Sandy King may be a familiar name to fans of director John Carpenter. She has produced most of his feature films since the late 1980’s, including “They Live,” “Prince of Darkness,” “In The Mouth of Madness,” “Village of the Damned,” “Vampires” and most recently, “Ghosts of Mars.” They are partners in every sense of the word - enjoying the challenging and rewarding roles of filmmakers as husband and wife.

Sandy’s bio reveals an extraordinary list of accomplishments, and over the past few years, I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with her informally about her projects with John. It was a natural progression to go “on the record” and fire away a few questions about her work with John, the filmmaking process, and her passion for films and the home theater environment. Hope you enjoy!

FM: Throughout your career, you've worked with a number of directors who have very unique styles, including John Cassavetes, Walter Hill, Michael Mann, Francis Ford Coppola, and of course, John Carpenter. While all are very different artists, in what way are they similar?

SKC: They are all men of vision with a coherent approach to story telling.

FM: How did you first start working with John?

SKC: I was the script supervisor on “Starman” in 1984.

FM: When you prepare a project, do you tend to every detail in the pre-production phase, or do you allow some flexibility when you’re shooting? In this respect, I'm sure working with John Carpenter is quite different than, say, John Cassavetes on "Killing of a Chinese Bookie" as his style was improvisational.

SKC: Performances might be improvisational, but not structure. Not unless you’re an amateur, which none of these directors is. Preparation is the key to flexibility. There is an old saying, which I think can be applied to filmmaking, “God is in the details.”

FM: I was surprised to see you on the credits of "Sixteen Candles," along with other folks on your current team. That must have been 1983-84. Is that when the group began working together?

SKC: That was shot in 1982. Credits are deceptive. While it was the first time I worked with (cinematographer) Gary Kibbe, I had known him for some time before then. The Ed Warschilka who edited “16 Candles” is the father of Ed and Paul Warschilka who have both edited for John.

FM: Are your films now all developed through your production company, Storm King, or does a studio approach you?

SKC: Both.

FM: What's it like working together in the filmmaking process as husband and wife? Does it lead to some interesting discussions over dinner?

SKC: It has led to some interesting silences over dessert.

FM: Between projects, do you both "disconnect" from the business, or do you still enjoy watching films in your home theater?

SKC: We watch movies at home all the time - whether we’re working or not. I don’t think there’s a contradiction in being both filmmakers and audience members. Nobody appreciates well-made movies more than other filmmakers do.

FM: What's your home theater set-up?

SKC: Our first home surround set-up was the Pioneer Elite system. We’re in the process of updating, but the core of our system is a 52-inch rear-projection screen, progressive scan DVD, laserdisc player, two super VHS machines, a beta machine, some fancy ass amplifier and a 5.1 speaker system. I’m sure I’m forgetting something here, but that’s close. I have lust in my heart for the new JBL speakers we used when we were mixing “Ghosts of Mars” over at Cherokee Studios.

FM: You explained at one point that you guys actually conducted a "taste test" a few years ago to compare DVDs with then state-of-the-art laserdiscs and were pleasantly surprised. What were your impressions when you saw the new technology, and what’s your verdict?

SKC: John put up Howard Hawks’ “Red River,” first on laserdisc and then on DVD. I think we both expected the laserdisc to be a better quality format. I mean, the DVDs were smaller and cheaper… and so far superior we couldn’t believe it. Laserdiscs used to be a little finicky. DVDs are much more user friendly and take up much less space. When you add in the consistency of product quality, there is no question it is the best format on the market for home theaters.

FM: There’s an increasing push to pack a lot of extras into DVDs, such as documentaries, interview commentaries, etc. As a filmmaker, are you concerned about spoiling the magic for viewers, or do you like to share your thoughts about the filmmaking process and documenting the production?

SKC: Too late. The magic is gone for the average twelve-year-old. Might as well give them the best show we can the whole way. For “Ghosts of Mars,” we actually shot a video diary in anticipation of the DVD. The more we can give the DVD guys, the happier the consumer will be. John does the best commentaries in the business.

FM: There is a growing concern about the quality of theatrical presentations, and ironically, a home video format (DVD) has opened many viewers eyes to what a quality presentation SHOULD be like, in terms of proper aspect ratio, stable image, good sound, etc. What are your thoughts when you see your films in a theater or on DVD?

SKC: I think more care is going into the DVD production than the theatrical releases these days. I am so damned tired of the studios’ complete lack of interest in print quality and exhibitors’ inability to change the bulbs in their projectors. The films deserve more respect than that. The filmmakers deserve more respect than that. The public deserves more respect than that.

FM: Are you or John involved in the DVD production and/or video transfer process for all your films (including John's earlier works)?

SKC: We’re filmmakers. We don’t make the DVDs. There is another industry made up of the fine people who specialize in taking our work and converting it for the ancillary markets. That is an art in and of itself. There are specialized companies that put together the other elements and design the graphics that make the DVD experience more than just watching a movie. We give them as much material and access as we can, but the process of assembling it all is theirs.

FM: A few of your films really stand out in DVD presentation quality. A newer film, like “Ghosts of Mars” or “Vampires,” benefits from a sparkling transfer (since the elements should still be in great condition). However, I was blown away by what Anchor Bay did with their new pressing of “Halloween.” “The Thing,” by MCA Home Video, is also great (although the video transfer is not anamorphic - enhanced for 16:9 TVs). Do you or John have a say in whether a new video transfer is anamorphic, or does the studio that releases the DVD decide?

SKC: All I know is “The Thing” looked better than at any time since its original negative sales prints. I thought it was beautiful and the menu format, the interviews - all of it - was fantastic. I think that MCA Home Video do the best quality conversions in the business. The guys over there love movies and it shows in the product they produce.

FM: Sometimes a previously approved laserdisc transfer, or worse - a pan and scan transfer - is used when putting out catalog DVDs. As filmmakers, can you and John prevent a poor video transfer from occurring? Is it true that the Director's Guild requires a director to be contacted when a new video transfer is done?

SKC: If we approve a sloppy job, then shame on us. However, I think there is some semantic confusion here between what a “transfer” is and what a reformatting is. If the format of presentation changes, if there are new edits for either censorship or time constraints, if there is a change of aspect ratio, etc., then that requires new approvals. If it is a straight transfer of material that is different only because of its method of transmittal, then I don’t believe that necessitates new approvals.

FM: MGM did a new, anamorphic video transfer for “Escape From New York,” but failed to include extras from the laserdisc on the DVD, including the great commentary by Kurt Russell and John, as well as footage from the excised prologue. I hear a new special edition DVD of “Escape” is in the works and that Anchor Bay may be stepping in when MGM's rights expire. Can you tell us more about this?

SKC: Nope. I’m lucky I know what day the trash gets picked up.

FM: I understand that MGM also is working on “The Fog.” Any other Carpenter titles currently in production for DVD release or special edition re-release? (Author’s note: this interview took place prior to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. announcing it has put itself up for sale and hired an investment banking firm to solicit bids - it will be interesting to see what will become of its vast catalog)

SKC: In December (2001), John and Roddy Piper recorded a commentary track for “They Live”, and the next day John did one with Peter Jason for “Prince of Darkness.” Both are for German distribution.

FM: It was unfortunate to hear that a “Starman” special edition DVD will be available in another region, but not in the U.S. Any hope for a special edition of this title in the U.S.?

SKC: I would imagine they’ll get around to it eventually. Seems like a no-brainer.

FM: What's next for both of you?

SKC: We’re on vacation. There has to be some point to working this hard.