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Horror master John Carpenter offers up a triple treat with TheFog: Jamie Lee Curtis, Adrienne Barbeau, and Janet Leigh all in the samemovie. As if that weren't enough, both John Houseman and Hal Holbrook makeappearances, each clearly enjoying the novelty of being in a horror flick.The Fog opens just before the centennial celebration of the seasidetown of Antonio Bay. Then the witching hour strikes, glowing fog rolls in,and all hell breaks loose. Carpenter wrote the script with producer DebraHill, his collaborator on Halloween, and the two know their craft.It's a creepy story and a tight script, and, as in their previous effort, theaudience gets to know the main characters a bit before they're put in danger.The movie also has a sly sense of humor: "Things seem to happen to me," saysslasher vet Jamie Lee. "I'm bad luck." Barbeau is also obviously having agreat time, sinking her teeth into her role as a frightened disc jockeywatching the fog roll in from a lighthouse. The Fog offers a fewshocks and plenty of good old-fashioned clammy chills. You'll never look atweather systems the same way again. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (192)

Revenge from the grave drives fog shrouded tale.
"It is told by the fisherman, and their fathers and grandfathers, that when the fog returns to Antonio Bay, the men at the bottom of the sea will rise up and search for the campfire that led to their dark and icy death." So ends the campfire tale told by Mr. Machen (the wonderful John Houseman) that begins John Carpenter's The Fog. But this is no ordinary ghost yarn to entertain children, it is part history and part prophecy...for as the chruch bell tolls the midnight hour, and the town of Antonio Bay turns one hundred years old, a thick, glowing fog bank forms on the horizon and drifts towards land.

The Fog is one of my personal favorite Carpenter films. It's well written for its kind (low budget horror), well acted by its cast of seasoned character actors, beautifully photographed by Dean Cundy, and director John Carpenter creates more than a few effective set pieces while contributing what may be, in my opinion, one of his finest film scores.

One can certainly grumble that the movie is guilty of replicating the cheap scares and story arc of Halloween (anonymous figures lunging through doors, a town haunted by a traumatic event in its past that, on the anniversary of said event, is forced to relive it yet again), but it's a formula that works and The Fog (like Romero's zombie sequels) presents the material in a fresh and invigorating way. The only flaw I can find in the video is that it is pan and scanned, which spoils some of Carpenter/Cundy's beautiful images (as well as hampering Carpenter's trademarked 'they are sneaking up behind you' shots) the biggest letdown is the great shot of the fog swooping in on and engulfing Stevie Wayne's house. See this film letterboxed for its full effect. I have the laserdisc release, but where is that DVD edition MGM/UA has been promising? Required viewing for horror buffs.

Classic ghost story, not for the nervous
THE FOG (USA 1979): While celebrating its centenary birthday, a small Californian coastal town is visited by a ghostly fog containing an army of murderous spirits who take revenge for a terrible injustice.

Released on a wave of expectation following the worldwide success of John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN (1978), THE FOG surprised everyone by underperforming at the US box-office. Which is a shame, because it's arguably the better of the two films. Beautifully photographed in widescreen Panavision by Carpenter stalwart Dean Cundey (who went on to Hollywood glory with the likes of BACK TO THE FUTURE, JURASSIC PARK and APOLLO 13), this unassuming 'ghost story' opens on a lonely clifftop at midnight, where a crusty old sea dog (John Houseman) tells an audience of wide-eyed children how their home town was built on the foundations of tragedy. As with HALLOWEEN, the pace is slow but steady, and Carpenter judges the shocks and scares with consummate ease, and there's a relentless accumulation of details which belies the script's modest ambitions. Jamie Lee Curtis headlines the movie opposite her real life mother Janet Leigh, though Hal Holbrook takes the acting honors as a frightened priest who realizes the town was founded on deception and murder. As the fog rolls in, the narrative reaches an apocalyptic crescendo, as most of the major players find themselves besieged by zombie-like phantoms inside an antiquated church, in scenes reminiscent of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968). Scary stuff, to be sure, though Carpenter was forced to add new material during post-production in an effort to 'beef up' the movie's horror quotient, including a memorable late-night encounter between a fishing boat and the occupants of a ghostly schooner which looms out of the swirling fog (similar scenes would be added to HALLOWEEN II [1981] for the same reasons, though under less agreeable circumstances). Production values are rock solid, and Carpenter cranks up the tension throughout, resulting in a small masterpiece of American Gothic. Recommended, though nervous viewers are advised that this one is genuinely frightening in places.

MGM's region 1 DVD - which runs 89m 30s, minus the MGM logos at beginning and end which weren't part of the original film - letterboxes the Panavision frame at 2.35:1 (anamorphically enhanced). A full-screen version is also included on the disc, which utterly destroys the movie's beautiful compositions and should be avoided at all costs. Picture quality is grainy in places but OK overall, and there's a choice of soundtracks: The original 2.0 mono version (very good) or a revamped Dolby 5.1 version, which adds a little bass to the proceedings but nothing truly significant. English captions and subtitles are provided. Extras include the usual trailers and production notes, along with a couple of documentaries (one from 1980, the other recorded specifically for this DVD) and an audio commentary by Carpenter and co-writer/producer Debra Hill. There's also a series of outtakes, during which illustrious thesps Holbrook and Houseman can be heard swearing like troopers!

The Fog is a Good Film (Looks a bit dated)
This film is in the era of the late seventies/early eighties new wave style horror films:Halloween/Carrie/Creepshow etc.
At the time not one of the greatest but it seems to grow on you the more you watch it!!
The opening sequence with the Edgar Allen Poe quote,the electronic type of music typical of the era and the atmospheric camp fire with the children.It has a ghostly seafaring feel,which draws you in.

The actors typical John Carpenter (Jamie Leigh Curtis,Hal Halbrook etc.)Also Tom Atkins character who starts off very go lucky but ends up very sullen and serious!!

The end scenes are truly scary and very atmospheric.Worth a second glance.

The Fog..!! -Another; -Halloween..!! -A great ride..!!
This is even better then; -John Carpenter's. -Biggie.
Halloween. -This is a really frightening tale focusing
this time on a community resort town. -Which is haunted
by vengenfull spirit's of it's past..

This film was directed by; -John Carpenter. -Ho made
what this film inteded two be today.. -It is tilterd
and; -edgy style; -like; -Halloween.. -But in a different
style. -Different location.. -Their is no town of
Haddonfield.. -But in the way of a ghostly small
community.. -Much like an; -Amityville movie.. -Way..?

Their are a lot of elements that are in this low budget
that throw back too John's; -Halloween. -Flick..! -Which is
my all time favorite.. -A lot of critics hate this jargen.
Becuase it was not like; -"Halloween.." -Or; -The Assault on
Precint 13th.. -Which is not in my favor as a horror movie..?
The Fog is a fun ride.. -Yes; -the film is a little lame at
times.. -But also offers us some novelty of the town's past.
and ho the characters are in this town..

This is; -John Carpenter's; -real; -Halloween. -But any
way.. -Not in the spirit.. -Or in that style.. -This is
written by; -John Carpenter.. -Ho doe's a really good
job in directing a lowbudget kind of horror flick..

The Movie stars; -Jamie Lee Curtis.. -Once agian; -being
scared at a monster ho isn't afraid of stabbing..? -Ho
gets in his way..! -It all begins at the beginning when
children are at a campfire; -they sit around it..? -The
old fisher man. -Played by; -John Housemen.. -Bring's us a
local tale of the Elizabeth Dane.. -And her sailors that
died in the bottom of the ocean..?

Tomarrow is the 20th anniversary of those murder's..! -One
by one; -people across this land will be murdered..! -But
ho will stop the killers in time for the big celebration..?
Adrieanne Barbuel.. -Creepshow.. -1982.. -Swamp Thing..
Learns by that as a light house disk jockey..? -Ho is so
dumb in not paying attention two the slasher formula..

What I mean is; -"She shooed be running out the front
door.." -Not the back door.." -It is insulting.." -A
line from; -"Scream.." -1996.. -Neve Campbell.. -I
loved that line..! -It made me laugh.. -But I don't
admire it.. -But Jamie Lee Curtis.. -Is in love with
her friend. -Nick Castle.. -Played by; -Atkins.. -From
Halloween III: -Season of the Witch.. -1982..

