This man still remain one of the most iconic and important horror movie directors with an excellent career of great horror movies, I still rewatch often "Halloween", "The thing", "They live", "The fog", "In the mouth of Madness", "Vampires" & "Prince of darkness"
Both Halloween and the thing are among my top 40 of all time, love both and i think Christine is underated, the only of his movies you didn't mention, what do you think about it?
The fact that almost half of his work was not considered amazing when it came out is just depressing. Seriously imagine making The Thing and being hated by everyone.
Yeah so well said. We wonder wtf happened to him? Who wouldnt feel disillusioned when everybody praises him as a cinematic genius yet nobody paid to see his films 😖
I love John Carpenter as a director. He made some of my favourite films like Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, The Fog, Escape from New York, The Thing, Christine, Big Trouble in Little China, They Live, Prince of Darkness, In the Mouth of Madness, Village of the Damned, Escape from LA and Vampires.
I'm pretty sure that no movie before 13 showed a little girl straight up being murdered, much less right in the beginning. I remember being astounded and shocked when I first saw it as a young teen. Good memories. Fortunately, there is nothing left in the nostalgia well for the woke to tempt us with... even though they haven't gotten ANY of my money.
@@the-trustees - if you forget Fritz Lang's M in 1931 (and the 1951 remake!), 1961's MAD DOG COLL, or Lucio Fulci's 1972 DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING (a film Carpenter said he'd seen before making AoP13).
@@the-trustees - yep, it's not graphic but it's not a cutaway, either! It's right here - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YrcQ6MiMA3o.html . I scrubbed through it a few times just now, sure I'd seen it. I'd forgotten how many actors I know were in this movie - Jerry Orbach(!), Vincent Gardenia, Gene Hackman(!!!), Telly Savalas, Brooke Hayward, Leonardo Cimino.... Half the cast is better known than the star, John Davis Chandler, who's mostly known for playing slimeballs on television and in B-movies.
@@drdarkeny Sorry... No blood. No hole in clothing. No screams. It's not even close to the "in your face" graphic brutality shown in 13. I remember feeling especially horrified (I think I was 14 when it came to cable TV) that it seemed so totally unnecessary. Yes, in 1961, they were shot and killed, but it was all implied and DEFINITELY cut away after they fell. I appreciate the attempt, but you MUST see that it isn't even close. In 13 he MEANT to kill her. In 1961 they were caught in the crossfire. NO intent. Agreed? 😀
@@nicolamcguinness8689 Jesus, for once in my life, can I please have a reply that isn’t complete gibberish?! What the hell does that even have to do with John Carpenter?
I couldn't agree more. John Carpenter is a complete legend. I have watched his movies over and over again, starting with one of his first movies Assault On Precinct 13. Nothing against Wes Craven, or George A Ramero or even the very talented and the future of horror Mike Flanagan, but John Carpenter is the ultimate master!
His 80s films defined my youth and created my love of horror and sci-fi. I will always love my father for letting me watch them with him well before I was old enough. These were the films I ran to the video store to rent when Halloween came each year. Classics in every sense. You can tell the magic left him in the 90s, not because he was lesser, more, the passion left and it shows in all those films. CGI and him are like oil and water. His 70s and 80s Classics are the movies I can’t wait for my kids to get old enough to watch with me. His horror is my favorite but their is something for everyone with his films. I met so many people who never saw Big Trouble In Little China and I would watch it with them in College and helped create alot of new Carpenter Fans. I called it his “Gateway Movie.” Prince of Darkness was a Halloween staple for many years, “The Demonic Thing” we called it. As always great video. Thanks for putting all those awesome memories in one place!
