Filmmaker John Carpenter gained universal recognition and became a household name thanks to his breakthrough horror film, Halloween, which helped develop the entire slasher genre. Aside from Halloween (1978), John Carpenter has taken the directorial helm of other recognizable titles such as Elvis (1979), The Thing (1982), and Vampires (1998).
His latest directorial credit was 2010’s The Ward and the legendary figure has not directed since. But Carpenter, in addition to being an exceptional director, also is a remarkable composer. Carpenter’s self-composed “Halloween Theme” is integral to the film and even recognizable beyond it.
To highlight his substantial career as a composer, John Carpenter has released a teaser of his upcoming behind-the-scenes documentary titled John Carpenter Live: Behind The Scenes. Presented by Storm King, the documentary promises an in-depth look at Carpenter’s life on the road during his 2016 world tour. Footage includes interviews, live rehearsals, signings, and more. Carpenter, who fittingly tweets as @TheHorrowMaster, took to the platform to share this 30-second teaser:
Many of Carpenter’s films from the ’70s and ’80s have come to be considered cult classics, but audiences often overlook his impressive portfolio as a composer. In fact, he returned to the Halloween franchise as both composer and executive producer for the rebooted 2018 sequel (though David Gordon Green directed it).
In a 2016 interview, Carpenter shared that it was his father’s work as a music teacher that first sparked his interest in making music. That innocent fascination became a crucial component in his filmmaking career, since he went on to compose most of the soundtracks for his films; those soundtracks have since become heavily sought-after collectibles.
For John Carpenter fans, plenty of exciting content awaits as more details about the documentary inevitably release in the near future.