Favorite John Carpenter flick (besides Halloween) [Archive]

halo thirty one

10-09-2004, 09:31 PM

it's a tough choice but i went with the thing. i remember watching this for the first time and being awed by the special effects. plus the opening helicopter scene was great. it basically put us on notice that this was going to be a huge movie in many ways. it's john carpenter's epic movie, they way he uses the camera to capture the wide expanse of the antarctic landscape. then he starts to close the camera in on us and the clausterphobia and paranoia mounts. the ending is perfect. two men, not knowing if they can trust each other, sacrifice their lives to protect the rest of humanity......not that they had much of a choice.

Hallowicked

10-10-2004, 05:09 AM

My favorite would have to be Escape From New York simply because Snake Plissken is an all time great character.Escape From LA too but I had to go with the original on this one.

MichaelMyers

10-10-2004, 11:58 AM

Christine

Mr.Garrett81

10-10-2004, 12:17 PM

Why isn't "In the Mouth of Madness" on this poll??? Great flick, go rent it if you haven't seen it.

Miss Informed

10-10-2004, 12:43 PM

Originally posted by Mr.Garrett81
Why isn't "In the Mouth of Madness" on this poll??? Great flick, go rent it if you haven't seen it.

Hell yeah!! Great point!

Maxvayne

10-10-2004, 01:39 PM

I can't pick. This guy is my favorite director and his movies are great. Though his top films are AOP13,Halloween,The Fog,Escape From New York,The Thing, Christine,Big Trouble In Little China,Prince of Darkness,and They Live.

freethy

10-10-2004, 01:49 PM

My favorite besides halloween is AOP13. I fuckin' LOVE that movie. I can watch it over and over again. All the movies Max mentioned are pretty good, although I have never been much of a fan of The Thing. And They live has some funny moments, and one of the longest fight scenes I think I have ever seen in a movie...lol But it was all very comical in a cheesy 80's way.

myersman88

10-10-2004, 02:11 PM

I Only Saw Bodybags So I Pick That

Crow

10-10-2004, 07:06 PM

The Thing is my other favorite followed closely by Escape from New York

Col Whizzle

10-10-2004, 07:53 PM

Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York, The Thing and Big Trouble In Little China are my favorites. If I had to pick only 1, it would probably be The Fog. Escape From New York follows close 2nd.

He worked best with Dean Cundey by his side.

Moron86

10-10-2004, 08:09 PM

I chose The Fog because it's the only other Carpenter movie I've seen on the list, that and Village of the Damned and Body Bags. I really enjoyed The Fog and thought the storyline was awesome, great cast, special FXs, and a surprise ending. The Poe quote in the beginning is really cool too, as well as the opening scene with the watch. I really want to see the other movies on the list. Once I get some dough, I'm going to get Assault on Precinct 13 and John Carpenter: Fear is Just the Beginning... The Man and His Movies, then The Thing and Escape from New York.

Scissorhands

10-11-2004, 12:05 PM

Christine definitely.. second would have to be In the Mouth of Madness.. that movie is cah-rae-zeeee. :)

fanatic986

10-11-2004, 12:07 PM

The Fog, Escape From New York, In the Mouth of Madness and Ghosts of Mars

RustyKitty

10-11-2004, 01:58 PM

definitly the fog, of course i havent seen half of those movies yet though.:)

Johnathon

10-12-2004, 04:13 PM

I voted for Escape From New York. I also like The Thing, and The Fog.

Mark Warner

10-12-2004, 06:58 PM

The Thing is the best John Carpenter film out there, IMO. I mean, the combination of great actors, a cool story, kick ass special effects that still hold up to this day, and that eerie score by Ennio Morricone just make this my favorite Carpenter flick (even better than Halloween)

Ravenheart

10-13-2004, 03:16 AM

The Fog all the way followed by The Thing.

Neo

10-13-2004, 02:53 PM

I voted for The Thing, Village Of The Damned (primarily because of Reeves performance) and Prince of Darkness.

Chuck D

10-13-2004, 03:27 PM

Assault on Precinct 13 definately...

You have a great score (hums theme; DUM DUM DUNNA DUM)... awesome action, Nancy Loomis & Charles Cyphers, suspense... excellent plot... very underrated

Creepingmouth

10-25-2004, 06:13 PM

I voted for The Fog and The Thing

Annie

10-25-2004, 07:06 PM

Christine was my pick. Never mess with a pissed off car.

InsomniacDown

10-26-2004, 11:03 PM

In The Mouth Of Madness

LaurieStrode78

10-27-2004, 08:04 AM

I think The Fog & Christine are my 2 favorite John Carpenter movies besides Halloween of course

matthew28

07-29-2005, 11:49 AM

The thing ,and Starman

MyersFan927

07-29-2005, 11:57 AM

Starman is very underrated. Guys, do yourself a favor and buy this. Your Walmart might have it in the $5.50 bin.

So far, I've seen:

Assault on Precinct 13
The Fog
Escape From New York
Starman
Prince of Darkness
In the Mouth of Madness

I wasn't crazy about Prince of Darkness, but the others are worth purchasing. Madness is underrated as well, and in my opinion, creative and inspiring.

My favorite is The Fog.

The Dark Shape

07-29-2005, 12:13 PM

(Not counting Halloween)

1. The Thing
2. Escape from L.A.
3. Escape from New York

:)

Superman

07-29-2005, 12:29 PM

They Live. Piper kicks ass!

"I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass . . . and I'm all out of bubble gum."

Classic! :)

bundy

07-29-2005, 01:03 PM

I voted for Escape from New York but I also like Big Trouble in Little China.

Chomp_on_this

07-29-2005, 01:04 PM

No way in hell could I pick a favorite. I loved every Carpenter film I have ever seen including Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Ghosts of Mars, and Village of the Damned.

