John Carpenter’s “Rating” of the Best Movies: Halloween Night, The Thing, or 1997: New York Rescue?

Along with the late Wes Craven and Sam Raimi who are currently in the spotlight due to debut and box office performance. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), surely New Yorker John Carpenter make up a cult trio in the horror cinema of recent decades. Whether or not his films are in the B series, of course; that audiovisual talent is based on squeezing out the best possible means available.

Four of his films influential popular attractions. Namely, halloween night, 1997: New York Rescue, Thing D they are alive. With the former, he was a pioneer in introducing the horror of deadly violence into the quiet residential areas of the United States, and in this he was closely followed by the aforementioned Wes Craven with his A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) so ​​important for the fourth season weird things (since 2016).

John Carpenter wrote his own scripts and composedBesides, soundtracks his feature films, in addition to the unsuccessful second film adaptation fiery eyes (2022). This provides a greater degree of artistic control over his work, and therefore authorship. But the most significant awards that John Carpenter has received are the Fantasporto Critics Award for fear in the mouth and two honorary awards: “Time Machine” at the festival in Sitges and “Golden Carrosa” in Cannes.

The opinion of specialized critics on the work of John Carpenter as a director

The numbers indicated in the section rotten tomatoes for critics, they are as follows regarding John Carpenter’s films, ranking them from best to worst:

1. halloween night (1978): GPA 8.6 out of 10 in 80 reviews.
2. Attack on the 13th District Department of Internal Affairs (1976): average 7.8 in 44 reviews.
3. Thing (Otherworldly Mystery) [1982]: half 7.4 in 75 reviews.
4. 1997: New York Rescue (1981): average 7.2 in 67 reviews.
5. they are alive (1988): average 7.2 in 65 reviews.
6. Starman, man of the stars (1984): average 6.9 in 33 reviews.
7. Fog (1980): average 6.6 in 68 reviews.
8. Dark Star (1974): average 6.4 in 27 reviews.
9. Beat in little China (1986): average 6.4 in 63 reviews.
10. Prince of Darkness (1987): average 6.2 in 36 reviews.
11. Christina (1983): average 5.9 in 29 reviews.
12. fear in the mouth (1994): average 5.7 in 44 reviews.
13. 2013: L.A. Rescue [1996]: half 5.6 in 56 reviews.
14. vampires (1998): average 5.3 in 52 reviews.
15. Memories of the Invisible Man (1992): average 4.8 in 34 reviews.
16. blocked (2010): average 4.5 in 72 reviews.
17. city ​​of the damned (1995): average 4.1 in 37 reviews.
18. ghosts of mars (2001): average 3.8 in 109 reviews.

No data on Someone is watching me (1978) neither Elvis (1979).

Moviegoers Opinion Rotten Tomatoes

We return to rotten tomatoesbut this time for the first time ranging John Carpenter movies according to users:

1. Thing (Otherworldly Mystery): average score 4.3 out of 5 with over 100,000 votes.
2. halloween night: half 4.3 with over 250,000 votes.
3. Beat in little China: half 4 with over 100,000 votes.
4. Attack on the 13th District Department of Internal Affairs: half 3.9 with over 10,000 votes.
5. they are alive: half 3.9 with over 25,000 votes.
6. 1997: New York Rescue: half 3.8 with over 50,000 votes.
7. fear in the mouth: half 3.7 with over 10,000 votes.
8. Starman, man of the stars: half 3.6 with over 10,000 votes.
9. Elvis: half 3.6 with over 1000 votes.
10. Christina: half 3.6 with over 50,000 votes.
11. Dark Star: half 3.5 with over 10,000 votes.
12. Fog: half 3.5 with over 25,000 votes.
13. Prince of Darkness: half 3.5 with over 10,000 votes.
14. vampires: half 3.2 with over 50,000 votes.
15. Someone is watching me: an average of 3.2 with more than 500 votes.
16. 2013: L.A. Rescue: half 3 with over 50,000 votes.
17. Memories of the Invisible Man: half 2.9 with over 10,000 votes.
18. city ​​of the damned: half 2.7 with over 25,000 votes.
19. blocked: half 2.6 with over 10,000 votes.
20. ghosts of mars: half 2.4 with over 25,000 votes.

Opinion of moviegoers IMDb

On the other hand, it is data that you also provide to us. IMDb to public opinion:

1. Thing (Otherworldly Mystery): average score 8.2 out of 10 with 409,933 votes.
2. halloween night: half 7.7 with 266,152 votes.
3. Attack on the 13th District Department of Internal Affairs: half 7.3 with 49,546 votes.
4. they are alive: half 7.2 with 126,500 votes.
5. Beat in little China: half 7.2 with 137,158 votes.
6. 1997: New York Rescue: half 7.1 with 139,364 votes.
7. fear in the mouth: half 7.1 with 68,157 votes.
8. Starman, man of the stars: half 7 with 46,817 votes.
9. Elvis: half 7 with 4086 votes.
10. Fog: half 6.8 with 72,517 votes.
11. Christina: half 6.7 with 81,206 votes.
12. Prince of Darkness: half 6.6 with 42,663 votes.
13. Someone is watching me: half 6.6 with 4356 votes.
14. Dark Star: half 6.2 from 24 294.
15. vampires: half 6.1 with 58,169 votes.
16. Memories of the Invisible Man: half 6 with 24,895 votes.
17. 2013: L.A. Rescue: half 5.7 with 74,139 votes.
18. city ​​of the damned: half 5.6 with 31,514 votes.
19. blocked: half 5.5 with 42,436 votes.
20. ghosts of mars: half 4.9 with 54,424 votes.

FilmAffinity, the opinion of moviegoers

And finally, here we have the information that he offers us. FilmAffinity about John Carpenter:

1. Thing (Otherworldly Mystery): average score 7.3 out of 10 with 48,729 votes.
2. Attack on the 13th District Department of Internal Affairs: half 6.9 with 7716 votes.
3. halloween night: half 6.7 with 27,608 votes.
4. fear in the mouth: half 6.6 with 10,238 votes.
5. Beat in little China: half 6.4 with 17,999 votes.
6. they are alive: half 6.4 with 12,456 votes.
7. Fog: half 6.2 with 8030 votes.
8. Christina: half 6.2 with 16,475 votes.
9. Someone is watching me: half 6.1 with 615 votes.
10. Starman, man of the stars: half 6.1 with 6876 votes.
11. 1997: New York Rescue: half 6.1 with 29,064 votes.
12. Elvis: half 6.1 with 233 votes.
13. Prince of Darkness: half 6 with 4981 votes.
14. city ​​of the damned: half 5.8 with 25,800 votes.
15. vampires: half 5.4 with 13,403 votes.
16. Dark Star: half 5.3 with 1740 votes.
17. 2013: L.A. Rescue: half 5.1 with 11,839 votes.
18. Memories of the Invisible Man: half 5 with 4377 votes.
19. blocked: half 4.8 with 4164 votes.
20. ghosts of mars: half 4.5 with 8796 votes.

Conclusions on the best and worst in John Carpenter

What we find in John Carpenter’s best film is a clear division between professional critics and moviegoers: the former consider him halloween nightwhile Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb and FilmAffinity users prefer Thing (Otherworldly Mystery).

However, neither of the two is very far from the other in ratings from three web pages. And referring to the worst director from New York, we are unanimous in what we should choose ghosts of marshis penultimate film, for this sad honor.