tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post7289651798348902869..comments2024-03-28T06:14:54.076-04:00Comments on And So It Begins...: the Directors: John CarpenterAlex Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-34424192158757684542019-01-17T13:11:41.329-05:002019-01-17T13:11:41.329-05:00Whoaaaa this is so cool. I love reading stuff like...Whoaaaa this is so cool. I love reading stuff like this!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-9338399074172210522019-01-15T11:12:53.346-05:002019-01-15T11:12:53.346-05:00http://thedallasprospect.com/what-if-macready-was-...http://thedallasprospect.com/what-if-macready-was-the-thing-in-the-end-a-theory/<br /><br />Thought i'd like to share this mind-blowing theory about the ending of The Thing. (it entirely changed the way i viewed the film!)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06942155112788163294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-88817151714949366222018-06-12T12:57:29.132-04:002018-06-12T12:57:29.132-04:00Love your rankings - thanks for sharing! So cool t...Love your rankings - thanks for sharing! So cool that Halloween wins out for you as well. <br /><br />Okay, as for the new Halloween... yes, in general, I am excited. But man, I find it harder and harder to keep up with all these prequels, sequels, reboots, reimaginings, remakes, etc. I watched that preview and it made absolutely no sense, because I had no idea the movie took place directly after the first movie. So, I dunno, part of me thinks that's weird, to pretend like the other, JLC-starring films didn't happen (I actually really dig H20), but part of me is down to see them "start" again. Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-89496501044022901032018-06-06T14:16:08.772-04:002018-06-06T14:16:08.772-04:00I love John Carpenter. He has made a lot of bad to...I love John Carpenter. He has made a lot of bad to mediocre movies, but when he makes a good one, it's really good. Halloween and The Thing are both two of my all time favorite movies. If i were to rank the movies from him i have seen it would go like this:<br /><br />1. Halloween 10/10<br />2. The Thing 10/10<br />3. Big Trouble in Little China 8/10<br />4. They Live 7/10<br />5. Escape from New York 7/10<br />6. Christine 7/10<br />7. The Fog 6/10<br />8. Escape from L.A. 5/10<br />9. Dark Star 5/10<br />10. The Ward 4/10<br />11. Ghosts of Mars 1/10<br /><br />I still really need to check out Assault on Precinct 13 and Starman as well. Anyway, are you looking forward to the new Halloween movie coming out this year? I usually wouldn't care about another slasher movie sequel, but it's apparently gonna be a direct sequel to the original Halloween and it's gonna be scores by John Carpenter again so that peaked my interest a little. At least it can't get any worse than the Rob Zombie movies.Henrik J.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12675100900709348187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-40031400285228712952018-05-14T18:29:56.528-04:002018-05-14T18:29:56.528-04:00Lynch is so good at delivering random, chilling th...Lynch is so good at delivering random, chilling thrills. I love when his movies and shows toe that line of suspense and horror. So glad you like Texas Chainsaw as much as I do, and I completely agree that Rec was TERRIFYING in the theater. I genuinely had no idea what that movie was about when I first saw it, and it scared the shit out of me.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-43782882119290325052018-05-14T18:27:25.871-04:002018-05-14T18:27:25.871-04:00I hope she does well in Aquaman too! I've alwa...I hope she does well in Aquaman too! I've always rooted for her, even in The Ward, which she is rather good in. Very curious to see how she performs in such a large-scale movie.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-70745527467835795712018-05-14T18:25:16.038-04:002018-05-14T18:25:16.038-04:00Oh man, it's incredible. I saw it for the firs...Oh man, it's incredible. I saw it for the first time only recently, and 10 minutes in, I got that feeling. That oh so rare feeling you get when you know, right away, that you are watching pure brilliance. And Soderbergh does a commentary with Boorman on the Blu-Ray that is exquisite. Let me know what you think of it! Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-83837492670348425222018-05-09T21:54:29.638-04:002018-05-09T21:54:29.638-04:00Awesome post! Watching this I’ve realized I saw so...Awesome post! Watching this I’ve realized I saw some of those films when I was a little girl/teen and I totally forgot they were directed by John Carpenter. Don’t really know why exactly but when I was a kid (8/10 years, I guess… maybe there fits the absurdist angle) I liked a lot Big Trouble in Little China, whenever it was on TV I watched it. <br /> <br />It’s such a huge list… but I think the ones I liked the most are Assault on Precinct 13, The Thing and Halloween. You've mentioned The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and I think that one is the film that has scary me the most alongside Rec when I watched it on the cinema (didn't have the same effect on TV... but on the cinema I almost had a heart attack haha). My other favorite horror films have to be the Dario Argento’s 70s/80s films… different kind of ‘horror’ but loved them. And they're not usually considered that kind of film, I was terrified with the