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John Carpenter Reveals Why He Hasn’t Kept Up With Modern Horror Films

While there has been a great resurgence in the horror genre in recent years, some of you may agree with me in saying that there are still a lot of stinkers to be found out there. And while movies like Witchboard will always pale in comparison to the likes of Halloween and The Shining, it still seems like we get five Annabelles for every IT. It's just the way of things.

While there’s been a great resurgence in the horror genre in recent years, some of you may agree with me in saying that there are still a lot of stinkers to be found out there. And while movies like Witchboard will always pale in comparison to the likes of Halloween and The Shining, it still seems like we get five Annabelles for every IT. It’s just the way of things.

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As you can imagine, I didn’t mention Halloween by accident. Not only does anything in that franchise come with a certain pedigree, but it was also the brainchild of the man we’re talking about today, that being legendary filmmaker John Carpenter.

Of course, when anyone has been in the game for as long as he has, it’s only understandable that folks like to know which of today’s offerings strike their fancy. Oddly enough, the master hasn’t indulged in much modern horror, but it’s not due to any sort of spite. Rather, he’s still very busy, touring with his band and whatnot.

Speaking of which, here’s what he had to say about having limited free time:

“I was doing music for several years here, so I’ve been busy. I wasn’t thinking about that. I’ve watched the movies they’ve sent out every year, the screeners for the Academy. I enjoy those. I get to catch up on some of the mainstream stuff. But the horror stuff, I don’t. There’s so many horror films being made at all sorts of levels. There’s just so many of them. And I’m sure a bunch of them are really good. I just don’t take the time to find out.”

So, there you have it: John Carpenter harbors no ill will toward modern horror. Some may admit they thought he’d say something about the genre treading familiar territory, but as he’s said before, he doesn’t mind even his own movies being remade. Oftentimes, the simplest explanation ends up being the correct one, and that’s certainly the case here.