John Carpenter's prolific career is mind-blowing. He's the director of dozens of great titles spanning multiple subjects and film genres, from drama to science fiction to action. But of course, he's more often remembered as a master of horror for his pioneering and well-executed ideas that changed the genre forever. A writer-director-producer with strong trademarks, he's also a fantastic composer who's responsible for unforgettable soundtracks. "Movies are pieces of film stuck together in a certain rhythm (...) like a musical composition. The rhythm you create affects the audience," Carpenter said in a The New Yorker profile published in 1980.

Carpenter's approach to horror as something with a beat that makes people feel alive -- not just scared -- and that gives food for thought is why his style is unparalleled. With so many theatrical releases and television features under his belt, most of Carpenter's movies have something scary to offer, even when they're not straight-up horror.