1948- . US director of horror and science
fiction films. His career began with Dark
Star 1974 and Halloween 1978, and continued
with such films as The Thing 1982; Christine
1983, adapted from a Stephen King story about
a vindictive car; the underrated, gentle
Starman 1984; and They Live 1988. He composes
his own film scores which have often added to
the atmosphere of menace that haunt his more
scary movies.