From his hands-on filmmaking style to hiswriting and his composingan indispensable guide to the ultimate cult auteurOne of the most iconic directors of American cinema, John Carpenter has astonished audiences the world over with his tightly crafted horror, thriller, and science-fiction films. Not just a director, Carpenter s talents also extend to writing the screenplays and soundtracks to many of his films, and this guidecovers hiswork as a director, composer, writer, and producer. It examines Carpenter s influences and style and the films that have, in turn, been influenced by him. From the existential comedy classic "Dark Star" through to the terrifying smash hit "Halloween," the taut siege of "Assault on Precinct 13" to the visceral "Vampires "there s action and tension all around. But it s not all ghosts from "The Fog" or horrific mutations in "The Thing," there s time for romance in the science-fiction road movie "Starman "and even for the King himself in the superior bio-pic "Elvis: The Mov"ie. John Carpenter s films are always memorable, distinctive, and unashamed of their genre roots.".