Ho both act kind dumb threw out the movie..? -Those two
shooed of stay in characters..! -Instead they are soley

seperated.. -But they save some townie's at the end..?

Their are some moments in this film..! -I love the part
from the beginning when some sleepless drunks on some
bird watching ship.. -Get two stupid and drunk..! -The
dead sailors come and kill them..?

I even enjoyed the Lighthouse sequence where the actress
here's the voice of the dead sailors ho want's his stone back..?
which really creep me out..? -Threw the middle of the
movie.. -And the body in the morgue..! -Which is an old

trick too scare people..! -But that don't scare me any
more..

The Fog.. -1980.. -Fail's in many way's..! -It did not
tell what the real audience wants..? -As why the sailor's
vowl two plot revenge.. -Why they had two die becuase of
them.. -This is an; -o.k. -Halloween. -Type; -film..!

The cast looks good..! -The DVD Edition is top notch..!
and the flick even is not out dated..!

Very good try..!

A good old fashioned ghost story with an edge
Ok, for the hyped up Gen-Y and other young 'uns, "The Fog" might seem a little slow, with little gore and a bunch of no-name actors (except for Jamie Leigh Curtis, the original Scream Queen!). However, people who dismiss this horror movie really don't know what they are missing. John Carpentar was at his best setting up creepy, uncomfortable moods in his audience (see Halloween, The Thing) and he does a great job of creating a spooky ghost story. His use of John Houseman (who was in another movie aptly titled "Ghost Story") to introduce the background story of the movie was brilliant, as was the casting of mother and daughter Janet Leigh & Jamie Leigh Curtis (a first for these two actresses). Adrienne Barbeau is arguably the lead in this movie; she does a credible job of playing a mom who is terrified for her son and will fight anything that tries to hurt him even though she is alone in a lighthouse!!! My biggest complain about this movie is the music; John Carpentar likes to write his own movie scores and while he did create one of the most chilling, recognizable horror song in "Halloween", his tin-sounding, Casio-keyboard synthesized music for "The Fog" was annoying and at times overpowering. For the ultimate scare, this movie is best watched late at night, alone, on a foggy October evening. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

i only give the five stars to Mark Hamill
the rest of the movie was absolutely stupid. it was gorry- i'll give it that, but it was not that great. the only reason i would ever buy( and the only reason i ever watched it in the first place) is because Mark Hamill is in it. my roommates and i watched it together, and we were commenting on just how stupid the movie was. actually, i do have to give John Carpenter so credit. he did make a funny dead guy.

Decent Carpenter
"Body Bags" was an anthology type horror film featuring three stories, 2 by John Carpenter and the third by Tobe Hooper. It originally aired on the Showtime movie channel in the early 90s.
Carpenter rarely directed TV films due to creative restrictions and the fact it prevented him from using his favored 2.35:1 aspect ratio however since "Body Bags" was broadcast on a movie channel, he never had to worry about content (though it was unfortunately filmed with 1.33:1 in mind.)
Sadly the DVD is no longer available BUT there is still hope! "Body Bags" is now owned by Lions Gate Entertainment and you can write to them and ask that they re-release it on DVD!
Here is their address:

Lions Gate Entertainment
4553 Glencoe Avenue, Suite 200
Marina Del Ray, California 90292

classic
You get to see Revenge of the Nerd's Lewis as a crazy killer and Luke Skywalker's bum!

What more could one ask for?

Three stories to horrify you.
John Carpenter (the master of Halloween [1978]) who plays a coroner tells you a new story. A woman starts her first night as a gas station cashier. She is all alone. One customer she meets is David Naughton (An American Werewolf in London) whose character was born in Haddonfield (Yes, the one in HALLOWEEN) where this story is set. Later a homeless man asks for the key to the bathroom. But the woman mistakenly forgot the key inside her booth. More suspense. Later she finds the homeless man murdered. More suspense. There is a killer at the gas station. She thought she was alone. But that's not all. John Carpenter will have two more stories to show you. The second story stars Stacy keach and Sheena Easton. Keach is a middle-aged man who is upset that he is going bald, just has thin hair. He tries everything with no success. Then he goes to a professional hair company. The third story stars Mark Hamill and Twiggy.

Tales From The Crypt!?
I will admit, I have witnessed the downfall of John Carpenters movies over the years, and this one is not perfect either. Although I must say this movie was very original, and it brought me back to some fond memories of Tales From The Crypt. If you liked Tales From The Crypt I highly recommend this to you, but if you take a different approach to horror, and would like to see something more terrifying, I suggest some of John Carpenter's old work, "Halloween" for instants. Overall it was a great movie, but it just doesn't fit John Carpenters normal pattern. Although I do recommend that all horror fans at least give it a chance, and rent it. ... Read more

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Before making the original Halloween into one of the most profitable independent films of all time, John Carpenter directed this riveting low-budget thriller from 1976, in which a nearly abandoned police station is held under siege by a heavily armed gang called Street Thunder. Inside the station, cut off from contact and isolated, cops and convicts who were headed for death row must now join forces or die. That's the basic plot, but it's what Carpenter does with it that's remarkable. Drawing specific inspiration from the classic Howard Hawks Western Rio Bravo (which included a similar siege on disadvantaged heroes), Carpenter used his simple setting for a tense, tightly constructed series of action sequences, emphasizing low-key character development and escalating tension. Few who've seen the film can forget the "ice cream cone" scene in which a young girl is caught up in the action by patronizing a seemingly harmless ice cream truck. It's here, and in other equally memorable scenes, that Carpenter demonstrates his singular knack for injecting terror into the mundane details of daily life, propelling this potent thriller to cult favorite status and long-standing critical acclaim. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (51)

One of the Top Independent Films Ever
Being a fanatic of John Carpenter, specifically the Halloween series, hearing about this movie made me eager to check it out. I read the raving reviews here on Amazon dot com and decided to take a slight risk and purchase the DVD. Well, I sure was blown away. Movies now a days are never made like this, especially in the way that the characters act. The portrayol of the evil gang members is superb along with the portrayol of the "good guys" in the movie, one in particular being Austin Stoker who plays the main role. This movie is action packed and many parts will leave you shocked. The soundtrack is another great aspect of this film, and way ahead of it's time considering that this movie was made in the 70's. The special features include a very comical interview with Carpenter and Stoker done very recently where some lucky fans got to ask the pair questions regarding this movie along with asking about other John Carpenter classics. Assault on Precinct 13 proves that John Carpenter can make a masterpiece out of a budget no matter how high or low that it is. If you like any work that Carpenter has done then I highly reccomend this film. This is only the second movie he released, but it's deffinatley one of his best.

Lucky 13
Before he scared the heck out of us with the original Halloween, director John Carpenter tried his hand at the action genre, with Assault On Precinct 13. Like Halloween, this movie was made on a shooestring budget, but doesn't let that stop it from being darn good.

A vicious Los Angeles gang called Street Thunder takes over an all but abandoned police station. This, as a group of convicts are being transnsported, awaiting time on death row. Now, a handful of cops must join forces with these criminals, to survive the seige.

The action comes fast and furious. Carpenter makes the most of limited sets and really goes all out. The tension of the film is sustained throughout and played in favor of any real character development. Of course, the infamous, anti-establishment cynacism that Carpenter is known for is ever present. The movie is really like a modern day-in the 70's at least-western. Most of the characters are a tough hombre`s. Strong performances by Austin Stoker as Bishop, Darwin Joston as Wilson, Martin West as Lawson, Tony Burton as Wells, and Laurie Zimmer as Leigh, highlight the film. The climax rivals most gunplay scenes in any of the more recent actioners. Assault is dsated only by its wardrobe and hairstyles but holds up rather well--just the same.

