Let's Talk John Carpenter

Thanks for the album tip, Barnes.

Looks like it releases in Feb 2015, but here's a track to sample.

It sounds exactly like you'd think a John Carpenter cut would and it's perfect.

johncarpenter.sacredbonesrecords.com/

Autobuy

If John Carpenter played board games, I bet he would be into AmeriTrash. The idea of him playing the Escape from New York board game amuses me.

Listening to that 'Vortex' track makes me want to re-acquire...

THE THING is amazing, and my fave, but I can see folks picking others. He really does deliver the goods. Our old Movie Ranking thing gave points for "John Carpenter's" didn't it?
...
Yep:

fortressat.com/forum/41-movies-a-tv/85310-fat-movie-scorecard

Good times.

Christine the "low" point? No way. Christine was crazy tense. The sounds the music the lighting and the car as a character was perfect.


The second he says "Show Me" and the lense flare went up, I was like "YEAH!...fuck yeah!"

Shellhead wrote: If John Carpenter played board games, I bet he would be into AmeriTrash. The idea of him playing the Escape from New York board game amuses me.

He's really into video games, actually. Loves the Dead Space games, which isn't surprising.

oh man, if Carpenter could be involved at all with the Dead Space movie, that would be the nuts.


Where's the love for Starman?? I've seen that movie like 3-4 times and I love it. Makes me cry all the time. I want to have that apple pie from the diner SO BAD.

And is no one talking about The Fog? SO FRICKIN' SCARY. I was scared to death by that movie. That early scene were they're on the boat and one poor sailor gets both his eyes skewered?? YIKES. It's hilarious that the remake for it is, what I consider, to be the single worst movie of all time.

They Live is perfect AT in my opinion. Love that flick.

Prince of Darkness scared me as a kid. The Thing is just perfection.

Chapel wrote: Christine the "low" point? No way.

I said _maybe_. Hey, Christine and StarMan are decent flicks. So, if that's his worst during the decade, he's done alright.

Still, is there another director that has had as solid of a run over a 10 year span?

Jeb, that movie rating guide was great. Wish we could enforce the F:AT scores when folks post about movies they watch...
(I think 'reagan-era punks' is one of my favorite criteria)

How come no one is showing any love for Escape from L.A.?

stoic wrote: How come no one is showing any love for Escape from L.A.?

It was too silly compared to the awesome original. I'm not much of a sports fan anymore, but I found the basketball scene to be the most exciting and memorable part of the movie.

Despite their failings, I always return to Carpenter's self described 'apocalypse trilogy.' The Thing, Prince of Darkness, and At the Mouths of Madness. Not without their flaws, they tackle big themes in modest screen times. I'm such a nut for Prince of Darkness, while visiting the in-laws in LA, I went on a location pilgrimage to the church. It's a community arts center now, but man; I crawled all over it taking pictures. 27 years later, it looks almost identical.

The Thing is clearly his best film: tightly paced, well written, utterly eerie and yet still includes serious action and then has the wonderfully ambivalent ending. I love Escape from New York as kind of a king of B movies. There are so many good elements to it and I'll never forget William Gibson's admission that he drew on the memory of Van Cleef and Russell discussing their respective special forces' units (Texas Thunder and Black Flag) when he wrote Armitage's flashback to Operation Screaming Fist ("Omaha Thunder is down!") I certainly appreciate Halloween for the amazing work that was done on a shoestring budget, even though I'm not a fan of the genre it inspired at all.

While I don't actively dislike Little China, it's a pretty bad film, all things considered. If you can appreciate it just for the OTT wuxia elements, it works. I like They Live's message and performances, but MB is right in that it's a little thin otherwise. I'm another person who's fond of Prince of Darkness, even past its flaws. The rest of them? Meh. I think he was at the top of his game early on (Halloween, Escape from New York, The Thing) and kind of descended from there.

Again, I'm the only one who likes Ghost of Mars.

Sevej wrote: Again, I'm the only one who likes Ghost of Mars.

No, I mentioned upthread that I liked Ghost of Mars. It is isn't one of Carpenter's great movies, but it has a certain charm, as well as an unconventional setting.