To say that his movies have affected us in one way or another is an understatement. Matter of fact, this whole website spawned from a conversation about doing this very retrospective, the first of many of this type we hope, but back to the man of the moment.
Carpenter is a director who deeply cares for the characters he creates and the worlds they populate. He is incredibly loyal to the actors that play these characters and often brings leads and supporting players back. This gives his movies a sense of familiarity beyond just camera tricks and cinematography. Characterization is part of the Carpenter style that is a well-oiled machine. You know you're watching one of his films right away, and another aspect of that is the score.Most knowledgeable movie-goers know how important music is to a movie. Bad music can kill a scene, and good music can save one. John Carpenter has made music part of his signature. His composing usually consists of synthesized mastery with the occasional smooth yet crunchy guitar licks. Like the characterizations, the score is a major part of his style. While all of them sound somewhat similar they each contain their own flavor, not unlike what Akira Ifukube used to do on the Godzilla films. It's these themes that keep Carpenter's movies humming about in your mind for a long time after viewing.
Looking at his IMDB page, Carpenter made many a short film as a youngster and a student. Any of us would kill to see some of these, especially Gorgo vs. Godzilla! It was a 1970 student short that he wrote, however, that won Carpenter an Oscar for best short subject. That one was called The Resurrection of Broncho Billy. Strangely, this was Carpenter's only full foray into an actual Western, an influence that is strewn throughout his movies. This movie vaulted him to his first feature...
(click each title to check out that movie's trailer!)
DARK STAR (1974)
From IMDB: The crew of the Dark Star are on a 20 year mission to clear a path in space by destroying planets that are in the way of navigation routes. After a series of mishaps Mother, the ships computer, can no longer persuade Bomb not to detonate. Even the dead captain is of little help in arguing with Bomb who is bound to do his duty.
LOU: This has to be the weirdest of all of Carpenter's films. It features talking bombs and a strange bouncing furry alien. It's pretty puzzling and fairly slow, but is an interesting curiosity if you want to see where Carpenter's career began.
SAL: The only one of his full-length features I haven't seen, however it is in my Netflix. Still, even though I consider myself a huge Carpenter fan, I'm in no rush to see this one.
STEVE: Haven't seen it, but with Lou's comments I kind of want to.
ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (1976)
From IMDB: An L.A. street gang declares war on a police station about to be shut down that has given refuge to a man who has witnessed a gang slaying. Because of the shutdown, the phones and electricity have been turned off, and gang members await outside with knives and guns where the precinct has been totally shut off from the outside world.
STEVE: Nowadays this probably seems like your run-of-the-mill siege film, and it is. I like it, and I think any fan of Carpenter needs to see it. It's technically sound, has a good score, it's competently acted, but its just not one of my faves.
SAL: This is a hell of a gritty movie, and the earliest where you can see Carpenter's Westerns influence. It's a surprise he actually never made a full-blown Western!
LOU: This is a pretty intense action movie, though, it can leave you wondering about the cause for all the action. I'm curious as to whether or not the remake does it justice.
ANT: I went into this one with the lowest of expectations, so of course I loved it. If a remake had to be made, it should have been John Carpenter himself to remake it. It would be great to hear Kurt Russell say "That's an old story with me. I was born out of time." Perhaps with James Woods, and Keith David. Yeah, that'll work.
HALLOWEEN (1978)
From IMDB: 15 years ago, 6 year old Michael Myers brutally killed his older sister. The silent child was incarcerated in the Smith's Grove Sanitarium under the care of psychiatrist Sam Loomis. The town of Haddonfield had slowly began to forget the tragic crime, until Loomis returned to the town to warn of Myers escape from Smith's Grove. With Michael set on killing a group of high school students, Loomis seeks the help of the hesitant town sheriff to stop him before it's too late.
SAL: Probably one of the most influential films of our time, and why not? Horror wasn't the same after this, as Carpenter gave Horror movies a face, and tons of directors scurried to follow suit and create their own Michael Myers. It also established Carpenter as a fantastic composer, with a theme that is unmistakable.
LOU: Definitely the best score that Carpenter ever wrote. The film is also among his best, with genuinely frightening moments. It helped to put the modern horror movie on the map.
ANT: And the modern slasher flick was born. Thanks again, John.
STEVE: Every one here has said what I wanted to. This is the movie people are still trying to make. This is the movie where I learned how to interact in social circles.
