Carpenter fan reporting in.

Here

Sweet! Also, I love the fact that this site tells me when someone replies to a thread I'm involved in! But I love his stuff, and for me, the combination of cool and good characters, music, and atmosphere really work in the films! Not to mention usually unique storylines.

I also love his newer solo albums and his other compositions. My type of music!

Hard core JC fan here. I'll never forget the first time I saw EFNY. Here was Dexter Riley from those wonderfully silly Disney films acting like Clint Eastwood. And the thing is, he pulled it off perfectly!. IIRC, JC took a lot of flack for casting Kurt.

IMHO, JC's version of "The Thing" is one of the finest sci-fi/horror films ever made. It's second only to "Aliens" on my favorites list.

I absolutely love both films! I remember somehow finding out, in college, that The Fog was playing on TV at 6am on a Saturday or Sunday. I set an early alarm and made sure to get up and watch it for my first time. I remember now knowing how I felt about it at the time, but absolutely love it now. I put that, Halloween, EFNY, and The Thing as my favorites, but love most of the others!

@mechajutaro said:

Add one more to the list

Christine? They Live? Big Trouble in Little China? Star Man...?

@mechajutaro said:

@bluersun said:

@mechajutaro said:

Add one more to the list

Christine? They Live? Big Trouble in Little China? Star Man...?

Me, to the list of Carpenter fans. Although, BTLC is one of my favorite movies

Whoops! I read your reply out of context! I don't think there's an 80s JC film I don't love (as for the 70s, Elvis, AoP13 and Dark Star didn't do it for me...).

@bluersun said:

@mechajutaro said:

@bluersun said:

@mechajutaro said:

Add one more to the list

Christine? They Live? Big Trouble in Little China? Star Man...?

Me, to the list of Carpenter fans. Although, BTLC is one of my favorite movies

Whoops! I read your reply out of context! I don't think there's an 80s JC film I don't love (as for the 70s, Elvis, AoP13 and Dark Star didn't do it for me...).

I wasn't terribly impressed with "Elvis"or "Dark Star", but his original "Assault On Precinct 13" is an excellent film. It's an homage to both "Rio Bravo" and "Night Of The Living Dead". It's among his finest work. Far superior to "The Fog". I suggest you re-watch it.

@Jetfire59 I rewatched it about 2 years ago and I'm not saying it's a bad film, it just didn't do it for me... I'm an 80s kid, grew up with it all and that's probably why... Maybe if AoP13 was made around the time of Christine/Star Man... Also, the ice-cream van scene puts me off if you know what I mean. As for The Fog, first time I watched that was on holiday by the sea at night and yep, it was foggy outside... For that reason alone, it will always hold a place as one of the scariest films for me... Always takes me right back!!

Carpenter is one of the few directors I really regret seeing fade over the course of his career. In the 1970's and 1980's he was responsible for some of my all-time favorite movies, most of which have been mentioned here. I just wish his career hadn't nosedived and convinced him that making endless, boring (IMHO) synth music was preferable to cranking out more great horror or action films. Since we're all up in the '80's nostalgia craze right now, I'd give my left arm to see a sober and enthusiastic Carpenter team up with Kurt Russell for one more Snake Plissken or Jack Burton film. Just no surfing please.

A lot of people fail to see EFLA for what it is. By JC and KR's own admission, it is a parody of EFNY. The surfing scene is priceless.

I'm personally not a fan of EFLA. Love NY! As for adding another film, and one that has not been mentioned yet, I've always really liked Prince of Darkness. I know it is not his best film, but for some reason I've always really liked the brooding and foreboding atmosphere. Plus, I love the soundtrack. May not be everyone's cup of tea, but I love how dark it is!

@mav100000 said:

I'm personally not a fan of EFLA. Love NY! As for adding another film, and one that has not been mentioned yet, I've always really liked Prince of Darkness. I know it is not his best film, but for some reason I've always really liked the brooding and foreboding atmosphere. Plus, I love the soundtrack. May not be everyone's cup of tea, but I love how dark it is!

That's one I've never seen, bought it on dvd and still not got round to it...

It is a very slow burn, and frankly I'll admit that the attempt to merge science and religion doesn't fully work, but I still love the creepy feel of the film coupled by the fact that the soundtrack rarely isn't playing softly in the background (ie: very few scenes don't have quiet music playing in the background).

I am also, of course, a fan of Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween 2 and 3 (I know, not him, but he wrote and did the soundtrack for both I believe), Big Trouble, They Live, In The Mouth of Madness, and Christine.

@bluersun said:

@Jetfire59 I rewatched it about 2 years ago and I'm not saying it's a bad film, it just didn't do it for me... I'm an 80s kid, grew up with it all and that's probably why... Maybe if AoP13 was made around the time of Christine/Star Man... Also, the ice-cream van scene puts me off if you know what I mean. As for The Fog, first time I watched that was on holiday by the sea at night and yep, it was foggy outside... For that reason alone, it will always hold a place as one of the scariest films for me... Always takes me right back!!

I understand your aversion to Kim Fields' death scene at the ice cream truck. The first time I saw it, I was like "OMG! Did they really do that?"