best John Carpenter movie
 

Which is Carpenter's best movie?

For my money, you can't beat The Thing. This movie has just about everything. A great plot, great acting (while nothing award-winning, there isn't one actor who manages to pull me out of the story with either total crapness, or overacting......something I can't say about most of John's films), effects that are still impressive to this day, and one of the best endings of all time.

With that being said, I also love Assault on Precinct 13, Escape From New York, Big Trouble in Little China, and Halloween. And on some level or other, I enjoy the rest of the movies listed in the poll. Actually, I can usually find something entertaining in them all (yep, even Ghosts of Mars).

Tough choice - so I'll simply say that the ones I watch the most are <b>Starman, The Thing</b> and <b>They Live</b>.

Easy one: The Thing.

I gotta go with "Big Trouble In Little China" and "The Thing". I think "The Thing" is the better of the two by a tiny margin... however, it is a remake, so I give Carpenter more credit for "Big Trouble In Little China"

EXCELLENT POST !

I love Carpenter's stuff :banana:

It was tough between The Thing, Escape from NY, and BTILC, but in the end it had to be Big Trouble in Little China. Just to many fond memories. It's just so off the wall. Classic. Oh, and I noticed no option for Escape from LA. Many people may not have liked it, but I for one did. Gotta love the Bruce Campbell cameo as the Surgeon General of Beverly Hills!

Escape from New York has been growing alot on me lately..... so that then!But Carpenter has always been cranking out the chit!

The Thing. Scared the pee outta me when I was little, and it still does now that I'm almost 32. One of my all time favorite movies.

The Thing.

The Thing. Carpenter is one of my favorite directors, and The Thing is one of my favorite movies. After that, I'd rate Big Trouble in Little China #2 and Halloween #3.

Halloween

I knew that most people would say The Thing, and it is rightfully deserving, but I'll never forget how scared I was the first time I saw Halloween so my loyalties lie with that. By the way, where's Ghosts of Mars? ;)

Halloween :)

Escape From New York for me, as it is my favorite movie of all time.

I'm a big time Carpenter fan...and I still think Assault on Precinct 13 is his best...with The Thing and Halloween closely behind...

Too many classics to choose from. I picked Halloween mostly because it was the first Carpenter film I saw, and is certainly the most memorable to me. I would rank The Thing and Big Trouble right after Halloween.

PS--why no option for Ghosts of Mars? ;)

Halloween.
then Big Trouble

Thing loses points because it is a remake.

I absolutely LOVED Starman...what a great movie. Jeff Bridges was awesome in that. Second to that, The Thing.

What, no love for "Village of the Damned"??? ;)

While I can't explain what the hell happened to Carpenter to make him produce the last several crapfests, his early work places him among the greats. Had to go with "Halloween", as it is a masterpiece. Perfectly executed in such a simple way. Economic script, great photography (he really can fill those cinemascope frames) and a perfect score.

Several are good, though Halloween is his best.

I voted for The Thing. Halloween is probably a better movie, but for me, it hasn't held up as well as The Thing.

very very tough choice...

i gotta go with Escape From New York due to its lower budget than the Thing, originality (story & character), & creativity

The THING comes very very close... like the other member said, the whole re-make issue made me think twoce about the originality. not saying that Carpenter's version lack of ideas or anything like that... it still a wonderful movie. the F/X reall went above & beyond...

that's my take :)

PS: after viewing Ghost of Mars couple times, i must say that little stinker ain't as stink as i thought it was... hmmm, maybe i'm bias cause i love Carpenter's work

BTILC will always be my favorite. No matter how much I love The Thing and Halloween. I can always pop BTILC in the player and have a great time. :D

Escape and Big Trouble are his best.