Shocking Take: John Carpenter Rejects Classic Status for 43-Year-Old Film!

When “The Thing” was released on June 25, 1982, 34-year-old John Carpenter faced one of his biggest career disappointments. It was his first movie with a major studio, Universal, and his most expensive production at the time, costing around 15 million dollars.

John Carpenter, Labeled a “Violence Pornographer”

Released just two weeks after “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” the movie met a frosty reception. It ranked eighth at the American box office and barely grossed 20 million dollars—a figure just enough to break even. The critics were ruthless, with one magazine calling it the “most hated film of all time.”

Carpenter took this rejection hard. He later admitted being “stunned” by the response, mistakenly believing that the 1982 audience was ready for such a dark and challenging film. He even mentioned that he was labeled a “violence pornographer,” a tag that deeply wounded him. This professional setback cost him the director’s role for the adaptation of Stephen King’s “Firestarter,” handed over to Mark Lester in 1984.

“Oh, come on, stop! That’s ridiculous!”

In this career slump, Carpenter reluctantly agreed to direct “Christine,” an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel about a possessed car. Producer Richard Kobritz approached him for the project, and he accepted out of sheer necessity.

In an interview with SFX Magazine, Carpenter stated that this was the only film he felt he did “for the job.” He also recalled feeling embarrassed when he saw his name prominently displayed on a huge billboard.

Completed in a record time of about eight months on a more modest budget of around 10 million dollars, “Christine” was released on December 9, 1983, and earned about 21 million dollars. Despite these figures, the film has become an absolute classic, ranking at the top of the best film adaptations ever made from a Stephen King work.

Yet, these accolades do not move the filmmaker. In 2023, Carpenter still dismissed the cult status of “Christine,” saying, “Oh, come on, stop! That’s ridiculous! I hear rumors about its anniversary. My question is: ‘Why?'”

Carpenter consistently expresses his feelings towards his film. In a 2001 interview with journalist Gilles Boulenger, he admitted: “Whether audiences find it good or bad, I know deep down that I messed it up. I was still hurt by the failure of ‘The Thing.'” Clearly, it is his absolute right to feel this way, just as others are free to disagree and continue to idolize this cinematic icon.