I have now come to the conclusion that the guy is a flawless director, and is IMMENSELY overlooked.

Mark Warner

07-29-2005, 01:52 PM

Originally posted by Chomp_on_this
No way in hell could I pick a favorite. I loved every Carpenter film I have ever seen including Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Ghosts of Mars, and Village of the Damned.

I have now come to the conclusion that the guy is a flawless director, and is IMMENSELY overlooked.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!! Finally someone who agrees with me!!!!!!

As I've said before, the man has not made one film that I found terrible. Ghosts of Mars was fun and action packed, Village of The Damned was creepy, and as far as I can remember I thought Memoirs of an Invisible Man was real funny. Carpenter has always made the films he's wanted to make and whether they succeed (Halloween) or fail (The Thing, Ghosts of Mars) they are his films and no one does them as good as John Carpenter.

Silverpsycho

07-30-2005, 05:01 PM

Well I like a bunch off that list, but I chose "The Fog" and "They Live" because I never get tired of them. Others to closely follow are: "The Thing" and "Christine."

myersRUNNER2

07-30-2005, 06:52 PM

Vampies was quite good from what i saw!

NeewollaH

07-30-2005, 06:54 PM

Damn, this is tough tough tough, and I can not believe I've never seen this thread..

My favorite is a tie between The Thing and Escape from New York, and even bringing it down to those two is very tough. Big Trouble in Little China is a fun one, and of course, HalloweeN. but seriously, this is tough. I'll just vote for the first two and call it a day.

TheShape2005

07-31-2005, 03:10 PM

my top most picked out of all of these titles would be

The Fog and The Thing.

those two films IMO have to be the best that John Did,

I really need to see some of the other titles but as stands right now, these two titles stand out more then any other.

HannibalBEATNGU

07-31-2005, 05:47 PM

Vampires.

I love seeing bad-ass action hero types (which James Woods was in this film) cross-over into the horror/sci-fi realm.

boogeyman87

07-31-2005, 06:00 PM

I chose Christine for two reasons. I loved the movie after the first viewing and I've never seen another Carpenter film. Other than Halloween of course.

dst3k

07-31-2005, 07:35 PM

They Live. Rowdy Roddy did a pretty good job as Nada, and I love the fight scene.

JOeKER

08-04-2005, 07:33 PM

This was a tough one. I ended up going with Prince of Darkness, but The Fog comes in a close second.

coryorton

08-09-2005, 03:30 PM

Other,

which is of course Big Trouble In Little China...

DarknessBDJM

08-11-2005, 08:39 AM

I forgot to check Other too as In the Mouth of Madness was not listed, neither was Big Trouble in Little China.

writer93

08-20-2005, 08:49 PM

i liked Christine the most i think.

Raechull

08-22-2005, 05:18 PM

I really havent seen any of these movies...just bits and peices of a few. I voted for "village of the Danmed" because its the only one I wanted to see.

H-field Hero

10-14-2005, 12:48 PM

Alright guys, I need some positive or negative insight for "They Live" and "Big trouble in little china". I'm considering picking both of them up, but I thought I'd let you JC fans talk me into it :D

Also, is it worth owning the double disc set of big trouble in little china? I found the single disc edition at Borders, but passed on it for now.

So lets hear it for these two films.

Mark Warner

10-14-2005, 12:51 PM

6Michael6Myers6

10-14-2005, 12:55 PM

I would have to say that The Fog is my favorite JC film other than Halloween

H-field Hero

10-14-2005, 03:48 PM

Originally posted by Mark Warner
They Live is definately worth it, but not for supplement reasons. If you want a lot of special features for They Live, you have to get the R2 DVD, because the R1 doesn't even have a trailer to it.Yea, wal-mart has it as part of their little "Halloween movie section". I picked it up last night and saw that it didn't have any special features. While thats not biggy, I always love a John Carpenter commentary. It's like 13 bucks or something like that at walmart so i'll probably pick it up. I'm not a huge Carpenter kick lately. Perfect month to be in one, no?
The 2 disc of Big Trouble in Little China is definately worth it. The extras are great on it and the best part is the John Carpenter/Kurt Russell commentary. The single disc has the commentary, but I'm a completist so i'll probably look to purchase the double disc set online.

Thanks for the info, Ryan.

MyersFan927

10-14-2005, 06:33 PM

Originally posted by H-field Hero
Alright guys, I need some positive or negative insight for "They Live" and "Big trouble in little china". I'm considering picking both of them up, but I thought I'd let you JC fans talk me into it :D

Also, is it worth owning the double disc set of big trouble in little china? I found the single disc edition at Borders, but passed on it for now.

So lets hear it for these two films.

The last movie I bought was They Live, and I totally didn't care for it at all. Although it is a movie that's not supposed to take itself too seriously, a slow beginning leads the story into almost no credibility and rolling-of-the-eyes silliness. For example, no sooner than the drifter learns the shocking secret behind the glasses, he grabs a shotgun all of the sudden, runs into a bank, and is suddenly Rambo. Give me a break. And the whole narrative is like an all-too inspired ripoff (and keep in mind inferior) to Brave New World or Orwell's 1984: the thought of higher races controlling our minds.

Big Trouble in Little China is supposed to not only be good, but hilarious. I have a feeling it's not going to disappoint, and my movie book handed the film 3 stars.

As for They Live, I'd pass. It has the hokey stupidity of Christine, which is another one of JC's weaker efforts. Popular? Yes. But it concerns a fucking car (excuse my language) that takes revenge on some idiot teenagers, with an owner who is dislikable in more ways than the obvious. At least the soundtrack's good.

