

Director, The Fog (also known as John Carpenter's The Fog ), Avco Embassy, 1980.

Director, Escape from New York (also known as John Carpenter's Escape from New York ), Avco Embassy, 1981.

(With Debra Hill) Producer, Halloween II (also known as Halloween II: The Nightmare Isn't Over! ), Universal, 1981.

(With Hill) Producer, Halloween III: Season of the Witch (also known as Season of the Witch ), Universal, 1982.

Director, The Thing (also known as John Carpenter's The Thing ), Universal, 1982.

Director, Christine (also known as John Carpenter's Christine ), Columbia, 1983.

Executive producer, The Philadelphia Experiment, New World, 1984.

Director, Starman (also known as John Carpenter's Starman ), Columbia, 1984.

Director, Big Trouble in Little China (also known as John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China ), Twentieth Century–Fox, 1986.

Executive producer, Black Moon Rising, 1986.

(As Martin Quatermass) Director, Prince of Darkness (also known as John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness ), Universal, 1987.

(As Frank Armitage) Director, They Live (also known as John Carpenter's They Live and They Live! ), Universal, 1988.

Director, Memoirs of an Invisible Man (also known as Les aventures d'un homme invisible ), Warner Bros., 1992.

Director, In the Mouth of Madness (also known as John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness ), New Line Cinema, 1995.

Director, Village of the Damned (also known as John Carpenter's Village of the Damned ), Universal, 1995.

Director, Escape from L.A. (also known as John Carpenter's Escape from L.A. ), Paramount, 1996.

Director, John Carpenter's Vampires (also known as Vampires and Vampire$ ), Sony Pictures, 1998.

Director, musician, and orchestrator, Ghosts of Mars (also known as John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars ), Screen Gems, 2001.

Director and executive producer, Vampires: Los Muertos (also known as John Carpenter's Vampires: Los Muertos and John Carpenter Presents Vampires: Los Muertos ), Sony Pictures Entertainment, 2002.

Film Appearances:

No Place to Land, 1958.

(Uncredited) Voice of Paul, Annie's boyfriend, Halloween (also known as John Carpenter's Halloween ), Compass, 1978.

(Uncredited) Bennett, church janitor, The Fog (also known as John Carpenter's The Fog ), Avco Embassy, 1980.

(Uncredited) Voice of Secret Service #2 and helicopter pilot, Escape from New York (also known as John Carpenter's Escape from New York ), Avco Embassy, 1981.

(Uncredited) Norwegian in video footage, The Thing (also known as John Carpenter's The Thing ), 1982.

(Uncredited) Man in helicopter, Starman (also known as John Carpenter's Starman ), 1984.

(With the Coupe de Villes) The Boy Who Could Fly, 1986.

(Uncredited) Worker in Chinatown, Big Trouble in Little China (also known as John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China ), Twentieth Century–Fox, 1986.

(As Rip Haight) Helicopter pilot, Memoirs of an Invisible Man (also known as Les aventures d'un homme invisible ), Warner Bros., 1992.

Trench Coat Man, The Silence of the Hams (also known as Il silenzio dei prosciutti ), 1994.

(As Rip Haight) Man at phone booth, Village of the Damned (also known as John Carpenter's Village of the Damned ), Universal, 1995.

Himself, After Sunset: The Life & Times of the Drive–In Theater, 1995.

Himself, 100 Years of Horror: Witchcraft and Demons, 1996.

Himself, 100 Years of Horror: Sorcerers, 1996.

Himself, 100 Years of Horror: Maniacs, 1996.

Himself, Unmasking the Horror, 1998.

Himself, "Halloween " Unmasked 2000, Anchor Bay Entertainment, 1999.

Himself, Scoring Ghosts of Mars, Columbia TriStar Home Video, 2001.

Himself, Red Desert Nights: Making "Ghosts of Mars, " Columbia TriStar Home Video, 2001.

Himself, Tales from the Mist: Inside "The Fog, " Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer/United Artists Home Entertainment, 2002.

(In archive footage) Himself, Scoring Resident Evil, Columbia TriStar Home Video, 2002.

Television Work; Movies:

Director, Someone's Watching Me! (also known as High Rise ), NBC, 1978.

Director, Elvis, ABC, 1979.

Executive producer, El diablo, 1990.

Executive producer and segment director, "The Gas Station," and "Hair," John Carpenter Presents Body Bags (also known as Body Bags ), Showtime, 1993.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Coroner, "The Morgue," John Carpenter Presents Body Bags (also known as Body Bags ), Showtime, 1993.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Himself, A–Z of Horror (also known as Clive Barker's A–Z of Horror ), 1997.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Fear in the Dark, 1991.

Himself, Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects, 1994.

