Topic: Directors Best Poll #5 - John Carpenter

[Antares]

Starman
Halloween

Big Trouble in Little China
Escape from New York

They Live
Christine
The Fog

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I like the premise that there is something like a "Best" for John Carpenter.
I found most of his work to be "Borderline viewable" at it's best

[m.cellophane]

Starman (elevated due to Jeff Bridges' performance)

The Thing

Christine
Halloween

Big Trouble in Little China
Escape from New York
The Fog

Haven't seen:
Dark Star
Assault on Precinct 13
Prince of Darkness
They Live
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
In the Mouth of Madness
Village of the Damned
Escape from L.A.
Vampires
Ghosts of Mars
The Ward

[MEJHarrison]

Wow! I've only seen Big Trouble in Little China! Guess I need to expand my horizons a little.

[Najemikon]

Wow! I've only seen Big Trouble in Little China! Guess I need to expand my horizons a little.

SHUT UP!  Not Halloween? Are you nuts?   

As it's one of my favourite films, Halloween is definitely tops. Interesting choice for Starman, though, Antares and James. It is a great film. But The Thing... wow, this guy was brilliant. Escape From New York, Assault On Precinct 13 and I have a soft spot for The Fog and They Live, featuring the longest fist fight ever filmed, all over an argument about sunglasses!

I said "was" brilliant because can you think of another film-maker who sank as fast? He's shovelled some shit for years. Anyone seen Prince of Darkness? I've heard wildly different reviews.

[hal9g]

Halloween

Starman

The Thing

Christine

Haven't seen any of the others!

[m.cellophane]

SHUT UP!  Not Halloween? Are you nuts?   

As it's one of my favourite films, Halloween is definitely tops.

I understand it's certainly a ground-breaker in its genre. It was tops when I first saw it as a teenager, but revisiting it 30 years later...I'm less sure of it's place, especially since we just came off from discussing the likes of David Lean and Scorsese.

Interesting choice for Starman, though, Antares and James. It is a great film.

I think Jeff Bridges made it more than a Carpenter film and it holds up for me today.

But The Thing... wow, this guy was brilliant.

The Thing is my #2 Carpenter pick. Important in its day. Still enjoyable for me. I think some of the scary stuff, after you've seen it so many times, can become a little campy.

Escape From New York, Assault On Precinct 13 and I have a soft spot for The Fog and They Live, featuring the longest fist fight ever filmed, all over an argument about sunglasses!

I said "was" brilliant because can you think of another film-maker who sank as fast? He's shovelled some shit for years. Anyone seen Prince of Darkness? I've heard wildly different reviews.

I think he was important in his day, but he's been eclipsed by others in the genre now. IMO.  

[Antares]

Interesting choice for Starman, though, Antares and James. It is a great film. But The Thing... wow, this guy was brilliant.

Let's see...no Wookies, no Ewoks, no mind-numbing special effects, just a good realistic story. It's a slam dunk for me.

I really need to pop The Thing into my DVD player one of these days.

[Achim]

Interesting choice as the fifth poll in this series I have always liked Carpenter myself, ever since I caught the first glimpses of The Thing on TV in a special showing off some of the special effects during its theatrical release. I would agree that he has gone down hill for the most part, but quite like Vampires, In The Mouth of Madness and even Prince of Darkness. Would like to see The Ward. I have never seen Starman, but seeing how highly it is rated here might have to change that.

The Thing
Halloween
Assault on Precinct 13
Escape from New York
The Fog
They Live

Big Trouble in Little China
In the Mouth of Madness
Vampires
Dark Star

Prince of Darkness

Christine

Ghosts of Mars
Escape from L.A.
Memoirs of an Invisible Man

[KinkyCyborg]

Halloween
Big Trouble In Little China
Starman

The Thing
Escape From New York
The Fog
They Live


Village Of The Damned
Escape From L.A.
In The Mouth Of Madness

Ghosts Of Mars


Still to watch : Assault On Precinct 13, Christine, Prince Of Darkness, Memoirs Of An Invisible Man, Vampires. Still to purchase : Dark Star & The Ward.

Did anybody watch Escape From L.A. and not think it was meant to be a comedy?!

[Achim]

Did anybody watch Escape From L.A. and not think it was meant to be a comedy?!

Maybe I need to rewatch

Only other comedy he attempted was Memoirs and that is one of his worst films...

[MEJHarrison]

Wow! I've only seen Big Trouble in Little China! Guess I need to expand my horizons a little.

SHUT UP!  Not Halloween? Are you nuts?   

Yeah, crazy ain't it!

But I do want to see quite a few.  The Thing, The Fog.  Maybe even Halloween!  After years of avoiding them for whatever reason, I'm really starting to get into horror movies.  Probably because my almost 14 year old son is getting into horror movies.