John Carpenter
Noah’s Barks pages relating to movie/film director and musician John Carpenter.
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The Fog
The Fog is overall better than Halloween because you’re not watching a crappy teen movie for a majority of the time, but it also lacks any strong iconic moments. John Carpenter‘s score consists of one good theme and a bunch of two-note ambient drones, and though it attempts to be character-driven with multiple subplots the… (read more)
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In the Mouth of Madness
In the Mouth of Madness has John Carpenter attempting his most direct Lovecraft tribute yet, complete with genuinely disturbing imagery and special effects that rival The Thing. There’s evidence of evolution here but also the opposite. Carpenter’s lost his sense of restraint, as evident by the awkward soundtrack that knocks off Metallica’s Black Album as… (read more)
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Big Trouble in Little China
Anyone else sick of the nerd brigade wanting to believe a ridiculous action movie couldn’t be better crafted than any third-rate drama? Big Trouble in Little China is a riot; a stupid movie that’s brilliantly directed. Notice how the opening scene plays up American Kurt Russell as a hero while he’s shown to be more… (read more)
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They Live
The capitalist invaders in They Live aren’t exactly subtle, but they sure are funny. Camp even by John Carpenter standards, They Live is more for the converted: some great action, and even more comedic trope-poking than usual. Carpenter has made more fun movies however, mostly due to the sizable stretches of They Live where Roddy… (read more)
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Assault on Precinct 13
Easily comparable to Escape from New York (EfNY) in quality. Assault on Precinct 13 lacks EfNY‘s apocalyptic visions and set designs, but gains a better put together screenplay that only has ups and no downs. Unlike Halloween, the stuff preceding the main event isn’t trash and has some good humor. When the going gets tough,… (read more)
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Halloween
I don’t think I’ll ever understand what makes a man a slasher fan. Is it the tension? The tension that exists for less than 50% of every one of these “classics?” It can’t be the teen movie fluff that inadequately bridges the gaps with an awful uninspired script and mediocre acting. You can tell everyone’s… (read more)
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Escape from New York
The action scenes are decent but frankly token and lack suspense. The plot is completely straightforward. So, why did Escape from New York inspire video games? Because it’s fun. A very capable director avoids the flubs of typical cult films, and the attention to colorful set design and simple yet strong characters creates a self-contained… (read more)