Myers63

10-15-2005, 11:08 PM

I voted for "Escape From New York".
Great atmospheric film with some wonderful actors.

mszebra

10-16-2005, 08:29 AM

I chose "They Live" because Rowdy Roddy Piper is the bomb, and I love that movie- plus, the question asked "favorite" and not "best."

Horror Kitten

10-16-2005, 03:46 PM

I loved Village of The Damned, Kirstie Alley and Christopher Reeves. Those kids were creepy.
that movie was one of the best, I used to watch it all the time! :D

I also liked The Mouth of Madness. I've been meaning to pick that up, I only saw bits and pieces of it, but it was a very creative plot.

MM78

10-17-2005, 06:26 AM

I would choose Christine, its a great movie....

strode1031

10-19-2005, 07:19 PM

For me it's a tie between The Fog and The Thing with Prince of Darkness coming in a close second. Seeing that list makes me realize how good Carpenter is.

afraid2fall

10-21-2005, 06:26 PM

I would have to say Christine cause that movie is so freakin' awesome..a car that kills people is freaky and really cool :D

vamp1227

10-23-2005, 12:39 AM

Mine would have to be Christine....:)

siege

10-23-2005, 05:20 PM

Mine is definetly "The Fog"! I think that movie is genius! It's really great and doesn't rely on computer effects like the new version.

H-field Hero

01-19-2006, 07:54 PM

I wanted to bump this up to see what you Carpenter fans think of the commentary track for the fog. I was giving it another listen last night and will probably work through more of it to night. I think it's a great job by Carpenter and Hill. I wish they would have sat together and done one for Halloween instead of that somewhat schlocky one we're stuck with.

slasher

01-23-2006, 02:27 PM

The Fog no doubt about that one for me. Although I did like "Vampires" with James Woods so that would be my third favorite of Carpenter horror flicks.

discvader

01-23-2006, 02:42 PM

I love The Fog. The movie itself and the cast, superb!:) But if I had to choose just 1, I would pick THE THING, cause I just frickin love that movie! Great isolation movie, great feel/atmosphere, and effects.:cool:

I also like Escape from New York, not L.A. that was bad...:yar:

Mark Warner

01-23-2006, 02:46 PM

Originally posted by H-field Hero
I wanted to bump this up to see what you Carpenter fans think of the commentary track for the fog. I was giving it another listen last night and will probably work through more of it to night. I think it's a great job by Carpenter and Hill. I wish they would have sat together and done one for Halloween instead of that somewhat schlocky one we're stuck with.

It's a fantastic commentary. John Carpenter has almost never failed to give a great commentary (Okay, he screwed up with In The Mouth of Madness, but I forgive him. Maybe if Vincent and I did a commentary it might be a better listen)

MyersFan927

01-23-2006, 03:52 PM

The ITMOM commentary was a disappointment. :( I don't have nearly enough information under my belt to attempt a fan commentary.

H-field Hero

01-23-2006, 05:02 PM

Vince, have you heard the one for Christine with him and Keith Gordon? Thats a really good one because Gordon is as interesting as JC.

Mark Warner

01-23-2006, 05:06 PM

Originally posted by H-field Hero
Vince, have you heard the one for Christine with him and Keith Gordon? Thats a really good one because Gordon is as interesting as JC.

He hasn't, but I have. I think it's probably one of his best.

H-field Hero

01-23-2006, 05:13 PM

It's one of the very few thats actually new. Nearly all of his other ones were done in the early-mid 90's for laserdisc.

MyersFan927

01-23-2006, 05:44 PM

The next Carpenter flick I am going to buy is Christine. The special features alone are supposedly worth the purchase, and I do look forward to the commentary.

I still need to finish the Assault on Precinct 13 and The FOG commentaries, plus The Thing. I'll try to set a deadline so I won't slack off. The ones I did hear, however, are ITMOM, Escape From New York, and of course Halloween. My favorite was EFNY. Carpenter and Russell make a great duo.

Samo

01-23-2006, 06:44 PM

Oh, man! This was a hard one becuase i'm a huge Carpenter fan and I love all of his movies equally, he's such a great Director, one of the best! I grew up with all of his films. I could not decided, but if I had to choose one that I believe had a really strong story and the acting was very convincing, I had to go with THE THING. Now that movie was done perfectly! The suspense was great, acting was well done, the atmosphere of the movie was just perfect! I know that this movie was suppose to be a remake, but this movie was basically a stand alone movie. The original was great, but this one I just absolutely love! The other movie would have to be BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA. That movie was just awesome it had me rolling on the ground. LOL! "Son of a bitch must pay", Jack Burton. LOL! :p

thetodd

01-24-2006, 09:02 AM

The Fog, hands down. Christine is high on my list as well. I also think Prince of Darkness is very underrated, too.

PhantomPhart

01-24-2006, 09:14 AM

I love the Fog of course but also The Thing and In the Mouth of Madness.

Icebreaker_8605

01-24-2006, 09:35 AM

Originally posted by MyersFan927
The next Carpenter flick I am going to buy is Christine. The special features alone are supposedly worth the purchase, and I do look forward to the commentary.

Yes, do buy the SE dvd. The commentary track's interesting; I liked Gordon's input on his character and the scenes. Also, I like some of the deleted scenes that closely relate to the book.:)

horrorqueen7

01-25-2006, 09:55 AM

LOL!!! I knew Christine was Carpenter LOL
My hubby and I were arguing over it the other day. He said Christine was King. LOL hahahaha I was right.

Anyway. I voted for Assault on Precinct 13.

freethy

01-25-2006, 10:12 AM

Originally posted by horrorqueen7

Anyway. I voted for Assault on Precinct 13. Ah, I knew you was a cool one.

MyersFan927

01-25-2006, 01:51 PM

AOP13 is Carpenter in top form. He made everything work from a shit budget and limited resources. The film, wisely using an anamorphic scope, has the production look of something far beyond what it cost to make. He's always had a way of doing this with successful results. It simply rocks.

