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Although he does n’t have a 100 % hitting rate , churning out such stinkers asGhosts of MarsandEscape from L.A. , John Carpenter has enough masterpieces under his belt to be praised as one of the fine filmmakers ever to grace the horror genre with his impractical style . He ’s also one of repugnance picture palace ’s most influential directors , as almost everyone who ’s contribute to the music genre counts at least one of his movies among their favorites .
Carpenter made a lot of large scary pic , but arguably his two salutary areThe Thing , an Arctic - define hair-raiser in which a group of scientists do n’t know who to trust as they resist off a shapeshifting alien , andHalloween , an former slasher about Laurie Strode ’s struggle against the homicidal Michael Myers .
The Thing Is The Best: The Shapeshifting Alien Plays On Real Human Fears
The titular personnel of antagonism inThe Thingis a shapeshifting alien that infiltrate an isolated Arctic frontier settlement and start out taking some truly horrifying forms . It can even perfectly personate any one of the scientist populating the readiness .
This wager on very real , cosmopolitan human care . There ’s nothing more chilling than being trapped with a caboodle of people and not knowing if any of them can be trusted .
Halloween Is A Close Second: Laurie Strode Is The Perfect Horror Movie Protagonist
Like most slasher , Halloweenhas a “ final girl ” for a protagonist . Played by Jamie Lee Curtis , who hails from a dynasty of horror motion picture royalty , Laurie Strode is the quintessential horror movie protagonist .
She does n’t outlast the movie on gauzy circumstances alone , or by being rescue by an outside strength . She hold up on her own quick witticism and fierce determination in the face of very real terror .
The Thing Is The Best: The Special Effects Are Beautifully Gruesome
In the pre - CGI earned run average in whichThe Thingwas made , all of the nominal foreign villain ’s shapeshifting was done practically . exceptional effect whizz Rob Bottin was just 22 twelvemonth quondam when John Carpenter rent him to create the beautifully gruesome effects for the movie .
The legendary Stan Winston was also brought on board to aid out with the iconic effect of the Thing incorporate dogs into its disturbing form .
Halloween Is A Close Second: Michael Myers Is The Perfect Horror Movie Villain
coif the level for such horror icons as Jason Voorhees , Freddy Krueger , and the Ghostface orca , Michael Myers is the sodding horror movie villain . A crazed slayer since childhood , he ’s characterized as the faceless embodiment of evil .
He ’s accredit as “ The Shape , ” because he ’s cold . He ’s a practically invincible killing machine clothe in a boilersuit and a William Shatner masquerade , murdering his way through Haddonfield ’s spring chicken .
The Thing Is The Best: The Isolated Arctic Setting Is Terrifying
An all important component of any great repulsion motion-picture show is the circumstance , from the Bates Motel run by a psychotic mama ’s boy to the Nostromo where no one can see you scream .
InThe Thing , the sequestrate Arctic outpost where the characters are the only humans for miles of snowy wasteland is used to terrifying result .
Halloween Is A Close Second: The Pacing Is Pitch-Perfect
Much like Ridley Scott’sAlien , another masterpiece of repulsion cinemathat was let go of a year later , Halloweenis perfectly paced . John Carpenter was in no rush to jump killing off sitter . The first major execution does n’t take office untilthe midpoint of the motion picture .
After that , the charge per unit of the subsequent killings get slower rather than faster , as is the suit with lesser revulsion films . This create more latent hostility and frame - up for each execution .
The Thing Is The Best: It Nails Lovecraftian Themes
The idea of an ancient , intergalactic , indefinably otherworldly entity that has no esteem for humanity coming to Earth and resect a bunch of masses without self-reproach is pure H.P. Lovecraft .
The Thingis Carpenter ’s attempt at a Lovecraftian story of cosmic horror , and he nails the report of paranoia . The Red Scare allusions from the original tale translated beautifully to the Reagan era in which Carpenter refashion it .
Halloween Is A Close Second: The Gore Is Effective, Because It’s Not Excessive
Most modernistic repugnance movies use excessive blood and Al Gore in place of stress and suspense . Just last yr , It : Chapter Twoset a young recordfor the most fake blood ever used in a repugnance movie , and it did n’t make it any scarier .
By contrast , Halloweenand buster ‘ 70s repugnance masterpieces likeThe Texas Chain Saw Massacreare relatively bloodless . But it ’s their sparing use of violence that gives the fierceness much more shock .
The Thing Is The Best: The Characters Gradually Lose Their Sanity
ThroughoutThe Thing , the characters step by step lose their sanity . They do n’t know who they can desire and they ’re being killed one by one , so they have to come to terms with their apparently inevitable fate .
This mentality calls back to Agatha Christie’sAnd Then There Were None . Everyone ’s a suspect and survival seems increasingly unlikely .
Halloween Is A Close Second: It Pioneered The Modern Slasher
WhileAlfred Hitchcock’sPsychois wide regard to be the first slasher movie , the modern slasher genre was n’t solidify until John Carpenter came along and madeHalloweenon a slender budget with untried stars and a cloaked killer pick them off one by one .
FromFriday the 13thtoA Nightmare on Elm Street , every subsequent slasher owes a originative debt toHalloween . Carpenter ’s dispirited - budget chef-d’oeuvre initiate the musical genre and perfect it at the same time .
NEXT : Halloween ( 1978 ): 5 Ways It ’s The Greatest Slasher Ever Made ( & Its 5 Closest Contenders )
