Movies - TV
This Movie Almost Made John Carpenter Quit Directing For Good
By WITNEY SEIBOLD
John Carpenter’s “Memoirs of an Invisible Man” was a departure for the director. However, he Variety in 2023 that it was such a nightmare that he almost quit the film industry.
Carpenter explained, “God, I don’t want to talk about why, but let’s just say there were personalities on that film — he shall not be named — who needs to be killed.”
While Carpenter didn’t explicitly give a name, he’s most likely referring to Chevy Chase, who has a reputation for storming off in a rage and generally saying offensive things.
Rumors around the film were that Chase was “impossible to direct” and that he and co-star Daryl Hannah were “the stuff of nightmares,” though this claim is unsubstantiated.
In an earlier 1994 interview with the Guardian, Carpenter was more diplomatic about Chase, saying, “He did a couple of really good scenes, and he really pulled ’em off.”
He added, “I believed he could do a film in which he balances. We could have some humor in it, but I had him play the dark side because it’s a darker film.”