Agreed. I remember watching The Thing religiously every year all through the 90's and when it was almost an unknown movie at that time. I remember buying the laser disk version of The Thing thinking I would 'have this for life'. I think I paid like $70 dollars america for it at the time. Sadly it didn't have a directors audio track which so many other LD did. But I must have watched that 30 times in the span of only a few years And yea it had a bit of a following then, but most people had no idea what it was, and if they did they remembered the bad reviews it got and how it came out just after ET to bad reviews since the world as looking for light faire like ET at the time, which they were shocked by an 'monsterous alien' despite the movie being absolute brilliance, and for me wthout doubt Carpenters best. Similarly I remember watching The Fog, and people hating it, and I just couldn't believe how cool of settings he was able to conjure up for his films... Big Trouble in Little China was a cult classic I remember in the 80's loving, despite people again hating it. In my small town it was considered story telling at it's finest. Movies like The Warriors, Rambo, The Thing, etc were absolutely cinema gold back then. In my mind Carpenter is easily as important as the big film makers like Stephen Spielberg, Zumekis, etc. I worked on later Zumekis films, and despite Zumekis's later work being received well, Contact, Cast Away, etc. his later movies were no where near his earlier movies like Back To The Future, etc... So it seems that all directors have their best movies when they are younger. Even Spielberg's most influential hits were his first movies. Jaws, Indian Jones, ET, etc. His later films might have more breadth, and scope, etc. But it is his first movies that captured the imagination of the world. Similarly with Carpenter, it was his earlier simple ideas that were so perfectly executed that they felt like every word, every image in the film perfectly served the idea, such that it was crystal clear what the film was about. His later works, like other directors become to jumbled, trying too say too much. Where movies like The Thing, were so laser focused on a couple ideas, the result is, I very much agree, a perfect Film.
Big Trouble not being a hit is crazy its one of the most enjoyable movies ever made maybe because Jack Burton was kind of a jerk off people didnt get it
I absolutely love Carpenter's work, especially The Thing, Halloween, Escape From New York, Assault on precinct 13, In the mouth of madness, and They Live, all of which are classics. I almost forgot, and Big Trouble In Little China!
I absolutely love Big Trouble in Little China. I watch it at least annually, plus every time it gets a cinema re-release. His cinematic scores are also seriously underrated.
Crazy to think that he scored his films. The only other director I can think of who has made music for his films is Robert Rodriguez but it was hand full of tracks and not whole film.
In my opinion "Escape from Los Angeles" is a really underrated fun guilty pleasure action sequel that is more entertaining and campy than the original but its actually fun, I think hasnt aged well but has his moments
Carpenter remains among the top three directors of SF and Horror, especially the lo-fi and neon-drenched 80's variety. His SynthWave output is also _amazing,_ in fact he seems more committed these days to performing with his group on the synthesizer than directing. Nonetheless his influence can still be seen everywhere. For instance the brilliant 'Upgrade' to me felt exactly like a retro Carpenter film, only filmed with technology and techniques that were 30 years more advanced. I would dearly love him to have another try at independent horror or quasi-body horror/cyberpunk. A little (comparatively) money these days goes much further than it did in 1980. I think to some extent he just doesn't have same interest and drive he once did.
I watched Vampire's for the first time three weeks ago. I don't know why people like this film. Terrible script, forgettable villain. Long & boring. The only scene I liked is when the fat guy with curly hair (he's actually a good actor) gets split in half. The movie needed more of that. In the opening of the film, why did they go into a house they knew vampire's were there. The sun was up, so all they had to do is light the house on fire. Once the house burns down, the Vamps have nowhere to go. So many lives wasted. I get so frustrated by dumb, poorly written characters. Hey guys, instead of risking our lives going inside a house full of Vamps, let's just burn the house down. Any Vamps left, the sun will get them. What do you mean I'm fired?🤯
That description of Carpenter, Spielberg + Craven / DePalma = Carpenter....Awesome and a great way to the director. I love all of them and put them together makes my all time favorite = Carpenter! No one else like him and never will be.
My mother introduced me to John Carpenter. His movies, even his "Director for Hire" films, were great. My favorite is The Fog and Christine. It's a shame the studio system messed him up.
Norman taurog directed girls girls girls 1962 with Robert Strauss elvis Presley Jeremy slate benson fong Frank pugila guy lee produced by Hal b wallis written by Edward anhalt it happened at world fair 1963 with Kam tong elvis Presley olan soule guy Raymond music by leith stevens screenplay by seaman jacobs
In The Mouth of Madness is easily one of the most horrifying films I've ever seen. I'd rate it alongside The Shining and Event Horizon as one that really left a mark on me
That "very young Kurt Russell" was already a nearly two-decade veteran by then, having been (finally!) let go by Disney. He survived the traps of child stardom (and the Disney factory) to become a popular young actor, looking to show what he could do when not asked to be cast opposite a chimpanzee or a horse.
2 года назад
My favorite director. Love his work. He done alot with what he had. Respect.
