Long before his work on Showtime’s horror anthology seriesMasters of Horror,John Carpenterwas a respected name in the horror genre. An incredibly involved filmmaker, Carpenter immerses himself in his projects, often serving as a director, writer, producer, and composer. His credits involve the 1978 cult classicHalloween(that launched a successful decades-long franchise), 1982’sThe Thing(a film so beloved that fans are still waiting for a sequel 40 years later),Escape From New York, Christine, andThey Live. While his impressive resume solidifies Carpenter’s legacy as a Master of Horror - he disagrees.
During a recent interview withInsider, Carpenter reacted to being considered a “Master of Horror,” and his response is one you may not expect. Or maybe you will, if you’re familiar with the responses of John Carpenter:
“That’s nice. Sorry, I’m eating a Popsicle.”
When further probed about whether he considered himself worthy of the title, he added:
“Look, I’m not a master of anything. I just want to play video games and watch basketball. That’s all I care about doing. I don’t want to bother anybody.”
Carpenter also addressed comparisons between him and Alfred Hitchcock (mainly for their skills in building tension), which Carpenter also hilariously shot down:
“It’s not apt because I’m nowhere near Hitchcock. I’m much more like ‘The Blob.'” He added: “I’m ‘The Fly.’ I’m the ‘Attack of the Crab Monsters.’ I’m a whole different breed.”
Related:Halloween Creator John Carpenter Hosts a Movie Marathon on Godzilla Day Courtesy of Shout! TV
John Carpenter Reacts to Suburban Screams Negative Reviews
Carpenter is currently promoting his new Peacock series,John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams,a true horror seriesthat uses first-hand accounts and dramatizations to recount real-life tales of terror that occurred in American hometowns. Besides lending his name to the series’ title, Carpenter directed an episode, composed the show’s theme music, and served as a producer. Unfortunately, reviews for the unscripted series have been overwhelmingly negative. This was news to Carpenter, who seemed relatively unfazed by the revelation:
“I made a little series. If you don’t like it, f— off. If you do like it, I like you. So there you go.”
While doing press for the Peacock series, Carpenter has continued to deliver interview gold. Earlier this monthduring a separate interview, Carpenter revealed that he had watchedBarbieand provided a brief, and comical, synopsis of the Greta Gerwig film:
“I don’t go out. I haven’t been to a movie in a while, but I see them at my house. I’ll see it there. I watched Barbie. I can’t believe I watched Barbie. It’s just not my generation. I had nothing to do with Barbie dolls. I didn’t know who Allan was. I mean, I can sum it up. She says, ‘I don’t have a vagina,’ and then at the end, ‘I’m going to go to a gynecologist!’ That’s the movie to me. I mean, there’s a patriarchy business in there, but I missed that whole thing. Right over my head. But I think she’s fabulous, Margot Robbie.”
During that interview, Carpenter also revealed that a return to directing a feature film could still happen if he found the “the right one or the right budget.”
