While has become synonymous with fictional horror storytelling, the 75-year-old director and composer is dipping his toe into true life terrors with his new show, 害羞草研究所淛ohn Carpenter害羞草研究所檚 Suburban Screams.害羞草研究所�

The legendary director, known for genre-defining classics including 害羞草研究所淗alloween害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淭he Thing,害羞草研究所� sat down with The Associated Press for a wide-ranging interview ahead of the release of the unscripted anthology series, which fittingly hits Peacock on Friday, Oct. 13. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: I know you害羞草研究所檝e talked about how film school helped you understand the plumbing of making movies. But it害羞草研究所檚 interesting because now with education we have so much more access to information thanks to the internet.

CARPENTER: Tell me about it. It害羞草研究所檚 all different now. Oh, everything is different. The technology of the business is different. The business is different. I would be starting over completely green if I had to right now. I learned everything about the camera and editing and sound and all that stuff. All that stuff has changed. It害羞草研究所檚 all different. The sound now is like, 害羞草研究所榃hat the hell is that? Where害羞草研究所檚 the NAGRA?害羞草研究所� At USC, we had a lab where you could do processing. We don害羞草研究所檛 process any more. It害羞草研究所檚 all digital.

AP: I害羞草研究所檓 curious if you had any reluctance at the time about dropping out or if it was like full steam ahead.

JC: No, I knew what I was doing. I just wanted to get out of there, get on with my career.

AP: I have noticed that a lot of recent academic literature has been written about horror movies, even outside of film studies. For so long it was thought of as kind of low brow. Now, scholars are writing about it. And we害羞草研究所檙e seeing this interest in elevated horror, directors like Jordan Peele.

CARPENTER: His movies are pretty damn good. The is great. I loved it. I see horror as a genre that gets reinvented by every generation to fit their generation. You know, I did it with mine. Tobe Hooper and George Romero reinvented it for theirs. It always happens.

AP: But some people still turn their nose up at it.

CARPENTER: They still look down on it, don害羞草研究所檛 they? We害羞草研究所檝e always been looked down on. We害羞草研究所檙e close to being pornographers. Just a little above, you know? Just a bit.

AP: Have you been playing any good video games lately?

CARPENTER: I害羞草研究所檝e been playing one for a long time, the 害羞草研究所淔allout害羞草研究所� game. I害羞草研究所檓 looking forward to the new 害羞草研究所淎ssassin害羞草研究所檚 Creed害羞草研究所� game. I don害羞草研究所檛 know if it害羞草研究所檚 going to be any good, but I害羞草研究所檒l check it out.

AP: I think video games are having a similar kind of moment. They were written off for a long time, and now they害羞草研究所檙e having a kind of renaissance.

CARPENTER: Roger Ebert said video games will never be art. And I thought, 害羞草研究所淲ait a minute now. It is.害羞草研究所� In its own way, it害羞草研究所檚 art.

AP: So now you are pivoting to real scary stories 害羞草研究所� things that actually happened. Can you talk a little bit about what prompted you to make this sort of shift in your storytelling?

CARPENTER: Well, I害羞草研究所檝e never done this before 害羞草研究所� true stories that involve frightening things. True stories of killers are a staple of television. But what we害羞草研究所檙e concentrating on in this series are the survivors. You know, we don害羞草研究所檛 care so much about the perpetrators. The thing about 害羞草研究所淒ahmer,害羞草研究所� the character that I remember the most is 害羞草研究所� the character from the survivor害羞草研究所檚 point of view. And that害羞草研究所檚 something I haven害羞草研究所檛 done. I also haven害羞草研究所檛 done a true-life deal, except for Elvis, which 害羞草研究所� that doesn害羞草研究所檛 count. But I also remote directed this series and that害羞草研究所檚 fantastic. The cast and crew were in Prague, and I害羞草研究所檓 sitting in my living room. I have a full cup of coffee in my hand saying, 害羞草研究所淒o this, do that.害羞草研究所� That害羞草研究所檚 fabulous. I cannot wait to do it again that way.

AP: And how did the stories come to you? Were they pitched to you and then you vetted them?

CARPENTER: Yeah, that害羞草研究所檚 it. We have researchers who find the stories out there and we pick the ones that are the most interesting. I picked the phone stalker because I couldn害羞草研究所檛 believe that this woman was being stalked for six years and they couldn害羞草研究所檛 catch this guy. What the hell is that? It害羞草研究所檚 crazy.

AP: It害羞草研究所檚 been a tumultuous time in Hollywood with the writers and actors strikes this summer. I害羞草研究所檓 curious what your thinking is on the state of the industry.

CARPENTER: Oh, wow. Well parts of it , parts aren害羞草研究所檛. I mean, look, 害羞草研究所淏arbie害羞草研究所� is the biggest movie of the year and it worldwide, made by a woman. That害羞草研究所檚 incredible. That害羞草研究所檚 progress. I can害羞草研究所檛 promise you that I understood the damn movie or cared about it that much. It害羞草研究所檚 just so, you know, it害羞草研究所檚 just different. However, I appreciate what she did. Appreciate everybody involved in that film.

So, I mean, come on. The movie business has always been cooking along. We all love to go to movies. We still love to go to movies. We害羞草研究所檙e watching a lot on our TVs, though. And I guess on our computers too. I害羞草研究所檓 not sure about that. That doesn害羞草研究所檛 make sense to me. Why that? I gotta see it big. Anyway, what do I think of the business? Well, I love cinema. I love movies. The art of motion pictures. So, wherever the business goes, I害羞草研究所檒l follow along and still love it. But I fell in love when I was really young. And it hasn害羞草研究所檛 gone away.