John Carpenter Scares You With His Films And Film Scores
John Carpenter does not bull shit you.
The director, writer and scorer of some of the most iconic movies is a very transparent person. In interviews, Carpenter is often direct in his answering of various questions. For example, in 2015, The AV Club asked him how he would make his iconic 1978 classic Halloween now,
Well, they wouldn’t wear bell-bottoms. The clothes would be different, but the structure would be pretty much the same — but, look, I could be wrong about all of this stuff. What do I know?
The director is humble about his work and his creative accomplishments. Watch YouTube interviews with Carpenter at various conventions, and you see a guy that is blunt, but fair. The point is, whether you like Carpenter’s work or not, he is one likable and admirable creator.
On April 16, Carpenter will release his second album Lost Themes II. The album, which follows Lost Themes released last year, consists of synth-rock songs — scores for your mind. The albums shine a light on a very important part of Carpenter’s work: his ability to score. His movie soundtracks — whether scored by him or someone else — are always a high point of his movies.
With his second album on the cusp of release, I thought it would be awesome to look back at Carpenter’s work creating memorable movie scares that left us looking for the soundtrack. The following are the soundtracks that make John Carpenter one of film’s most gifted scorers. NOTE: I am not writing about 1982’s The Thing, which many argue is Carpenter’s best work. That music was composed by the great Ennio Morricone.
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
Carpenter’s second film ushers in the sound that would make famous: synth. The simple, infectious theme was written in three days by Carpenter, while he and collaborator Tommy Lee Wallace performed the music for the movie.
Assault on Precinct 13 is about a group of criminals that attack a police precinct. The story is simple, and the minimalism in his movies and his scores will become a Carpenter trademark.
The opening theme (the first of two songs you hear) is pulsating and mysterious. It fits the vibe of a dark, dangerous city — which is what you see in the opening scene. In that scene, a team of LAPD ambush a street gang in dark, enclosed quarters. The synth notes give this scene — and the ones to follow — a highly tense mood. More importantly, the music catches your attention. It sticks with you.
The music switches from this infectious tune to a sweet, quite sound. The two songs could not be more different. Away from the tense underground of street gangs, the second song is lighter and more pleasant. Listening to it again, the second song has a Law & Order/cop movie sound. That is not a knock. Carpenter nails the vibe and feeling of this dark cop movie with a brilliant score.
Halloween (1978)
Only two years after Assault, John Carpenter would enter film score history.
The music to Halloween is considered a classic film soundtrack today. And whoever decided to include it on those lists, count me in.
Halloween opened the doors to the horror movies of the 1980s and beyond — I am looking at you Freddy and Jason. With its simple story (a killer stalker that is after a teen and her friends), simple production and simple score, Carpenter creates a movie rife with high quality scares and memorable moments.
Those memorable moments are nothing without its score. The music is less synth sounding, when compared to Assault. The classic piano effect offers a clean and creepy sound, perfect for the long shots of stalker Michael Myers hiding in the shadows. Again, Carpenter elects for a simple music structure, as notes repeated over and over again. Some have argued choosing to score simple notes is not by choice, but because Carpenter had to stay simple because of budget reasons.
It is true that in the early years, Carpenter dealt with low budgets. Plus, this score was done quickly. After showing the film without the music to a Hollywood executive, Carpenter was told the film was not scary. It was after, with the music Carpenter quickly wrote, that the movie earned its scary status. Whether he had to stay simple or not, Carpenter’s other films show equally simple themes. I think, for Carpenter, simple was effective and easy.
The music for Halloween is the beating heart of the movie. In some scenes, where the action is intense, deep, dark piano notes are played brilliantly to the action. In some scenes, where the creepiness or scares are slowly built, the piano sounds are slower, yet build to an emotional high point.
Halloween’s music is a classic example of a great film score. Perhaps that is why there was so many sequels: people wanted to hear the music.
The Fog (1980)
Carpenter calls this movie “terrible”. He notes in different interviews that his experience making this film was rough.
Despite Carpenter’s disdain for The Fog, the music for the film is nothing short of creepy. There is more of a production with the music in The Fog. Going away from simply a piano or synth, more music is added on top of different scores. At the base of all that is going on, there is a simple piano theme that grounds the score in creepiness.
The Fog is a ghost story about vengeful ghosts that come to kill after arriving from the fog. While I agree with Carpenter about the movie, it is not great, the music is fascinating.
It is a lot longer than his other themes from Halloween or Assault. The theme is incredibly repetitive, but, with more going in musically, the repetitiveness is welcomed. If I had to change something from this theme, I would take away one of two of the overlays of music, creating a cleaner sound. Alas, the main piano theme is creepy, evoking the right feeling for a movie about pirate ghosts.
There is a weird mix of simple and over-production with the music of The Fog. But give me a track where the piano theme just plays, and you have one strong musical part of your film.
Escape From New York (1981)
Carpenter veered away from horror for 1981’s Escape From New York. The movie tells the tale of a dystopian future, where one main is given the duty to find the President of the United States after Air Force One crashes.
The music was done by Carpenter and musician Alan Howarth, who would do some of the Halloween sequels. The heavy synth-sounding theme is a return to a musical characteristic that Carpenter was known for in his early films. Simple, repeating notes that hit an emotional chord with the characters in the movie and you — as a viewer.
The theme above starts of slow, quiet, but picks up with its pace and sound. The synths are perfect for creating an atmosphere perfect a dystopian film. From the mystery Carpenter presents in this film, the score matches the mood being laid out on camera. As with Halloween, the repeating notes and catchy score stick with you.
Prince of Darkness (1987)
Finally, we get to newer type of Carpenter score.
1987’s Prince of Darkness is another Carpenter horror film about Satan and evil being brought into the world. The music features heavy synths, a Carpenter staple, but also offers haunting vocals and other sounds. As with The Fog, music with a lot going on — especially a lot of similar sounding notes — can be a mess. This film is a step above from The Fog.
There are different layers to this score, from the deep, repeating synth notes, to angelic sounding vocals and some stringed notes. All of these factors are beautifully orchestrated together to create one of the creepiest sound scores since Halloween. Carpenter worked with Howarth on this score, as the two become frequent collaborators.
The slow theme above is juxtaposed by a more upbeat score, yet both consist of similar musical structure. Different overlapping music is woven together to create a successful score.
John Carpenter is a prolific figure in film history. Most notably, his scores help his movies receive acclaim from those who watch and listen to his films. Yes, there are more scores to touch on, but the ones mentioned above are a great step into Carpenter’s musical talent. Next time you need a creepy score to rock out to, I recommend you put on some John Carpenter.
