The JOHN CARPENTER THREAD

[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by J Harker

I think someone said it was pretty much a port of the Scream Factory disc. Steelbook was 12.99 on Zavvi the other day too.

It was.

Just ordered IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS FROM Deutchsland.

[Scyther]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Bad Ronald is fantastic - well worth a watch.

Seconded, Bad Ronald is a must when it comes to classic TV horror. The Warner disc has a glitch, but plays fine once fast forwarded a tad.

Dying Room Only is another great tv thriller with a WB MOD disc. Check it out, man. Really highly recommended.

[Demoncrat]

Originally Posted by Nordicdusk

Did you manage to watch The Ward yet Dem?

Can I save you some time?
I found it to be...lacking something.
Just saying!!

[Nordicdusk]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

Can I save you some time?
I found it to be...lacking something.
Just saying!!

I have heard that said quite alot about it. But like i said about Argentos The Card Player is it a bad film in general or just compared to John Carpenters other films.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

John Carpenter's The Ward (2010)

Kristen (Amber Heard) finds herself committed after setting fire to an abandoned farmhouse. Once there she becomes friends with the other girls as she comes to realize things are not as they seem and a gruesome ghostly figure stalks the ward at night.

Before i go on i should say i wanted to like this film. It is John Carpenter after all. Also i was pleasantly surprised as i thought it was a found footage film and happily it isn't.

The Ward is an interesting mystery, a slow burning story which gradually escalates, drawing the viewer in as both we and Heard's Kristen character try and figure out the reasons for her being hospitalized in the first place. Carpenter allows the suspense to come to the fore through the story telling as the film gradually flips from mystery to ghost story. The film is nicely acted with characters to sympathize with and tries to avoid the typical genre cliches of bullying wardens and such like. The soundtrack, although often subtle and low in the mix, (thankfully Carpenter doesn't resort to musical jump scares), has echoes of Goblin's Suspiria score. There is little gore, but what there is is gruesome, and one sequence is definitely not for the squeamish in it's eye opening nastiness.

The films only real let down for me was the extremely rushed denouement. I have to admit i didn't see it coming but when you actually think about it, it makes the preceding 80 minutes a bit of a waste of time as it's difficult to say if it happened or it was all in Kristen's mind.

Whilst The Ward is nowhere near classic John Carpenter, (he hasn't a writing credit or responsible for the score), however one or two of his directorial flourishes can be found such as slow, creepy tracking shots which add to the ghostly feel of things.

Better than Escape from LA. The Ward is worth checking out as it's nowhere near as poor as you've probably heard. (cough)

Hopefully as the years go by, as with Ghosts of Mars, people will start to look a little more favourably on The Ward...especially as it may well be John Carpenter's final film.

[Nordicdusk]

Nice review Dem I will have to keep and eye for it.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Better than Escape from LA.

Hardly a glowing report!

Great review as always though Dem, plus I'm glad you enjoyed it for the most part. For me though there was too much I didn't like about the film and if it didn't have Carpenter's name attached it would just be yet another generic supernatural horror film with a twist that would struggle to get recognition amongst the umpteen others. The ending sealed the disappointment for me, which had been brewing thanks to the poor performances and CGI that had come before.

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Hopefully as the years go by, as with Ghosts of Mars, people will start to look a little more favourably on The Ward...especially as it may well be John Carpenter's final film.

I really hope The Ward isn't Carpenter's 'swan song' (however as the years go by it's looking increasingly more likely). I can't see it becoming the 'cult oddity that Ghosts of Mars has/is becoming myself though, mainly because GoM just feels more like a Carpenter film, in as much it is Assault on Precinct 13 on acid and has that unmistakable Carpenter magic within. Others may well disagree, and I may be wrong, but The Ward doesn't feel like a Carpenter film in as much as it is just so generic... a 'one watch' curio for those wanting to complete Carpenter's filmography.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

I really hope The Ward isn't Carpenter's 'swan song' (however as the years go by it's looking increasingly more likely). I can't see it becoming the 'cult oddity that Ghosts of Mars has/is becoming myself though, mainly because GoM just feels more like a Carpenter film, in as much it is Assault on Precinct 13 on acid and has that unmistakable Carpenter magic within. Others may well disagree, and I may be wrong, but The Ward doesn't feel like a Carpenter film in as much as it is just so generic... a 'one watch' curio for those wanting to complete Carpenter's filmography.

Unfortunately the ending did make it feel like a one watch curio. However i did enjoy it up to that point and i didn't think the acting was bad at all.

I totally agree it didn't really feel like a Carpenter film apart from some of those deliberate slow tracking shots.

In a related note i watched Pro-Life (2006). The second of Carpenters contributions to the largely excellent Masters of Horror series.

Much like The Ward, this really didn't feel like a Carpenter film. Very generic in it's plotting, but featuring a fine earth demon, or a guy in a rubber suit as we Doctor Who fans like to call them.

Ron Perlman is always watchable and he carries the film, but it offers no surprises and whilst worth a watch is nothing special.

Carpenters first effort, Cigarette Burns, is far superior.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

I agree about Pro-Life, but like you enjoyed it more than most due to the presence of Perlman. All the Masters of Horror episodes are watchable in my opinion, but still offer a bit of a mixed bag, and despite some being decent efforts fall short of the directors' best efforts.

[Vampix]

I picked up John Carpenter's Vampires on DVD some while back, and still haven't watched it from beginning to end yet. Are there any fans of this flick on here, or is it one to skip over in Carpenter's illustrious film career?