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John Carpenter

It may seem old hat by now since it was such an archetype it was copied to death (pardon the expression), but I think it still stands up as a horror of wondrous simplicity, basic good versus evil stuff, tense and exciting. Give it a go, what do you have to lose?

Agreed. It may seem tame by modern standards, but IMO, strange men staring blank-eyed up at your bedroom window never stops being scary.

There was a documentary in which the film's co-writer says she and Carpenter made a list of things that frightened them most, then they wrote the story around the list. I thought that was a clever way of working.
 
There was a documentary in which the film's co-writer says she and Carpenter made a list of things that frightened them most, then they wrote the story around the list. I thought that was a clever way of working.
That IS brilliant!
 
:eek:...
Early Word: John Carpenter’s THE THING Is a Bloody Mess

Move over E.T., extraterrestrials are about to get gruesome. The first reviews for John Carpenter‘s alien invasion horror film are out, and they’re as brutal as the film’s titular alien parasite. The Thing follows a group of men stationed at a remote research facility in Antarctica who encounter a shape-shifting extraterrestrial that can replicate the form of whoever it kills. Sounds great, but Carpenter’s remake of Howard Hawks‘ 1951 film The Thing from Another World has earned scathing reviews from a number of high-profile critics for being a shallow gorefest.
http://collider.com/the-thing-john-carpenter-bad-reviews/
 
The special effects never overshadowed the story or acting. It is and I suspect always will be my favourite horror film. What a bunch of muppets and not in a nice Moooksta-muppet way either.
 
Sounds great, but Carpenter’s remake of Howard Hawks‘ 1951 film The Thing from Another World has earned scathing reviews from a number of high-profile critics for being a shallow gorefest.

Shallow gorefest? Curious as to what those critics have thought of subsequent movies. To my mind, The Thing is as perfect as a horror movie gets, and, in so far as it does exactly what it attempts to do, is probably as perfect as a movie gets. Ennio Morricone did the score. If you listen to the music in the film, it is exactly as much is as needed, but no more, from a composer perfectly capable of an extensive and varied score for a movie. I think that perfectly encapsulates the movie. Exactly what's needed and when, but no more. Among my favourite movies of all time.
 
I don't get it, unless it's some sort of April fool's prank - 'first reviews' of a 35 year old film?...

I agree with Naughty - one of my favourites too. The claustrophobia & mounting paranoia of the cast match the special effects which still look pretty good today. Soundtrack is good too, matching the rising sense of dread. Even the dog in the early part of the film manages to be menacing, silently slipping into a room.
 
Also worth pointing out the remake was a bit of a flop with audiences at the time, then gathered cult status over the years to become the classic it's regarded as now. Same with Big Trouble in Little China (OK, maybe not so many think that's a classic, but some do love it).
 
Who doesn't think Big Trouble in Little China is a classic? Name and shame them! All aboard the Pork Chop Express!
 
Well, it's not as high profile as The Thing, no matter how much its fans like it. At least people do like it and it didn't end up like The Golden Child.
 
I think Big Trouble in Little China might be one of the most entertaining, off-the-wall films from the 1980s.
Surprised it wasn't a huge hit.
But then, films with real worth sometimes do badly (Blade Runner as an example).
 
I think the problem was the mainstream audience weren't interested in a Hollywood film emulating a nutty Hong Kong adventure movie, and if you did like those things you would be sticking with the originals. Fortunately home video saved Jack Burton from oblivion, as was the case with a number of cult films.
 
John Carpenter's Lost Themes - his first stand alone album (for you to sample before you buy, obviously ;))


Parts of it sound like classic John Carpenter and parts of it sound like Tangerine Dream when they went downhill - too much aimless guitar noodling and not enough atmosphere.
 
I did buy it when it came out and played it a lot, really enjoyed it. It's recognisably Carpenter. Wish he'd have made a film to go with it, though.
 