Have many people seen Starman? It's bogus that his highest box office success and best picture to date, under Halloween, has only garnered three votes. Then again, Starmann was always underrated for not being the product of typical Carpenter.

MyersFan927

01-26-2006, 01:52 PM

Last night I kept to my word and devoted my time to finishing off the Assault on Precinct 13 commentary, then The Thing's. They were fairly enjoyable. I liked Escape From New York and Halloween more though.

Trickster

01-26-2006, 02:28 PM

Originally posted by MyersFan927
Last night I kept to my word and devoted my time to finishing off the Assault on Precinct 13 commentary, then The Thing's. They were fairly enjoyable. I liked Escape From New York and Halloween more though.
I have onlys een the remake of Assault... I need to get hold of the original. I have the great soundtrack (awesome) :cool:

MyersFan927

01-28-2006, 10:53 AM

I just finished the commentary for Big Trouble in Little China, and it's brilliant. Carpenter and Russell are very dynamic, sharing funny stories, anecdotes, and recalling stuff from A to Z that makes for an interesting discussion. The whole thing is just so informative, and I love how they make references to many people and films - including their own works. I was surprised to hear them talk briefly on Halloween and Starman, while Elvis, EFNY, and The Thing are expected because they worked on those together.

These guys are a riot when you put them together in a room. They laughed, reminisced, joked, you name it. They even went off subject a few times, talking about their kids growing up and stuff. If you haven't checked it out yet, you need to listen to the Big Trouble commentary. I would rank this and EFNY the two best JC commentaries: and I've heard quite a few so far.

Trickster

01-30-2006, 11:06 AM

Watched CHRISTINE last night.. ! Listening to the ultra cool soundtrack as I type !

Samo

01-30-2006, 12:39 PM

Originally posted by Trickster
Watched CHRISTINE last night.. ! Listening to the ultra cool soundtrack as I type !

Yes, the soundtrack is pretty damn awesome! :D I love Carpenter's style because in each films that he makes, he delivers the music perfectly, which suits the film. It's so atmospheric and haunting. Nowadays the music aren't so great, it is not as haunting as the films that were made in the past. Just about every single recent films have that orchestral score and it's not working for me, i'm sure for others as well. I suppose Carpenter's usage of electronic music might be outdated, but it is still effective. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy orcherstral music and I do feel that some films needs to have a orchestral score, depending on the feel of the film and the horror sub-genre its within.

Curseofthemask

02-02-2006, 11:39 AM

Yea christine is great lol.

Chaosboy

02-02-2006, 12:03 PM

Christine..........whoa, she's a real bitch but a super hottie and all she wants is YOU!!!.....awwwwwwwwwwww!!!;) ain't love grand??

P.s good valentine flick!!!!:D

MarcAlan33

02-03-2006, 08:32 AM

Vampires:)

Robert Beaudoin

02-04-2006, 12:28 PM

They Live. That was a great horror film.
Favorite quote:
John (Roddy Piper): I came in here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum.

Mark Warner

02-04-2006, 07:02 PM

Originally posted by Robert Beaudoin
They Live. That was a great horror film.
Favorite quote:
John (Roddy Piper): I came in here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum.

That's not really a horror film, you know.

MyersFan927

02-04-2006, 08:42 PM

Nor was it a *good* film lol

Mark Warner

02-04-2006, 08:57 PM

Originally posted by MyersFan927
Nor was it a *good* film lol

Watch it, bud. :p

Trickster

02-05-2006, 01:28 AM

I watched GHOSTS OF MARS the other night... For a Carpenter film it was pretty lame :-(

PhantomPhart

02-05-2006, 02:24 AM

Originally posted by Trickster
I watched GHOSTS OF MARS the other night... For a Carpenter film it was pretty lame :-( I thought it was kind of fun the second time i saw it.

Assault on Precinct 13 on mars lol (Almost)

Zeeboe

02-12-2006, 08:36 PM

Listed in the order they came out.

1. Escape From New York (1981)

2. Starman (1984)

3. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

4. They Live (1988)

5. Escape from L.A. (1996)

MyersFan927

02-25-2006, 05:36 PM

I just want to inform Carpenter fans who don't know already that there's a cool message board on him. It's got everything, so check it out. www.johncarpenterforum.com

If you're a member, or are planning to become one, reply to my thread (http://www.johncarpenterforum.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=4&forum=jcf&theme=2&topic=362.0). I want as many as possible. Thanks :cool:

MyersFan927

04-03-2006, 06:58 PM

The last Carpenter film I've seen was Vampires, and I gotta tell you, it was pretty cool. Like Escape From L.A., it's JC exploring badass action and tough-as-nails heroes. James Woods and Daniel Baldwin play vampire catchers who are out to kill the Master, and they use a bitten woman to help track him down. Like some earlier Carpenter works, he uses priests as characters. I spotted a pattern (The FOG, Prince of Darkness, Village of the Damned all feature priests).

The next Carpenter flick I want to see is Memoirs of an Invisible Man. I'm probably going to buy it this weekend. Can't wait :)

Here's a list of the JC movies I've seen thus far, from favorite to least:

Halloween
In the Mouth of Madness
Escape From L.A. :yar:
Starman
Assault on Precinct 13
The FOG
Escape From New York :yar:
Vampires
The Thing
Village of the Damned
Big Trouble in Little China
Body Bags (non feature)
Christine
They Live

To see list:

Dark Star
Prince of Darkness
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Ghosts of Mars

Mark Warner

04-03-2006, 07:56 PM

Originally posted by MyersFan927
The last Carpenter film I've seen was Vampires, and I gotta tell you, it was pretty cool. Like Escape From L.A., it's JC exploring badass action and tough-as-nails heroes. James Woods and Daniel Baldwin play vampire catchers who are out to kill the Master, and they use a bitten woman to help track him down. Like some earlier Carpenter works, he uses priests as characters. I spotted a pattern (The FOG, Prince of Darkness, Village of the Damned all feature priests).