guy showing up in the house on Lost Highway and some Bob/Leland parts from Twin Peaks and Fire walk with me… Lynch really knows how to makes me scared! <br />María Val. https://www.blogger.com/profile/17702353414253463871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-23401615667845753072018-05-09T04:49:53.733-04:002018-05-09T04:49:53.733-04:00Well, Point Blank just jumped high up on my list. ...Well, Point Blank just jumped high up on my list. Really looks like a frame from one of Brakhage's paint on film experiments.Nick9000https://www.blogger.com/profile/04850668284839130387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-81640068883755917172018-05-04T14:33:54.899-04:002018-05-04T14:33:54.899-04:00The only thing I remember about The Ward was how c...The only thing I remember about The Ward was how cheap the creature looked, good God this must have had really tiny budget. I remember Heard being pretty good in this, man, I hope she does well in Aquaman she was pretty good in that one scene in Justice League but her eyes should be in fire from looking at Momoa. Hopefully Wan directed her to a good performance.s.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13987831438787776712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-91808886190198348702018-05-04T11:59:12.440-04:002018-05-04T11:59:12.440-04:00Man, I HOPE The Man Who Killed Don Quixote happens...Man, I HOPE The Man Who Killed Don Quixote happens haha. It may not be able to screen at Cannes because it's tied up in a lawsuit. Everything about that film is fascinating. I can't believe he's stayed with it for so long.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-56539915264015527152018-05-04T06:20:37.226-04:002018-05-04T06:20:37.226-04:00Indeed. After liking The Shape of Water I'm cu...Indeed. After liking The Shape of Water I'm curious to see if Del Toro can finally get his Cthulu flick off the ground though<br /><br />Speaking of which, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is finally happening :D Can't waitMark Woollonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05072777957640381767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-64915951446018020512018-05-03T12:32:00.340-04:002018-05-03T12:32:00.340-04:00LOVE that scene from Once Upon a time in the West....LOVE that scene from Once Upon a time in the West. That is a reveal to end all reveals. The good man, gone bad. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on some of Carpenter's work. I love hearing everyone's take on his work.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-48311523177374819312018-05-03T12:29:07.301-04:002018-05-03T12:29:07.301-04:00Yeah I did go in on it, because I was so damn baff...Yeah I did go in on it, because I was so damn baffled watching it the first time! And, to be fair and balanced, that movie does have some plot holes, and a few things that genuinely don't make sense. But once you give yourself over to it, yeah, it is incredibly watchable.<br /><br />I wonder what many of Carpenter's films would be like it they ditched the Lovecraft exposition. Oh welllll.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-54754539853103834572018-05-03T10:05:41.351-04:002018-05-03T10:05:41.351-04:00Agree Assault on Precinct 13 has aged well as an t...Agree Assault on Precinct 13 has aged well as an tense thriller, the shock scene reminds me of Henry Fonda in Once Upon a time in the West (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqTfBysL0wE) <br />Starman to me is Carpenter's most emotionally satisfying film, and yes the chemistry lifts it above average. Prince of Darkness was a mess. I like Big Trouble in Little China for the tongue-and-cheek humor which was common in the 80s. I recently enjoyed Christine (1983) which drew me in, even though I'm aware Stephen King is basically rehashing Carrie, instead with a male in the lead.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-37499475049407966032018-05-03T06:43:29.133-04:002018-05-03T06:43:29.133-04:00I remember reading your views on The Thing years a...I remember reading your views on The Thing years ago, seemed like you hated it! Was the same for the first few times but now, as you say, its infectious. An incredibly watchable piece of work.<br /><br />Are there ANY good Lovecraftian films?Mark Woollonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05072777957640381767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-30878035197516708902018-05-03T06:36:32.099-04:002018-05-03T06:36:32.099-04:00YES!YES!Mark Woollonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05072777957640381767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-20280448442041795732018-05-01T15:13:10.782-04:002018-05-01T15:13:10.782-04:00Thanks Dan! I do LOVE that about Big Trouble. Abso...Thanks Dan! I do LOVE that about Big Trouble. Absolutely hilarious. I really think that one will reveal itself more to me the more times I watch it. I'm so glad I gave it a few more chances, because I was not a fan of that movie when I first watched it. Assault on Precinct 13, however, had me from minute one. What confident and audacious filmmaking. Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-55254834659829040682018-05-01T15:11:43.872-04:002018-05-01T15:11:43.872-04:00Ohhh that's right - it WAS you! Well thanks fo...Ohhh that's right - it WAS you! Well thanks for the push. Like I said, I was too nervous to cover him back then, because I honestly thought I was missing something (and I was).