It was just a few months ago that John Carpenter proudly proclaimed a return to the director’s chair. In his case a couch: a new series entitled John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams was shot in Prague while the man worked from home, which he (an enthusiast of playing Xbox, watching basketball, and smoking weed) summarily described as “awesome.” While it wasn’t certain what, exactly, he was talking about, today we have a trailer for the project: a six-episode Peacock series for which he helmed an episode, composed the theme, and produced. (Jordan Roberts, Michelle Latimer, and Jan Pavlacky handled the other installments).
Though brief, the preview gives a sense of Suburban Screams‘ unusual approach: a true-crime series with every episode centered “on one true tale of terror, told by the real people who lived through it. Their firsthand accounts are brought to life through premium cinematic scene-work, news clips, home photos, and archival footage.” Contained therein is also traces of Carpenter’s new theme, and, boy, does it sound like him. (If you want to be a full-blown-crazy auteurist, try guessing which of the widescreen compositions scattered across a minute are his.) So: not quite to the level of a new feature, but we’ll take what we can get while he’s still with us.
Find the preview below ahead of the series’ October 13 debut:
John Carpenter’s Suburban Screams is a genre-busting unscripted horror anthology series from the mind of legendary director, writer, and producer, John Carpenter. The series explores the dark secrets and unspeakable evil that sometimes lurks beneath the surface of the sun-drenched streets, manicured lawns and friendly neighbors of suburbia. Each episode focuses on one true tale of terror, told by the real people who lived through it. Their firsthand accounts are brought to life through premium cinematic scene-work, news clips, home photos, and archival footage, combining the visual language of horror films with the tools and techniques of documentaries, creating a uniquely frightening experience for viewers.