The next Carpenter flick I want to see is Memoirs of an Invisible Man. I'm probably going to buy it this weekend. Can't wait :)

Here's a list of the JC movies I've seen thus far, from favorite to least:

Halloween
In the Mouth of Madness
Escape From L.A. :yar:
Starman
Assault on Precinct 13
The FOG
Escape From New York :yar:
Vampires
The Thing
Village of the Damned
Big Trouble in Little China
Body Bags (non feature)
Christine
They Live

To see list:

Dark Star
Prince of Darkness
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Ghosts of Mars

Nice list there, and yeah, you need to check out Memoirs. Funny shit.

I'll just do my list since I'm here:

The Thing
The Fog
Assault on Precinct 13
In The Mouth Of Madness
Halloween
Prince of Darkness
Escape From New York
Escape From L.A.
Big Trouble In Little China
Vampires
Ghosts of Mars
Christine
Memoirs of An Invisible Man
They Live
Body Bags
Village of The Damned
Dark Star
Starman (nothing personal, Vincent :))

thetwistedsoul

04-03-2006, 10:59 PM

Tough, But I went with The Thing.

Mark Warner

04-04-2006, 08:26 AM

Originally posted by thetwistedsoul
Tough, But I went with The Thing.

Nice choice. The Thing is awesome!

The Dark Shape

04-04-2006, 01:31 PM

...in what world is The Fog a better film than The Thing?

Phatmaster2k8

04-04-2006, 01:35 PM

The Thing is flawless. I still can't believe how amazing that movie was. I need to watch that again... very very soon.

Ringu

04-04-2006, 01:38 PM

Originally posted by Phatmaster2k6
The Thing is flawless. I still can't believe how amazing that movie was. I need to watch that again... very very soon.

Yeah. I need to buy that...very very soon.:p

The Dark Shape

04-04-2006, 01:39 PM

The Thing's as perfect a horror film as I've ever seen. It's right up there with Halloween and The Exorcist in my book.

Mark Warner

04-04-2006, 01:42 PM

Originally posted by The Dark Shape
The Thing's as perfect a horror film as I've ever seen. It's right up there with Halloween and The Exorcist in my book.

Oh boy, you're going to catch it from Vincent for sure.:p

Phatmaster2k8

04-04-2006, 02:02 PM

Originally posted by Ringu
Yeah. I need to buy that...very very soon.:p

I'm going to drive to your house and smack you... very very soon.

:D

Ringu

04-04-2006, 02:07 PM

Originally posted by Phatmaster2k6
I'm going to drive to your house and smack you... very very soon.

:D

I'll be looking over my back...

Jeanette

04-04-2006, 02:24 PM

The Fog. I just love this movie. :D

Mark Warner

04-04-2006, 02:40 PM

Originally posted by Ringu
Yeah. I need to buy that...very very soon.:p

Man, what is you crazy? You pick that shit up right now or I'll break out the pliers and the blowtorch.

thetwistedsoul

04-04-2006, 02:57 PM

Originally posted by Mark Warner
Nice choice. The Thing is awesome!

Thanks. Christine is also one of my favorites, but I couldn't see that above The Thing.

Ringu

04-04-2006, 04:45 PM

Originally posted by Mark Warner
Man, what is you crazy? You pick that shit up right now or I'll break out the pliers and the blowtorch.

I know I do. But hey, at least I've seen this one.

MyersFan927

04-04-2006, 06:09 PM

The Thing is decent. I've seen better ones on the same wavelength. It's not pefect...I can see why people like it though. Same thing can be said about one of my own favorites, Starman. It just happens to edge out The Thing in overall strength if you ask me.

Starman is JC's apology for The Thing, separated by the overrated evil car. HAHA Seriously, I think JC would even agree that Christine was his least best from 1976-1986. I'd stake good money on it.

H-field Hero

04-04-2006, 07:17 PM

I've seen a good many of Carpenter's classic films and I can honestly say that the thing is second only to Halloween. The fog is cool, as is EFNY and many others, but the thing has it all. MacReady is the man.

Phatmaster2k8

04-04-2006, 07:35 PM

Originally posted by H-field Hero
I've seen a good many of Carpenter's classic films and I can honestly say that the thing is second only to Halloween. The fog is cool, as is EFNY and many others, but the thing has it all. MacReady is the man.

Hell yes, and I mean how awesome is the ending? Definitely for me Carpenter's best conclusion to any of this films.

Bennett Tramer

04-04-2006, 07:37 PM

The Fog hands down

Laow-Z

04-04-2006, 07:52 PM

For me it's a toss-up between The Thing and The Fog. I like Christine also but i watch the first two more.

Mark Warner

04-04-2006, 08:28 PM

Originally posted by MyersFan927
separated by the overrated evil car.

Or the overrated, singing, love making alien for that matter. :p

MyersFan927

04-04-2006, 08:54 PM

I can accept you not liking Starman because it isn't your type, but don't make fun of the singing alien!! Truth is, Starman is one of the most accalaimed Carpenter films, and you never hear a bad word out if it :D

"I send greetings!"

Mark Warner

04-04-2006, 08:58 PM

Originally posted by MyersFan927
I can accept you not liking Starman because it isn't your type, but don't make fun of the singing alien!! Truth is, Starman is one of the most accalaimed Carpenter films, and you never hear a bad word out if it :D

"I send greetings!"

Correction: You specifically have never heard a bad word about it. I've heard plenty. hehe

I'd love to see Carpenter tackle an actual drama as opposed to what Starman was.

