So watch a Carpenter film this evening and celebrate the man and his work––myself, I'm going for BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA, (but I might make it a double-feature with some screenplay-only deep cut I haven't seen yet, like ZUMA BEACH or EL DIABLO). In any event, I'll leave you with a guided tour of Carpy's appearances on this site:
FILM:
HALLOWEEN (1978)
THE FOG (1980)
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981)
THE THING (1982)
CHRISTINE (1983)
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986)
PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987)
THEY LIVE (1988)
IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1994)
VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (1995)
ESCAPE FROM L.A. (1996)
VAMPIRES (1998)
THE WARD (2011)
TELEVISION:
BODY BAGS (1993)
FICTION:
THE GHOST MAKER: A HALLOWEEN TALE (1988)
MUSIC:
WAITING OUT THE EIGHTIES (1985)
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA: MUSIC VIDEO (1986)
THE BOY WHO COULD FLY (1986, Nick Castle)
LOST THEMES (2015)
SCREENPLAYS, PRODUCER WORK, SPIN-OFFS, & SILLINESS :
THE RESURRECTION OF BRONCHO BILLY (1970, James R. Rokos)
EYES OF LAURA MARS (1978, Irvin Kershner)
THE FOG: THE NOVELIZATION (1980, Dennis Etchison)
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982, Tommy Lee Wallace)
HALLOWEEN III: THE NOVELIZATION (1982, Dennis Etchison)
BLACK MOON RISING (1986, Harley Cokliss)
HALLOWEEN 666: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS (1996, Joe Chappelle)
SILENT PREDATORS (1999, Noel Nosseck)
HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION (2002, Rick Rosenthal)
VAMPIRES: LOS MUERTOS (2002, Tommy Lee Wallace)
JOHN CARPENTER FANFICTION (2010, Sean Gill)
You should watch and review Dark Star.
ReplyDeleteI haven't yet seen either Village of the Damned or Memoirs of an Invisible Man. I should get on those.
Gweeps,
ReplyDeleteIt's been a while since I last watched DARK STAR, but I remember really enjoying it, especially the existential finale (that sort of set the stage for a number of Carpy's existential finales). I'm definitely due for a revisit and review. I find a lot to enjoy in VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, and a little less in MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN (it doesn't quite have that Carpenter feel), though Sam Neill is pretty great.
Boy ain't that the truth Sean.
ReplyDeleteHi Sean, love the site. Just wondering what you think about Starman? It's often seen as a for-hire job on par with Invisible Man, but for me its among JC's strongest work: emotional, two great lead performances and a Carpy-quality score by Jack Nitzsche. It's in my top five along with Halloween, The Thing, Prince of Darkness and They Live.
ReplyDeleteSFF,
ReplyDeleteThanks,bud!
Anon,
Thanks for the kind words. I enjoyed Starman; it's leaps and bounds beyond Invisible Man, technically and emotionally speaking. Unlike most Carpy films, I've only seen it once, and am definitely due for a revisit!