The love for film and fantasy led him to start filming short horror films on his 8 mm camera before he even entered the high school. At the age of 21 he wrote and directed short film called “ Captain Voyeur” Following year he helped to make, edit and compose music for movie called “ The Resurrection of Bronco Billy” which even won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. His first film under which he is signed as director was “ Dark Star” in 1974 which is said to cost only 60 000 dollars.

Carpenter again did almost everything by himself, wrote the script, produced and directed the film as well as composed music. This got him under the radar of major Hollywood studios who liked his attitude of making successful films for very little money. His next film “ Assault on Precinct 13” was made in similar fashion, Carpenter again did multitasking job. Film was successful both financially and critically. In 1978 he made his most known movie “ Halloween” for which again he composed music apart usual jobs. Budget was pretty small, 320 000 and income was massive, 65 million which made him one of the most successful independent films of all time. Following year Carpenter switched topic and film biography film Elvis starring Kurt Russell which started their long and successful collaboration.

Next movie on the line was” The Fog” which was very difficult for Carpenter to make. When he saw the rough cut he wasn´t happy with result so had to film additional footage that was added to the film. It was one and only time he did such thing. The cost of making it reached 1 million but it grossed 21 million which made him another commercial success. Next on the line was” Escape from New York” and yet again won the heart of both critics and viewers and earned more than 25 million.This movie was starred again by Kurt Russell who worked also at another movie called “ The Thing”.This movie had special visual effects and also chilling music composed by Ennio Morricone but nevertheless it failed commercially and is rated as first Carpenter´s failure. Following movie “Starman” was produced by Michael Douglas and was success again even receiving Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Jeff Bridges the main star of the film.

Very successful period of 70´s and 80´s came to slow end in 90´s when many films didn´t score well financially. However John Carpenter will be forever remembered for some classic films which are still worshipped by his fans. They are distinctive for very little lightning, use of steadicam and static cameras and chilling musical compositions. We thought it would be nice to ask big master few questions so sent him an email and to our surprise we got a positive reply almost by return. His assistant Sean was a middle man in our conversation so we thank both men for kindness and cooperation they gave us despite Mr. Carpenter being busy. preparing his next album and musical tour.

Why and how did you get hooked on horror and sci –fi from early age, did you have a wild fantasy or it was matter of Cold war, nuclear attack fear that shaped your young imagination?

Both.I fell in love with movies and at that time nuclear war hung over our lives.I used to go to movies as a kid and it was a wave of monster films. It really influenced me emotionally.

Although you entered School of Cinematic Arts in California, you dropped out to make your first feature. Where did you get necessary skill and confidence that you can make a feature film? Generally, do you think an education is a must for would-be-director or if he has enough will, balls, self- confidence and fantasy he can equal that and succeed?

I believed I had the skills to make my first feature. Maybe it is arrogance, maybe stupidity, who knows, I don´t think film school is a must for directors, but it doesn´t hurt. You know when I was at that school, we had directors like John Ford, Howard Hawks, Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock came to us and give us lectures. Orson Welles was filming his last movie so he brought a camera crew there and wanted students to ask his character questions. We were like little kids around the campfire, listening to this big master speak.

Your first films we made before digital era you used special film effects which were shocking and almost unbelievable due to it´s nature. Do you think it was for the benefit of director since he used fantasy, creativity and sometimes makeshift arrangement while now all can be done by computer so if you are good IT, only sky is the limit?

I must admit I sometimes wish I had access to computer general imagery back when I was making my early films. I wonder what would they be like. But generally I think the rules of making films hasn´t change at all since D.W.Griffith time.You know the way you make films, move the cameras, structure the film, close-ups. What has change is the technology and that instead of black and white we make color movies and instead of film we use digital.

Halloween gave a birth to slasher genre, now people like splatter horrors, more brutality and blood, the better. What is the point to make such films and make people scream for fear when in real life is enough brutality beyond belief?

“Halloween” didn´t give birth to the slasher film. Psycho was the first slasher film. “Halloween” gave birth to the idea of making a low budget movie that makes lots of money. Horrors are made to scare people. They should take you from reality of your everyday life for a while and scare you in safety of the cinema. Horror have some rules so it is not easy to make a good horror but it is a flexible genre and it changes with societal changes. Topics of horrors change but people are still scared about same things in their real lives. They are scared about pain, or death and about loosing someone who they love and it is the same everywhere.

Most of your films are horrors and sci-fi, Elvis was a true story. What made you do this movie? Did you want to relax from above topics, see if you can do another genre or liked Elvis and wanted to pay personal tribute?

I was a fan of Elvis and in the spring of 1978 and I wanted to direct something new.

Tell us about making a “Halloween” movie. Is it truth that it was made in 20 days and it cost 300 000 dollars?

Yes, it is.It was great fun doing it cos our ambitions weren´t high. I was 30 at that time and believe it or not was the oldest person on the set. It got bad reviews in the press but it got among people by word – of –mouth.I didn´t think about it cos I was already shooting my next film ”Elvis”.A guy called Bob Rehme came to see me and true is that only reason anybody from studio comes to see you is when they sniff you can make some money.So I believe that “Halloween” really kick started my career.

Successful films make people think the sequels will be as successful and bring even more money.Why you never wanted to make sequel of “ Halloween” yourself?

I didn´t think there was any more story in it and hence I didn´t want to do it again.Obviously it pleases me that people want to remake my films but everything is re-made these days, so it´s not that special for me. Obviously I can´t stop anybody from making sequels of my films but for me to make a sequel of “ Halloween” I would have to write a good story and for me writing was always painful, dreadful and I have eye problems these days, so it is not easy for me.

You started with low budget films and then got more money later. Do you still keep your modest habits or it is relief when you can do what you really want and don´t have to count every dollar?

When you get a bigger budget you don´t have to be as rigid and tight, you can experiment which is great.But you know what was funny, we made cheap movies and were supposed to get some percentages when it got into profits but surprisingly it never got into profits.I can´t believe how it worked. When I made a movie called” They Live” it cost studio 3 million and I was still told, it didn´t have any profit. That was my experience with film business, there is never any profit- as the studios say.

You are considered as an influential film maker of some cult movies.How do you view yourself in film industry?

After I had a success with my first film “Dark Star” I thought I will be accepted at director in film industry but instead I had to work hard on writing scripts for my films cos my agent told me only way I can go up is to write my way into film business. Writing was hard but I made movie after movie. It has an effect on you both physically and emotionally cos you constantly deal with stress on various fronts. So I feel bit worn out now. So I slowed down, have aches and pains but I have nothing to complain about.

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