people pictured: shelly duvall, gina gershon, angelina jolie, winona ryder, sandra oh, elliot page pre-t and post t, clea duvall, natasha lyonne, megan fox, jennifer tilly, katherine moennig, rhea ripley, brody dalle, micheal cera, kieran culkin, kristopher hyatt, rory keaner from mbav, chu buyeon, and dylan/ddemongutz on insta

First, Sarah's full maiden name is Sarah Judith Novack. P18, Cooper transports Carrie to the Palmer house but Sarah seems to not exist in that reality (flip side: she's in 'non-existence' in other scenes at the Palmer house, link to mystery caller in P2 "you're still nowhere," and the doppeltree attacks Cooper in P2 he falls through non-existence then cut to Sarah). On route P18 they stop at a Valero gas station, link to Vertigo (Hitchcock), female lead character name/alias is Judy, played by Kim Novak. Psycho (Hitchcock), Leigh's character is killed in the shower, alt/shift played by Novak? ('Judy'). Link to Carrie's scream end of P18, she's alt 'Judy' or killed by Judy? (so alt - Carrie is in the shower; Rita in MD is found by Betty in the shower at Ruth's, alt a transition point from the end of P18? Numerous links to end of P18 and Ruth's apartment in MD, more below) (note: Carrie slouched in the passenger seat on the ride into TP parallels Tammy P4, who is 'carsick'; both at around 43:45 into the parts).
Carrie's scream link to Psycho, shower scene.
"Do you want me to pull over?"
P4 the driver asks after Albert yells ("CARSICK!") at Gordon, Tammy in the front seat motions for him to keep going, link to Richard P6, decides not to stop at the intersection; if the driver is alt 'Richard,' Tammy is alt 'Linda?' Gordon had just said "faces of stone" when shown the Mt Rushmore photo, link to 'two birds with one stone,' 430 alt the time cranky Albert woke up so they could fly out at dawn that morning? Mt Rushmore link to North by Northwest (Hitchcock); Tammy as alt Linda, alt gets vertigo? (link to inner ear, Blue Velvet). Mickey P6 hitches a ride to the post office for Linda's mail alt to the pharmacy to pick medicine? [Pharmacist alt to the Fireman, alt P1 gives instructions for medication to Cooper, "I understand"]. Mt Rushmore in the final action scene North By Northwest, link to Vertigo (both involve hanging from a ledge; Novak's character name/alias is Judy; link to 'Sarah Judy Novack' and Novak alt 'Spacek' more below) (Hitch link to 'Hutch'; the driver P4 resembles Hutch (Tim Roth), 'two birds' link to P16 Chantal & Hutch a bird kept them up in the morning; Birds another Hitchcock film). Psycho - next scene P4 inside the Yankton prison evidence room, alt a bloody knife in the plastic bag (alt to the dog leg), MrC in prison alt/continuation of Ike's story, arrested after stabbing Lorraine with his spike alt knife (P5 the warden towers over MrC alt he's small), alt killed Lorraine or another brunette in the shower (scenario blends with Mulholland Dr. - Betty enters Ruth's apartment as Rita is in the shower, blond hitman Joe was given a photo of Camilla alt the photos given to Ike, alt he kills Camilla in the shower? Betty in the dream part is alt the hitman entering to Camilla or a blend [Joe + Betty = Judy? if the scenario flips or in flux, killevictim]. Psycho alt PO (post office), P7 the FBI crew passes a mail drop off at the Yankton station, alt the building is MrC himself? (the 'psycho' alt PO; sitting in seat link to the Fireman, pharmacy link). MrC in the interview room (the psycho; alt 'Judy' after a flip? {building implodes or folds in on itself?} extreme negative force ENF link to "that's enough" Bill in the interrogation room P1); alt Sissy Spacek, 3 Women visual and identity swap similar to Mulholland Dr., victim Shelly Duvall alt Rita in the shower, "Here's Judy" alt Johnny. Norma P15 said that she had been worried about spreading herself too thin, link to Lorraine ("she's a worrier") on the phone with the hitmen (Norma has a phone at her booth), 'thin' link to Duvall? (also link to Shelly Johnson, not much meat on her according to Hank), version where Norma alt is killed by employee (Spacek)? If Norma is alt Duvall (alt owns a chicken place), Walter is alt Robin Williams (Walter talks with his hands, big alt forearms Popeye) his rival is another 'Robin?' Ed alt Robin Thicke? Thick & thin get together P15, alt thin Shelly in the old story ends up with fat Bobby? 'Bobby Knox?'} (Becky rage issues P11, alt kills the boss alt Norma; Steven with Becky in convertible alt Sheen & Spacey, Badlands {alt kills boss, robs store and they flee?} {scenario flips MrC P13 becomes the boss Judy alt Johnny, returns to the station alt the old hotel (Shining, character Ullman looks like Pat Sajak link to Jeopardy alt 'Judy' and 'Alex' alt Bates; Ken Jennings alt Kenny Loggins, MrC "I'm alright"), he's alt shot by Duvall before the story starts in the office (P18 Cooper puts guns in hot oil, bullets, link to Olive Oyl; 'other waitress' alt 'Olive?' Kristi alt Spacek?); MrC smirk "in da flesh" alt "here I am" alt to "here's Johnny"; visual on chair frozen Shinning link, link to James (always cool) alt arrives P17 from a cold place; Johnny link to Horne, P10 home invasion at the Hornes link to Clockwork Orange, clock theme in P17 (frozen in time?); blend of Hitchcock and Kubrick? (Alex and Bates blend as the 'psycho' in MrC's spot in prison; link to Trebek and 'Judy'; 'host' alt 'hotel') (Mt Rushmore visual alt FBI team rushes there in P17 and link to North By Northwest ending), Frank's office also numerous visual links to 2001, Cooper alt Bowman says Bowie's line "we live inside a dream," convergence spot of Hitchcock and Kubrick?