All the way back in 2017, Sacred Bones Records released John Carpenter’s Anthology (Movie Themes 1974–1998), an intoxicating collection of the iconic horror filmmaker’s movie themes. Featuring tracks from In the Mouth of Madness, Halloween, Prince of Darkness and more, the album became an instant must-have for Carpenter fans and soundtrack nerds.
Now, five years later, Sacred Bones has announced the imminent arrival of John Carpenter’s Anthology II (Movies Themes 1976-1988). Just as before, the collection will run the gamut across Carpenter’s entire filmography, featuring newly arranged and recorded tracks performed by Carpenter and his longtime collaborators, Daniel Davies and Cody Carpenter.
One inclusion that will be of particular interest to fans: Carpenter’s “Chariots of Pumpkins,” from Tommy Lee Wallace’s Halloween III. Says Carpenter about this newly-arranged and updated track:
“This piece was made for someone else’s movie, the Tommy Lee Wallace directed Halloween III. I don’t remember what his specific direction for me was for the main titles, but I wanted to reflect a kind of science fiction feel. The sound has been updated and it was fun to redo this song. The three of us using modern and updated sounds and production has influenced the overall feel of the song.”
Elsewhere on Anthology II, you’ll find fresh takes on themes from Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness, Halloween (and its sequels), The Fog, Escape From New York, Big Trouble in Little China, They Live, and – perhaps most excitingly! – three previously unreleased tracks from The Thing, whose planned inclusion in the film was scrapped once Carpenter brought in the great Ennio Morricone to handle the score. If you’re the same sort of ultra-The Thing nerd that we are here at FANGORIA, those tracks alone make this collection a must-buy.
Speaking of, when can we buy it? Via Sacred Bones on October 6th. Head on over to this page to get a look at the full track listing (and, obviously, to pre-order your copy in one of several different colorways), and stay tuned for more on Anthology II as further updates roll in.