Before his next feature, Carpenter directed two TV movies, Someone's Watching Me! and Elvis. The first could possibly sound like a Carpenter flick, while the other is just plain cool. An interesting note about both of these is that Adrienne Barbeau and Kurt Russell appeared in these, the latter as the title character. Both are distinctly connected to Carpenter. Russell as a frequent collaborator with whom the director has made some of his finest films, while Barbeau appeared in his next two features as well being married and having a kid with the Master of Horror!
THE FOG (1980)
From IMDB: The Centenary of the small sea town, Antonio Bay, is approaching. While the townsfolk prepare to celebrate, the victims of the crime that founded the town rise from the sea to claim retribution. Under cover of the fog, they carry out their vicious attacks, searching for what is rightly theirs.
SAL: Even though this movie spawned a remake, I feel like for the longest time this movie was neglected and forgotten. Maybe because after Halloween, the masses just looked for more Michael Myers, and having gotten it, The Fog just didn't compete? Either way, it isn't a bad horror movie at all, and worth your time.
ANT: I don't think I've actually seen this movie in it's entirety. I remember enjoying what I did see, but it was so long ago, I'm not quite sure. I'll have to Netflix this one soon.
STEVE: Ant, you definitely should. The Fog is a classic in my eyes. Maybe Sal is right and the powers that be only wanted more Michael Myers, but I not being one of them accepted this film without question. Or maybe it was because the first time a saw this movie I had no idea who John Carpenter was and wouldn't know, or care for many years to come. This film has everything a good film needs, for the horror genre or any genre. Put your thoughts of Michael Myers aside and strap in for an eerie trip to Antonio Bay.
ESCAPE FROM NY (1981)
From IMDB: A condemned criminal and former war hero is offered his freedom if he can rescue the President of the United States from the walled prison island of Manhattan after a terrorist brings down the President's plane in this futuristic adventure.
LOU: This is the movie that has probably influenced me more than any other. As a kid growing up in New York it presented a scary glimpse of what the future could be like. The cast is top-notch with Kurt Russell and Ernest Borgnine stealing the show. Isaac Hayes makes a great villain and Donald Pleasance and Lee Van Cleef give solid performances. This is one of the bleakest views of the future ever put to film, but it works incredibly well. Carpenter doesn't get enough credit for his scores. The one he provides for this movie is one of his best and probably only second to Halloween's.
ANT: When I was a kid, I was really disappointed with this movie. I guess I expected...well, I didn't really know what to expect, but I know that what I saw wasn't it. As the years passed, I've come to appreciate it more and more with each viewing. Overall, I think I like the music more than anything.
STEVE: I wish I could escape from New York, but I can't. I have to go there almost every damn day. But seriously, I agree with Ant on this, found it boring when I was younger and have only recently begun to appreciate it. The coolest thing about this movie for me is the setting and the atmosphere and that old NY that I never got to see.
SAL: This is a pretty kick-ass movie. Kurt Russell's Snake Plisskin is basically a post-apocalyptic Clint Eastwood, and he leads a very eclectic supporting cast through a Manhattan that probably had more of a real connect to the Manhattan of the time than anyone could now imagine. The music, as mentioned, is so classic it's in my head now.
THE THING (1982)
From IMDB: Members of an American scientific research outpost in Antarctica find themselves battling a parasitic alien organism capable of perfectly imitating its victims. They soon discover that this task will be harder than they thought, as they don't know which members of the team have already been assimilated and their paranoia threatens to tear them apart.
SAL: One of the more frightening, claustrophobic movies ever filmed, and pound-for-pound, Carpenter's best. It's brilliant in ways film makers can only dream of, and gets under your skin like no other. It creeps me out every time I watch it, but every time I'm left speechless. That ending sticks with you for a loooong time!
STEVE: I could go on and on about how much I love this movie, so I won't. It's great and I watch it every couple of months especially in the winter. In my opinion it's a must see, and if you haven't watched it, there is no time like right now. Everything about this movie still holds up, and 20 years from now it will as well.
ANT: If I had to pick a favorite of the bunch, this has to be it. What a great movie. This movie is actually quite frightening. The special and visual effects are insane and in my opinion, still hold up today. I remember seeing this at a double feature when I was a kid, and spending most of my time hiding behind the seat.
LOU: This is one of the best horror movies ever made. The sense of paranoia, desolation, and dread that the characters experience stays with you when the movie's over. It's definitely worthy of repeated viewings.