The special edition DVD has a fair amount of bonus material. Most of which, will provide enjoyable insight, into how it all came together. Carpenter provides another straight forward audio commentary for the film. He is low key about it all--but quite candid. The "new" video Q&A with Carpenter and star Austin Stoker at the American Cinematheque is also well done. I wish there could have been a few more participants though. The music score, written by Carpenter is a real treat and it's cool to have it isolated. Both behind the scenes stills and lobby card galleries are here, as is the theatrical trailer, and a couple of radio spots. Not bad if you ask me...

Assault On Precinct 13 may not be my favorite Carpenter film. But it's still worth a look, especially for those keen on the action genre

Before you see the Remake make sure you see the original 1st
Yes it is being remade for release in 2005! But before you go out and see that you MUST see the original. Carpenter's 1st studio film!
Based on Howard Hawks Rio Bravo, it tells the story of a police precinct under siege, where Police and prisoners have to fight side by side in order to survive. Great acting by Austin Stoker and Darwin Joston. Excellent direction and music by John Carpenter. Not to be missed!

A cult action classic from John Carpenter!
A police station in L.A. called Precinct 13 has two police officers, two women and two convicts including a traumatized victim are being trapped by street gangs who are surrounding the place making it a living hell for them. They have to find a way to get out, defend themselves and make those devils go away.

An intense, exciting, gripping action drama classic from John Carpenter which happens to be his second movie after "Dark Star". This movie offers loads of action, brutal violence including a on screen child murder, gunfire, an interesting storyline and cool music by Carpenter.

This movie became a cult classic over the years yet still has a strong following including being one of the greatest action movies in movie history. The DVD here is a nice special edition with great transfer, and cool extras like Poster-and-still gallery, trailer, radio spots and interviews, if you love John Carpenter and action movies then add this to your collection.

There is going to be a big budget remake due out next year with Ethan Hawke, Ja Rule, Lawrence Fishburne, Brian Deheney and John Leguizomo.

Also recommended: Die Hard, Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Rock, Con Air, Shaft, The Siege, The Peacemaker, Lethal Weapon, Scarface, Commmando, Passenger 57.

Killer movie, but even better, AWESOME music soundtrack
after everything's been said or written about this movie, that's the one part I felt I must highlight; the music for this movie was credited to Carpenter, and in the DVD format, it just rocks, just gives the speakers a serious workout. For a 1970s movie, or for any decade, for that matter, it's awesome. ... Read more

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She can't (and won't) drive 55.... Stephen King's novel about the twisted love affair between a boy and his car gets transferred to the screen, courtesy of suspense master John Carpenter. Although lacking some of the more outré supernatural elements of the source material, this high-octane cinematic tune-up more than delivers the goods, horror-wise (Christine's midnight rampages will never be forgotten)--as well as being a sly exposé of the random cruelties within the high-school pecking order. Keith Gordon (who has gone on to become a stellar director in his own right, with films such as A Midnight Clear and Mother Night to his credit) gives a wonderfully controlled central performance. Carpenter's atmospheric original score is backed up by a well-chosen collection of rock classics, including George Thorogood's "Bad to the Bone" (the titular character's all-too-apt theme song). --Andrew Wright ... Read more

Reviews (84)

CHRISTINE...Carpenter's best since 'Halloween'
i have seen a lot of horror films based on stephen king novels, for example 'sometimes they come back' 'sleepwalkers' and 'it' and after watching each film only one word came to mind...awful. but Christine is a definite exception(also with the exception of 'the shinning'). john carpenter('halloween'and 'the fog')brings this stephen king novel to life with excellent direction. its scary, funny, disturbing and just fun to watch. this isnt a horror movie about some killer walking around stabbing teenagers, its about a car named christine, a car that not only has looks that could kill but actually does kill. Young Arnie Cunningham(kieth Gordon) discovers the car and becomes slowly possessed by it. the relationship between arnie and christine is truly one worth watching, unlike the boring appearances of john stockwell and alexandra paul(baywatch). if you like horror movies, if you like stephen king, if you like john carpenter, if you just have a brain, you will enjoy this film. its horror at its best.

Not bad adaptation could have been stronger
Christine, John Carpenter's version of the Stephen King book, doesn't add up despite some great elements. But after having read the novel I don't think there was much else he could do.

This movie has at least one or two unforgettable scenes centering around the 58 Plymouth Fury. Carpenter takes an (almost) everyday object (it IS a classic) and injects it with pure menace.

The source novel was a lengthy affair that personally never impressed me despite a great effort by King. The novel, despite King taking his time, just never grabbed me, and in the end it came off as just...silly. The car was evil simply because the guy who bought was just such a [jerk] and was just "evil". That extra dimension doesn't really make its way into the film, despite a great little bit by Roberts Blossom as LeBey.

The film, instead, opens with Bad to the Bone on the soundtrack (before that song was beaten sour rotten to death in film and TV) as Christine rolls off a Detroit assembly line. Because we SEE the car--photographed beautifully--we can attach the underlying menace of the book to something striking on screen.

The principles are all good here. Keith Gordon as Arnie Cunningham has the nerd-with-taped-up-glasses bit down perfect. (What's with the black leather vest later?) His friend, played by John Stockwell (who, like Gordon, also directs films now) is Arnie's slightly doofey friend is believable enough as the high school jock. And a future Baywatch gal plays the chief female.

The music is by Carpenter, too, and while not as strong as his other efforts, provides at least one or two really creepy passages with great synths.

The film feels too short, too rushed. The novel goes on and on and establishes strong characters and background story. The film relies heavily on a few great set pieces featuring Christine's bloody night drives. (The death of Moochie is a classic sequence, starting with the faint notes of "Harlem Nocturne" before the chase.) Arnie seems to snap almost overnight, and the background characters are too faint.

The 3 stars is for the film overall. But I'd turn it up to 4 for King and Carpenter fans. There are plenty of memorable moments here, and you'll never see a tailfinned car again the same way.

Horrible- if you read the book
This movie was the biggest disappointment of any Stephen Kings books. If anyone read the book they would know about the deep characters built, and the story line. Instead the worthless John Carpenter skipped the real story of Christine, didn't even have the Lebay alive at the beginning and just his brother- please. This is like a movie version if you bought Cliff notes. I was never more disappointed in a SK book to movie in my life.

Definitely a mixed bag
A teenage boy, played by Keith Gordon, isn't very popular, despite trying (too hard) to be popular. Then, he gets a beautiful car, that he names Christine. He loves his new car (not uncommon and totally believable) and the car loves him back (oops, here comes Stephen King). Filled with frustration, grudges, and anger, the teen inadvertently turns his car into a revenge machine in overdrive.

Good: The car is beautiful. The soundtrack - original blended with classic rock - is perfect. The special effects, while minimal, are well-done (e.g., seeing a heavily damaged Christine heal herself in the garage at night). Keith Gordon is good in the beginning, when he's the quintessential nerdy outcast, and at the end, when he's clearly obsessed/possessed.

Bad: For me, this movie loses track of itself after a while, and meanders meaninglessly. Keith Gordon's performance, toward the middle of the film (i.e., when he becomes more confident, arrogant, etc. because of owning the beautiful car) has a false ring to it for me; I do not believe that anyone would respond positively to his change in attitude, but some initially do in the film.

Overall, this is a pretty good horror film, but I'd never buy it so that I could watch it repeatedly.

Christine (1983)
Director: John Carpenter
Cast: Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky, Harry Dean Stanton.
Running Time: 110 minutes.
Rated R for violence and language; not nearly as graphic as it could be--a Carpenter trait.

Based on Stephen King's highly popular bestselling novel, "Christine" is perhaps director John Carpenter's second best film (behind "Halloween", obviously) and a sure-fire treat for all those who enjoy King adaptations, Carpenter created films, or just good ol' fashioned suspense. The film centers around a demonically possessed 1958 Plymouth Fury with a strange history--the workers who completed the construction of the car were mysteriously killed and the initial owner of the vehicle took his own life after his wife suddenly died.

Keith Gordon stars as Archie Cunningham, a classic geek in high school who wears nerdy frames and eats packed yogurt for lunch. He is the butt of many jokes, but jock star Ryan Stockwell is still his best buddy. After school one day, Archie comes across Christine, the devilish car. He fixes her up and proceeds to become obsessed by her. A new-found confidence prompts Arnie to ask the cutest girl in the school (Alexandra Paul) out for a date and they quickly fall in love--but Christine does not approve. The car demands Arnie's complete and unquestioned devotion and when outsiders seek to interfere, they become the victim's of Christine's horrifying wrath.

