For my latest look back at a director's work via music, I thought I would take a look at John Carpenter, whose Halloween theme narrowly missed out on a place on the iconic theme tunes article.

From his directorial debut, the excellent Dark Star, Carpenter has composed the scores for the vast majority of his films. His scores are usually uncomplicated but highly effective pieces of work that heavily feature synthesisers.

Here are my Carpenter favourites...

Assault On Precinct 13

Recorded in the space of just three days, Carpenter's score for his second feature film showcases his minimalist approach and his fondness for synthesisers. The role of composer was forced upon the filmmaker due to budgetary constraints, not that you would necessarily know given the quality of the piece.

The score borrows from a number of sources, notably Led Zeppelin for the main theme and composer Lalo Schifrin's Dirty Harry score for the film's finale. Only three main themes are heard throughout, so it is quite repetitive, but this doesn't detract from the quality of the work here.

It's staggering to think that Carpenter came up with a score this good in such a short space of time. In many ways it provided a foundation for many of his future compositions.

Halloween, Halloween II, Halloween III: Season Of The Witch

For his 1978 horror masterpiece, Halloween, John Carpenter created one of the most iconic pieces of music in horror cinema. He used cheap synthesisers, which is appropriate given the low budget of the project overall.

Carpenter worked magnificently with his limitations, not only in creating the instantly recognisable theme, but also a score that is incredibly effective at evoking the required moods. The score plays such a huge part in why Halloween is so effective at eliciting scares from audiences.

At the time of writing the music, Carpenter said his piano playing ability was somewhat limited and he received some level of assistance from Dan Wyman, but the composing credit rests with Carpenter. Well, The Bowling Green Philharmonic Orchestra, which is what Carpenter chose to bill himself as. Carpenter's band, The Coup de Villes, can also be heard in the background of a scene.

For the sequel, Carpenter reused many of the themes included on the soundtrack for the original, with only slight differences, such as a different use of a pop song. The original used The Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear The Reaper, whereas the sequel features The Chordettes' Mr. Sandman.

Overall, the score for the sequel is a much more polished affair, but somehow lacks the quality of the first. There's something about the original soundtrack, which, despite its limitations, achieved what was required, whereas the sequel feels like more of the same with less of the charm.

Halloween III: Season Of The Witch marks a low point in the franchise, both in terms of what's on screen and the soundtrack. The choice to deviate from the successful themes of the previous two films proved to be a mistake, as it lacks any sense of being part of the franchise, despite billing itself as a sequel.

The 5/4 tempo synthesiser theme was replaced with a melody that is nowhere near as effective and the constant repetition of the theme of London Bridge Is Falling Down is enough to turn any viewer into a Michael Myers-esque killing machine by the end of the film.

The Fog

Carpenter's hit-and-miss 1980 horror movie had a problematic shoot that experienced a number of reshoots, and is a film that the director doesn't hold in high regard. It's not a terrible film, but it does suffer from being a bit all over the place at times.

It's a shame that the film didn't turn out better, not only because the premise and some of the execution is excellent, but also because it may prevent people discovering one of Carpenter's finest scores.

Not an oppressive score by any means, Carpenter instead provided an eerie backing lead by a piano line. The result is incredibly effective and is the film's strong point.

Escape From New York

Escape From New York saw Carpenter use a similar approach to that of Halloween, in that he relied on the use of synthesisers as the main instrument to drive the score, and the musical themes that drive the film are simple, but very effective.

In terms of mood, many of the pieces included here wouldn't seem out of place in Halloween.

There's a strong sense of tension that runs throughout, with interesting changes of pace that complement what's on screen perfectly and, again, there's the simple but effective main theme.

It may sound dated and very much of its time, but it's undeniably an effective score, and in many ways it remains one of Carpenter's finest to date.

Christine

For this adaptation of Stephen King's killer car novel, Carpenter was short on time and, as such, the production was a little rushed. This goes some way to explain why the score is an amalgamation of themes heard in Halloween and Escape From New York, with the accompaniment of some of the quieter moments attributed to the former and the intense chase sequences attributed to the latter.

The rushed nature shows both in terms of the music used and the quality of the recording, with the quality often being less than satisfactory. Christine Attacks (Plymouth Fury) is, without question, the highlight of the film, and with its relentless tempo it proves to be a perfect fit.

Big Trouble In Little China

The obvious choice for the score for Big Trouble In Little China would have been for Carpenter to try his hand at music from the orient, but instead he opted to stick to what he knew and created a score that mixed his favoured synthesisers and rock 'n' roll.

Like the film itself, the score has a largely playful tone, and while it's not the best work Carpenter has done, it sure is entertaining. Carpenter's band, The Coup de Villes provide the film's excellent theme.

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