Himself, The Reality Trip, 1997.

Masters of Fantasy: John Carpenter, Sci–Fi Channel, 1998.

Himself, Faces of Evil, TNT, 2000.

The American Nightmare, Independent Film Channel, 2000.

Himself, Guns for Hire: The Making of "The Magnificent Seven, " Channel 4, 2000.

Himself, Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre, 2000.

Himself, Dario Argento: An Eye for Horror, Independent Film Channel, 2000.

Himself, AFI's 100 Years, 100 Thrills: America's Most Heart–Pounding Movies, CBS, 2001.

(Uncredited) Himself, Hidden Values: The Movies of the Fifties, TCM, 2001.

Himself, Scream: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 2001.

Interviewee, Masters of Horror, 2002.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Appeared in episodes of Firstworks and The Directors, Encore.

WRITINGS

Film Writings:

(With Jim Rokos) Screenplay and score composer, The Resurrection of Bronco Billy (short film), Universal, 1970.

(With Dan O'Bannon) Screenplay and score composer, Dark Star, Jack H. Harris, 1974.

Screenplay and score composer, Assault on Precinct 13 (also known as John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13 ), Turtle Releasing Company, 1976.

(With David Zelag Goodman) Screenplay, The Eyes of Laura Mars, Columbia, 1978.

(With Debra Hill) Screenplay and score composer, Halloween (also known as John Carpenter's Halloween ), Compass, 1978.

(With Hill) Screenplay and score composer, The Fog (also known as John Carpenter's The Fog ), Avco Embassy, 1980.

(With Nick Castle) Screenplay and (with Alan Howarth) score composer, Escape from New York (also known as John Carpenter's Escape from New York ), Avco Embassy, 1981.

(With Hill) Screenplay and (with Howarth) score composer, Halloween II (also known as Halloween II: The Nightmare Isn't Over! ), Universal, 1981.

(With Howarth) Composer, Halloween III: Season of the Witch (also known as Season of the Witch ), Universal, 1982.

(With Howarth) Composer, Christine (also known as John Carpenter's Christine ), Columbia, 1983.

(With Howarth) Composer, Big Trouble in Little China, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1986.

(With Desmond Nakano and William Gray) Screenplay, Black Moon Rising, New World, 1986.

(As Martin Quatermass) Screenplay and (with Howarth) score composer, Prince of Darkness (also known as John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness ), Universal, 1987.

(As Frank Armitage) Screenplay and score composer, They Live (also known as John Carpenter's They Live and They Live! ), Universal, 1988.

(With Howarth) Composer, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (also known as Halloween 5 ), Galaxy International, 1989.

(With Jim Lang) Composer, In the Mouth of Madness (also known as John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness, New Line Cinema, 1995.

(With Dave Davies) Composer, Village of the Damned (also known as John Carpenter's Village of the Damned ), Universal, 1995.

Screenplay and (with Shirley Walker) score composer, Escape from L.A. (also known as John Carpenter's Escape from L.A. ), Paramount, 1996.

Theme composer, "Halloween," Halloween: H2O (also known as Halloween H2O: Twenty Years Later ), Miramax, 1998.

Composer, John Carpenter's Vampires (also known as Vampires and Vampire$ ), Sony Pictures, 1998.

Screenplay, Meltdown, 1999.

Composer, "Halloween " Unmasked 2000, Anchor Bay Entertainment, 1999.

Screenplay, Ghosts of Mars (also known as John Carpenter's Ghost of Mars ), Screen Gems, 2001.

(With Hill) Screenplay, Halloween: Resurrection 2002, Dimension Films, 2002.

Television Movies:

(With William A. Schwartz) Zuma Beach, NBC, 1978.

Someone's Watching Me! (also known as High Rise ), NBC, 1978.

(With Greg Strangis) Better Late Than Never, NBC, 1979.

El Diablo, 1990.

Blood River, 1991.

John Carpenter Presents Body Bags (also known as Body Bags ), Showtime, 1993.

Silent Predators, TBS, 1999.

Television Movies; Scores:

(With Jim Lang), John Carpenter Presents Body Bags (also known as Body Bags ), Showtime, 1993.

Video Game Scores:

Sentinel Returns, 1998.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Cumbow, Robert C., Order in the Universe: The Films of John Carpenter, Scarecrow, 2000.

International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 2: Directors, St. James Press, 1996.

Muir, John Kenneth, The Films of John Carpenter, Mc-Farland & Company, 2000.

Periodicals:

Entertainment Weekly, November/December, 1997, pp. 98–103.

Film Comment, September/October, 1996, pp. 50–54; January, 1999, p. 26.

Hollywood Reporter, October 26, 1998, p. 13.