I’m glad you revised your take on The Thing from among the best horror/sci fi films of all time, to one of the best films period. My favourite movie. I wouldn’t even say I’m a huge horror buff, but the experience of sitting at my mates place at 4am after a night clubbing and just being blown away with what I was watching.
I dont feel like Escape from LA was that bad. It may have been a while since I've seen it but I remember it being fun and it had a lot of actors that seemed like they were having a really good time with the project.
It is good. People who say it's bad either never saw it, or saw it once when they were kids and just remember that bad CGI. Heck, I didn't even like it when I first saw it at 12. Now it's one of my favorite Carpenter flicks. All the actors are great, the practical effects are perfectly fine, the story is well written, and unlike EFNY, EFLA is actually an action movie from start to finish.
It’s bad in that it’s the sequel to Escape from NY, which is awesome. It really pales in comparison. I remember going to see it in a theater and being very disappointed
I’ll tell you what happened… He made a film called “They live” & then was accused of making the aliens in this film portray a certain group of people. Yes, Carpenter still made good films after “They live” but things were never the same again…
While his movies were still fun to watch, Carpenter's late career reminds me of a fighter who stuck around for one too many fights. The effort is there, but the hunger was gone. He's stated in many interviews he was burnt out near the end of his run. But he'll still go down as one of the best in my opinion. I still hope we get to see a Dead Space movie directed by him before he's gone.
John Carpenter DVDs are so worth listening to his commentaries . Especially with Kurt Russell . Some of what they talk about is their personal lives but from time to time they do talk about how some scenes were shot . They're my favorite commentaries .
The main problem with Vampire$ is that the screenplay deviated too much from the source material. John Steakly's novel was awesome. I've read it three times.
Only really an issue for those who had read the novel. Carpenter has usually been a make a movie his own rather than adapt source material. I did read the novel but still really enjoyed the movie. The main character's name is even different, so could think of it as a new story about his brother, I guess.
My favorite filmmaker. Grew up watching them and loving them. I still watch them over and over. There's a vibe to good Carpenter movies,that i love and can never find anywhere else. Forever will he reign as king for me.
My wife and I actually got to see his music show when he came to Chicago. It was fun and it was incredible getting to be in the same room as this legend.
Even if he never made another movie, he has done it all and as you have already mentioned, some of his earlier movies are considered absolute classics, highly influential and widely regarded as the very best of their type. For me The Thing is number one, but I also love Starman.
My favorite filmmaker rn. It was Quentin Tarantino for a a while, but lately I’ve been on a Carpenter kick. His flicks now more than ever speak to me. Maybe it’s because of their simplicity or maybe his mood/atmosphere. The Thing, Halloween, EFNY, BTiLC, and They Live are staples in my house. He’s a true auteur in the purest sense of the word.
_"Prince Of Darkness is like John Carpenter filmed a nightmare"_ Spot on. _POD_ is a dreamlike, unknowable, & terrifying movie that feels like a half-remembered nightmare. It's a wholly unique experience & there's no film like it. And Jeff Bridges gives one of the best cinematic performances ever filmed in _Starman._
Easily my favorite filmmaker of all time. He made some of my favorite films like The Thing, Vampires, Ghosts of Mars, Halloween, Cigarette Burns, Assault on Precent 13, The Fog, Escape from New York, Escape from LA, Big trouble in little China, In the Mouth of Madness, They Live, Prince of Darkness, Christine, Starman, Dark Star, and Village of the Damned. Even his supposed worst films like The Ward, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Body Bags and Pro Life are still enjoyable imo.
Norman taurog directed lucky boy 1929 with George Jessel Richard tucker Mary Dorian gayne Whitman William h Strauss Sig ruman produced by John m Stahl music by Hugo risenfield writer George Jessel huckleberry Finn 1931 with junior durkin Jackie coogan Jane Darrell Mitzi green eugene pallette Clarence muse Betty Jane Graham Edward Le Saint Frank mcglynn writer by Grover jones cinematography by David Abel sound department by gene merrrit
Memoirs of An Invisible Man isn’t necessarily bad, but Chevy had a really big ego and clearly wanted to do the movie his way. The book isn’t even a comedy. It has funny moments, but I always saw it as a sci-fi drama.
Love this. Just a quick note. He made Halloween for 300k, not 6. He was also paid 10k for the film. He stated in interviews how frustrated he was because the movie grossed70 million and he only made 10k.
