Tag: john carpenter

What if?

On By BrandonLeave a comment

I ran into town for a quick scavenger session for machine parts for my friend Briar and ran across an article about unfinished films. People were voicing their opinions on what unfinished film they wish had actually happened. I have been thinking about that all night as I watched Briar fiddle with fixing the engine of the battering ram we call Big Bam. I thought I would share with you fine people at the castle a few of the films I wish had been finished.

The first one that came to my mind was Creature From the Black Lagoon. In 1992 John Carpenter was behind a remake of the classic Universal monster movie. I would have loved to see Carpenter’s take on the material and often think about what might have been. Carpenter ended up making Memoirs of an Invisible Man in 1992 with Chevy Chase. While Memoirs is a decent movie, I have a feeling that the Creature film would have been much better. It appears that a remake is happening in 2014 simply called Black Lagoon but I will always wonder about what might have been.

The next film would be King Conan by John Milius. Conan the Barbarian is a movie that somehow captured the unique feel of a Robert E. Howard story and Conan’s world. It does not follow Howard’s stories faithfully but the film oozes the attitude. I feel this is thanks to Milius. At the end of Conan the Barbarian we see Conan sitting on a throne and are teased with a continuation of the story. We never got to the next chapter. Instead, we have the lackluster Conan the Destroyer, the decent Red Sonja and a modern remake that should have been better. Now that Arnold Schwarzenegger is back into acting, I have heard we may actually see a King Conan movie. Here’s hoping that they use the Milius script and that Arnold can still pull it off. I have no doubt he and Milius would have made it work back when.

The last would be The Hobbit by Guillermo del Toro. By now I’m certain that we have all seen The Hobbit by Peter Jackson and I must say that it was grand. I think Jackson holds such a firm grasp on Tolkien’s work that we had little doubt he would knock it out of the park as he did Lord of the Rings. Still, I would love to imagine what del Toro would have done with the material. At least we got Pacific Rim out of it.

"Ready for my close up Mr. Carpenter."
“Ready for my close up Mr. Carpenter.”

Start With a Scream

On By BrandonLeave a comment

A week into October and the Halloween season is well under way. It’s no secret that Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the air being a bit chillier, the leaves of trees burning bright and the jack-o-laterns grinning on steps. Little monsters come out from hiding and the evenings whisper a promise of treats and scares.

To kick off this Halloween I thought I would you give you some of my picks of movies to watch to get you in the spirit. Sit for a spell, pull up that favorite blanket on your lap and grab a bowl of fresh popcorn. It’s movie night.

  • Halloween: We’ll start with John Carpenter’s masterpiece that birthed a whole genre of horror coined the slasher movie. Tame by today’s standards but brutally effective in the creeping-you-out factor. Not to mention the wonderful score that could easily be the theme for the entire holiday.
  • Monster Squad: You know who to call when you have ghosts, but who do you call when you have monsters? A ragtag group of kids brought together by their love of monsters. These kids are the only ones that are able to stand up to the classic monsters invading their town. Monster Squad is a great cheesy romp through Universal’s classic horror movie line up.
  • The Others: Ghost movies don’t come much creepier then this one. The mood and atmosphere set during the story will have you looking out of the corner of your eye at shifting curtains and swinging doors. Wonderful acting from Nicole Kidman and the kids. The ending will floor you.
  • Dracula: I’m talking about the Bela Lugosi one though the Christopher Lee interpretation isn’t bad either. I could easily throw all of the other Universal classic monsters in here as well, but there’s something about Dracula that sets itself apart.
  • The Ring: Will scare the pants off you. Nuff said.
  • Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein: The pattern all horror comedies should follow and the good ones have done just that.
  • The Fog: That’s right, Carpenter made the list twice. Terror always knocks. There’s something in the fog. Don’t make the mistake of watching the half-baked remake.
  • It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown: Makes you want to sit in the pumpkin patch and watch for the Great Pumpkin with Linus. Gather your kids around and enjoy a holiday classic.
  • Nightmare Before Christmas: My daughter would not be happy if I didn’t mention this one. The great thing is that you can watch this movie for the next three months. I’m sure it will go down as Tim Burton’s greatest movie and it will be difficult to argue otherwise.
  • Sleepy Hollow: Speaking of Tim Burton. This is Burton’s ode to the Hammer horror movies of old. The story of the headless horseman and the modern detective that is set on solving the mystery. Heads will roll.

That’s all for now. Everyone have a safe and happy Halloween.