A superb performance from Gordon in the lead role, transforming himself from a laughing stock class dork to an arrogant, obscene maniac who gets so comsumed with Christine that will be anything to preserve the safety of the car. Excellent script from Bill Phillips, unraveling the King masterpiece with a quick deliberance that keeps the audience on the edge of their toes and waiting for Christine's next move. Outstanding direction and musical score creation by Carpenter, using specific lighting arrangements and camera angles to add to the suspense, all the while producing a terrifying musical accompanyment. Even though it is not overly terryfying with sudden jolts of scares, "Christine" is horror/suspense at its very best and a hidden gem of the thriller genre. One of the best, most unheralded horror films of the early part of the decade. ... Read more

Reviews (75)

One of Carpenters best ¿ a cult horror classic.
I remember seeing this in the theatre when it first came out and there is no mistaking that this is one terrifying horror movie, not because Carpenter can knock up a load of blood on the screen but because it has brains and all the hallmarks of classic Carpenter suspense. If you are a Carpenter fan then you probably know that his earlier shoestring budget works are better than his recent big budget crap fests - The Thing, Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween and The Fog are what makes Carpenter great. Prince of Darkness is no exception to that rule.

The film concerns a secret Christian sect, called the Brotherhood of Sleep, who have kept something evil locked up in one of their churches downstairs in a large glass vessel. When the final brother dies he passes on the secret to Father Loomis (Donald Pleasence) who in turn decided to call in some physics students from the local college to find out what is in the vessel. Soon the students find themselves up against an evil that is waiting to be reborn, and also up against themselves as the evil takes hold of them (sort of turning people in zombies that spray evil water out from their mouths).

The single most amazing thing about the Prince of Darkness is the whole atmosphere. There is very little blood at the start and yet the feelings that are evoked by the wonderful set designs, music and lighting will have the hair on the back on your head sticking up. When the blood does come it is not as shocking, however there is one scene of a dead man outside standing in beetles that gave me sleepless nights for weeks. Imagine that thing standing at the end of your bed at night!

This is not just a horror film either. There is lots of quasi-science going on, including theories on things like tachyon particles that can transmit messages through time (in fact the Brotherhood of Sleep all the have the same dream). So in reality this movie's genre is a horror/sci-fi rather than just horror.

Although the film has certainly dated, it is still leaps and bounds ahead of the horror we put out these days. We like horror films that think a little and Carpenter used to do that for us. Oh how times have changed for this once great author, but let's not be too judgemental because of what he has already given us. Certainly Prince of Darkness ranks up there as one of the tenses and weirdest horror films of all time. Alice Cooper also has a cameo as a possessed wino! Now how can you say no to seeing that!

Bottom line is to let this film take you. Sure it is nearly twenty years old, but it is just so damn original that you have to give the man top marks. A cult classic in every sense of the word and certainly DVD ownership is a must for early Carpenter fans.

As a note Screenwriter "Martin Quatermass" is actually John Carpenter.

Almost Brilliant
This movie nearly proved to be John Carpenter's transcendant masterpiece, but fell terribly short. The premise, concept and storyline could have been triumphant in the history of sci-horror, but it looks like Carpenter rushed through this one. Maybe it was fidgety actors (what the heck was Alice Cooper supposed to be doing, anyway?), low budget, or a series of terrible hangovers that led him from brilliant concept to underdeveloped cinema? I don't know. I'm a huge fan of John Carpenter, from Halloween to The Thing to Big Trouble in Little China. I rushed to the theater to see this one, and sat slack-jawed at the terrible acting, stupid dialogue and poor script. On the other hand, I also realized that if Carpenter or any other decent director decided to go back, rewrite this one and do it right, it could prove to be the best sci-horror film ever. Rent it before you buy it; even the hard-core Carpenter fans may be disappointed.

Excuse me..do you have Satan in a can?
Since the other reviewers have spoiled the plotline (roughly), I will limit my review of this movie to a brief synopsis and try to keep the criticisms on a creative level.

Plot Synopsis: There is an unknown entity contained within a unusual container that has been secretly kept by a Catholic Brotherhood of Monks for several centuries. Understanding that the entity is about to break out of the container, the church is forced to call in a team of physicists to study the container and said entity.

The first hour of the movie blows your mind! Using scientific method to study the container is a a stroke of genius. The viewer is kept on edge as several facts are uncovered through analytic methods such as carbon dating. The plot thickens as the container proves to be of "alien" origin and it's contents produce quantifiable amounts of energy. Furthermore, the researchers even determine that tachyon-based radio transmissions from the future are infuencing thier dreams (don't ask).

All that leads to viewer to the point where you're thinking "damn, this is way cool!". Religious artifacts meet modern science, Very deep and very original. Something like the carbon dating of the shroud of turin maybe. However...

then...then...the movie becomes just another splatterhouse bloodfest. Cliches taken straight out of the Exorcist (ie: pentagrams, demonic possession, 666's, etc.) displace the original "scientific approach" to the problem. People are maimed, massive blood is spilled and all the scientific equipment becomes haywire. Everybody dies and the science vs. the Devil is thoughrougly discarded along with the effect of the first hour of the movie. (Stephen King did the same thing in Rose Red and it disgusts me!)

I have to give the movie only one star for my conviction that John Carpenter took the easy way out and anyone can do that. It was very uncreative of him to do this and it spoiled the movie utterly. It's insulting to anyone with an IQ over 60! Damnit, if I want to see people get thier heads lopped off, I'll go and get Friday the 13th or Nighmare on Elm Street. Why..oh Why this elaborate scientific setup if you're going to turn it into just another slasher movie?

Creative criticism: I understand that this movie was not Ghostbusters. But, oh, would I have loved to seen all that scientific analyisis of that container save the day. Let's see a movie for a change where science meets the Devil and wins! Or at least puts up a good fight.

Overrated baloney
There wasn't an original idea in this film. To hear it referred to as scary, or worse yet, a masterpiece, curdles the yogurt I just ate.

From the nonsense espoused in the physics class, to the priest begging the physics teacher to help him, to students who are "masters" but don't really know their subject matter well (and what that means is that the creators of this film didn't do their research), to the first few pages of a several thousand page book divining all of the secrets we needed to know about what was happening, to (once again) poor homeless beggars being mind controlled...I was literally cringing and laughing through the entire movie.

Not to mention the truly horrific writing. "You will not be saved by the Holy Ghost. You will not be saved by the god Plutonium. In fact, YOU WILL NOT BE SAVED!" *raucous laughter*

Apparently good films about Satan are difficult to make. The Exorcist, The Omen, and Rosemary's Baby are a few on a short list of notable exceptions. Those movies are fresh, they move quickly, they have a purpose, and are actually scary.

What was frightening about this movie? Unless people are frightened merely by the mention of "Old Scratch", I am hard pressed to find anything scary about it. Common sense is tossed out the window within the first twenty minutes, and once common sense disappears, so does fear.

If I were heading up that "expedition", the very first thing I would do would be to look into the creation of a vessel in which to place the container that held the prebiotic fluids, but that would still allow me to study it. That would have been prudent, as Satan was inside, and the only lock on the device was from the inside. I would have preferred to have a bit more control over it.

If this is a masterpiece, then so is You Got Served.

Underrated Masterpiece!
An ancient evil has awakened, and it is in liquid form! Father Loomis (Donald Pleasance) receives a key from another, now deceased, priest, and with this key opens himself up to a whole new realm of knowledge that the Roman Catholic church has kept secret for quite some time now. Father Loomis enlists the aid of a brilliant physicist, Prof. Howard Birack (Victor Wong), and some of his graduate students to help him unravel this archaic mystery. Without knowing exactly what they are getting themselves into, several experts in the fields of chemistry, biology, and ancient texts set out to investigate the undisclosed enigma.

