J.R. Hudson
Spirit Animal
Let's talk about his films here.
The Films of John Carpenter
- Thread starter J.R. Hudson
- Start date
Filmjunkie677
Master of Horror
Hell yeah!
As I was saying "Assault" is my personal fave. Sure, its rough around the edges, (his first film?) but, idk why but it just flat out rocks and I love it.
U sound like ur a Carpenter fanatic like me, John. What do you think of "Assault"?
As I was saying "Assault" is my personal fave. Sure, its rough around the edges, (his first film?) but, idk why but it just flat out rocks and I love it.
U sound like ur a Carpenter fanatic like me, John. What do you think of "Assault"?
Amerikan123
Well-known member
I think assault was great but my personal favorite is John Carpenter's The Thing. Its a classic and to me the best horror movie ive ever seen.
Filmjunkie677
Master of Horror
Every film he made from "Assault" through "They Live" What 77' to 83'. He had some run for those years, then, something happened and that was called "prince of darkness" I hated that film.
And when the hell is he going to direct again. Oh yeah... The masters of horror episode.
And when the hell is he going to direct again. Oh yeah... The masters of horror episode.
Filmjunkie677
Master of Horror
spidey said:
A little of both, spidey....
I love Silent night, deadly night. It's a terrible film but that opening sequence is great. And I'm a sucker for 80's slasher films. The best and the worst. The majority of them being the worst. LOL.
Ought2bCommitted
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Filmjunkie677 said:
Ahhh silent night.... such memories.... sitting in the darkened theatre with my mom and one other young kid and his mom.... my fav part=the beheading during the sleigh ride....naughty!!!
back to JC....
Ought2bCommitted
Veteran
I love--Halloween, The Fog, The Thing, Assault on Precinct 13, and Escape from NY.
Like-In the Mouth of Madness, They Live, Starman, Big Trouble in Little China.
Don't really like the rest. Prince of Darkness had the usual Carpenter atmosphere and sense of doom, but it was sooooooo wooden and boring in sections. Village of the Damned was just too....well, cheap looking and feeling...like a lot of JC's later films as he produces himself to keep control.
Ghosts of Mars was just silly. No real atmosphere or tension. Nothing overly redeeming. No new territory for JC or us.
The JC movies I like the most are the ones he wrote and directed and I think the ones he did with the late Debra Hill.
He is a master (or was?) of tension and drawing out suspense. Some of his best films show a brilliant eye for composition and showing us things on the edge of the frame...or not showing us. His own music usually sets his mood brilliantly, though sometimes that too is off in his later films...
Maybe I just feel like he never left 1983 or so??? His music sounds very 80s electronica... even the stocks he uses.
I don't know! I love the man. He's a horror god and his movies are at the top of my favorite list of all time, but I feel like he died 20 years ago and some pod person has been using him ever since...
-RC
Like-In the Mouth of Madness, They Live, Starman, Big Trouble in Little China.
Don't really like the rest. Prince of Darkness had the usual Carpenter atmosphere and sense of doom, but it was sooooooo wooden and boring in sections. Village of the Damned was just too....well, cheap looking and feeling...like a lot of JC's later films as he produces himself to keep control.
Ghosts of Mars was just silly. No real atmosphere or tension. Nothing overly redeeming. No new territory for JC or us.
The JC movies I like the most are the ones he wrote and directed and I think the ones he did with the late Debra Hill.
He is a master (or was?) of tension and drawing out suspense. Some of his best films show a brilliant eye for composition and showing us things on the edge of the frame...or not showing us. His own music usually sets his mood brilliantly, though sometimes that too is off in his later films...
Maybe I just feel like he never left 1983 or so??? His music sounds very 80s electronica... even the stocks he uses.
I don't know! I love the man. He's a horror god and his movies are at the top of my favorite list of all time, but I feel like he died 20 years ago and some pod person has been using him ever since...
-RC
Steve Strickland
Well-known member
So many great films to choose from. The Thing, Escape from New York, Halloween, and Big Trouble In Little China are largely responsible for my love of movies. They warped my brain during an very influential time in my adolescence.
