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Giant Bomb's 2014 John Carpenter Interview

I somehow convinced the director of The Thing and Halloween to answer my stupid questions again.

When I was putting together Shocktober last year, the idea of legendary horror director John Carpenter giving me a few minutes of his time seemed ridiculous. But I sent off an email, and forgot about it. Then, for whatever reason, Carpenter actually got back to me, and he's been featured on the site a few times now.

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Fortunately for everyone, 2014 is no different. Though Carpenter is a man of few words, I'll take any words from the director who's brought me some of my favorite films over the years.

If you're wondering why Carpenter might be featured on Giant Bomb, that's a good question. One, we do what we want. Two, Carpenter has talked publicly about his love for video games many times in the past. He even submitted a top ten list for our game of the year feature last year, naming Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag his favorite of 2013. If we're lucky, he'll be back for another round at the end of the year.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. As Shocktober 2014 nears an end, here's what Carpenter had to say.

Giant Bomb:Can you share what video games have you been playing this year? What have been some of your favorites, and why?

John Carpenter: I’m addicted to Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel just like I was Borderlands 2 and its add-ons. Murdered was an interesting game. I was somewhat disappointed by aspects of Destiny; nonetheless, I've played it numerous times.

GB: Have you played with an Oculus Rift at all? It's a virtual reality headset for video games. Many suspect it could be the future of horror. What do you think?

Carpenter: No, and no thanks.

GB: Are you going to play Alien: Isolation and The Evil Within? It's a good year for horror games, and Alien: Isolation is excellent.

Carpenter: I’ll play both.

GB: Do you actually get scared playing horror games or watching horror movies? Can you recall a moment that particularly frightened you?

Carpenter: I don’t get frightened as much as I get anxious for what’s about to happen to my character.

GB: Last year, you mentioned an interest in making a horror video game. Has anything changed since then? Do you have any idea what kind of game you might make?

Carpenter: What makes a game great is its design and gameplay. A number of fascinating video game stories can be written but they need the design/gameplay to make them soar

GB: My final question doesn't have to do with games, but I wanted to ask about the legacy of the Halloween series. You tried to close the book on Michael Myers with the second film, but he keeps coming back. Why do you think Michael Myers continues to resonate, and does any part of you wish the series had ended after Halloween II?

Carpenter: I wish the only Halloween made was the first one. I felt that there was no more story after the original. But audiences wanted to see Michael Myers return again and again. Or maybe it was producers who wanted him to return again and again for reasons having to do with profit.

Patrick Klepek on Google+