John Carpenter Says Original Halloween Was His Best Experience As A Director

For John Carpenter, there was never a filmmaking experience that topped what it was like to make Halloween. Released in 1978, Halloween is one of the most beloved horror movies of all time. The film first introduced Michael Myers as an antagonist opposite Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode and has since inspired countless films in the genre.

In a new interview with Variety, Carpenter reflected on what it was like working on Halloween. He was reminiscing about his different projects and when it came time to chat Halloween, he declared that to be the “best experience” he’s ever had in the director’s chair, calling it a “very easy” movie to make. As the director puts it:

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So, what was the hardest project? That would have to be Elvis starring Kurt Russell as the King of Rock ’n’ Roll. That production was vastly different from what it was like making Halloween, the complete opposite of working with a tight-knit cast and crew.

John Carpenter Enjoys His Current Role With the Halloween Franchise

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Carpenter is not involved with the Halloween franchise creatively at this stage of his career, though he served as composer on all three of the Blumhouse movies directed by David Gordon Green. The horror mastermind prefers things this way, also noting in the interview that he doesn’t get too hung up on anything else about new Halloween films beyond the one specific job he shows up to provide. Once his music is complete, Carpenter takes his check and leaves it to Green and Co. to handle the rest.

Time will tell where the Halloween franchise goes next, but for many fans, that original film will always be the best of them all.