I'm also the only one I know who enjoys Ghosts Of Mars. It's the same schtick as Assault, people and convicts try to survive an onslaught from outside enemies. Instead of gangs, it's crazy martian goth ghosts. Instead of a precint, it's the planet Mars. Good wholesome, B movie, bloody fun.:thumbsup:
On another note, I was at Target today and the madness of Christmas shopping was giving me a flashback to They Live. "CONSUME" "OBEY"
I'm also the only one I know who enjoys Ghosts Of Mars. It's the same schtick as Assault, people and convicts try to survive an onslaught from outside enemies. Instead of gangs, it's crazy martian goth ghosts. Instead of a precint, it's the planet Mars. Good wholesome, B movie, bloody fun.:thumbsup:
On another note, I was at Target today and the madness of Christmas shopping was giving me a flashback to They Live. "CONSUME" "OBEY"
CallaghanFilms
Veteran
Assault on Precinct 13 - Essential B film
Escape from New York - Essential cult film
The Thing - Essential horror
Starman/Big Trouble in Little China - my personal favorites
Escape from New York - Essential cult film
The Thing - Essential horror
Starman/Big Trouble in Little China - my personal favorites
krestofre
Knight of the Holy Order
"When some wild-eyed eight-foot tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against a bar room wall an' looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if you paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye and you remember what ol' Jack Burton says at a time like that: Have you paid your dues, Jack? Yes, sir, the check is in the mail."
That's all I've got to say about that. :laugh:
That's all I've got to say about that. :laugh:
I notice no one wants to mention "Memoirs of an Invisible Man."
Chris Messineo
Veteran
I love Carpenter.
"The Thing" is easily my favorite, followed closely by, "Halloween, "Escape from New York" and "Big Trouble in Little China".
I think one of the most impressive things about Carpenter is his casting. Not only did he take Kurt Russel out of the world of Disney, but he always finds older, lesser known, but cool actors like Pleasence and Van Cleef to play key parts.
It's a shame that he seems to have lost a step or two lately.
Chris
p.s. His commentary tracks on the DVD's are awesome. Especially the ones with Kurt Russel.
"The Thing" is easily my favorite, followed closely by, "Halloween, "Escape from New York" and "Big Trouble in Little China".
I think one of the most impressive things about Carpenter is his casting. Not only did he take Kurt Russel out of the world of Disney, but he always finds older, lesser known, but cool actors like Pleasence and Van Cleef to play key parts.
It's a shame that he seems to have lost a step or two lately.
Chris
p.s. His commentary tracks on the DVD's are awesome. Especially the ones with Kurt Russel.
HorseFilms
Look ma no hands
CMessineo said:
Agreed. You can tell that they really like hanging out. I love that you can hear them pouring drinks and about every two minutes, Carpenter is lighting another smoke.
Interesting Halloween casting note (but you guys probably know this): The role of Dr. Loomis was originally offered to both Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. They both said "No thanks." To this day, Christopher Lee considers it to be the biggest mistake of his career.
The Thing and Halloween are two movies that made me want to make movies.
HorseFilms
Look ma no hands
Edweirdo said:
Beware of the alien beach ball.:laugh:
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Dark Star is a classic...for different reasons.
Carpenter's commentarty on The Thing is just awesome. Maybe even better than the movie, which I love...maybe...
Its nice to see a director put so much into doing a commentary track!
RC
Carpenter's commentarty on The Thing is just awesome. Maybe even better than the movie, which I love...maybe...
Its nice to see a director put so much into doing a commentary track!
RC
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Edweirdo said:
I liked Vampires. It's kind of like Whedon and Serenity/Firefly. Here it was a western-vampire movie. What bugs me about it is what I've said before about JC's recent films...they feel like they are stuck in a time warp. It's not a horrible movie, but def. not made by JC at his best.
I am curious to see his Masters of Horror entry though. THey have been uneven at best, and that's being kind.
Joe Dante's was good, but a little too political for my taste.
Dario Argento's felt like a six hour epic and you knew where it was going in the first three minutes, so when you got there it wasn't very thrilling.
Stuart Gordon's was just ok. Nothing special. Picked hard material to adpat.
Tobe Hoopers was like an acid trip, and I mean that in a good way. Interesting little flick.
John Landis is up next. Very curious to see!
-RC
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HorseFilms said:
I swear sometimes we were separated at birth!!!
Halloween was the movie that made me want to write horror and make horror movies. My first pen name, you know because EVERYONE had to have a pen name, was John Castle... I'm sure YOU can figure out the two people that gives a nod to, Horse!
I've often had the thought of how many Halloween sequels Lee would have pushed himself to do...and had he done them all would he have had the Burton resurgence with Sleepy Hollow and then LOTR trilogy and SW... we'll never know!