John Carpenter Picks Three Favorite Film Scores

Summary

The New Yorker Radio Hour: "John Carpenter Picks Three Favorite Film Scores"

Date: October 14, 2025
Host: Adam Howard
Guest: John Carpenter

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Episode Overview

This episode features filmmaker and legendary composer John Carpenter in conversation with The New Yorker Radio Hour’s Adam Howard. They discuss Carpenter’s musical upbringing, his transition from film directing to live music performance, and, significantly, Carpenter’s personal selection of three film scores that have most inspired him: Forbidden Planet by Louis and Bebe Barron, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest by Hans Zimmer, and Vertigo by Bernard Herrmann. Through candid anecdotes, personal memories, and illuminating opinions, Carpenter provides listeners with a unique window into his creative process and influences.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Carpenter’s Musical Roots (02:36–03:22)

• Musical Household: Carpenter’s father was a music PhD, and music was central to his upbringing.
  • Adam Howard: “Your father was a very accomplished musician. …I imagine you grew up in a very musical household.”
    • Carpenter (02:45): “Yes.”
• Early Aspirations: Carpenter played bass in a psychedelic band called ‘Kaleidoscope’ during his high school and early college years.
  • John Carpenter (02:52): “When I was a senior in high school, and then my first year in college, I was playing in a rock and roll band... But my first love was movies.”

2. Transition to Film Scoring (03:38–04:29)

• Scoring Out of Necessity: Carpenter began composing scores for financial reasons, but his creative passion grew, especially with Escape from New York.
  • John Carpenter (03:57): “Probably Escape From New York. I realized, you know what? I can do something here that contributes creatively.”
• Process of Composing: Music comes after editing — it’s a practical ‘utility job,’ not something imagined during writing.
  • John Carpenter (04:29): “After everything is cut together...Then I go to the music. It’s purely a utility job.”

3. The Influence of Synths and Electronic Music (04:42–06:13)

• Early Inspiration: Switched-On Bach and, most powerfully, the all-electronic score for Forbidden Planet (1956), composed by Louis and Bebe Barron, made a lasting impact.
  • John Carpenter (04:56): “There was a movie, 1956, had an all electronic score. It was called Forbidden Planet...It’s astonishing. I still listen to that score.”
• Electronic Music’s Power: The visceral, frightening effect of early synthesizer scores inspired Carpenter’s minimalist style.
  • Quote (06:04): “That what you just played is scary. Scary as hell. Are you kidding me? I mean, that's what influenced me.”

4. The Art of Film Scoring (06:30–07:07)

• Philosophy: Composer’s job is to serve the movie, responding to the director’s needs, supporting and enhancing the story.
  • John Carpenter (06:35): “The composer is there to service the movie and to...what the director asks of him...It’s there to support and enhance and open up doors so you can see the story a little bit better.”

5. Admiration for Other Composers: Hans Zimmer (07:16–08:53)

• Zimmer's Brilliance: Carpenter singles out Hans Zimmer as a modern master.
  • John Carpenter (07:16): “Two words for you. Hans Zimmer. He’s incredible...He is one of the masters now.”
• Favorite Zimmer Scores: Notably, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (“Jack Sparrow’s theme…legendary”) and Crimson Tide.
  • John Carpenter (08:27): “Jack Sparrow’s theme, which is just legendary. I mean, you hear it and you know what it is.”
  • On Crimson Tide: “Oh, it’s fantastic score. And he just blossomed from there.”

6. Live Performance and Family Collaboration (12:24–14:16)

• Performing on Tour: Carpenter describes the joy of performing live as a contrast to the stress of directing.
  • Quote (12:38): “It’s a transition from pain to joy.”
• Collaborating with Son and Godson: Carpenter performs and composes with his son Cody and godson Daniel Davies.
  • John Carpenter (13:34): “We bring different things to the table. Daniel Davies is a, he’s an adventurer...Cody is a maestro...And then me, I’m bringing experience because I’ve done so many scores.”

7. “Lost Themes” Albums and Working Together (13:34–14:16)

• The trio’s partnership on new Halloween scores, Firestarter, and in creating cinematic music as a standalone experience.

8. Bernard Herrmann’s Vertigo (15:28–16:04)

• One of Carpenter’s Favorite Film Scores: Herrmann’s Vertigo is praised for its haunting beauty and its inseparable connection to the film’s atmosphere.
  • John Carpenter (15:28): “Vertigo is one of the great movies achievements in cinema...It is just a bad dream. It’s like a nightmare you’re watching. And the music...is astonishingly beautiful, but sad and creepy at the same time.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Joy of Performing:
  • John Carpenter (12:38): “It’s a transition from pain to joy.”
• On Electronic Film Scores:
  • John Carpenter (06:04): “That what you just played is scary. Scary as hell. Are you kidding me? I mean, that's what influenced me.”
• On Hans Zimmer:
  • John Carpenter (07:16): “Two words for you. Hans Zimmer. He’s incredible. He is one of the masters now.”
• On Bernard Herrmann’s Vertigo:
  • John Carpenter (15:28): “It is just a bad dream. It’s like a nightmare you’re watching. And the music…is astonishingly beautiful, but sad and creepy at the same time.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Musical Upbringing & Early Band — [02:36–03:22]
• Scoring as Necessity & Creative Outlet — [03:38–04:29]
• Influence of Electronic Music & Forbidden Planet — [04:42–06:13]
• Carpenter’s Approach to Scoring — [06:30–07:07]
• On Hans Zimmer & Favorite Scores — [07:16–08:53]
• Transition to Performing Live — [12:24–12:42]
• Family Collaborations & Lost Themes — [13:18–14:16]
• Admiration for Bernard Herrmann’s Vertigo — [15:28–16:04]