}. {MrC alt frozen in P17 contrasts beginning of P18, on fire in seat, link to time freezing, Richard P5 "make me" to the sweeper, link to Norma in the Pilot "the only time you care about is making time;" Richard is time and MrC is alt him frozen? Follows that 'Linda' is space? (link to Spacek), P18 Diane and Cooper are alt Hitchcock and Kubrick? Strong names: 'Tammy Hitchcock' and 'Stanley Cooper'? cross - Stanley from the office crosses with Tammy (in shower? Hitchcock link) so that Tammy ends up in the office (P5 in her cubicle; Tammy links to Audrey who suddenly appears in a white place in P16, has a photo of Cooper link to Tammy) and Stanley in the shower? alt Sammy; died there? (links to end of P18, Soprano link? alt whacked in the shower). Link to Sammy Jankis, Memento, Leonard Shelby in the shower, comes to (anterograde amnesia) and notices tattoos etc, link to Audrey's state in P16, confused by her surroundings; amnesia link to Rita in the shower in MD; Office Space, link to space vs time? (Audrey in S3 in present time "I am fucking Billy" "that's what I am doing"; 'in time' link to 'over time' - over time Jowday became Judy). Memento Stephen Tobolowsky plays Sammy, Hutch said he owed a Sammy money, link to Shelly, who gave Steven & Becky money, Steven "I'll pay her back"alt Hutch. Shelly alt the wife in Memento, lost her memory from an attack? Alt in the role of Sylvia (home invasion P10 like Clockwork Orange; time is broken?); P17 the scene goes dark, alt a memory fading, amnesia patient? ("do you remember everything" link); Tobolowsky also in Groundhog Day, Murray wakes up on the same day over and over, keeps memories but stuck in a time loop, alt to losing memory but moving forward in time (Leonard, Memento); MrC seems to be in a time loop but memory also resets? He seems confused in P2 alt being manipulated, no tattoos to keep memories}.
Spacek alt Becky. Rage issues P11, link to 'Carrie' who gets covered in blood alt version holding a knife after stabbing (her rival is Judy?)
MrC alt Jack (Shinning) returns to the hotel or loops back into the story (alt from being frozen to death) and is shot before the story starts.
Home invasion link to Clockwork Orange. {P10 at Sylvia's blends with P9 at Betty's, 3 enter + 1 in P10, Richard alt missing Andy}
-Carrie (1976) (novel by King), covered in pig's blood alt holding a knife; repeating 'kn's link to Novak. P18 Cooper takes Carrie to Sarah's, full maiden name is Sarah Judy Novack. (alt Sarah King, a writer?) Reality where Sarah doesn't exist (Tremond in her place), Carrie is Judy? Scream alt Novak's.
-Links between Ruth's apartment (where Rita was in the shower) and the end of P18. Ruth and Alice visual link. As Cooper and Carrie walk rhythmically up the stairs, view focuses on Cooper leaves blonde Carrie behind, alt in Ruth's bedroom, camera pans away from blonde Betty to Rita retrieving the blue box, Betty vanishes (alt Carrie vanishes P18 and Cooper is alone). Sarah is called "Aunt Sarah" by Maddy; S2E6, Maddy meets with James & Donna, Maddy - "I had a feeling that Laura was in trouble. I've always felt close to her. That's why I came here." alt to Betty: "Of course I'd rather be known as a great actress than a movie star but you know sometimes people ending being both, so that I guess you'd say is sort of why I came here." Betty continues "I'm just so excited to be here. I just came here from Deep River Ontario and now I'm in this dream place. But you can imagine how I feel." 'Feel' - Maddy -"You know, I didn't know Laura that well but I feel like I do" and twice more (above). James and Laura talked about a secret hiding place for Laura's diary, alt to Betty and Rita "let's hide it" the black purse with the money and the blue key. After the blue box is dropped, Ruth enters the bedroom and we see her POV scanning the room alt Sarah's POV scanning Laura's room:
'Aunt' Sarah vs Aunt Ruth scan bedrooms. Laura's hidden diary alt the hidden purse (with key and money).
Shower (link to end of P18 and Carrie's scream), alt meteor shower? Carrie looks up in the sky (visual with Dido). Meteor alt meter, Cooper alt a cab driver (alt takes Carrie/Betty to Havenhurst). Alt a single meteor, extinction event? Cooper & Carrie alt dinosaurs.
Cooper alt cab driver; link to MD, Betty taken to Havenhurst in a cab.
-Chris Isaak (Agent Chester Desmond) hit Wicked Game. Link to Wicked Garden, by Stone Temple Pilots. P9 Gordon on the plane gets a call from Col Davis, tells Diane about their detour, then has a word with the pilots (link to P3, Albert said the congressman got word to Chris about clues he left in his garden that prove his innocence). Chet Desmond (and Sam Stanley) alt the two pilots? (alt Sammy, flying a plane in rainstorm alt in the shower? Audrey 'inside' him after the cross?). Stone link to faces of stone; alt the FBI take a flight to Mt Rushmore (events in the hotel P14-P17 alt on the plane, then detour to SD alt ending). North By Northwest (Cooper alt Carey Grant) in Frank's office alt Mt Rushmore? Link to Wes Anderson; Albert & Frank linked ("oh boy") - 'Albert Hitchcock' & 'Frank Anderson?' (Frank P7 alt talks to brother Michael (Dr. H) via Skype? talk about Cooper, who checked in on Audrey Horne alt the Evolution of Arm (Audrey repeats the line, story about little girl etc) then he left the RR alt the hospital?) {Frank alt a park ranger, link to cowboy in MD, alt Naido found in a national park (Frank Lebowski alt); also alt the groundskeeper at the hotel, Shinning; alt Jack coming to look for her? she's held to keep her safe}.
P17 scene alt at Mt Rushmore, link to North by Northwest.
MrC's crash alt a setup like in North by Northwest. [P12 scene in lounge, alcohol and books, links to scene where they force Grant to drink; link to drunk at the station?]

