John Carpenter talks about his addiction to Fallout 76 and how Dead Space would “make a really great movie”.

John Carpenter never gives a boring interview, and his latest interview with the AV Club is no exception. As a highly regarded horror filmmaker and composer, as well as an avid gamer, he also has a lot to say about video games.

AV Club’s William Hughes asked Carpenter about the games he’d played, what he liked about them, and even his gaming routine. What quickly became apparent was Carpenter’s addiction to Fallout 76: “I was addicted to this Fallout 76 game. I’ve been addicted to it for a long time. You know, I know bugs came out and a lot of it got deleted, but I thought it was great. It’s really fun to play.” He’d also mentioned that he’d kept up with Borderlands and Horizon Forbidden West.

It was noted that Carpenter seems to like open-world titles with more exploration, to which he said: “It’s fun. Your freedom to roam and do it your way. And that’s what I love about Fallout.” There’s a template to follow, there’s missions, but there are other ways to do it. And they keep coming up with new missions and new ideas from time to time,” says Carpenter.

After recommending Carpenter play Elden Ring, who hasn’t tried FromSoftware’s RPG yet, he was asked if he was considering writing a soundtrack for a game. Carpenter has written several acclaimed films including Halloween, The Fog, They Live and more. Given his fondness for games, you’d think he’d be trying to score one, but when asked about it, Carpenter replied, “If anyone were to ask me, I certainly would. But no one asked!”

Currently, The Thing, a video game adaptation of the 1982 film of the same name directed by Carpenter, is the only game to feature Carpenter’s licensed works.

Finally, Hughes asked if Carpenter had ever considered adapting a game into a movie, to which he said, “The only one I can think of, and I’ve already mentioned it, is Dead Space. That would make a really great movie. I could do that.” Well, that’s not at all confirmation that Carpenter is working on a Dead Space movie, but it’s certainly an interesting idea to think about. I know I’d definitely pay to see it .

Carpenter also shared that gaming is a big part of his life, an activity he certainly enjoys more than filming. For him, gaming is relaxation. I wish I could say the same. Finally, when asked about modern games and if there’s anything Carpenter would like to see changed, he said, “Oh fuck no. Keep going. Keep up the good work. I say that because they are all good. I have no criticism of them. I don’t want them to do anything they don’t do. What they do is very good. I started Sonic The Hedgehog in 1992. I’m trying to figure out how the hell to play this game. Oh God. It was tough for me. I mean, no one else, I’m sure of it.”

Finally, does Carpenter feel a sense of accomplishment when he completes a difficult mission in a game? Yes. “I am proud of myself. And to celebrate, I don’t know, smoke a joint.”