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Tone and Style

John Carpenter is dry, direct, and self-effacing, often minimizing his influence on other artists and focusing on his own inspirations and collaborators. The multi-generational and collaborative spirit is warm, and his opinions on both genre-defining scores and the practical realities of movie-making are refreshingly candid.

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This episode offers a unique, insider perspective on the artistry of film music, linking Carpenter’s own creative process to a wider tradition of cinematic innovation and influence. For listeners, it’s a rare treat: one master laying bare his influences, methods, and continuing excitement for the craft.

Transcript

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[Show Announcer]

This is the New Yorker Radio Hour, a co production of WNYC Studios and the New Yorker.

[Adam Howard]

This is the New Yorker Radio Hour and I'm Adam Howard. One of the show's producers, the filmmaker John Carpenter, could fill a whole shelf with his cult classics, they Live the Thing, Escape From New York, Halloween and many more. And he remains a huge presence for many film buffs, even though he hasn't made a new movie in well over a decade. Instead, it's film scoring that's preoccupied him. There aren't many filmmakers who write their own scores, let alone ones that are among the most memorable in movie history. For the last several years, Carpenter has been scoring other directors films in his distinctive style, and he's released a handful of albums of cinematic music with no movie required. I caught up with Carpenter as he was launching a small tour just in time for, you guessed it, Halloween, and we talked about some of the film music that's most inspired him.

John, your father was a very accomplished musician. He had a PhD from the Eastman School of Music, so I imagine you grew up in a very musical household.

[John Carpenter]

Yes.

[Adam Howard]

I'm wondering if, if any point did you ever think about seriously pursuing a career in music yourself as a young person?

[John Carpenter]

Well, in a way, I did. When I was a senior in high school, and then my first year in college, I was playing in a rock and roll band. So I thought about doing that because we would play on the weekends and get paid for it. So I guess that counts as a career. But no.

[Adam Howard]

What was the band called?

[John Carpenter]

Kaleidoscope.

[Adam Howard]

Kaleidoscope.

[John Carpenter]

Kaleidoscope. That was back in the psychedelic days.

[Adam Howard]

Were you, like, one of the lead musicians or what did you play?

[John Carpenter]

I was a bass player.

[Adam Howard]

Nice.

[John Carpenter]

But my first love was movies. And I just decided, look, I'm going to try this. I'm going out to California. I'm going to usc. I'm going to study cinema and see what happens. But I owe it to myself to try.

[Adam Howard]

Yeah, I've heard that your initial scores were. It was almost more of a financial decision. You needed to keep the budget slow, and so you were writing the scores yourself. But I'm wondering, at what point did you think, you know what? I have something here and I'm enjoying this. And it becomes something that you started.

[John Carpenter]

Doing on the regular, probably Escape From New York. I realized, you know what? I can do something here that contributes creatively. You know, it's part of my vision of this.

[Adam Howard]

When you are writing your movies, or when you were, I should say, were you imagining music in your head as you're writing them? Like, when did the theme start coming to you? Is it during that process? Is it later, at the very end.

[John Carpenter]

After everything is cut together and the movie part of it is secure? Then this is what I want. Then I go to the music. It's purely a utility job.

[Adam Howard]

What were some of the influences on your signature style? And I'm also curious, at one point, did you become aware that your sort of more minimalist style and your use of synths was an influence on younger generations of artists?

[John Carpenter]

Well, I'm still not convinced that I was an influence on anybody, but. But, okay, well, you know, Switched On Bach was the first time I kind of heard a plaid synthesizer. But I must tell you the honest truth. There was a movie, 1956, had an all electronic score. It was called Forbidden Planet, and it was done by the Barons, the Couple. And it's astonishing. I still listen to that score.

[Adam Howard]

So for folks who are unfamiliar, Forbidden Planet is a science fiction movie. It's also an interpretation of Shakespeare's the Tempest. Did you see that film when it first came out? You would have been about, like, 8 years old or did you know it later?

[John Carpenter]

You know it? I was eight years old. I mean, that what you just played is scary. Scary as hell. Are you kidding me? I mean, that's what influenced me.

[Adam Howard]

Yeah.

[John Carpenter]

Well, you can be powerful and you can be scared. You can be all sorts of things. If you use electronic music and you don't have to go through the painful, painful process of learning to play the instrument.

