How John Carpenter makes a killer movie score

When it comes to horror and sci-fi films, director John Carpenter is considered, by many, to be one of the grand masters. Over a career that spans five decades, Carpenter has directed some of the scariest and darkest cult flicks in modern times, and none more influential than Halloween. 

Halloween introduced us to one of horror's most infamous villains, Michael Myers, and screen queen, Jamie Lee Curtis. The film also went on to define the horror genre and gave rise to what we now call "slasher films." But Carpenter is also one of those rare directors who actually composes the bulk of the music for his own films, and his film scores are considered classic in their own right. 

Now 69, Carpenter has shifted his focus back to music. He recently put out two volumes of an album called Lost Themes and embarked on his very first performance tour across North America and Europe. In addition to that, Carpenter is looking back at his film legacy for a new collection called John Carpenter: Anthology: Movie Themes 1947-1998, and he's revisiting and retouching the scores of the most revered films in his career. 

Today Carpenter discusses his most famous films/score, the classic Halloween.

— Produced by Ty Callender