'Halloween Kills' Is "The Quintessential Slasher Film", According To John Carpenter

Look, whenever someone involved with a movie says that particular movie is good, that's really not news. Of course someone with a vested interest in a product will proclaim its superiority – that's just how stuff works. But there are exceptions. For example – John Carpenter is famous (or maybe infamous?) for not mincing words. If he doesn't like something, he'll be honest about it. Why? Because he really doesn't have anything to lose. He has his legacy secured, and he's more than happy to spend his days now collecting royalty checks and playing video games. So whenever Carpenter chimes in with praise for something – even if it's something he's involved with – it's worth acknowledging. And that's what we're doing right now, because Carpenter recently sang the praises of the upcoming Halloween Kills.

During a panel at the virtual Fantasia International Film Festival (via Bloody Disgusting), John Carpenter had nothing but nice things to say about Halloween Kills, the upcoming sequel to the 2018 Halloween reboot/sequel. "It's the quintessential slasher film," said Carpenter, who has an executive producer credit on the film and is also handling the score. "It is so intense...oh my god...it even stuns me how incredible it is. [Director] David [Gordon Green] just did a great job. Can't wait to have you see it."

Again: I know that someone involved with a film praising said film isn't exactly "news." But I know enough about Carpenter to know that if he really didn't like Halloween Kills, he'd say so. At the very least he would just decline to say anything. Here's an example: during an interview where Carpetner was asked how he felt about The Fog remake, the director replied: "No comment." In that same interview, when asked about the Assault on Precinct 13 remake, Carpenter said: "I thought it was terrific. I thought the cast was sensational. I just loved it." And then, when questioned, "If you could pick which of your films was going to be remade, which one would you choose?", Carpenter bluntly replied: "The one where they pay me the most money."

See what I mean? He doesn't bullshit. So if he's saying Halloween Kills is "incredible," I'm willing to take him at his word. Directed by David Gordon Green, Halloween Kills brings back Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, and Andi Matichak as the surviving Strode women, who once again have to deal with Michael Myers. The sequel was originally supposed to open this October, but due to the coronavirus, the release was pushed to October 15, 2021. A third and final sequel (in this series, at least), Halloween Ends, is scheduled to be released on October 14, 2022. You can watch the full Fantasia interview with Carpenter below.