John Carpenter Wins Plagiarism Case Against Luc Besson Over 'Lockout'
In 2012, Luc Besson's mid-budget action factory delivered "Lockout," a sci-fi-ish action movie that saw a game Guy Pearce leading a dumb yet more-enjoyable-than-it-had-any-right-to-be adventure about an ex-con tasked with rescuing the President's daughter from a prison… in space! Like I said, it's dumb. The box office was dreadful and reviews were worse, though on a positive note, Box Office described the picture as "a sleek, slick and shameless rip-off of John Carpenter's Snake Plissken films 'Escape from New York' and 'Escape from L.A.' " And Carpenter himself agreed.
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplayl...case-against-luc-besson-over-lockout-20151015
 
Lockout was a hell of a lot more fun than Escape from L.A., but yeah, it did owe a lot to Mr Plissken.
 
Has anyone else seen the remake of Assault on Precinct 13? I found it in Poundland the other day and really enjoyed it. It occurred to me while I was watching it that the original owes quite a lot to Night of the Living Dead.
 
Has anyone else seen the remake of Assault on Precinct 13? I found it in Poundland the other day and really enjoyed it. It occurred to me while I was watching it that the original owes quite a lot to Night of the Living Dead.

Its ok. Still prefer the original & you are right about debt to NOTLD.
 
I'm just finishing watching Ghosts of Mars for the first time now. I've been so gripped that I've spent much of its run-time reading this thread and typing this, even though I'm on the Norfolk Broads and my phone is suffering from Norfolk Signal Scarcity Syndrome. I can't fathom how this piece of rubbish comes from the same director who created so many inspired classics. It's as though someone was trying to make a naff, low budget 80s sci-fi flick, as some kind of homage to rubbish cinema.
 
Has anyone else seen the remake of Assault on Precinct 13? I found it in Poundland the other day and really enjoyed it. It occurred to me while I was watching it that the original owes quite a lot to Night of the Living Dead.

It owes even more to Rio Bravo, Carpenter's a big Howard Hawks fan. Romero might be too.
 
Live UK dates:

http://www.atpfestival.com/events/news/1511191555

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Just watched the " Was Childs infected?" that me and Swifty were talking about on the Horror film thread.

http://www.blastr.com/2011/08/was_childs_the_thing_one.php

I don't think Childs not having steaming breath is a reason. I just think that Childs is closer to the fire than MacReady is. The Thing is flesh and blood after all and at 1.28, (the clip on the horror thread), you can clearly see his breath.

I don't think MacReady gave Childs a molotov cocktail to drink either, The thing tends to assimilate memories and I reckon it would know it's not whiskey. It would also be pretty lame.

I always put the lighter jacket down to Child's having been out much longer, and it was covered by frost.

Yes I think his "I got lost in the snow" was weak, I still don't think either was the Thing though.

Carpenter himself has clearly specified that he left the ending open.
 
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I'm happy with not knowing, and don't really understand the impulse to have the story all wrapped up with a neat bow when the open ending was incredibly effective. It wouldn't be half the film it is without that lack of explanation.
 
I do wish he'd start making films again...[sigh]
 
I'm happy with not knowing, and don't really understand the impulse to have the story all wrapped up with a neat bow when the open ending was incredibly effective. It wouldn't be half the film it is without that lack of explanation.


Totally agree and that's why I'm not keen on director/cast commentaries or over-analyzing as it gives away the magic of the film. Bladerunner was the same.

I do wish he'd start making films again...[sigh]

I'm not so sure, we've seen a massive decline in the quality of folk like Ridley Scott and George A Romero as they've gotten older. I don't want Romero to make another Dead film and I don't want Scott to touch a Bladerunner reboot.

Carpenter himself looks very frail these days and I don't think he'd be up to a big shoot.

What was the last quality film Carpenter made? For me it's In the Mouth of Madness, but that divides fans, some love it some hate it.

Going past that then it's probably They Live or Big Trouble in Little China and that was in 1988 and 1986.

I think Hollywood missed it's opportunity during his golden period on the early 1970's to the mid to late 80's, but I'm guessing he wasn't given big projects as he's his own guy and a bit of an outsider.
 
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