https://preview.redd.it/k0thuahib3xc1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=8dfac14686afc735da4676b66d658b928f34c2d4
Here's a new edition of "Directors at the Box Office", which seeks to explore the directors' trajectory at the box office and analyze their hits and bombs. I already talked about a few, and as I promised, it's John Carpenter's turn.
Carpenter grew up affected and bothered by the highly religious Bible culture of the deep south, and found cinema as an escape from the racism and politics around him. He began making short horror films with an 8mm camera when his father gifted him a camera and a projector before he had even started high school. He enrolled in USC School of Cinematic Arts, but would drop out during the last semester to make his first film.
From a box office perspective, how reliable was he to deliver a box office hit?
That's the point of this post. To analyze his career.

It should be noted that as he started his career in the 1970s, some of the domestic grosses here will be adjusted by inflation. The table with his highest grossing films, however, will be left in its unadjusted form, as the worldwide grosses are more difficult to adjust.

Dark Star (1974)

"The spaced out odyssey."
His directorial debut. It stars Dan O'Bannon, Brian Narelle, Cal Kuniholm and Dre Pahich, and follows the crew of the deteriorating starship Dark Star, twenty years into their mission to destroy unstable planets that might threaten future colonization of other planets.
Carpenter and O'Bannon started writing a script for USC. The film began as a 45-minute 16mm student project with a final budget of $6,000. To achieve feature film length, an additional 50 minutes were shot in 1973, with the support of Canadian distributor Jack Murphy (credited as "Production Associate"). O'Bannon's friend, John Landis, got them in contact with producer-distributor Jack H. Harris for distribution. However, Harris demanded 30 minutes of cuts. This is something that O'Bannon and Carpenter disliked, as "We had what would have been the world's most impressive student film and it became the world's least impressive professional film."
The film had a very limited theatrical run, and there are no box office numbers available. Carpenter and O'Bannon were unhappy that there were empty screenings and the audience not laughing with the jokes. But it found a cult following after they got famous for their later works. At the very least, their careers were starting.

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

"A white-hot night of hate!"
His second film. It stars Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, Laurie Zimmer, Tony Burton, Martin West, and Nancy Kyes. It follows a police officer who defends a defunct precinct against a relentless criminal gang, with the help of a death row-bound convict.
Carpenter had hoped to make a Howard Hawks-style Western like El Dorado or Rio Lobo, but when the $100,000 budget prohibited it, Carpenter refashioned the basic scenario of Rio Bravo into a modern setting. He wrote the script in just 8 days, and it included many references to Hawks' works. He filmed the movie in just 20 days, and he referred to this film as the most fun he has ever had directing.
There are no box office numbers available, although it was reported that it had poor sales. While it received initial mixed reviews, its reputation grew and it would become one of his best films. But he needed a hit if he wanted to continue in the business.

