John Carpenter

John Carpenter, the American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor, is best known for his work in horror and science fiction genres. Spanning four decades of an impressive career, some of his films have become iconic cult classics. While many of his movies initially faced commercial and critical failures, they later gained a loyal following.

Carpenter's unique style is characterized by minimalist lighting and photography, static cameras, the use of steadicam, and distinctive synthesized scores. He has composed or co-composed most of the music for his films, which are now considered cult classics in their own right. His haunting Halloween theme is a part of popular culture and Carpenter released his first studio album Lost Themes in 2015.

A staunch advocate for widescreen filming, all of Carpenter's theatrical movies (barring Dark Star and The Ward) have been shot anamorphic with a 2.35:1 or greater aspect ratio. He believes that the 35mm Panavision anamorphic format is "the best movie system there is", preferring it over both digital and 3D film systems.

Carpenter's films have been celebrated in various ways, such as the documentary John Carpenter: The Man and His Movies, American Cinematheque's 2002 retrospective of his work, and the United States Library of Congress' selection of Halloween for preservation in the National Film Registry. In 2010, he was interviewed by Mark Gatiss for A History of Horror, and later by Robert Rodriguez for The Director's Chair series.

Influenced by Carpenter's work are renowned filmmakers like James Cameron, Quentin Tarantino, Guillermo del Toro, Robert Rodriguez, Edgar Wright, Danny Boyle, Nicolas Winding Refn, and Bong Joon-ho. The video game Dead Space 3 also drew inspiration from his films, with Carpenter expressing interest in adapting the series into a feature film.