"It’s just not my generation"- Horror legend John Carpenter admits not understanding Barbie

John Carpenter has been a revered figure in the horror industry for years, especially because of his franchise-spawning hit Halloween, which remains one of the most popular horror films of all time. His other works include masterpieces like The Thing and The Fog, all of which have found cult status over the years in Hollywood horror fandom.

Most recently, the director also began his project Suburban Screams, an anthology television series set to premiere on Peacock.

But John Carpenter himself has not been in touch with the film industry much, as he admitted in a new interview with the LA Times while speaking about his upcoming project, Suburban Screams. He said that he only stepped out to watch Barbie this year but did not relate to or understand it. He said in the interview:

"I don’t go out. I haven’t been to a movie in a while, but I see them at my house. I’ll see it there. I watched “Barbie.” I can’t believe I watched “Barbie.” It’s just not my generation. I had nothing to do with Barbie dolls. I didn’t know who Allan was. I mean, I can sum it up. She says, “I don’t have a vagina,” and then at the end, “I’m going to go to a gynecologist!” That’s the movie to me. I mean, there’s a patriarchy business in there, but I missed that whole thing. Right over my head. But I think she’s fabulous, Margot Robbie."

In the rest of the interview, John Carpenter elaborated on how he stumbled on the streaming medium and how it felt to direct this new anthology series remotely.

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"I remote-directed it, which was fun"- John Carpenter on

Suburban Screams

For John Carpenter, this new series not only marks his first steps into the streaming world but also the return to direction after an extended break of over a decade. Moreover, he returned to direct remotely, which he admitted he prefers now because of his age. Carpenter is 75.

Elaborating on working on the project, he said:

"It was an offer from the company that produces it. They don’t want me to say “reality,” but it’s true stories. These are all true stories dug up by researchers, and the one I chose was a phone stalker because I connected to it. They’re creepy stories. I shouldn’t say this, but they’re shot on reality show budgets, which is a challenge. I did not [conduct the interviews]. I was there, but I was watching the interview."

He added:

"We hit the points that are going to translate into a visual story. Poor thing. And I remote-directed it, which was fun. That’s the way I’m going to do it now. I’m too old to run around, stomping around....I [directed from] a chair in the front room where I play video games, where I watch basketball and watch the news. It was all set up so the big screen TV has the [live camera feed] through the lens."

At the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, the French Directors' Guild gave Carpenter the Golden Coach Award, cementing his legacy in the horror genre forever.

John Carpenter's Suburban Screams will premiere on October 13, 2023.