Halloween (1978)

"The night he came home!"
His third film. It stars Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, P. J. Soles and Nancy Loomis. The plot centers on a mental patient, Michael Myers, who was committed to a sanitarium for murdering his teenage sister on Halloween night when he was a child. Fifteen years later, having escaped and returned to his hometown, he stalks teenage babysitter Laurie Strode and her friends while under pursuit by his psychiatrist Dr. Samuel Loomis.
After watching Assault on Precinct 13 at the Milan Film Festival, independent film producer Irwin Yablans and financier Moustapha Akkad sought out Carpenter to direct a film for them about a psychotic killer that stalked babysitters. He agreed on the $10,000 salary under the condition that he would write, direct and compose with complete creative freedom and asked his then-girlfriend Debra Hill to co-write it with him. They wrote it in just 10 days, with Hill writing most of the dialogue for the female characters.
The low budget meant that no big stars would appear in the film. Carpenter wanted Peter Cushing to play Dr. Loomis, but his agent refused with the low salary. Christopher Lee would turn down the role, although he would later deem this as the biggest mistake of his career. Yablans then suggested Pleasence. For Laurie, Carpenter wanted Anne Lockhart, but she was busy. He decided to get Curtis, feeling that publicity would sell itself by casting the daughter of Janet Leigh from Psycho.
The film enjoyed a huge success in theaters. It quickly became a word-of-mouth sensation, and earned $70 million worldwide, becoming one of the most profitable horror films ever. It received acclaim, and has been named as a huge influence on the slasher genre. It would spawn a franchise, although Carpenter would not direct another installment ever again.

• Budget: $300,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $47,274,000. ($226.4 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $70,274,000.
  

The Fog (1980)

"Bolt your doors. Lock your windows. There's something in the fog!"
His fourth film. It stars Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Janet Leigh and Hal Holbrook. It tells the story of a strange, glowing fog that sweeps over a small coastal town in Northern California, bringing with it the vengeful ghosts of leprous mariners who were killed in a shipwreck there a century before.
While visiting England, Carpenter and Debra Hill witnessed an eerie fog rolling over the landscape from a distance. Carpenter decided to tie the fog to a an actual event, the wrecking of the Frolic, that took place in the 19th century near Goleta, California. However, Carpenter hated the film after watching a rough cut, and realized that he needed to reshoot more scenes in order to compete with the increasing horror market. Around one-third of the film was filmed during reshoots.
Thanks to its low budget, it was a great box office success, making $21.4 million domestically. While initial reactions were divided, its reputation grew with time.

• Budget: $1,100,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $21,448,782. ($81.3 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $21,448,782.
  

Escape from New York (1981)

"1997. New York City is now a maximum security prison. Breaking out is impossible. Breaking in is insane."
His fifth film. It stars Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Adrienne Barbeau and Harry Dean Stanton. Set in the near-future world of 1997, it follows a crime-ridden United States, which has converted Manhattan Island in New York City into the country's sole maximum security prison. Air Force One is hijacked by anti-government insurgents who deliberately crash it into the walled borough. Ex-Special Forces and current federal prisoner Snake Plissken is given just 24 hours to go in and rescue the President of the United States, after which, if successful, he will be pardoned.
Carpenter started writing the script after the Watergate scandal, inspired by Death Wish. No studio wanted to finance it, but the success of his previous films allowed him to finally make the project happen. The studio wanted a big star, but Carpenter was interested in Kurt Russell. Russell wanted the role to help him avoid being typecast for Disney comedies. Carpenter struggled to film New York within the film's $6 million budget, although he still had cooperation from the city in shutting down 10 blocks. Certain matte paintings were rendered by James Cameron, who was at the time a special-effects artist, and who also served as the director of photography at some points.
Carpenter enjoyed another box office success, as the film made $25 million domestically. It also received critical acclaim, and helped elevate Russell's career.

• Budget: $6,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $25,244,626. ($86.7 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $25,244,626.
  

The Thing (1982)

