The constellation of stars that lie on the sidewalks between Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Los Angeles is about to get a new dark celestial body as John Carpenter joins the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Officially announced by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Carpenter will be the 2806th star to be installed on the sidewalk. The exact address of the installation is “7000 Hollywood Boulevard, in front of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.” The event will take place on April 3rd, 2025 and it will be live-streamed on the organization’s website at 11:30 AM PT.
Carpenter joins a very small list of horror directors on the Walk of Fame. George Romero got a posthumous star back in 2017 and Roger Corman got his in 1991. There are some directors with stars that have made classic and influential horror films like William Friedkin (The Exorcist), Alfred Hitchcock (Psycho), and Stephen Spielberg (Jaws), but very few masters of horror. Carpenter’s inclusion can act as a door-opener for other genre giants to claim their spot on the tourist-heavy area. It’s not surprising there aren’t that many horror directors featured on the Walk, though. Horror’s been entrenched in an ages long battle for recognition, something Carpenter has spoken about before whenever he comments on his frustrations with Hollywood and the movie-making business. We’re seeing more of it, but it’s been a game of inches.
That said, Carpenter’s oeuvre speaks for itself. If you’re asking yourself why Carpenter deserves this distinct honor, simply choose from one of the following: Halloween, They Live, The Thing, or Escape from New York, to name a few. Each one of those movies is influential enough to warrant a star. They shaped genres, expanded on the possibilities of body horror, made huge political statements, and added to the language of cosmic terror in film. For instance, it would be easy to just mention the creation of Michael Myers as reason enough for the honor and be done with it, but that would under-represent the impact Halloween had on the slasher subgenre and every single variation of it. You have to consider just how involved Carpenter was in all aspects of filmmaking per production. He wrote or co-wrote the music for his movies (which also became synonymous with horror), he promoted the use of practical effects to capture a more palpable sense of fear on screen, and he showcased complete control over mood and atmosphere to the point of making it signature. You know when you’re watching a John Carpenter film, and you know when someone is using Carpenter’s teachings to create their own horror. He’s a pillar of American horror. Without him, the history of the genre would be entirely different, and less exciting.
To be considered a master of horror (a title Carpenter rejects), the work needs to transcend. It has to possess a legacy that alters the very fabric of the genre it represents. Carpenter didn’t just pull this off with a single movie. He did it repeatedly. Each of his movies stand as unique vision of darkness that added to our understanding of horror in different ways. That is why he deserves a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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