Birthday Spotlight: John Carpenter

Happy 73rd birthday to one of the most influential yet under appreciated filmmakers of the American New Wave, JOHN CARPENTER. A master of pulp, his resumé includes definitive films across action, sci-fi and horror genres, often laying the blueprint of how those genres can mix and match with each other.

To celebrate the occasion this Saturday night, indulge in a double feature with a few of his best films. If you’re in an action mood, look no further than the brutal and ballsy pair of ASSAULT ON PRECINCT13 and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK. Assault on Precinct 13 is the height of ‘70s grindhouse action, a proof-of-concept for the eventual dystopian thrill ride that is Escape from New York.

If you’re thoughts are on the horrors of a potential alien invasion (especially right now), well THE THING and THEY LIVE are two of the best the genre has to offer. The Thing is a classic of isolated paranoia, while They Live trades Kurt Russell for ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper to make for a much goofier, satirical view of shape-shifting invaders.