Why John Carpenter Hating 'The Substance' Should Inspire Every Filmmaker

John Carpenter has always been a firebrand. It's what makes his movies so noisy and so much fun. He marches to the beat of his own drum.

So, when he was asked about his feelings on he movie The Substance at a fan expo, we sort of should have anticipated that it would be a hot take.

Check it out below.

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It Doesn't Matter What Someone Else Feels About Your Favorite Movie

Look, I loved The Substance. I went to see it with some of my best friends in Los Angeles, and I had to bury my head into my buddy's shoulder during some of the gross scenes, and I cheered at some of the more outrageous ones.

All together, it was a blast.

Nothing can take away from that, especially not John Carpenter's words. Or the words of anyone who didn't like the movie.

Still, I wish Carpenter had expanded on what he didn't like. I know he said everything, but it would have been cool to see what bumped him from a filmmaking standpoint and storytelling perspective.

It would have been fun to really dig into any criticisms and ideas he had, whether I agreed with them or not.

But even if I disagree, none of that takes away what I feel about John Carpenter. The guy is a masterful director who has built some of the best characters, scored some of the most tense moments, and directed great movies. He's wonderful.

Yet, I am aware that we work in a subjective medium, and like all art, everyone has to develop their own taste. That's why I try not to take these disagreements, whether with famous filmmakers or with friends, too seriously.

Love the movies you love. Hate the movies you hate. Be prepared to defend your point of view and discuss with people who are interested politely, but don't let what other people feel about art persuade you to feel something about it in a different way.

When you're trying to develop your own voice and point of view as a filmmaker, you need to just watch a lot and decide what you enjoy and how you want to shape your craft.

It's okay to not like things that are mainstream or be the person alone on an island defending what people tell you is a hot take.

That's what makes all of this stuff so fun!

It's what makes art....well...art!

If you want to be a successful filmmaker, you need to rely on the truth in your work and stand by the decisions you make. Nothing helps you shape that more than just sticking to your guns on what you like and what you don't.

Summing It All Up

It can be hard to find your voice and to stand up for the ideas you love when they may not be popular, but when we engage with art in this way, we're polishing our own voice.

It can feel lonely to love or hate something where other people feel the opposite, but I think it can also produce some of the most interesting critiques of art.

And it can influence people to make some of the most interesting movies, too.

Let me know what you think in the comments