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In 1952, John Carpenter saw one movie and “fell in love viscerally” with cinema: “My god, what is this?”
John Carpenter says his love of cinema began when he saw the science-fiction film *It Came from Outer Space* as a child. Its frightening opening sequence left him amazed by the power of film, an experience that helped inspire him to make movies that could transport and move audiences.
Carpenter recalled the film as being from 1952, although it was released in 1953. He went on to make influential films including *Halloween*, made for $300,000, *Escape from New York* and *The Thing*. His early interest in horror led him to make short films with an 8mm camera before studying cinema and directing his first feature, *Dark Star*, in 1974.
In short
- *It Came from Outer Space* sparked Carpenter’s love of cinema.
- He remembered seeing it in 1952; it was released in 1953.
- His early fascination helped shape a career in influential genre films.
Explained simply
John Carpenter is an American film-maker known for science-fiction and horror films. As a child, he watched the 1953 film *It Came from Outer Space*, a science-fiction story about an alien visitor, and later said its opening made him realise how powerfully cinema could affect an audience.
Carpenter began making short films with an 8mm camera before studying cinema. His first feature film, *Dark Star*, came out in 1974; he later directed *Halloween*, *Escape from New York* and *The Thing*, which helped establish his place in modern horror and science-fiction cinema.