CHRISTINE (1983)
From IMDB: High school geek Arnie Cunningham falls in love with "Christine", a bright red 1958 Plymouth Fury which has seen much better days. Setting himself the task of restoring the car to its original condition, his friends notice that the car is not the only thing that is changing. Arnie seems to spend more and more time with his car. He's also developed a sort of cocky arrogance which does not seem like the real Arnie at all.
SAL: I've seen this one, but have very little to say about it. It's been awhile, and I never really cared about the concept much. I'll defer to my partners here.
STEVE: I liked it, don't know what I can say about it, either. It doesn't really stand out in one way or another. It's worth a look.
ANT: Being a fan of the book and also a fan old Plymouths I got a kick out of this movie. It's almost completely identical to the book in almost every way (from what I remember, anyway). It would have been cool to see John Carpenter do a commercial for a custom 58 Fury for the DVD. My only gripe (and it's a small one) is the high school bullies. They look like guys who are way to old for school.
STARMAN (1984)
From IMDB: An alien who has crash-landed in the United States takes on the the appearance of a woman's dead husband and enlists her help to escape from pursuing authorities and rendezvous with a spacecraft on the other side of the country. As he learns how to be more human the alien begins to take on more and more qualities of the woman's husband, drawing the woman closer.
LOU: This film is one of the ones that I need to revisit. From what I remember, it features some of the better acting in any of Carpenter's films with Jeff Bridges giving a strong performance as an alien who will only live for three days.
ANT: I'm with Lou. I need to see this one again. I have seen it and I certainly remember liking it, but it was so long ago that I'll have to go back.
SAL: I remember liking this movie as a kid, and then couldn't wait for the TV Show to continue the story. Needless to say, it didn't live up to it. It's kind of hard to replace Jeff Bridges with Robert Hayes!
STEVE: I was three, I'm sure I watched it.
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986)
From IMDB: When trucker Jack Burton agreed to take his friend Wang Chi to pick up his fiancee at the airport, he never expected to get involved in a supernatural battle between good and evil. Wang's fiancee has emerald green eyes, which make her a perfect target for an immortal sorcerer named Lo Pan and his three invincible cronies. Lo Pan must marry a girl with green eyes so he can regain his physical form. Now, Jack must save Wang's fiancee from Lo Pan and his henchmen, and win back his stolen truck. But how can he defeat an enemy who has no body?
SAL: Hands down, my all-time favorite flick. To me this is flawless storytelling. It's funny and adventurous, and hits so many perfect notes. The cast is so amazing, they all make me wanna buy them a beer. This is the type of adventure you hope happens to you. Kurt Russell chews up everything in sight in one of his greatest roles ever. Carpenter could just make Jack Burton movies for the rest of his life and I'd be satisfied.
ANT: One of my all-time favorites, too. Kurt Russell is outstanding in this. A classic, over-the-top, tough guy. When I was a kid, I wanted so much to be him. The film itself has everything. Fun Kung-Fu action, comedy, a tiny touch of romance, all set in your basic story of good vs. evil. I enjoyed it as a kid and as an adult I love it. I would certainly would have preferred a sequel to this over Escape from N.Y., that's for sure.
STEVE: Seriously, I don't know anyone who hasn't seen this, and hasn't loved it. This movie has tons of great characters, among them Jack Burton, what every boy aspires to be: a truck driving, ass-kicking, sarcastic prick with an unrivaled charisma. You should own this movie, you should quote this movie, you should hope that every day was as kick-ass as this movie.
LOU: While not my favorite Carpenter film (that title goes to Escape from New York), this one has just about everything you could ever hope for in an action movie. Kurt Russell proves again that he is the best of Carpenter's leading men by making Jack Burton a character that stays with you long after the movie's over.
PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987)
From IMDB: A sinister secret has been kept in the basement of an abandoned Los Angeles church for many years. With the death of a priest belonging to a mysterious sect, another priest opens the door to the basement and discovers a vat containing a green liquid. The priest contacts a group of physics graduate students to investigate it. Unfortunately, they discover that the liquid contains the essence of Satan himself, and they also discover that he will release HIS father - an all-powerful Anti-God! The liquid later comes to life itself, turning some of the students into zombies as the Devil comes forward to release his father. Will these students be able to stop him?
SAL: A great Satanic movie that goes in odd directions. One of Carpenter's more serious pieces as well, but this movie is way underrated. It sports a good cast of Carpenter alums, who really get put through the paces as they deal with the rebirth of Satan! It's very, very creepy, and some of the horror movies of the Oughts owe a ton to it.
STEVE: I may catch some guff over this, but, I haven't seen it.