Deep within the sanctuary of a run down church lies a dirty little secret few know about. The Prince of Darkness, son of the devil himself, is being held captive in liquid form, and is guarded by only a few lucky priests and nuns. However, the time has come for the Prince to awaken and bring forth his father to wreak havoc. As the Prince, and thus his father, gains his strength, many of the more weak-minded are turned to do the biding of the dark lord. The zombie and bug counts rise as the plot thickens, and this group of science professors and students are in a race against time to stop the forces of evil from inflicting their ill will on the unsuspecting public.

Unfortunately, this film tends to be hidden in the shadows behind Carpenter's more famous "Halloween" and "The Thing." However, that does make this film all that much more of a gem. This is truly one of his great cinematic accomplishments, complete with his own score, a great cast, and stellar effects for the time. The characters are fairly well developed, yet Carpenter manages to accomplish this without dwelling on this aspect of the film. Instead, he submerges the viewer into the intrigue and story line, which there is plenty of.

The plot is completely original, which is something hard to come by in this particular genre. Though Carpenter enlists certain elements that may be stereotypical, such as the Romero-esque zombies and the notion of all-encompassing evil attempting to over-take good, Carpenter adds his own unique twists. One thing that's absolutely superb with regards to this film is that it never devolves into a gore or suspense filled vacuum, completely devoid of meaning. Hidden within the blatant horror facets are religious undertones as well as a love story. Though it may seem that this would not work well for a film of this genre, Carpenter pulls it off as only a horror master could. Interspersed throughout the film one can also find excellently cheesy comic relief, mostly in the form of poor jokes presented by Walter (Dennis Dun).

All in all this movie happens to be one of my favorite films, by one of my favorite directors. Thought the DVD is completely bereft of extras, I highly recommend this film to any fan of the genre! ... Read more

Reviews (68)

Early Brilliance
Much like George Lucas' THX-1138, Dark Star had its beginnings as a film school project which was later expanded into a full-length movie with the help of later investors. However, while Lucas became far less serious when he started working with big budgets, the opposite phenonmenon occured with Dark Star's creators Dan O'Bannon (later scripter of such hits as Alien and The Abyss) and John Carpenter (later director of such hits as The Thing and Halloween). In fact, Dark Star often seems to make fun of elements found in Carpenter and O'Bannon's later works, as if they knew what directions they would later be taking and decided to parody themselves before anyone else got the chance. For example, there's an alien that looks like a blown-up beachball bouncing around the ship and causing trouble, providing a very silly alternative to the insect in Alien. Of course, other classics are billiantly parodied in this movie as well, especially 2001 with its out of control, intelligent computer and in the scene of astronauts floating off into space.

Much like Monty Python, the humour works on many levels. In addition to slapstick, you get rather intelligent and philosophical humour. Not all of it works, but there are enough hits to make up for all the misses.

Given the original budget of the film, don't expect a visual spectacular. Comparing Dark Star to the creators' later works is like comparing Lord of the Rings to Peter Jackson's first film, Bad Taste. This first film has a sort of roughness and lack of polish to it which really emphasizes its moments of brilliance. Too bad the film isn't longer.

Cult classic, off the wall, Carpenter's finest
So, I thought I would show this movie to my fiancee and a friend of hers, both of whom I would definitely say are picky and typically like the empty flashy movies that draw in money, but have no substance. She was laughing very loudly by the end (and so was her friend, by the way).

John Carpenter may be known for his other really big hits (Halloween, In the Mouth of Madness [his best, in my opinion], or Vampires), but before fame arrived, he was a student. This was his film. Along with co-conspirator Dan O'Bannon, the two made this student film with zero budget (the chest plate on the star suit is a muffin pan), until it was viewed by a producer. $60,000 and a few extra scenes later, it was released and immediately picked up a cult following. I first saw it on PBS, back in the days when they showed such classic films.

Funny, irreverent, and strikingly enough, deep and meaningful. Don't look for famous actors here, go rent a Bond flick for that. Look for insight into the human spirit, the plight of the isolated, and one of the most humorous sci-fi movies ever made! I highly recommend it for fans of a good comedy or science fiction flick. You won't be disappointed!

Boredom Has never been so funny!!!
Made with their own money! John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon made this quite bizarre tale of boredom in space. The crews mission is to blow up planets but other than that they have no life, they have been doing this for so many years they can't even remember their first names. Their captain is dead, well frozen!, They have a beach ball for a pet, and their ship is falling apart. One of the most interesting bits in the film is when they have to philosophise with a talking bomb to stop it from blowing up the ship. The score is excellent and the special effects....well they were made on the cheap. :)

Jack Harris wanted the original college film to be extended to 90 minutes, so that he could release it. So, John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon completed the film but unfortunately their friendship did not survive the involvement of Jack Harris.

A gem in the rough is still a gem
What's also amazing is the sensitivity to characters and personalities in this movie. Each crew member is different, and has his own unique coping mechanisms (or none at all) for the sheer boredom of space.

The ongoing diary of Bill Froop is a hilarious peek into one character's personal journey and transformation. You'll find a much more intriguing storyline here than in any of the last few Star Trek movies combined - unless you're a baby boomer reminiscing about your Half Moon Bay hippy commune days, that is.

Make a big batch of popcorn and settle in for a lot of fun!

Only for John Carpenter fans
If you're a John Carpenter fan (Starman, Alien, etc.), you might be interested in seeing his early work, but if not, skip this DOG of a film. The one laugh I did get from the film was from the use of the muffin baking pan as part of the spacesuit design. It was so tacky that it was funny. ... Read more

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Fifteen years after John Carpenter squandered a great idea on a mediocre movie (Escape from New York), he does it again--this time on the Left Coast. Kurt Russell is back as the terminally cynical one-eyed action hero Snake Plissken who, this time, has been coerced into saving the world in Los Angeles. It's 2013 and L.A. is now an island maximum security prison off the coast of California. Snake has 10 hours to find a doomsday weapon that's fallen into the hands of revolutionaries before he dies of a virus with which he's been injected. But the action is clumsy and unimaginative: lots of shootouts and very little suspense. Even the bad guys aren't particularly inventive; only Pam Grier, as a transsexual gang leader, strikes any sparks. Russell growls his way through the role but can only blame himself: He cowrote the script with Carpenter. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (75)

A good B-movie ride while it lasts
15 years after crafting the low budget comic cult classic Escape From New York, director John Carpenter finally got the budget he needed in this sequel/reworking of the original film. Kurt Russell reprises his role as one eyed badass Snake Plisskin as he is dropped into the island of Los Angeles to seek out the president's daughter. Parts of the film seem more aimed to make a social satire of our dwindling freedom, but sometimes the action gets too incoherent and parts of the film seem uneven. Not to mention that there are times when the film feels rushed, like Carpenter just wanted to get the film over with. Either way though, Escape From L.A. is still a fun B-movie ride with a great comic flair, and the great supporting cast which includes Steve Buscemi, Pam Grier, Peter Fonda, Stacy Keach, Cliff Robertson, and B-movie icon Bruce "Evil Dead" Campbell make this one of Carpenter's more decent films of late.

Rebirth of a classic
Kurt Russell collaborates with John Carpenter to bring snake back in our homes, and I know far too many people that feel that it never should of happened, but I disagree. Accept this movie for what it is, the Escape from New York "Special Edition" with a totally reworked yet incredibly similar plot line. And not just incredibly similar. To this day, I still laugh at Snake sitting in the lawn chair out front of Eddie's place just like he did when he was next to the plane crash in New York. Every single subtle plot point of New York is somehow included into the L.A. storyline. But, if you let your mind enjoy it, and let yourself be captivated by the gritty, downright scary conception of our future and one man dealing with it, it's the same successful movie that New York was, but with 90's movie technology. Steve Buscemi shines in this as "Map to the stars" Eddie, and Bruce Campbell is extremely entertaining for all of the five minutes he's in the film.

As far as the DVD is concerned, this is just one more in my collection of DVD's that frustrates me everytime I look at it. No commentary, no making of featurette (which I saw on HBO, and was interesting), and the transfer is actually not the greatest.

The movie's worth it. Just a dissapointing DVD. Give it a shot and enjoy.