MyersFan927

04-04-2006, 09:28 PM

Originally posted by Mark Warner
Correction: You specifically have never heard a bad word about it. I've heard plenty. hehe

Technically, everyone's got a bad word about something. Just the other day I was on amazon and found two reviews that completely shot down Halloween...it was appalling. You've read a bad review somewhere, but probably from a source neither of us would trust - probably the same source you'd negate if it lashed at The Thing. Starman, though underrated for not being typical Carpenter, and underrated by you for not being the kind of thing you go for, is often praised for having a genuine message and an optomistic spirit.

Check it out: It got the highest JC box office result in the 1980s (you like that stuff), a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a 4.5 rating in Amazon, and a decent 6.7 rating on imdb.com. About even with The Thing, sometimes even better - admittedly, sometimes less. I can dig up more.

Like I always say, it's cool that you personally don't like it, but you have to admit that it's one of Carpenter's top films....I think The Thing is among his greatest even though it's not a "me like that a whole lot" one.

I'd love to see Carpenter tackle an actual drama as opposed to what Starman was.

I don't even know what that means. The only person who seems to downplay it (though I am the first to say Starman is not perfect) is you.

(Don't worry, folks, Mark and I always don't see eye to eye on this ;))
--

Speaking of The FOG, I haven't watched it in a long time. All this mentioning of it is making me want to pop it in ;) The cast ensemble is great.

Mark Warner

04-04-2006, 09:35 PM

Originally posted by MyersFan927
I don't even know what that means. The only person who seems to downplay it (though I am the first to say Starman is not perfect) is you.

I mean that Starman didn't know what it wanted to be most of the time. It was science fiction with drama tacked on. I'd like to see Carpenter do a drama free of horror, action, and science fiction elements.

thetwistedsoul

04-05-2006, 04:30 PM

I liked starman.

Mark Warner

04-06-2006, 05:19 PM

Masters of Horror: John Carpenter's Cigarette Burns-A-

Without a doubt, this is John Carpenter's weirdest and most fucked up film since In The Mouth of Madness or Prince of Darkness. The film runs along the same lines of those films, dealing with themes that are present in both films. And man, is it fantastic. Certainly not the best we've seen from Carpenter, but those that think Carpenter has lost it (I don't believe that, but I know lots of people do.) need to see this film.

I'd rank it in between Vampires and Ghosts of Mars.

thetwistedsoul

04-06-2006, 05:24 PM

Originally posted by Mark Warner
Masters of Horror: John Carpenter's Cigarette Burns-A-

Without a doubt, this is John Carpenter's weirdest and most fucked up film since In The Mouth of Madness or Prince of Darkness. The film runs along the same lines of those films, dealing with themes that are present in both films. And man, is it fantastic. Certainly not the best we've seen from Carpenter, but those that think Carpenter has lost it (I don't believe that, but I know lots of people do.) need to see this film.

I'd rank it in between Vampires and Ghosts of Mars.

Alright, talk about deja vu. Now I have seen this post 3 times. Mark, you are messin with me here. lol.

Mark Warner

04-06-2006, 05:27 PM

Originally posted by thetwistedsoul
Alright, talk about deja vu. Now I have seen this post 3 times. Mark, you are messin with me here. lol.

Hehe, sorry. I just wanted people to see what I thought of the film where it mattered.

Trickster

04-08-2006, 02:18 AM

I keep meaning to buy DARK STAR on DVD.. Its going for a song at £2.99..... I may get a copy today & check it out. Dont know much about it but if its a carpenter flick it will be well worth investing in it

Samo

04-08-2006, 12:46 PM

Originally posted by Trickster
I keep meaning to buy DARK STAR on DVD.. Its going for a song at £2.99..... I may get a copy today & check it out. Dont know much about it but if its a carpenter flick it will be well worth investing in it

It's been awhile, Tricky. I'm thinking about picking that one up as well, but I cannot seem to find it anywhere or whenever I check online. Say, you wouldn't mind picking one up for me would ya? :p

Trickster

04-08-2006, 01:33 PM

Originally posted by Samo
It's been awhile, Tricky. I'm thinking about picking that one up as well, but I cannot seem to find it anywhere or whenever I check online. Say, you wouldn't mind picking one up for me would ya? :p
Where ya been fella ?? thought you had disappeared ;)

michael =TERROR

04-10-2006, 05:04 PM

the thing and the fog are tied with me.

Nightmareman88

04-12-2006, 07:26 AM

The Thing. Can't think of any better of JC's achievements.

MyersFan927

04-12-2006, 07:26 AM

Today I ordered Memoirs of an Invisible Man and Cigarette Burns. It's gonna be awesome, haven't seen them before. They both look really good.

My JC collection is really getting big now. With these titles I got -

Assault on Precinct 13
Halloween
The FOG
Escape From New York
The Thing
Starman
Big Trouble in Little China
They Live
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Body Bags (vhs dub)
In the Mouth of Madness
Village of the Damned (vhs dub)
Escape From L.A.
Cigarette Burns

Next up: Vampires and Dark Star!

Mark Warner

04-26-2006, 01:55 PM

I did some thinking, and decided that my JC list needs a bit of revising.

So, here it is:

The Thing
In The Mouth Of Madness
Prince of Darkness
The Fog
Halloween
Assault On Precinct 13
Escape From New York
Escape From L.A.
Big Trouble In Little China
Ghosts of Mars
Vampires
Memoirs of An Invisible Man
Cigarette Burns
Christine
Village of The Damned
Body Bags
They Live
Dark Star
Starman

MyersFan927

04-26-2006, 07:06 PM

That's actually a damn good list, all things considering. I like where you have ITMOM. You're just an asshole for putting Starman last :D

As a firm believer in the contrast between fan and critic ratings, I'll present both lists. You wouldn't believe how many times I try to put these together while waiting for a class to start.