"Man is the warmest place to hide."
His sixth film. Based on the novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr., it stars Kurt Russell, A. Wilford Brimley, T. K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur, Donald Moffat, Joel Polis, and Thomas G. Waites. It tells the story of a group of American researchers in Antarctica who encounter the eponymous "Thing", an extraterrestrial life-form that assimilates, then imitates, other organisms. The group is overcome by paranoia and conflict as they learn that they can no longer trust each other and that any of them could be the Thing.
Producers David Foster Lawrence Turman approached Universal over adapting Campbell's novella. While there was an adaptation in 1951, they wanted something that would be more faithful to the source material. While the producers wanted Carpenter in 1976, Universal preferred the veteran Tobe Hooper instead. After Hooper failed to impress, and after the box office success of Halloween, Universal decided to hire Carpenter. This made The Thing his first film made under a big studio.
After Carpenter disliked the script drafts, he got Bill Lancaster to write the film. While he struggled in adapting the film, he made some changes. These included reducing the 37 characters to just 12, and choosing to open the film in the middle of the action, instead of using a flashback as in the novella. Lancaster aimed to create an ensemble piece where one person emerged as the hero, instead of having a Doc Savage-type hero from the start. Lancaster's original ending had both MacReady and Childs turn into the Thing. In the spring, the characters are rescued by helicopter, greeting their saviors with "Hey, which way to a hot meal?". Carpenter thought this ending was too shallow. He opted to end the film with the survivors slowly freezing to death to save humanity from infection, believing this to be the ultimate heroic act.
While the film was in pre-production, there was still no design on the effects needed for the Thing. Rob Bottin was assigned for the job, and he deduced that the creature had been all over the galaxy. This allowed it to call on different attributes as necessary, such as stomachs that transform into giant mouths and spider legs sprouting from heads. It required so much cooperation from the crew; it took 50 crew members to operate the Blair-Thing puppet. The team wanted the film shot in black-and-white, but Universal refused as they didn't want to risk losing television rights.
While Carpenter composed the scores for his films, he decided that the film needed an European musical approach. So he flew to Rome to speak with Ennio Morricone to convince him to take the job. By the time Morricone flew to Los Angeles to record the score, he had already developed a tape filled with an array of synthesizer music because he was unsure what type of score Carpenter wanted. Morricone wrote complete separate orchestral and synthesizer scores and a combined score, which he knew was Carpenter's preference. Carpenter picked a piece, closely resembling his own scores, that became the main theme used throughout the film.
1982 was a very tough time for horror, as Universal discovered that the audience's appeal for the genre declined by over 70%. But Universal was still having hope on the film, especially as they had a few successful test screenings. On top of that, the only competition was the still unrelease E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial, and they expected that film to appeal solely to kids. However, after one market research screening, Carpenter queried the audience on their thoughts, and one audience member asked, "Well what happened in the very end? Which one was the Thing...?" When Carpenter responded that it was up to their imagination, the audience member responded, "Oh, God. I hate that." After returning from a screening of E.T., the audience's silence at a trailer of The Thing caused Foster to remark, "We're dead."
And Foster's fears were right.
The film disappointed in its opening weekend with just $3.1 million, ranking #8 and behind the fourth weekend of Poltergeist. With a huge amount of competition that summer, it didn't have staying power at the box office, finishing with just $19 million domestically, marking a box office failure. But the bad news didn't stay there. Not only very few people watched it, but nearly everyone who watched it hated it. The film received insanely negative reviews on its release, and hostility for its cynical, anti-authoritarian tone and graphic special effects. Carpenter also saw repercussions to his career. He was attached to direct an adaptation of Stephen King's Firestarter, but Universal fired him after the poor reception of The Thing. His previous success had gained him a multiple-film contract at Universal, but the studio opted to buy him out of it instead. He also said that while he continued making films, he lost confidence.
As years passed, however, the film underwent through a re-appraisal. Once derided, the film found a second life as a huge milestone in the horror genre. It's now hailed as one of the greatest horror films ever made, as well as one of the most influential. Carpenter deemed it as his favorite film, although he lamented that it took years for the film to get the attention it deserved. He noted that his career would've been very different if the film was a success at first, although he also states he does not regret anything he made.

• Budget: $15,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $19,857,465. ($64.2 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $19,857,465.
  

Christine (1983)

"How do you kill something that can't possibly be alive?"
His seventh film. Based on the novel by Stephen King, it stars Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky and Harry Dean Stanton. It follows the changes in the lives of Arnie Cunningham, his friends, his family, and his teenage enemies after he buys a classic red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury named Christine, a car that seems to have a mind of its own and a jealous, possessive personality, which has a bad influence on Arnie.
Carpenter was the first choice to direct the project, although he was working on two projects first. When those projects stalled, he agreed to direct. He said this was not a film he had planned on directing, saying that he directed the film as "a job" as opposed to a "personal project." This was because, after The Thing flopped, he needed something to maintain his career in Hollywood.
The film earned $21 million domestically, which was barely enough for the film to break even. It received a favorable response, although it didn't get the acclaim like his previous works.

• Budget: $10,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $21,017,849. ($65.9 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $21,017,849.
  

Starman (1984)

"He has traveled from a galaxy far beyond our own. He is 100,000 years ahead of us. He has powers we cannot comprehend. And he is about to face the one force in the universe he has yet to conquer. Love."
His eighth film. It stars Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen, Charles Martin Smith, and Richard Jaeckel. It tells the story of a non-corporeal alien who has come to Earth and cloned a human body in response to the invitation found on the gold phonograph record installed on the Voyager 2 space probe.
Carpenter was eager to shed his image as a maker of exploitative thrillers and make something new in his filmography. Despite receiving positive reviews, it barely passed its budget.