"Escape From L.A." is more of the same!
This sequel to Carpenter's 1980 cult classic "Escape From New York" is more or less a bigger budget retelling of the same story. Russell is back as Snake Plitsken, the one-eyed outlaw hero who once again will be offered a full pardon if he goes into a criminal-infested prison that used to be a major American city. This time, he has to confiscate a "doomsday device" from a sadistic terrorist who is using it to blackmail the United States. Despite the more than fifteen years that seperate the two films, this one really doesn't offer much on "New York" aside from a cool underwater sequence involving a certain Universal Studios attraction and a couple of cool special effects scenes. Russell is still great as the over-the-top anti-hero and the addition of some cool character actors keeps it from being a total waste of time but this script is seriously lacking. This one has "retread" written all over it. There is about as much of a difference in the stories as there is in the titles.

A Joke?
When I first saw this film in the theaters, I really didn't like it. In fact, I was pretty let down! I had grown up with Escape From New York, and to my horror, John Carpenter remade his own film! I'm not kidding, REMADE it. Right down to Snake getting shot in the leg and limping for the last half of the film. Years later I revaluated my opinion. You can't make a film as corny as this on accident, especially if you're a veteran director like John Carpenter; It had to be done on purpose. I've read numerous interviews over the years and have found out two things, and I think these two things are the reason this film ended up the way it did. First, John Carpenter hates sequels. He never wanted to make sequels to his films. He never wanted a sequel to Halloween(let alone six! That's why he produced Halloween 3 which people hated so much, coz he was trying to take this series in a different direction and not retread the whole Michael Myers thing). I also understand that both Carpenter and Kurt Russell were under alot of studio pressure to make this film. I don't know what kind of favor Carpenter owed the studio, but he made this film. And my theory is that he made this film intentionally bad to say to the studio, "There, I made the stinking sequel you wanted, don't ask me to do it again!" I mean really, if he had wanted to make a sequel to Escape From New York, don't you think he would have struck while the iron was hot and made it at the height of the first film's success instead of waiting 15 years? Think about it. When I consider this scenario, I can watch Escape From L.A and have a good laugh thinking that John Carpenter may have played a big joke on the Hollywood studios. Really, there's no way Carpenter included that surfing scene with the intention of it being taken seriously. The film is just way too overblown, way too cheesy and obviously a carbon copy of the original to be anything other than a joke. Kurt may be older now, but he's actually still able to play Snake Plissken like it's 1980. The performance is great, it's just the film surrounding Kurt that's silly. Try watching it again and see what you think.

escape from new york on acid
Escape from new york is a classic.It is a dark and moody action adventure with an 1980s feel,with a modest budget.Escape from l.a. is a big budget pumped up roller coaster ride that goes for broke and explodes with a wave of energy and the coolness of snake plissken.This follow up does tell the same story as the first,but guess what! thats what they had in mind.I hope they make a third. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Once you settle into the realization that this 1986 John Carpenter (Halloween) film is not going to be one of the director's more masterful works, Big Trouble in Little China just becomes a full-tilt comic blast. Kurt Russell is hilarious as a drawling, would-be John Wayne hero who steps into the middle of a supernatural war in the heart of Chinatown. While kung fu warriors and otherworldly spirits battle over the fate of two women (Kim Cattrall and Suzee Pai), Russell's swaggering idiot manages to knock himself out or underestimate the forces he's dealing with. The whole thing is dopey, but it's supposed to be dopey and Russell's game performance brings an ironic edge. Carpenter directs some nifty spook effects (the sudden arrival of three martial arts demigods from out of nowhere is worth applause), and he also wrote the music. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (203)

This movie rules!! Long live Jack Burton!!
John Carpenter once again teams up with Kurt Russell to direct this awesome action/kung-fu/comedy. This is not your typical John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing, The Fog, etc.) flick, but I can't get enough, I've literally seen this over 100 times. Don't take this movie seriously, just sit back and enjoy the fun. Kurt Russell stars as Jack Burton a trucker who stops in Chinatown for a little wholesome gambling. After winning everything but the kitchen sink from his buddy Wang Chi, Jack Burton goes for a ride with Wang expecting to collect his winnings. They stop at the airport to pick up Wang's girlfriend with green eyes, Miao Yin. Miao Yin gets kidnapped by a group of kung-fu thugs, and Jack Burton is forced to go along with Wang Chi to try and save her. They end up in the middle of a gang war in Chinatown, meet the main villain "undead" Lo Pang and his three spirit warriors: Rain, Thunder, and Lightning. (they inspired Rayden, the Mortal Kombat video game character) After running over Lo Pan, leaving Jack's truck and escaping Lo Pan and his cronies, Jack teams up with Wang, green eyed reporter Gracie Law, (Kim Cattrell) and friends Eddy and Egg to save Miao Yin and Jack's truck. (the Porkchop express) Many wacky and supernatural things happen along the way, and the plot just gets crazier and funnier. Kurt Russell is the standout in this movie, he has some incredibly funny lines, but the other characters especially Lo Pan are funny as well. Highly recommended to any Kurt Russell, 80's comedy, or kung-fu fan with a sense of humor. Just remember have fun!

What more can I say but, DAMN!
Listen. Stop right now and definitely don't even think about buying this if cheesy acting, even cheesier visual effects and music as well as gaping plot holes greatly affect your movie-viewing experience.

Kurt Russell, with his loud mouth antics and John Wayne swagger plays Jack Burton, a California truck driver who, as it turns out, really doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. It gets him into a whole mess of trouble (hence the title) in San Francisco when his little Chinese buddy Wang loses his girl to a bunch of thugs.

Wouldn't you know these thugs happen to be the minions of an ancient evil spirit, and when Wang and Jack, with a little help from some friends, try to take down this evil sorcerer with a little magic of their own, all hell breaks loose and the results are electrifying and hilarious.

Definitely for fans of the Troma genre, Big Trouble in Little China demonstrates that all you need is some kick-ass fight scenes, Kurt Russell with a knife, and Kim Cattrall in a wet shirt and you have what I am proud to say is my favorite movie to watch on "a dark and stormy night."

The Ox (the_ox@hungover.com)

Greatest movie ever made
This is the single greatest movie ever made. Kurt Russell is a demi-god. All of his movies kick ass and when he teams up with John Carpenter, it's twice the action. David Lo-Pan is the greatest villain of all time. See this movie now

Double-disc edition is the only way to go for "Little China"
This is one of those movies that just holds such a special place in my heart that I couldn't even try to play this review from an impartial standpoint. When I found out that they were putting out a double-disc special edition of it, I raced out and bought a DVD player. John Carpenter's modern-day Western with Russell as a big-mouthed hog trucker who gets caught up in San Fransico's Chinatown is just a tour de force of martial arts fantasy that never tries to take itself too seriously. Russell's Jack Burton is the hero who doesn't quite have what it takes to be a hero (ala Bruce Cambell's "Ash" from the Evil Dead movies) and he plays it perfectly. When his buddy's fiancee is kidnapped by Chinese mobsters and sacrificed to Little China's overlord, the evil David Lo Pan (a tremendously over-the-top James Hong), it's Jack to the rescue. If nothing else, "Little China" is a movie that knows how to have fun. It is an absolute blast from start to finish.

A Carpenter-Russell collaberation.
John Carpenter's "Big Trouble In Little China" is an odd ball film in the Carpenter collection. It is a comedy first of all. Kurt Russell plays Jack Burton, a truck driver who's ego far exceed his skills. He is always in way over his head as the very anti-Ramboish hero. The film involoves Burton and his Chinnese-American friend going into San Francisco's Chinatown underworld looking for two kidnapped women. Burton, as I said, is the bumbling hero, and Kurt Russell is great at it. The movie is funny from beginning to end. It is also very ahead of it's time as far as kung-fu and Eastern Mystisism in American culture (way before "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"). Kim Catrall also dose a pretty good job as the romantic interest with a suprise at the end. The commentary is very funny to litsen to as John Carpenter and Kurt Russell talk about everything from the movie in question, to the TV mini-series they did together in 1980, "Elvis", and some slightly less relevent trivia. Their converstaion is very easy to listen to. They are friends and you can tell they really like each other, and that explins why their frequent collaberations are pretty good, if not always successful. But this is one of Carpenter's more underrated movies, and that isn't fair. They did not set out to make a serious movie, just a goofy, fantasy kung-fu adventure, and they pulled it off well. ... Read more

Reviews (229)

Vampires is the best.
I liked this movie. I usually hate vampire movies but this one was very good. It was funny and tough and didn't have to resort to sub-From Dusk Til Dawn type mayhem that Blade did as it had a plot also. It's not too gory either. Sure KNB do some great make-up effects but it's not like the gore is the only entertainment of the movie. Blade and FDTD relied on the gore to entertain too often. Carpenter has made a Vampire movie that seems more realistic than that.

