Order in the Universe: The Films of John Carpenter

by Robert Cumbow

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780585383026
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	07/16/2002
Series:	The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series , #70
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Robert C. Cumbow has published articles and reviews on film, drama, art, and music. He is the author of The Films of Sergio Leone (Scarecrow, 2007).

Editorial Reviews

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)

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