• Budget: $24,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $28,744,356. ($86.4 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $28,744,356.
  

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

"Jack Burton's is in for some serious trouble and you're in for some serious fun."
His ninth film. It stars Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun and James Hong. The film tells the story of truck driver Jack Burton, who helps his friend Wang Chi rescue Wang's green-eyed fiancée from bandits in San Francisco's Chinatown. They go into the mysterious underworld beneath Chinatown, where they face an ancient sorcerer named David Lo Pan, who requires a woman with green eyes to marry him in order to be released from a centuries-old curse.
While 20th Century Fox was struggling with the film's tone and script, they decided to hire Carpenter as he could film very quick, giving him 10 weeks of pre-production. It didn't help that the film was competing against The Golden Child, a comedy starring Eddie Murphy with a similar theme. Carpenter made sure to accelerate filming so that the film could open months before The Golden Child. Carpenter envisioned the film as an inverse of traditional scenarios in action films with a Caucasian protagonist helped by a minority sidekick.
The film received very positive reviews from critics. But that didn't translate to box office success, as the film made a disastrous $11 million domestically, which was worse than any of Carpenter's films. After the commercial and critical failure of the film, Carpenter became very disillusioned with Hollywood and became an independent filmmaker.

• Budget: $25,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $11,100,000. ($31.6 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $11,100,000.
  

Prince of Darkness (1987)

"Before man walked the Earth... it slept for centuries. It is evil. It is real. It is awakening."
His tenth film. It stars Donald Pleasence, Victor Wong, Jameson Parker, and Lisa Blount. It follows a group of quantum physics students in Los Angeles who are asked to assist a Catholic priest in investigating an ancient cylinder of liquid discovered in a monastery, which they come to find is a sentient, liquid embodiment of the son of Satan.
The film received mixed reviews, with some feeling the film did not accomplish its goals. But it was a much needed success at the box office for Carpenter.

• Budget: $3,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $14,182,492. ($38.9 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $14,182,492.
  

They Live (1988)

"You see them on the street. You watch them on TV. You might even vote for one this fall. You think they're people just like you. You're wrong. Dead wrong."
His 11th film. Based on the short story Eight O'Clock in the Morning by Ray Nelson, it stars Roddy Piper, Keith David, and Meg Foster. The film follows an unnamed drifter who discovers through special sunglasses that the ruling class are aliens concealing their appearance and manipulating people to consume, breed, and conform to the status quo via subliminal messages in mass media.
Carpenter acquired the film rights to both the comic book and short story and wrote the screenplay, using Nelson's story as a basis for the film's structure. Because the screenplay was the product of so many sources, Carpenter decided to use the pseudonym "Frank Armitage", an allusion to one of his favorite writers, H. P. Lovecraft. For the role of Nada, the filmmaker cast professional wrestler Roddy Piper, whom he had met at WrestleMania III earlier in 1987. For Carpenter, it was an easy choice: "Unlike most Hollywood actors, Roddy has life written all over him."
The film debuted at #1, although it dropped very quickly, it was still a small box office success for Carpenter. It received negative reviews for its social commentary, writing, and acting. However, its reputation grew with time, and it's now one of Carpenter's greatest films. And for having one of the best quotes in cinema history:

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum."

• Budget: $3,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $13,447,978. ($35.5 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $13,447,978.
  

Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)

"Women want him for his wit. The C.I.A. wants him for his body. All Nick wants is his molecules back."
His 12th film. Loosely based on the novel by H.F. Saint, it stars Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah, Sam Neill, Michael McKean and Stephen Tobolowsky.
Saint's novel attracted the attention of Chase, who bought the rights even though the novel wasn't finished. William Goldman was assigned to write the screenplay in the mid 1980s, by which time Ivan Reitman was attached to direct. While Reitman liked the script, Chase (who financed it as his passion project) disapproved and he decided to leave. Wanting less comedy, Chase approached Carpenter over directing the film. While Carpenter preferred being independent, he agreed to direct the film, especially after Chase vouched for him to the studio.
The film was panned by critics and was another box office dud for Carpenter. Carpenter would go on to say that the production of the film was very troubling and vigorous. While also battling studio executives, Carpenter claimed Chase and Hannah were "the stuff of nightmares" and "impossible to direct". In 2023, he said:

"It gave me a chance to make a quasi-serious movie. But Chevy Chase, Sam Neill — who I love and had a longtime friendship with — and Warner Bros. … I worked for them, and it was pleasant. No, it wasn’t pleasant at all. I’m lying to you. It was a horror show. I really wanted to quit the business after that movie. God, I don’t want to talk about why, but let’s just say there were personalities on that film … he shall not be named who needs to be killed. No, no, no, that’s terrible. He needs to be set on fire. No, no, no. Anyway, it’s all fine. I survived it."

