Adam Howard: The filmmaker John Carpenter could fill a whole shelf with his cult classics. They Live, The Thing, Escape from New York, Halloween, and many more. He remains a huge presence for many film buffs, even though he hasn't made a new movie in well over a decade. Instead, it's film scoring that's preoccupied him. There aren't many filmmakers who write their own scores, let alone ones that are among the most memorable in movie history. For the last several years, Carpenter has been scoring other directors' films in his distinctive style, and he's released a handful of albums of cinematic music with no movie required. I caught up with Carpenter as he was launching a small tour just in time for, you guessed it, Halloween. We talked about some of the film music that's most inspired him.
John, your father was a very accomplished musician. He had a PhD from the Eastman School of Music. I imagine you grew up in a very musical household.
John Carpenter: Yes, I did.
Adam Howard: I'm wondering if any point, did you ever think about seriously pursuing a career in music yourself as a young person?
John Carpenter: In a way, I did. When I was a senior in high school and then my first year in college, I was playing in a rock and roll band, so I thought about doing that because we would play on the weekends and get paid for it. I guess that counts as a career, but no.
Adam Howard: What was the band called?
John Carpenter: Kaleidoscope.
Adam Howard: Kaleidoscope.
John Carpenter: Kaleidoscope. That was back in the psychedelic days.
Adam Howard: Were you one of the lead musicians, or what did you play?
John Carpenter: I was a bass player.
Adam Howard: Nice.
John Carpenter: My first love was movies. I just decided, look, I'm going to try this. I'm going out to California, I'm going to USC, I'm going to study cinema, and let's see what happens. I owe it to myself to try.
Adam Howard: I've heard that your initial scores were-- It was almost more of a financial decision. You needed to keep the budgets low, and so you were writing the scores yourself. I'm wondering, at what point did you think, "You know what? I have something here and I'm enjoying this," and it becomes something that you started doing on the regular?
John Carpenter: Probably Escape from New York. I realized, you know what? I can do something here that contributes creatively, and it's part of my vision of this.
[music]
Adam Howard: When you are writing your movies, or when you are, I should say, were you imagining music in your head as you're writing them? When did the theme start coming to you? Is it during that process? Is it later?
John Carpenter: At the very end. After everything is cut together and the movie part of it is secure, then this is what I want. Then I go to the music. It's purely a utility job.
Adam Howard: What were some of the influences on your signature style? I'm also curious, at what point did you become aware that your more minimalist style and your use of synths was an influence on younger generations of artists?
John Carpenter: I'm still not convinced that I was an influence on anybody. Switched-On Bach was the first time I heard a played synthesizer. I must tell you the honest truth. There was a movie, 1956, had an all-electronic score. It was called Forbidden Planet, and it was done by the Barrons, the couple. It's astonishing. I still listen to that score.
[MUSIC - Bebe and Louis Barron: Forbidden Planet]
Adam Howard: For folks who are unfamiliar, Forbidden Planet is a science fiction movie. It's also an interpretation of Shakespeare's The Tempest. Did you see that film when it first came out? You would have been about like 8 years old, or did you find it later?
John Carpenter: You know it. I was eight years old. That what you just played is scary. Scary as hell. Are you kidding me? That's what influenced me. You can be powerful and you can be scared. You can be all sorts of things if you use electronic music, and you don't have to go through the painful process of learning to play the instrument.
Adam Howard: What do you think makes a good film score generally? What's your rule of thumb?
John Carpenter: Really, the composer is there to service the movie, and it's what the director asks of him. If I'm asked to emphasize the characters or the plot or generally thematic material, that's what I will do with the music. You can do almost anything with it. You can narrate the film, although I don't recommend that. It's there to support and enhance and open up doors so you can see the story a little bit better.
Adam Howard: Do you think it's a little bit of a lost art? Or are there people who you follow their work now and admire who you think are doing strong film music that's unique?
John Carpenter: I have two words for you. Hans Zimmer is incredible. He's incredible. He is one of the masters now. His scores are inimitable. They're brilliant. He's a very nice man, too.
