Order in the Universe: The Films of John Carpenter (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series Book 70)

An obscure independent filmmaker until Halloween (1978), John Carpenter has been applauded for his classic sense of compositions, yet reviled for his "B-film" sensibility. This second edition of the first book-length analysis finds in Carpenter's films a vision of a profound but unexpected order in the universe. The author analyzes Carpenter's early independent work, his made-for-television movies, his big Hollywood films ( The Fog, Escape from New York, The Thing, Stephen King's Christine, Starman ), his more recent independent work ( Big Trouble in Little China, Prince of Darkness, They Live ), and his contributions to films he did not direct. This edition fully updates the 1990 edition with attention to the films made since that date. With a chronology of Carpenter's career, a detailed filmography, photos, brief plot synopses, and a thorough index, this volume will be treasured by film scholars and fans alike.

An obscure independent filmmaker until Halloween (1978), John Carpenter has been applauded for his classic sense of compositions, yet reviled for his _B-film_ sensibility. With a chronology of Carpenter's career, a detailed filmography, photos, brief plot synopses, and a thorough index, this volume will be treasured by film scholars and fans alike.

Booknews

Drawing partly on his 1989 interview with Carpenter, Seattle-based lawyer, teacher, and writer Cumbow analyzes his films to tease out a vision of profound but unexpected order in the universe. He considers his early work, made-for-television movies, big Hollywood projects, more recent works, and his contributions to films he did not direct. Carpenter is applauded for a classic sense of composition and reviled for a B-movie sensibility. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)