Mmm, I wonder who is that "he" 🤔

• Budget: $40,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $14,358,033. ($31.9 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $14,358,033.
  

In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

"Lived any good books lately?"
His 13th film. It stars Sam Neill, Julie Carmen, Jürgen Prochnow, David Warner and Charlton Heston. It follows John Trent, an insurance investigator who visits a small town while looking into the disappearance of a successful author of horror novels, and begins to question his sanity as the lines between reality and fiction seem to blur.
The film received mixed reviews and was another bomb for Carpenter. But it has found some fans, who deemed it as an underrated piece of work.

• Budget: $8,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $8,924,549. ($18.8 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $8,924,549.
  

Village of the Damned (1995)

"Beware the children."
His 14th film. A remake of the 1960 film, it stars starring Christopher Reeve, Linda Kozlowski, Kirstie Alley, Michael Paré, Mark Hamill, and Meredith Salenger. The plot follows a small town's women who give birth to unfriendly alien children posing as humans.
The film was another critical and commercial dud for Carpenter. The film also marked the last theatrical performance by Reeve, before his paralysis. Carpenter described the film as a "contractual assignment" that he was "really not passionate about" and stated that it is one of his least favorite films that he's made as a director.

• Budget: $22,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $9,418,365. ($19.3 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $9,418,365.
  

Escape from L.A. (1996)

"Snake is back."
His 15th film. The sequel to Escape from New York, it stars Kurt Russell, Steve Buscemi, Stacy Keach, Bruce Campbell, Peter Fonda, and Pam Grier. When a terrorist brainwashes Utopia, the daughter of the President, into stealing a detonation device, Snake Plissken is assigned to find the device and the girl in Los Angeles.
A sequel was stuck in development hell for years. Unsatisfied with the drafts, Carpenter and Russell decided to write the film themselves, along with Debra Hill. Carpenter insists that Russell's persistence allowed the film to be made, since "Snake Plissken was a character he loved and wanted to play again." Carpenter credited that same enthusiasm with motivating Russell's work on the script, declaring "I used his passion to do the movie to get him to write more".
The film received mixed reviews, who deemed it as inferior to the original. While the film made as much as the original in North America and was his highest grossing film in decades, it also carried a higher budget, so it was another flop for Carpenter. Time was kind to the film, and is considered as a worthy follow-up. Carpenter himself says that he is proud of the film, and even says is better than the original.

• Budget: $50,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $25,477,365. ($50.7 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $42,377,365.
  

Vampires (1998)

"Prepare for the dawn."
His 16th film. Based on the novel Vampire$ by John Steakley, it stars James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, Sheryl Lee, Thomas Ian Griffith, Maximilian Schell, and Tim Guinee. It follows Jack Crow, the leader of a team of vampire hunters. After his parents were murdered by vampires, Crow was raised by the Catholic Church to become their "master slayer". The plot is centered on Crow's efforts to prevent a centuries-old cross from falling into the hands of Jan Valek, the first and most powerful of all vampires.
After making Escape from L.A., Carpenter considered quitting as he stopped having fun with filmmaking. However, he was fascinated by the novel and set out to adapt it. After all potential actors turned down the offer to play Crow, he offered it to James Woods. Woods was interested in doing the film because he had never been offered a horror film before and wanted to try something new. The MPAA took issue with the film's over-the-top violence, threatening to give it an NC-17 rating unless some of the gore was cut. Ultimately, about 20 seconds of footage was cut from the film.
You can guess how it all went. Surprise surprise, another flop.

• Budget: $50,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $20,308,772. ($38.9 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $20,308,772.
  

Ghost of Mars (2001)

His 17th film. It stars Natasha Henstridge, Ice Cube, Jason Statham, Pam Grier, Clea DuVall and Joanna Cassidy. Set on a colonized Mars in the 22nd century, the film follows a squad of police officers and a convicted criminal who fight against the residents of a mining colony who have been possessed by the ghosts of the planet's original inhabitants.
Broken record but you are right: another bomb. Carpenter stated he was intentionally trying to make the film as over-the-top and tongue-in-cheek as possible. He claimed he was trying to make a mindless and silly, yet highly entertaining and thrilling, action flick where "the universe allows its characters and plot points to be silly without becoming full-fledged comedies."

• Budget: $28,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $8,709,640. ($15.3 million adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $14,010,832.
  

The Ward (2010)

"Only sanity can keep you alive."
His 18th and final film. It stars Amber Heard, Mamie Gummer, Danielle Panabaker, Laura-Leigh, Lyndsy Fonseca and Jared Harris. Set in 1966, the film chronicles a young woman who is institutionalized after setting fire to a house, and who finds herself haunted by the ghost of a former inmate at the psychiatric ward.
After Ghosts of Mars, Carpenter simply lost interest in filmmaking. In the meantime he had done two episodes for the anthology TV show Masters of Horror, and he said that the series reminded him of why he fell in love with the craft in the first place. Carpenter said that the script "came along at the right time for me", and he was particularly fascinated by how the film took place within a single location.
The film received a very limited run in theaters before hitting digital, so it became another flop and his lowest film ever. It also received poor reviews, and some lamented that this would be his swan song.