Adam Howard: I know a lot of folks started to maybe notice him more, become more familiar with him through his work with Christopher Nolan. You actually picked a score I didn't know as well. I was surprised by, as one of your favorites. It was Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.
John Carpenter: Did you not know that score? That's world famous.
Adam Howard: I'm not as big on that franchise as some of the others, but it's obviously the music's amazing. Let's take a listen real quick.
[MUSIC - Hans Zimmer: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest]
Adam Howard: I think it's really cool about him is it's obvious that he's bringing a certain rock and roll influence into his sound. There's a propulsiveness to it. I know he also performs and live and does concerts and stuff like that. Is that what makes him unique to you, or what else is special about it?
John Carpenter: Just the great music he makes. Jack Sparrow's theme which is just legendary. You hear it and you know what it is. He started, I think his first score that I noticed. Oh, God. Denzel Washington and submarine thriller.
Adam Howard: Oh, Crimson Tide.
John Carpenter: Yes.
Adam Howard: Sure.
John Carpenter: Oh, it's fantastic score. He just blossomed from there.
Adam Howard: Right.
[MUSIC - Hans Zimmer: Crimson Tide]
Adam Howard: I'm Adam Howard, and I've been speaking with filmmaker John Carpenter. More in a moment. The occasion for this conversation is the fact that you're doing a few dates here in New York and in Los Angeles in the coming weeks. I'm curious what the transition was like for you, going from behind the camera to someone who's now a live performer.
John Carpenter: It's a transition from pain to joy.
Adam Howard: [laughs] How so?
John Carpenter: Directing movies is very, very stressful. You got a lot of money on the line. You got a crew of people. You've got demanding actors who need a lot of attention, and you don't really have much of a life, and you're working like a dog or like a coal miner, whichever you wish. Playing music in front of an audience, joy. It's just joy. Plus, I'm playing with my son and godson, and that makes it even better.
Adam Howard: I was going to ask about that. A lot of your recent music, your Lost Themes albums, you've been collaborating with your son Cody, and, like you said, your godson, Daniel. Can you speak a little bit more about how you got involved working with them and how gratifying this experience has been now? I guess it's been a partnership over several years now.
John Carpenter: It's incredible. We bring different things to the table. Daniel Davies he's an adventurer. He comes up with new sounds. He pushes our boundaries. Cody is a maestro. He is a commanding piano player, a keyboard player, and can almost play anything. If I sing something to him, he can play it. Then me I bring experience because I've done so many scores. That's the three of us. We've done scores together. The Halloweens, the recent Halloweens and Firestarter, and others. We also do our albums. It's so fabulous.
Adam Howard: I saw while back a video that went viral where Bong Joon Ho is asking you to score his next film. Is that still something that's going to happen, you think?
John Carpenter: Yes, I think so. [crosstalk] All you have to do is tell me when it's done and show it to me, and I'm ready to go.
Adam Howard: That's awesome.
John Carpenter: Yes.
Adam Howard: There was one more score that you wanted to highlight that we should listen to. It's one of my favorites, too. I'm happy to sort of end on this one. This is Vertigo from Bernard Herrmann. If we could listen to a little bit of that.
[MUSIC - Bernard Herrmann: Vertigo]
Adam Howard: Bernard Herrmann, for people like myself and I, and you too are fans of film music, is the real giant. He's best known for his work with Hitchcock. He did Psycho, North by Northwest, among others. I'm curious why, of all the different Hitchcock scores that Herman did, this one in particular is one of your favorites.
John Carpenter: Vertigo is one of the great movies achievements in cinema. There's nothing quite like this movie. It is just a bad dream. It's like a nightmare you're watching. The music is a love theme from Vertigo is astonishingly beautiful, but sad and creepy at the same time. It's just so many things. It's an incredible marriage between a director and a composer. Just incredible.
Adam Howard: I'm personally looking forward to seeing you in concert.
John Carpenter: I can't wait.
Adam Howard: I'm sure a lot of other folks are too. Yes, I'm really excited. Thank you so much for coming on and for sharing all of your knowledge with me. I really appreciate it.
John Carpenter: Thank you. It's been fun.
[music]
Adam Howard: Director and composer John Carpenter. His new tour includes dates in New York City and Los Angeles.
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