This movie is stangely light-hearted for a vampire/horror flick. Don't get me wrong though, it's best that way. There is a lot of cool dialogue too and Daniel Baldwin's performance is one of his best. I love desert set movies and this one gives us some great cinematography and gorgeous scenery. The music is also light-hearted in a way but can also be spooky at time. Carpenter always comes up with great tunes and his guitar riff and 'Roadhouse Blues' approach to the genre gives a whole new feel. Plus James Woods shines in the way that only he can do.

The DVD has a boring commentary (Carpenter has no one to talk to), a trailer and the cover claims it contains a photo gallery also but unless it's an easter egg it ain't there. The picture is in pretty good 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and the sound is Dolby 5.1. It'd be cool if Columbia released a Superbit of this movie.

"John Carpenter's Vampires"
Vampires (R)
James Woods, Daniel Baldwin, Sheryl Lee, Thomas Ian Griffith, Tim Guinee.
Directed by: John Carpenter.
Synopsis: A famous vampire slayer is forced to hunt down the first vampire. With his team slaughtered, and time running out. He must stop this vampire before a black cross allows the vampire to walk in the daylight.
Special Features: Feature Length Commentary, Trailer.
Review: This film opened with the highest Halloween opening ever, and sold like nobodies business on home video. Master slayer Jack Crow's entire team except sidekick Daniel Baldwin are slaughtered by the original vampire caused by a reverse exorcism by the catholic church that was never finished. This master vampire searches for the black cross to finish the ceremony that would then enable him to walk in the daylight. Crow and sidekick use a bitten hooker to hunt down the vampire due to her psychic link to him. This bloody vampire film is well written, stylish, and just the ticket for horror fans. I jumped out of my skin at the split in half killing. The acting is on James Woods scowling owns the picture he is one of the greatest tough guys ever in this film, Daniel Baldwin is excellent as the no bull sidekick with a soft spot, Sheryl Lee is on as the turning hooker, Tim Guinee as the reluctant priest, Thomas Ian Griffith as the Valic, and Maximillian Schell as the bishop, they are all in top form. Carpenter's direction is slick and he has an eye for spooky sights. This film gets better every time I watch it. As for the DVD? Well the commentary is cool, but couldn't they have added a little more to it? Disappointing, but the film makes it worthwhile. Where's the special edition?

A Refreshingly Different Vampire Movie!!
John Carpenter takes Vampires to a whole new level in this excellent movie! If you want to see a traditional vampire movie, this is not for you! If you want action and lots of it then this is the best vampire movie for you! Jack Crow (James Woods) and his vampire slayers are ready for action, and the first 20 minutes of this movie shows them at work killing the vampires in their own hideout, even though the head vampire should be there he is nowhere to be found. They don't have to wait long because the head vampire Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith) finds them and kills most of Crow's vampire slayers, So Crow and Montoya (Daniel Baldwin) with the help of Katrina (Sheryl Lee) a hooker who was at the party which Valek interupted go in search of him and with the help of the Church they hope to finally be rid of Valek.

Greatest vampire movie ever done
I love this movie because of the guns,musics,story,place,James Woods and Daniel Baldwin.Guns:there are lots of good guns in this movie bowgun,spear,rifles.Musics:John Carpenters great west acoustic guýtarre style.story:vampires are in every where on this world and there are hunters to kick them down.place:movie takes places in very good states Texas,New Mexico James Woods and Daniel baldwin:they are very charismatic actors. I watched this movie about 22 times this is the one of the greatest movies that cant forgot in my whole life.

Movie Blows
This movie is one of the worst vampire movies I've ever seen. It's horrible and worse than cheesy. It's another film that portrays the evil vampire and the master that needs to be killed because he's so old and powerful that blah blah freakin blah. The way they drag the vampires out into the sun and how they burst into flames is really dumb with horrible effects. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

While most movie buffs are likely to call Halloween the best movie from John Carpenter, others--die-hard romantics and anyone who cried while watching E.T.--might vote in favor of the director's 1984 hit Starman. It's easily Carpenter's warmest and most beguiling film, and the only one that ever earned an Oscar nomination. That honor went specifically to Best Actor nominee Jeff Bridges for his performance as an alien visitor to Earth who is knocked off course and must take an interstate road trip to rendezvous with a mothership from his home planet. To complete this journey he assumes the physical form of the dead husband of a Wisconsin widow (Karen Allen) who responds first with fear, then sympathy, and finally love. Carpenter's graceful strategy is to switch the focus of this E.T.-like film from science fiction to a gentle road-movie love story, made believable by the memorable performances of Bridges and Allen. It's a bit heavy-handed with tenacious government agents who view the Starman as an alien threat (don't they always?), but Carpenter handles the action with intelligent flair, sensitivity, and lighthearted humor. If you're not choked up during the final scene, well, you just might not be human. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (55)

A WONDERFUL, MOVING FILM
Starman by John Carpenter is by all accounts one of the best science fiction movies I have ever seen. OK there may not be loads of special effects to dazzle you, but this is human life seen through the eyes of an alien, which turns most sci-fi movies on their head. The development of the love story between the two characters is charming and very touching, not to mention great performances by Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen (I've always liked both of them), but Jeff Bridges really does make you think he is an alien, by the way he talks, walks and acts generally.

The music is also very good, and really comes into it's own at the end of the film. It is very haunting and the whole mood of the movie reminds me of The Dead Zone, which is another favourite of mine. I love John Carpenter's other films, eg The Fog, The Thing and Halloween, but this is very different from them.

In summary, I always judge a film by how it makes you feel, and I always feel emtionally touched after this film, even though it is sad, it is uplifting.

John Carpenter's Best Film, Hands Down!!!!!!!!!
Those of you still thinking that Halloween is director John Carpenter's greatest achievement need to look elsewhere, namely right here with Starman. A Sci-Fi/Romantic drama released back in 1985 that is so captivating, so moving and endearing, that it leaves you breathless with deep emotion and thought. Can you not be touched by the scene involving a dead deer? I've seen this film so many times and it never loses it's luster. Jack Nitzsche's music is so haunting, so alluring, so powerful with a wonderful mystical sense of longing that it draws you even further into the picture. John Carpenter has never made another film like this. It's his masterpiece because it gives us so many layers that are not found in any of his other works. You will care about these people. You will truly want them to be together. It's all there. This movie has so much heart and compassion for life. If you are not touched then please open your heart a little more. A special note to Columbia Pictures: Please release a Special Edition of this film with an audio commentary by John Carpenter, Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen (all in the same room together if possible). Mr. Carpenter has done many Special Edition DVD's for his films. Starman must not be the exception.

A Bothered Fan of The Film.
Carpenter is a director with great highs and lows in his career. Who has managed to make special editions for just about everyone one of his movies except this one. Recently I just read Christine (The killer car Movie!) is getting special edition treatment as opposed to this great family film. Long time Jeff Bridges fan I realized that he gives an oscar nominated performance here, so I wonder whats the deal. Why no Starman Special Edition or even Superbit it. this film deserves better treatment.

Starman
A moving love story wrapped in an engaging science fiction yarn. This is so good. It even had me reaching for the kleenex once or twice (don't tell anybody.)

"Yelled 'Greetings', and melted his lugwrench?"
This is a funny sci-fi romantic comedy from director John Carpenter (more famous for his thriller-type movies, which I have not seen.) The movie made me laugh out loud a few times - no easy feat.

