On a crisp October night, New York’s Knockdown Center was packed wall-to-wall with horror fans waiting to catch a glimpse of the master of horror himself, John Carpenter. This was the second and final night of his mini New York residency, and the crowd’s fiendish anticipation could be felt from either side of the massive warehouse. With the lights nearly completely dimmed, the unmistakable warm electronic hum of modular synthesizers coupled with patient, even tones filled the room. John Carpenter walked out to thunderous applause and cheers as the band kicked into ‘Over The Wall (Escape)’ from Escape From New York. As John flashed devil horns to the crowd, snarled his teeth and radiated a joy that was impossible to miss. He was taking it all in, and the pure elation coming from him was so clear and present that it was hard to think he wasn’t born to do this instead. The night unfolded like a studio backlot tour of his catalog of film as he played a selection of tracks from many of his most groundbreaking movies like They Live, Christine, The Thing and – of course – Halloween.

In between tracks, he would often make a sly comment, introducing the songs with comments like “now please.. Drive home safe tonight. Christine is out there!” Then, of course, he’d launch into a composition from his 1983 adaptation of the Stephen King classic. Projected behind the band (which featured his own son, Cody Carpenter) were clips from each film in beautiful and stunning color. In many ways, the night felt like a celebration of John and his work. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of John Carpenter’s work on generations of film and horror fans. His vision has left an indelible mark on the history of the genre and the wider American film canon. This show was a victory lap, and he deserves it.

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