John Carpenter is a living legend of horror cinema. With “Halloween – The Night of Horrors”, “The Fog – Nebel des Grauens” and “The Thing from Another World” he repeatedly left his style-defining mark on the genre. Meanwhile, John Carpenter has been out of directing for 12 years (most recently on the psychological horror The Ward, starring Amber Heard), concentrating mainly on his role as a producer or film score composer.
In an interview with Carpenter recently spoke at length about Halloween Ends, the latest installment in David Gordon Green’s Halloween trilogy. When asked what he would think of the so-called “exalted horror”, the original director had no words: “I don’t know what that term means. I mean, I can guess what it means, but I don’t really know.”
When interviewer John Carpenter asked about indie production company A24 and mentioned Ari Aster and its critically acclaimed horror hits “Hereditary” and “Midsommar,” the filmmaker replied simply: “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Shortly after, the creator of “Halloween” stated that he didn’t really deal with current horror movies or modern trends.
Whether that really is the case or whether John Carpenter just didn’t feel like tackling the subject on stage because he’s a fan of traditional horror film is another matter. Perhaps at the age of 74 he just doesn’t care if he still pays the necessary attention to contemporary horror cinema. But he already helped shape the genre when A24 wasn’t even mentioned.
Now if you’re wondering what’s behind the term “exalted horror” (or in translation: “exalted horror”): These are horror films that are also made for an audience that usually does not understand the genre. Good examples of this are “Der Babadook”, “The Witch”, “Hereditary” or “Suspiria” by Luca Guadagnino. In a very artistic way, a subtle visual language is used that avoids superficial shock effects and works towards a statement that goes beyond horror.
The aforementioned Studio A24 is also destined for such films, but also stands outside the horror genre for particularly creatively executed original material far from the mainstream franchise market. That was once again impressively proven this year with the great multiverse hit “Everything Everywhere All At Once”.