The opening sequence shows a Voyager probe going out to space, and then a spacecraft returning toward earth. NORAD tracks the incoming object which crashes off-course in Wisconsin. SETI sends a scientist to find the crashsite. The military is also after it, of course. The alien performs a "symbiotic transformation" into a dead man's body using DNA from in a hair sample found in a photo book. The starman kidnaps the widow, and they start a cross-country journey toward "Arizona maybe" where he must meet up with the mothership, or die. Along the way, there is some social commentary regarding our treatment of foreigners, and our society in general.

"Do you seriously expect me to tell the president...that an alien has landed...assumed the identity of a dead house painter from Madison, Wisconsin...and is presently out tooling around the countryside...in a hopped-up, orange-and-black, 1977 Mustang?"

Well acted by Karen Allen as the widow, Charles Martin Smith as the SETI scientist, Richard Jaeckel as the government man, and Jeff Bridges earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the starman. The direction and photography was good, and I think the special effects are fine (especially for 1984), though some people think they look cheap.

The DVD has the usual set up features and a trailer. ... Read more

Reviews (170)

What a clunker
I've read some of the reviews already posted here, and a lot of folks either flat-out loved this film or thought it stunk. Unfortunately, I find myself more aligned with the latter group, although "stunk" may be too strong a word. I'm actually more disappointed than anything else.

I'm a big fan of John Carpenter and B-movie schlock in general. My favorite Carpenter film is "The Thing." To this day, I think it's a barf-bag/gross-out masterpiece. I've watched it an embarrassing number of times and I have yet to grow tired of it.

I've just seen "Ghosts of Mars" after having rented the DVD. I really, really wanted to like this film, but I just couldn't do it -- even after having watched it a second time to see if maybe I'd missed something.

If only there had been decent plot development, meaningful dialog, competent acting (the best of the lot is Ice Cube, as "Desolation" Williams) or good special effects, it might have stood a chance at the box office. No such luck. For me, its most noteworthy feature is the fact that Natasha Henstridge actually manages to keep her clothes on during the entire movie.

The train visuals and music that accompany the opening credits aren't too bad, but things go rapidly downhill from there. I won't rehash the plot, as it's already been discussed at length in other reviews. Suffice it to say that when the movie ended, I was still waiting for something halfway believable to happen.

I do want to address one aspect of the film's premise that I haven't seen mentioned in any of the reviews I've read here. "Desolation" Williams is supposed to be this big, bad, ultra-nasty murderer, right? So who is sent to transport him from one location to another? Competent people, maybe? Nope. We get a known pill-popper (Henstridge, as Ballard), two rookies (Clea Duvall and Liam Waite), and a "new guy" (Jason Statham) no one seems to know too much about, but whose main activity is trying to put the make on Ballard.

A fifth member of the transport team (Commander Helena Braddock, played by Pam Grier) is the only one who seems even remotely qualified for the assignment, although she apparently has the hots for Ballard as well (oh, the problems of being drop-dead gorgeous). Braddock isn't around very long, though. After her depature, we're left with Drug-Taking Cop, Sex Fiend Cop, and Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum Cops to successfully transport Nasty Murderer to Intended Destination. Does this make sense? Nope, not to me.

Throughout the film, the main characters act so illogically that I just couldn't bring myself to care about them. The plot is riddled with holes and continuity problems. Most of the dialog is so ridiculous that I don't know how the actors kept straight faces while delivering their lines. ("Maybe I'd sleep with you if you were the last man on Earth, but we're not on Earth." Groan.)

Even the scenes without dialog are silly. The worst offender is the interminable sequence during which Henstridge demonstrates how adept she's become at rolling her eyes up so only the whites are visible. This is something she didn't do nearly as well in "Species." I guess the intervening six years gave her plenty of time to practice.

After seeing "Ghosts of Mars," I'm left with one question: What could John Carpenter possibly have been thinking? Whatever it was, I hope it moves on -- much as the ghosts in the film vacate bodies they occupy once those bodies are killed -- and lets John Carpenter be himself once again.

Meanwhile, I intend to keep the faith and remain a fan. That having been said, I think I'll go watch "The Thing" for the 1,734th time.

Just When You Thought Hollywood Ran Out Of Ideas...
Well, just when you thought Hollywood had run out of ideas, John Carpenter goes and pulls one - right out of his a*#. This is not only of the worst movies that I've seen, it probably has the stupidest title I've heard. You have to admit that it's original...being about ghosts of Mars. I'm not sure exactly how the characters didn't have to where helmets or have oxygen tanks...but I guess that would have looked stupid on Ice Cube's big fat head. Carpenter tries to immitate the success of his 1980 horror flick, "The Thing" by getting a small cast of people and having them chased by aliens. Of course the "street smart" Ice Cube is there to help in fighting off these alien ghosts. But I don't think all the street cred in L.A. could save Ice Cube. The difference between Carpenter's "The Thing" and "Ghosts of Mars" is that "The Thing" was primarily psychological, whereas with "Ghosts of Mars" everybody's getting chased by tall, pale, vampire-like aliens that don't look anything like aliens. This movie is horrorifying, not in terms of trying to scare you, but the acting, directing, and concept is so frightening it makes you wonder if Hollywood producers have any common sense at all.

B-movie fun
It's John Carpenter, so what does everyone expect? I know what I expected, and "Ghosts of Mars" pretty much delivered. Thudding sound track, B-movie dialogue, heads on stakes, "Road Warrior" like zanies with metal sticking out of their faces stalking the "good" guys. Bring on the popcorn. Then there's a humorous twist. The "guys" in this future world live in a Matriarchy. Guys make the coffee, defer to the women, but also are told to deal with mechanical problems when they arise. (Well, at least the "breeder" - Jason Statham as Jericho - does.) Carpenter works all kinds of little jokes into the script on this wrinkle alone. Natasha Henstridge as the tough cop hero, and Ice Cube, as the con hero, are serviceable - and they know when to shoot, kick, and punch. And that's all that's needed here. I don't know who the main Martian is (he looks like Marilyn Manson in Kabuki), but he's perfect! Four stars for operating well within genre.

No wonder they all died.
This has one of the best premises for a horror movie i have ever heard: forget about the aliens, they are all dead, but their ghosts still haunt the planet. get ready to be maimed.

Such a shame then, that "Master of Soiling His Own Name" John Carpenter should ruin it by trying to make Ghosts of Mars "Assault on Precint 13 in Space", and turning out a straight to video clunker instead of the classic this might have been.

Case in point: Ice Cube's Desolation Williams, though watchable, is far too nice for a murderer. and he doesn't even kill anyone, he robs someone, and that's how they catch him. Excuse me? NO!!!

The movie delivers the kind of action you'd expect from Carpenter, but it is too seen it all before. And it does not make use of Jason Statham, who, if you watch the transporter is far from the pussy he is shown to be here. and let's not talk about Pam Grier's pork rib acting. she should probably be given an award for "Most Unconvincing Lesbian Ever", among others.

Admittedly, the thing looks good, and plenty of stuff blows up and gets chopped off, but you would have a better time to just watch a pig being chopped up: it provides both the gore and the ham of this film, and takes less time to endure.

if time travel is ever perfected, they should use it to bring back John Carpenter circa 1979.

Time Warp
Yeah, everyone's whining about Ghosts Of Mars. Everyone's pretty much given up on John Carpenter. I admire Carpenter for making the films he wants to and not succumbing to whatever trendiness is expected of horror directors. Wes may be hip wit da teens, but John does what he wants to, even if you think it's lame. Ghosts Of Mars isn't his finest hour, it's not even all that great, but it's Carpenter. This is the kind of film Carpenter has always made. He's never admitted to being more than a B film director and he chooses to be such. After Starman, he coulda been in the big time, but chose his own independent Prince Of Darkness over the Hollywood machine. Ghosts Of Mars would have had more critical and fan praise if it were released in the mid eighties. It wouldn't have seemed so cliched. Personally I admire him for making such a film, passe as it may seem. If I were you I'd check it out. Just don't be expecting some sci-fi extravaganza(which I think everyone was expecting), expect cheesy B movie thrills. ... Read more