Note: I did NOT put Body Bags and Cigarette Burns last because of they contain or are short stories. In fact, They Live almost went below Body Bags.

Halloween
In the Mouth of Madness
Escape From L.A.
Starman
Assault on Precinct 13
The FOG
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Escape From New York
Vampires
The Thing
Village of the Damned
Big Trouble in Little China
Body Bags
Christine
They Live
Cigarette Burns

Halloween
Starman
The Thing
Big Trouble in Little China
Assault on Precinct 13
In the Mouth of Madness
Vampires
The FOG
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Escape From New York
Christine
Escape From L.A.
Village of the Damned
They Live
Body Bags
Cigarette Burns

Horror Kitten

04-27-2006, 02:30 AM

Damn, I really need to get on with a JC collection. the only movies I have are Halloween (obviously ;)); In the Mouth of Madness; The FOG; The Thing; Escape From New York; and Prince of Darkness (which I must admit I haven't watched yet :o).
The only ones I've seen, added on to that list of course (- POD), are Village of the Damned and Christine.

My top 3:
Halloween
Village of the Damned
In the Mouth of Madness

freethy

04-27-2006, 07:17 AM

I have Assualt on precinct 13, halloween, Prince of darkness, they live, big tits in little vagina.....and thats it.

JC hasn't really made many decent movies. I think he just got lucky with his earlier stuff.

MyersFan927

04-27-2006, 01:13 PM

Originally posted by freethy
big tits in little vagina

I forgot that JC did some porn in the mid-eightees :D

lostnhadonfield

04-28-2006, 07:40 AM

strictly non halloween?! the fog is my top fav! (it's scarey to me that he had a hand in the remake since it was so awful!!!) beginning to end, love it though it used to scare the heck out of me! the story is good, the scenery is good, the acting is good...

(sometimes i still get spooked by the fog & halloween!)

i liked escape from ny, starman and vampires.

i've seen the thing (good, i guess, but too much ick factor!), escape from la (not good!), assault (ok, not my thing), prince of darkness (can't remember it) and i don't think i've seen they live or body bags. i remember watching christine when i was young, at summer camp, that movie really scared the crap out of me for some reason! but it's not a fav today!

memoirs of an invisible man was an excellent movie! (not mentioned above).

the debra hill doc, john carpenter: the man & his movies should arrive today in the mail!

the fog. definately the fog.

Johnathon

04-29-2006, 10:46 AM

The Fog.

It just had that old 1950's/Howard Hawks/ Tales from the Crypt feeling to it. I've seen some parts of Hawks' movies like the original Thing, and Adrienne Barbeau seems so identical to those heroines in this movie. The rotting corpses, like Carpenter said, were just like the monsters in the Tales From the Crypt comics. A lot of other elements to 50's movies like Adrienne's North by Northwest climbing scene on the lighthouse. One of the best horror movies in the 80's. One of the top horror classics of the last 30 years. Plus you have Halloween stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Nancy Loomis, and Charles Cyphers and Psycho star Janet Leigh starring in it. Perfect horror gem.

Escape from NY and The Thing are like both tied in 3rd place with Halloween being first and The Fog being second.

SassyLassy

04-29-2006, 12:53 PM

Bodybags was my favorite. It reminded me of Creepshow.

Roverto

04-30-2006, 06:48 AM

In The Mouth Of Madness, definately. Every bit as outstanding as the best Halloween movies.

michael =TERROR

05-02-2006, 09:47 AM

Another good one is cigarette burns even though its not my favorite it is still good.

MyersFan927

05-19-2006, 10:06 PM

As of today I have officially watched all of John Carpenter's movies. In a way it's kind of a bummer now that the mystique of wanting to see them all is gone. Still, I'm glad over this small feat. All in all I enjoyed watching each one - some were a lot of fun and well made, some were iffy, and a couple didn't wow me. But it was a pleasure to watch them all.

I really need to see Christine and Big Trouble in Little China again, so they're the only ones likely to change in this list (but not by far). Starting with my favorite and working down:

Halloween
In the Mouth of Madness
Escape From L.A.
Starman (I so love this movie)
Memoirs of an Invisible Man (so underrated)
Assault on Precinct 13
The FOG
Escape From New York
Vampires or Ghosts of Mars
Village of the Damned
The Thing
Body Bags
Christine
Big Trouble in Little China
Prince of Darkness and Dark Star (about tied I think)
They Live (liked the premise and the beginning, but it got absurd in the second half. A great vision not executed to the best of its ability)
Cigarette Burns (I've seen worse on TV. Still disappointing)

If you're interested in seeing more Carpenter films, check out this list. It's my rankings from best to worst. This one's a better indicator in figuring out which of his movies might be a good catch for you (most people are not interested in seeing them all, so I suggest you see the ones on top first for the "best" of Carpenter). You might enjoy them in a much different order, but at least this list doesn't have my personal bias in it.

Halloween
Starman
The Thing
Big Trouble in Little China (didn't care for it personally but it's still one of his best)
Assault on Precinct 13
In the Mouth of Madness
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
The FOG or Vampires
Ghost of Mars or Escape From New York
Christine
Prince of Darkness
Village of the Damned
Escape From L.A.
Body Bags
They Live
Dark Star
Cigarette Burns

I think that's about right.

Lonnie_Elamb

05-20-2006, 07:31 AM

Defenitly The Fog. Then again, I've only seen a little more than a handful of those movies. That could give me some more movies to watch next time I go to the video store.