• Budget: $10,000,000.
  
• Domestic gross: $7,760. ($11,115 adjusted)
  
• Worldwide gross: $5,351,580.
  

Other Projects

As mentioned, he is also a composer, having scored nearly all his films. He also scored the recent Halloween trilogy, even though he didn't write nor direct anything.
Many of his films have been remade and he doesn't care in the slightest. He has said that they can do whatever they want as long as he gets paid.

“I love it, if they are going to pay me money. If they pay me, it’s wonderful. If they don’t pay me, I don’t care. I think it’s unfair if they don’t pay me. I think everyone should pay me. Why not? I’m an old guy now and I need money. Send me money.”

The Future

Carpenter has not directed another film ever since. He has said multiple times that he feels burned out by the industry and he is not interested in returning to the director's chair. He said he would only return for a new film under three conditions: it needs a reasonable budget, plenty of time to prepare, and time off for the basketball season and the playoffs.
He said he is content with his current lifestyle. What's that lifestyle? In his words, "Get up late, watch a little news, play a video game, watch some basketball, go to bed." Ain't that the dream?

MOVIES (FROM HIGHEST GROSSING TO LEAST GROSSING)

No.	Movie	Year	Studio	Domestic Total	Overseas Total	Worldwide Total	Budget
1	Halloween	1978	Compass	$47,274,000	$23,000,000	$70,274,000	$300K
2	Escape from L.A.	1996	Paramount	$25,477,365	$16,900,000	$42,377,365	$50M
3	Starman	1984	Columbia	$28,744,356	$0	$28,744,356	$24M
4	Escape from New York	1981	AVCO	$25,244,626	$30,339	$25,244,626	$6M
5	The Fog	1980	AVCO	$21,448,782	$0	$21,448,782	$1.1M
6	Christine	1983	Columbia	$21,017,849	$0	$21,017,849	$10M
7	Vampires	1998	Sony	$20,308,772	$0	$20,308,772	$20M
8	The Thing	1982	Universal	$19,857,465	$0	$19,857,465	$15M
9	Memoirs of an Invisible Man	1992	Warner Bros.	$14,358,033	$0	$14,358,033	$40M
10	Prince of Darkness	1987	Universal	$14,182,492	$0	$14,182,492	$3M
11	Ghosts of Mars	2001	Sony	$8,709,640	$5,301,192	$14,010,832	$28M
12	They Live	1988	Universal	$13,447,978	$0	$13,447,978	$3M
13	Big Trouble in Little China	1986	20th Century Fox	$11,100,000	$0	$11,100,000	$25M
14	Village of the Damned	1995	Universal	$9,418,365	$0	$9,418,365	$22M
15	In the Mouth of Madness	1994	New Line Cinema	$8,924,549	$0	$8,924,549	$8M
16	The Ward	2010	ARC	$7,760	$5,343,820	$5,351,580	$10M

He made 18 films, but only 16 have reported box office numbers. Across those 16 films, he made $340,067,044 worldwide. That's $21,254,190 per film.

The Verdict

Not reliable. Not even close.
Well, he ain't known as a cult filmmaker for nothing. Carpenter didn't get the respect and appreciation he deserved at first, so he was often struggling to find an audience in theaters. Despite so many bombs, studios continued financing him, which is a welcome surprise. At least, he got to see that his once-reviled works are now an influential and beloved part of cinema. Now, as he puts it, his career would look far more different if The Thing wasn't a commercial and critical dud in its initial release. We can't theorize, for we don't know this kind of what if. But Carpenter built an impressive and memorable filmography, even if his later works represented some of the worst films he made.
And look, he is content with retirement. Playing video games and watching the NBA sounds like a good deal for anyone.
Hope you liked this edition. You can find this and more in the wiki for this section.
The next director will be Danny Boyle. One of Britain's most important directors.
I asked you to choose who else should be in the run and the comment with the most upvotes would be chosen. Well, we'll later talk about... Robert Zemeckis. He was one of the biggest filmmakers, now it's a surprise if he makes a hit.
This is the schedule for the following four:

Week	Director	Reasoning
April 29-May 5	Danny Boyle	It was a long wait, but 28 Years Later is finally happening.
May 6-12	Wes Craven	A horror legend.
May 13-19	Clint Eastwood	Great actor. Great director.
May 20-26	Robert Zemeckis	Can we get old Zemeckis back?

Who should be next after Zemeckis? That's up to you.

Clea Duvall in the faculty! they’re both gorgeous!