SAL: Guff! Guff! Guff! Seriously, I can't stress enough to everyone that hasn't seen it, my partners included, that this should be on their short list of must-sees.
THEY LIVE (1988)
From IMDB: Nada, a down-on-his-luck construction worker, discovers a pair of special sunglasses. Wearing them, he is able to see the world as it really is: people being bombarded by media and government with messages like "Stay Asleep", "No Imagination", "Submit to Authority". Even scarier is that he is able to see that some usually normal-looking people are in fact ugly aliens in charge of the massive campaign to keep humans subdued.
SAL: Another of my all-time favorite films. Rowdy Roddy Piper(!), as a homeless drifting construction worker, stumbles onto a plot by aliens to take over the world with subliminal messages! Hell yeah! This movie boasts some of the greatest one-liners ever, not to mention the greatest alley way fight ever put to film! Not only that, but the political overtones get better with age, and one of Carpenter's best scores drives it along. Most importantly, it makes me want to kick ass and chew bubble gum! Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!
STEVE: Classic. This is a great movie, one of my all-time favorites, too, and a sure-fire hit for anybody who grew up in the 80's. If you don't have fun watching this movie, then we cannot be friends.
LOU: This is one of the all-time cult classics. Roddy Piper steals the show as a no-nonsense tough guy who has stumbled on an alien-invasion. While at times the effects are cheesy, I didn't seem to mind so much because I got so caught up in Piper's performance.
ANT: Another classic right here. The story is simple yet brilliant. The alien effects are terrible, but somehow quite charming. I remember thinking that this was where Roddy's film career was going to take off. Boy, was I mistaken. At least he was in an episode of this seasons "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". Really funny stuff. Looking back, though, it was a damn fun movie. I am dreading the remake.
MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN (1992)
From IMDB: Nick Halloway is accidentally made invisible during an accident. When Jenkins finds out about Nick, he set out to recruit him into the world of espionage, seeing the potential for an invisible CIA agent. When Alice Monroe falls in love with Nick, they are forced to flee the attentions of Jenkins. Nick also has the problem of living invisibly whilst trying to find a cure.
SAL: I like Chevy Chase as much as the next guy, but this is easily my least favorite Carpenter film. Carpenter was like one of the first directors I followed, and I actually recall being disappointed when this came out. Looking at the trailer for the first time in ages, though, I gotta say it looks better than I remember it. Hmm...
ANT: I never realized this was a Carpenter film. Regardless, I'm not going back.
STEVE: I have yet to be interested.
After Memoirs, Carpenter was set to start a new Tales from the Crypt styled horror anthology series called Body Bags for Showtime. The cable company didn't like the pilot and pulled the plug. The three episodes that were produced, two directed by Carpenter and the other by Tobe Hooper, were collected into a film that was actually released in some theaters.
IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1994)
From IMDB: With the disappearance of hack horror writer Sutter Cane, all Hell is breaking loose...literally! Author Cane, it seems, has a knack for description that really brings his evil creepy-crawlies to life. Insurance investigator John Trent is sent to investigate Cane's mysterious vanishing act and ends up in the sleepy little East Coast town of Hobb's End. The fact that this town exists as a figment of Cane's twisted imagination is only the beginning of Trent's problems...
SAL: This is one of Carpenter's finest. Sam Neil stars as an insurance agent that tries to find out what's the deal with a publisher's best author, a horror novelist who's newest book is making folks nuts. There are some truly fantastic scenes in this one, with one of Carpenter's best and most thought-provoking endings.
STEVE: This is a slow, calculated descent into madness. A fine example of what Carpenter is capable of, though I think it seemed to have flown under the radar for most, and may stay well-hidden in obscurity. Well acted throughout, and filled with very atmospheric and creepy visuals. A must see for any Carpenter fan.
ANT: I really enjoyed this movie. One of the best (and few) horror movies made in the nineties. It's not scary as it should be, but it's a really fun Stephen King-ish story.
VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (1995)
From IMDB: An American village is visited by some unknown life form which leaves the women of the village pregnant. Nine months later, the babies are born, and they all look normal, but it doesn't take the "parents" long to realize that the kids are not human or humane.
SAL: I've never seen the original, but I dug this remake. The kids are creepy, and it featured one of Christopher Reeve's last roles before his accident. With the exception of Escape from L.A., everything after Memoirs felt very low budget, and I think my only gripe with Village is that suffers from that aspect.
