The Onion's A.V. Club Wrote:
AVC: How did you get involved with Showtime?
John Carpenter: It grew out of these dinners that we have... "We" meaning horror directors. Horror and science fiction and fantasy. We all get together and commiserate and break bread and make fun of each other. We do it a couple of times a year, very informally. People come, people go. They're just a lot of fun. And Mick Garris, who's one of our numbers, said, "You know, wouldn't it be great if we could all get together and make little movies, maybe for television?" Somehow it all fell into place. Garris is the one who did all the work.
AVC: Who draws up the invitation list for those dinners?
JC: I don't know, I'm not on the inviting committee. [Laughs.] I think Mick started it with a basic core group of people we've all known for a long time. Tobe Hooper and I go back to the '70s. George Romero and I, John Landis... But we have new members showing up. The last one we had, David Cronenberg showed up. He hadn't been at the others. Rob Zombie came to one. Rob's a real nice guy. I don't know who decides who comes.
AVC: No printed invitations, dripping blood?
JC: [Laughs.] No. Just a phone call and an address.
I dunno, I just think this would be hilarious, especially to observe from another table in a restaurant.
eter, aka 
usty 
halk