The 13 best John Carpenter movies, ranked

13. Elvis (1979)

While this is unquestionably a “one of these things is not like the other” entry on this list — both because it’s a biopic and a TV movie, two rarities in the Carpenter canon — it doesn’t mean its inclusion isn’t warranted. Indeed, given the recent popularity of another film with the same name, it’s very much a Carpenter effort that deserves a higher profile.

Debuting only two short years after the death of the King of rock & roll, Elvis finds Kurt Russell in the titular role, teaming him with Carpenter for the first — but certainly not last — time in his career, and with the actor lip-syncing to vocals by country singer Ronnie McDowell. The cast is filled with a number of familiar character actors, including Shelley Winters as Elvis’ mama, Gladys, Kurt’s own dad, Bing Russell as Vernon Presley, and Pat Hingle as Colonel Tom Parker. But there are also some still-working faces in the mix, including Joe Mantegna as Joe Esposito and Ed Begley, Jr. as DJ Fontana.

While Elvis doesn’t lead all the way up to Presley’s death (it concludes in 1970), it still makes a concerted effort to cover as much of the King’s career as possible. Though Carpenter doesn’t exactly look back on the film as a fabulous experience — his particular gripe seems to have been with his inability to participate more in the editing process — it was tremendously popular at the time and earned Russell an Emmy nod for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Special.

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