STEVE: Village hit all the right notes, it had the cast, the sound, the creepy kids were creepy--all the pieces were there. But it's missing something, that Carpenter magic just isn't there. This is a paint-by-numbers remake and could be the same movie with any one sitting behind the wheel. Perhaps this was the beginning of the end...
ESCAPE FROM L.A. (1996)
From IMDB: The year is 2013 and Snake Plissken is back from Escape From New York. An earthquake has separated Los Angeles from the mainland. In the New Moral America, all citizens not conforming to the new laws (no smoking, no red meat) are deported to L.A., now a penal colony. The President's daughter has stolen a doomsday device and has fled to L.A. It's up to Snake Plissken to find the President's daughter and retrieve the doomsday device before its too late.
STEVE: ...or not, maybe that was a fluke, because Carpenter showed up to slam this cheese-fest down our throats. For me it has a bit too much cheese, though Bruce Campbell's brief role is worth watching again and again. I like it, and its an okay movie, but if you're going to escape from anywhere it better be New York.
LOU: This film might have been better if it had tried a little harder to actually be serious. It's treated as a giant joke with a script full of cheesy one liners. When i saw this in the theater my friend and I were the only to people in the auditorium. We should have taken that as a sign and asked for our money back rather than sit through this steaming turd of a movie.
SAL: Eh, I've always been on the fence on this one. I like certain aspects, and others I didn't at all. I think 2010 Sal would love it way more than 1996 Sal. The more I think back on this one, the more I can tell Carpenter and Kurt Russell said "you want Snake back, you got him. Haha!" I'm thinking a revisit is in order.
ANT: You couldn't pay me to watch this again.
VAMPIRES (1998)
From IMDB: The church has long known that vampires exist. However, it is discovered that a group of vampires are searching for a powerful doom for mankind. The Vatican then secretly enlists a team of vampire-hunters, led by Jack Crow, to hunt down and destroy the vampires before they find the crucifix.
SAL: This is a freaking fun popcorn movie. James Woods as Jack Crow is the perfect as a Carpenter hero. Let's forget everything else, this movie is all Woods. Woods in a western. Killing vampires. Being bad ass. Nuff' Said!
ANT: It's been a while for this one as well. It might certainly deserve a revisit. I remember enjoying it. Could be James Woods' last good flick.
STEVE: Fun, yes. Good, not sure. I like it and its a man's vampire movie, not like that glittery shit the kids are into now, so for that alone I say watch it. Watch it with a beer in your hand (none of that lite shit) and a stake in the other--just in case.
GHOSTS OF MARS (2001)
From IMDB: 200 years in the future a Martian police unit is dispatched to transport a dangerous prisoner from a mining outpost back to justice. But when the team arrives they find the town deserted and some of the inhabitants possessed by the former inhabitants of the planet.
SAL: You can tell Carpenter was burnt out by the time this movie came along. GOM is a total rehash of many of his previous movies (Assault on Precinct 13, anyone?), even the music is uninspired. None of the characters are particularly memorable, and while I usually appreciate his Wild West tributes, this one just doesn't work. The way the story is told is OK, but the rest doesn't hold up.
LOU: This film might have been a lot better if it hadn't tried so hard to be taken seriously. The plot is thin and the dialog and acting is sub-par even for a B-Movie. Jason Statham and Pam Grier can't even save this one. And why does everyone look like Marilyn Manson?
STEVE: I think I need to revisit this cheese-fest. Though I wasn't really a big fan of the movie, I enjoyed it and it was a great idea. It just never came to fruition for me.
After that, Carpenter went into a long sabbatical. Burn-out seems to be the biggest cause cited. Interestingly enough, he came back in 1995 to direct two episodes of Showtime's new horror anthology, Masters of Horror. This was more than ten years after Carpenter's brush with the company with Body Bags. His episodes were Cigarette Burns and Pro-Life. Both can be seen on Netflix via instant streaming.
The Masters of Horror episodes seemed to have re-sparked Carpenter, and he's since made his latest feature, The Ward. The movie centers around a girl in a mental institution that is haunted by an evil spirit. The Ward is currently in post-production, but it doesn't have a release date attached to it yet. Hopefully we get to see it this year!
And that about does it for our first Fiendish Retrospective. With a huge catalog of influential and fun films, John Carpenter made for a great first subject. We hope talking about these movies will inspire you to seek them out and enjoy them as much as we have. His movies have inspired us in one way or another, and we believe the next phase of the director's career will continue to do so. Thank you, Mr. Carpenter.
I think that this website is very artfully created. The visuals and written reviews are incredible. I especially like what Mr. Mazzella has to contribute.
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