Mark Warner

05-27-2006, 08:20 AM

I've finally thought about how to grade all of the Carpenter films I've seen (which, of course, is all of them). So, here we go:

Dark Star-B
Assault On Precinct 13-A
Halloween-A+
The Fog-A+
Escape From New York-A-
The Thing-A+
Christine-B
Starman-A-
Big Trouble In Little China-B+
Prince of Darkness-A
They Live-B
Memoirs of An Invisible Man-B+
Body Bags-B+
In The Mouth Of Madness-A+
Village of The Damned-B
Escape From L.A.-A
Vampires-B+
Ghosts Of Mars-A-
Cigarette Burns-B+

urbanchaos

05-27-2006, 11:25 AM

except Halloween wich is my favourite, my other favourite flick of Carpenter are:
Escape from New York
Village of the Damned
Escape from L.A.
Ghost of Mars

the one I less like of all the Carpenter flick is : Christine

Mark Warner

06-15-2006, 10:11 PM

Escape from New York. I hope to see a Director's Cut version for sale. Also I like the music in the deleted scene way better than the original soundtrack in the cd.

A Director's Cut? I don't think there is one. Carpenter didn't cut much from EFNY.

ALDO

06-16-2006, 06:22 AM

Rating out of 5 stars
DARK STAR-*****
ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13-*****
SOMEONES WATCHING ME(t.v. movie)-****
HALLOWEEN-*****
ELVIS(t.v. movie)-****
THE FOG-*****
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK-*****
THE THING-*****
CHRISTINE-***
STARMAN-****
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA-*****
PRINCE OF DARKNESS-****
THEY LIVE-****
MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN-***
BODY BAGS-***
IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS-*****
VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED-***
ESCAPE FROM L.A.-***
VAMPIRES-****
GHOSTS OF MARS-***

Too tough to actually pick a favorite.Too many great films.

HiddenDragon

06-16-2006, 12:23 PM

I picked The Fog for two reasons-

1. My true favorite, In The Mouth Of Madness isn't on the list.

and

2. It's one that I loved to watch when I was a kid.

Ivan

06-16-2006, 03:09 PM

Assault on Precinct 13 is my favorite.

MyersFan927

06-30-2006, 04:33 PM

Does anyone have Body Bags on DVD? I'd really like to have a copy, but they're so difficult to find. One's on Ebay right now and in the $40s the last time I checked. Too expensive. Could anyone who owns this burn me a copy if possible? I hate to ask but I like Body Bags and would rather have the disc to go along with all my other Carpenter DVDs.

Shamrock-Robot

07-19-2006, 02:54 PM

My favorite Carpenter movie would have to be They Live.

temp19

07-20-2006, 11:00 AM

I voted for Christine damn I love that movie

Dutchess

08-15-2006, 01:13 PM

I chose the Fog because the setting is perfect because they are by the ocean and the Fog comes rolling in and kills people, but whats pretty funny is that the Fog knocks on people's doors before it kills them

Mark Warner

08-15-2006, 01:31 PM

The Thing. No question. It's got to be The Thing.

The Dark Shape

08-15-2006, 02:09 PM

The Thing's coming out on HD DVD! The Thing's coming out on HD DVD! :D :D :D

MyersFan927

08-15-2006, 02:31 PM

Yes it is:

http://www.dvdtown.com/discdetails/thingthehd-dvd/19735/

Hopefully they will change the 1.85:1 to 2.35:1 and Anamorphic: No to Yes.

Johnathon

08-15-2006, 02:41 PM

The Fog
Escape From New York
The Thing

Scissorhands

08-16-2006, 08:50 AM

Christine for sure..

"And thats just about the finest smell in the world.. except maybe for pussy."

Oh yes..

Slab

08-16-2006, 08:51 AM

How the hell does "Big Trouble In Little China" end up as "other"? :p

Dismal

08-27-2006, 12:25 PM

The Thing

EMIN3Mfan

09-04-2006, 12:46 AM

escape from new york!!! loomis as the president shooting the duke. and snake plisken..."call me snake"

Leigh Brackett

09-04-2006, 04:16 AM

The Thing. Great ensemble cast and eye-popping Bottin EFX. Magic,baby.

Halloween444

09-04-2006, 08:14 AM

Assault On Precinct 13 And The Fog Are My 2 Favorite After Halloween 1978

MyersFan927

09-17-2006, 10:50 PM

Haha, Memoirs of an Invisible man is on TV in Spanish right now! Good stuff lol.

On Tuesday the 19th it will be airing in English at 7am, FAM channel. I highly recommend watching it. Regarded as one of the worst JC movies, probably because it doesn't feel like Carpenter, I consider it one of my favorites and possibly among his best works. Tune in!

xmiserysignalsx

09-18-2006, 11:44 PM

The Thing I think is the one he's most proud of. I think that is his best film. Assault...is a very solid film, the story's interesting, but it was still early in his career, and the budget was so low (that's kinda why i like it). the fog never really did it for me. it's good on atmosphere and suspense but some of the acting doesn't do it for me. they live is just a fun film to watch, i like the satire exposed in the film. never seen escape from new york (bad to say, i know), but i've heard great things. i'm trackin down a copy of starman right now, it's cool that jeff bridges is in it. i'd like to see carpenter direct a western. he seemed to always want to do one, but i guess he's never got a realistic chance (well "vampires" in some weird way), but i mean like a real western.

Rich

09-19-2006, 09:08 PM

Assault on Precinct 13
The Fog
The Thing
Prince of Darkness

Slasher744

09-20-2006, 09:40 AM

Escape from NY and LA were awesome :yeah:

Hallow's Eve

09-20-2006, 01:59 PM

I would say "The Thing" is my favorite aside from "Halloween". It was very scary and it gave you a claustraphobic feeling because they were all in the middle of nowhere with some alien running around jumping from body to body, you never knew which person was the alien. Great suspense when Kurt Russell does the test to find out which one was the alien, I was on the edge of my seat. Killer Flick!