It’s so crazy that The Thing and Big Trouble were flops. They’re so good and some of my favorite movies. Even now I watch Prince Of Darkness a lot because it’s so well made and it’s one I came to late.
Fantastic video, congratulations to the writer, to the editor and to the narrator. I LOVE ALL THE CARPENTER'S FILMS AND HIS MUSICAL CONTRIBUTIONS, ALL A TREASURE PERSONALLITY MAN!.
"Escape From LA" too closely copies the storyline of the first movie, but there's still some good action there, and it's a pleasure to watch Russell demonstrate why Snake Plissken is the greatest role of his career.
Back in 83 even our English teacher told the class of who John Carpenter is and most of us students had been familiar with 'The Fog' which has been shown on german TV. At that very time we were all too young to have seen Rated 18 movies like 'Assault', 'Halloween' and 'The Thing' though. Me, as a 15year old I managed to snug myself into a double feature showing of 'Christine' and 'Thing' in a Munich cinema at that time, so I knew what he was referring to. I liked 'Christine' even slightly better at the time for I really appreciated Carpenters feel for a perfect atmospheric synth score and always felt the FX of 'The Thing' to be way over the top, especially in regards to the positive perception of a wider audience.
Most people could probably never use a camera correctly, try writing, directing and scoring a film on your own. Carpenter is an underrated genius in the industry.
My favorite director of all time! * The Thing * They Live * Escape from New York * Halloween All his other movies are of varying quality, but that is ok. No other directors have made that many classics 👌
The fact that so many of his films were initially unappreciated and now are rightly considered classics just makes him a genius. In addition to this, his musical output is fantastic. He's a legend.
Nobody makes/made movies quite like John Carpenter. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) is my Top Favorite of his films and in my Top 💯 Favorite Films of All Time, followed by The Thing, Prince of Darkness, and The Fog.
My Top 5 1.Big Trouble in little China 10/10 2. Halloween 10/10 3. The Thing 10/10 4. Escape from New York 10/10 5. In the Mouth of Madness 9/10 John Carpenter is the GOAT
Just watched In the Mouth of Madness last month and if he never made The Thing, I’d say that would be his masterpiece. Such an incredible slow burn but once it starts to hit and go full hog scary, it’s worth the wait. Sooooo good
What I love most about Carpenter is the sheer audacity of the abursidty that his films revolve around, they just have no right to be as spectacular as they are given the plot of 95% of his films but the man just somehow made them incredible
"Memoirs of an Invisible Man" gets too much hate. Its sometimes boring or isnt so fun or hilarious like others Carpenter or Chevy Chase movies but has great special effects, a fun plot and some hilarious moments, I think it was interesting and Sam neil was great. I have watched it a lot of times and I think it was a fun underrated flick, not the worst Chevy Chase and Carpenter movie
The simple fact is, Carpenter was ahead of his time for most people. He shaped cult films...created careers, inspiredpeople. ..because he does what interests him, and it works.
I'm throwing the flag. I like most of his latter films. Yes Village Of The Damned blows, his only true misfire. And yes the CGI in Escape L.A. is bad now. At the time though, it popped hard on the big screen. Btw, his firs episode of Masters Of Horror, Cigarette Burns, is one of the greatest hours of TV ever made. Unnerving like a muggertrucker. But I think that there's a huge component of his films that you missed. His movies have a shorter gulf to jump in the suspension of disbelief department. His films feel like they could easily happen as depicted. The only suspension needed is the original premise. Alien thawed out of ice. Murderous ghosts haunting a seaside town. A masked killer in town. If you buy the premise, you may be watching a reenactment of something that may actually have (or possibly will) gone (go) down.
Finally saw "Dark Star" recently and it's a fun little low budget flick. Ending had me howling laughing. To take the core themes of "2001" and lampoon it for laughs was absolute genius.
Big Trouble in Little China and Halloween are Carpenter's masterpieces. They will stand the test of time far better than any of the others with the exception of The Thing.
He’s living the rest of his life in peace playing video games, living off the huge amount of money he has. I saw him multiple times a week for 2 years.
The Thing is indeed a perfect film. It only gets better with time, as contemporary films lean harder and harder into uncanny Valley territory special effects, the practical work done on that film are a master class. Add in a great cast, and ratcheting tension as it draws to the conclusion, it still has people talking about it to this day. "Was Childs a Thing" is the question we will never truly know, but we will keep asking anyway.