<br /><br />I'm a huge admirer of cult/exploitation/blaxploitation/sexploitation films, but, I think, they need to be viewed and judged as what they are. I had trouble doing that in the past. I thought all cult/etc films should be judged equally to the heaviest of dramas. But it's okay to look at things through a different lens. <br /><br />Thanks for sharing your thoughts on his work. I appreciated that info about Lovecraft. I knew JC was a fan of his, but I didn't know so much of Lovecraft's prose was exposition. I can handle exposition a little better in a book, but in a two hour movie, there is definitely a fine balance to toe.<br /><br />And thanks about the banner! Row 1: Apocalypse Now, Phantom Thread, Heat, Love, He Got Game, Suspiria, Casino<br /><br />Row 2: Raging Bull, A Place in the Sun, Saboteur, Eyes Without a Face, Polytechnique, Vampyr, High and Low<br /><br />Row 3: You Were Never Really Here, Point Blank, The Silence of the Lambs, Melancholia, Black Narcissus, Fish Tank, Vertigo <br />Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-25517932427960699282018-05-01T10:56:56.052-04:002018-05-01T10:56:56.052-04:00I agree with you on the top picks. No arguments fr...I agree with you on the top picks. No arguments from either group there. In particular, I'm glad to see that you're also such a fan of Assault on Precinct 13. It's a really strong movie so early in Carpenter's career. I'll admit that I love Big Trouble in Little China. Russell is such an over-the-top dummy and great at playing that character. His friend saves him over and over, yet he still acts like the hero. It's brilliant. Dan Heatonhttp://www.ptsnob.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-33767576782379925762018-05-01T02:39:15.509-04:002018-05-01T02:39:15.509-04:00As the first person to comment a suggestion that y...As the first person to comment a suggestion that you do JC way back in the day, I just want to take all the credit for this. (lol).<br /><br />I consider myself a big fan of cult/exploitation cinema, and Assault on Precinct 13, along with Romero's (curious what you think of that guy) Creepshow and Night of the Living Dead, was among the first films to get the ball rolling on that fascination. Holy crap, that ice cream scene. "I wanted vanilla twist".<br /><br />For me, the Big Three of John Carpenter goes like this: Halloween's good, Assault on Precinct 13's better, and The Thing might be the best. I also like Christine more than you did. Sure it's cheesy, but it kinda works, for me anyway. We're about the same on Escape from New York. Snake's badass, but the film feels a little cold. Not bad, just nothing that gets me excited. Escape from LA was goofy as all hell, and I'm on the fence about that one.<br /><br />As for the lore/exposition thing, I think that stems from the HP Lovecraft influence. Lovecraft had some fascinating, freaky ideas, but holy crap I can barely get through his stories because they're literally all exposition. Yikes.<br /><br />Also, cool new banner. I can spot: Casino, The Silence of the Lambs, Raging Bull, Eyes Without a Face, Heat, Apocalypse Now, Shame, Vertigo, Love, Melancholia, You Were Never Really Here(?), and... Stan Brakhage?Nick9000https://www.blogger.com/profile/04850668284839130387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-58646785625381104452018-04-30T15:55:00.701-04:002018-04-30T15:55:00.701-04:00I liked that movie as a kid too! I don't know ...I liked that movie as a kid too! I don't know why it was always on, but I remember watching it a ton haha. Though, going back and watching it as an adult is rough. It just isn't good. But, still, what a joy it is to watch Christopher Reeve (and Alley really is a trip in it).Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-66834629274050320342018-04-30T15:53:28.831-04:002018-04-30T15:53:28.831-04:00That is a great list. And thanks for such a constr...That is a great list. And thanks for such a constructive comment. I know you're a huge admirer of his, and I appreciate that you respect my thoughts on his work. I <i>really</i> hope he isn't just doing music, and will no longer direct films. Whether I've liked all of his work or not, there is always value to be found in a John Carpenter movie.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-75247172969111863752018-04-30T15:51:54.661-04:002018-04-30T15:51:54.661-04:00By any measure, he's had a pretty eclectic car...By any measure, he's had a pretty eclectic career. He's made uncontested masterpieces and objective duds, but he remains such a iconic film figure. I hear you on Big Trouble, certainly. It's a tough film to love the first time out, but I'm glad I gave it (and other Carpenter's films) another chance. Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-1589322488306477172018-04-30T09:08:15.955-04:002018-04-30T09:08:15.955-04:00Nooo my previous Village of the Damned got a D+? l...Nooo my previous Village of the Damned got a D+? lol<br /><br />Actually, that's probably about right, but I had a weird obsession with that movie as a kid. I watched it all the time and had no idea it was a remake until I was older. <br /><br />I realize in going through this list that I actually haven't seen as many of Carpenter's films as I thought I had. Brittani Burnhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07975067259283007280noreply@blogger.com