[Adam Howard]

What do you think makes a good film score? Generally? Like, what's your rule of thumb, really?

[John Carpenter]

The composer is there to service the movie and to. It's what the director asks of him. So if I'm asked to emphasize the characters or the plot or generally thematic material, then that's what I will do with the music. You can do almost anything with it. You can narrate the film, although I don't recommend that. But it's there to support and enhance and open up doors so you can see the story a little bit better.

[Adam Howard]

Do you think it's a little bit of a lost art, or are there people who you sort of follow their work now and admire who you think are doing strong film music that's unique.

[John Carpenter]

Two words for you. Hans Zimmerman. He's incredible. He's incredible. He is one of the masters now. And his scores are inimitable. They're brilliant. And he's a very nice man, too.

[Adam Howard]

I know a lot of folks started to kind of maybe notice him more, become more familiar with him through his work. With Christopher Nolan, you actually picked a score I didn't know as well, and I was sort of surprised by. As one of your favorites, it was Pirates of the Dead Man's Chest.

[John Carpenter]

Know that score? That's world famous.

[Adam Howard]

I. I'm not as big on that franchise as some of the others, but it's. Obviously, the music's amazing. Let's take a listen real quick. I think what's really cool about him is it's. It's obvious that he's bringing a certain rock and roll influence into his sound. There's a sort of propulsiveness to it. I know he also performs live and does concerts and stuff like that. Is that what sort of makes him unique to you or what else is special about him?

[John Carpenter]

It's the great music he makes. I mean, Jack Sparrow's theme, which is just legendary. I mean, you hear it and you know what it is. But he started, I think, his first score that I noticed. Oh, God. Denzel Washington and Submarine Thriller.

[Adam Howard]

Oh, Crimson Tide.

[John Carpenter]

Yeah, sure. Oh, it's fantastic score. And he just blossomed from there.

[Adam Howard]

Right.

I'm Adam Howard and I've been speaking with filmmaker John Carpenter. More in a moment.

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[Adam Howard]

So the occasion for this conversation is the fact that you're doing a few dates here in New York and in Los Angeles in the coming weeks. I'm curious what the transition was like for you, going from behind the camera to someone who's now a live performer.

[John Carpenter]

It's a transition from pain to joy.

[Adam Howard]

How so?

[John Carpenter]

Directing movies is very, very stressful. And you know, you got a lot of money on the line. You got a crew of people, you've got demanding actors who need a lot of attention and you don't really have much of a life and you're working like a dog or like a coal miner, whichever you wish. Playing music in front of an audience, joy. It's just joy. Plus I'm playing with my son and godson and that makes it even better.

[Adam Howard]

I was going to ask about that. So a lot of your recent music, your Lost Themes albums, you've been collaborating with your son Cody and like you said, your godson Daniel. Can you speak a little bit more about how you got involved working with them and how gratifying this experience has been now? I guess it's been a partnership over several years now.

[John Carpenter]

Well, it's incredible. We bring different things to the table. Daniel Davies is a, he's an adventurer. He comes up with new sounds, he pushes our boundaries. Cody is a maestro. He is a commanding piano player, a keyboard player and can almost play anything. And if I sing something to him, he can play it. So and then me, I'm bringing experience because I've done so many scores. So that's the three of us and we've done scores together. The Halloween's, the recent Halloweens and Firestarter and others. And we also do our albums. It's so fabulous.

[Adam Howard]

I saw a while back a video that went viral where Bong Joon Ho is asking you to score his next film. Is that still something that's going to happen, you think?

[John Carpenter]

Yeah, I Think all he has to do is tell me when it's done and show it to me and I'm ready to go.

[Adam Howard]

That's awesome.

[John Carpenter]

Yeah.

[Adam Howard]

So there was one more score that you wanted to highlight that we should listen to. It's one of my favorites too. So I'm happy to sort of end on this one. This is Vertigo from Bernard Herman. If we could listen to a little bit of that. So Bernard Herrmann, for people like myself and I, and you too are, you know, fans of film music, is the real giant. He's best known for his work with Hitchcock. He did Psycho, north by Northwest, among others. I'm curious why, of all the different Hitchcock scores that Herman did, this one in particular is one of your favorites.

[John Carpenter]

Vertigo is one of the great movies achievements in cinema. I mean, it is. There's. There's nothing quite like this movie. It is just a bad dream. It's like a nightmare you're watching. And the music is a love theme from Vertigo is astonishingly beautiful, but sad and creepy at the same time. I mean, it's just so many things. It's an incredible marriage between a director and a composer. Just incredible.

[Adam Howard]

Well, I'm personally looking forward to seeing you in concert.

[John Carpenter]

I can't wait.

[Adam Howard]

I'm sure a lot of other folks are too. Yeah, I'm really excited. Thank you so much for coming on and for sharing all of your knowledge with me. I really appreciate it and thank you.

[John Carpenter]

It's been fun.

[Adam Howard]

Director and composer John Carpenter. His new tour includes dates in New York City and Los Angeles. I'm Adam Howard and that's our show for today. Thanks for listening and we'll see you next week.

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