John Carpenter: His music, his films

Daniel and Seth Nelson take a very in-depth look at the use of music in John Carpenter’s movies:

Musical scores for film have been around since the inception of motion pictures; however, the music that John Carpenter creates for his films displays distinct characteristics, wholly unique to his scores. The use of theme music for certain characters in Carpenter’s films acts like a musical narrator, enhancing the effect these characters play in the story.

Infrequently, John Carpenter utilizes outside, prerecorded music for his films, but instead of relying on the obvious interpretation of these songs, Carpenter spins their meaning, allowing the songs to become entirely his own. John Carpenter is a unique and important filmmaker who happens to also create most of the brilliant music for his films, adding yet another facet to this already multifaceted artist.

Read the full feature here.