John Carpenter's filmography includes some of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made, and here's a look at all of them ranked from worst to best. While closely tied to horror, Carpenter's career has been quite varied; from sci-fi to comedy and satire, there's hardly a genre he hasn't tackled. While not all of his films have been critical or financial hits, many of them - such as The Thing and They Live - have gone down as classics, and still entertain and inspire filmmakers and filmgoers today.
John Carpenter's career kicked off in the 1970s, an era that saw an entire generation of maverick filmmakers emerge onto the scene and expand the scope of what movies could be. This era also produced the likes of Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, among others. It was in this environment of that young indie filmmaker John Carpenter produced his first film, Dark Star (1974), followed by the unexpected overseas hit Assault on Precinct 13 (1976). After this, Carpenter astonished audiences with the horror masterpiece Halloween (1978), which established him as a talented auteur.
Carpenter's body of work is highly respected, with his most successful films being hailed as classics and even his weaker efforts still boasting cult followings. Whether they're considered masterworks or duds, all of his films nevertheless remain both interesting and unique. Here are all nine of John Carpenter's sci-fi films ranked by their quality.
Coming in at the bottom of Carpenter's sci-fi film ranking is this 1992 comedic clunker starring Chevy Chase. Based on the 1987 novel of the same name, the film was intended to be a silly twist on the Invisible Man story by H.G. Wells in his classic novel. However, the film had a troubled production with issues that included drama from Chevy Chase and Carpenter being brought in to replace another director. The result is a film that Carpenter has all but disowned, even opting to have his name removed from the title. While Memoirs of an Invisible Man still has its fans, many consider it to be one of the lowest points in Carpenter's career.
Another bizarre John Carpenter sci-fi film is 2001's Ghosts of Mars, which plays as something of a mixtape of his past work like Assault On Precinct 13 and The Thing. Often incorrectly stated to have started life as the third installment in Carpenter's Escape From... series, the plot centers on a battle between mankind and an ancient Martian civilization awakened by humanity's colonization of their planet. Due to a sluggish pace, sloppy action scenes and the miscasting of actors like Ice Cube - who considers Ghosts Of Mars his own worst movie - the resulting film is a silly and often-confusing mess.
After the success Carpenter had with remaking 1951's The Thing From Another World in 1982, he decided to tackle another horror remake, this time updating the 1960 classic Village of the Damned. The plot focuses on the residents of a small town who simultaneously fall unconscious, with many of the women giving birth to a group of fast-growing, demonic children ten months later. Audiences remain split on this film, with some considering it an underrated gem while others decry it as one of Carpenter's worst. Whether one considers it underrated or bad, Village of the Damned is still a middling effort from the director, and while better than the likes of Invisible Man, it's nowhere near the quality of films like Escape From New York either.
John Carpenter's first feature film Dark Star started life as a student film, and thus lacks the visual polish of the films that would follow. However, these production shortcomings do little to detract from the obvious storytelling skill and genuine comedy on display in the film. The story follows the exploits of a group of astronauts as they traverse the galaxy on a mission to protect human colonies by destroying unstable planets. With its cast of likable characters and some skilled directing, Dark Star stands as an amateurish yet highly entertaining preview of John Carpenter's filmmaking career.
One of Carpenter's most emotional films, Starman is both a science fiction adventure and sweet romantic drama. When a friendly extraterrestrial arrives on Earth and is shot down by a military missile, he takes the form of a dead human named Scott (Jeff Bridges) and seeks the help of his widow (Karen Allen) to return to his homeworld. The film is regarded as a classic by many, and it was nice to see Carpenter stretch his wings because when everything else is stripped away, Starman is a tender love story at its core.
While several of his films have spawned sequels (most notably the Halloween franchise), Carpenter himself usually refrained from helming said sequels himself. The sole exception is 1996's Escape From L.A., an ambitious, flawed sequel to Escape from New York. Following much the same premise as John Carpenter's sci-fi film classic from 1981, this follow-up sees Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken sneaking into Los Angeles on a mission to save the President's daughter and retrieve a dangerous new weapon. While not up to the same level as its predecessor - and a good deal more tongue-in-cheek than it too - Escape From L.A. is still a fun action thriller that delivers the goods.
Rightfully hailed as one of Carpenter's most original and daring films, They Live is both politically charged and a highly entertaining sci-fi/action thrill ride. The story sees a drifter (played by a one-liner-spewing "Rowdy" Roddy Piper) discover a pair of sunglasses that reveals the world for what it truly is; a black-and-white, highly controlled society filled with subliminal messaging and ruled by zombie-like aliens disguised as humans. With its unique premise and memorable performances, They Live has more than earned its distinction as a sci-fi classic from Carpenter.
A highlight of Carpenter's career, Escape From New York is both a cult phenomenon and a genre staple. Its iconography, dialogue and plot have become well-known action tropes, and Russell's Snake Plissken still stands as one of cinema's coolest antiheroes. The story follows Snake as he enters a quarantined Manhattan in search of the kidnapped President, during which time he must survive repeated attacks and race against time to complete his mission before timed bombs in his neck detonate.
John Carpenter's sci-fi movie masterpiece is a genre landmark. This taut exercise in suspense and paranoia (itself a remake of 1951's masterful The Thing From Another World) sees a group of scientists in Antarctica fight to survive the advent of a shape-shifting alien creature that can disguise itself as any human it chooses. Bursting with atmosphere and featuring some of the greatest practical special effects ever committed to film, The Thing isn't just John Carpenter's best sci-fi movie; it's easily the best movie to bear his name.
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