John Carpenter is a name that is on the Mount Rushmore of horror filmmakers. Alongside the likes of Romero and Craven, Carpenter is a director that will forever be linked to the genre, thanks to his 1978 film “Halloween.” So, it’s only natural to ask the guy, who has created films that have scared the crap out of people for 40 years, what scares him?
“Well, you have to go back to when I was little,” says Carpenter in a new interview with EW. “That’s when I got scared. ‘The Thing,’ the original ‘Thing.’ Popcorn flying! You’re jumping! It has some great jumps in it, surprising you.”
Obviously, if you’re a horror fan or just a fan of John Carpenter, you know that the director is also known for making an incredible remake of the 1951 alien film. While the original was popular for its time, the 1982 remake, starring Kurt Russell, is the version of “The Thing” that horror aficionados remember most fondly. And as a fun little Easter Egg, fans of 1978’s “Halloween” probably remember scenes from the 1951 ‘Thing’ played on TV while Laurie babysat Tommy.
Another film that tops his list of scary flicks is “The Fly.” But again, he’s not talking about the remake. “The original ‘The Fly,’ you know that movie?” says Carpenter. “When the wife pulls the thing off the scientist’s head? Ah! Scared me!”
Nope, no David Cronenberg love here. Carpenter is talking about the 1958 film from German director Kurt Neumann. As with the thing, most horror fans remember the Cronenberg remake that starred Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum. But obviously, Carpenter is a fan of the classics, as that was the era that he grew up in.
So, for those fans of “Halloween” that are curious what films influenced the man who then, in turn, influenced generations after, you have to go back to the ‘50s and a couple classics that modern horror junkies probably haven’t even seen.