[DVD Review (R2)] THE JOHN CARPENTER COLLECTION
You know, this is actually quite a hard release to review. Not because I don’t like John Carpenter (he’s a favourite director of at least two of the writers on this site). Not because the movies in this set are bad – far from it! But because, chances are, you already own most of these movies, so why would you be interested in this release?
OK, lets get the movies out of the way first. In this set you get:
Halloween – possibly one of the best teen-stalker slasher movie ever made. An assured horror that thrills and chills in equal measures and introduced the world to one of the great horror icons – Michael Myers. Forget Rob Zombies abortive re make/ re imagining. There’s only one Halloween (OK, according to IMDB there are actually 10 but that’s not the point!) and this is it.
They Live – A wonderful concept for a sci fi movie, with a great performance from “Rowdy” Roddy Piper (and one of the all time greatest lines – “I came here to kick ass and chew bubble gum and I’m all out of bubblegum”) that is severely let down by an ending that just fizzles instead of going out with a bang. If there’s ever a movie that deserved a sequel then this is it!
The Fog – I love this film (as does my wife). I do. It might not be the greatest horror ever made but there’s something inherently creepy about fog that Carpenter captures so well – something the re make with Tom “smallville” Welling failed miserably to do!
Prince of Darkness- Possibly not the most well known Carpenter movie and certainly the worst of the bunch in this set, but when surrounded by his best movies what did you expect?
Assault On Precinct 13 – the remake was actually better than I though it would be but this beats seven shades of shit out of it and is still as taught and thrilling now as the day I first saw it.
Escape from New York – do I really need to tell you? Its one of the great sci fi movies, with a superb performances from Kurt Russell, great action sequences, wonderful script and excellent execution. How on earth could Carpenter follow up this?
Simple, with the last movie of the set – possibly his greatest movie ever:
The Thing – a sci fi master class. A remake that is superior to the original. Wonderful effects, Kurt Russell in one of his first roles and everything combining to make what is still one of the best sci fi movies of all time.
So, if you already own all of these, is there anything to make you double dip? Well, only if you count a new interview with Carpenter on the Escape from New York DVD – but bear in mind that you’ll be trading in the commentary from Prince of Darkness DVD that has mysteriously vanished!
What’s also odd is the exclusion of some of his other movies. What happened to Big Trouble In Little China? Or Christine? Surely they were just as deserving to be included in this set?
Still, if you only own one or two John Carpenter movies then this is a great purchase as Carpenters movies receive much more love in the extras, some of which are just as enjoyable as the movies themselves (check out the commentaries on the They live, The Thing and Escape from New York DVDs or the totally in depth documentaries on The Thing, Halloween or Escape From New York to see what I mean). But its not an essential purchase for people who already own the movies here – which the inclusion of a feature length retrospective on Carpenters career could have made it, which is a shame, but for the RRP of £54.99 you do get some classic movies from a visionary director and, if you don’t already own them, there really is no excuse now.
Right – 2 ratings for this release:
Purchase quality if you don’t own them already & overall as a set:
Purchase quality if you already own some or all of the movies in the set:
And if this has whetted your appetite for John Carpenter related things why not check out Gazz’s descent into madness as he tries to watch all of John Carpenter’s movies in just 29 hours. It’s a great read and also completely barmy! And it starts right here.
11 Responses to “[DVD Review (R2)] THE JOHN CARPENTER COLLECTION”
Thank you for the pimping out of quite possibly my greatest triumph as a writer, ha ha!
Few things I feel I have to call you to task for with your otherwise brilliant review:
* Dude, you SO should have reviewed them in order of release! The sheer frustration at the lack of quality but existence of obvious directorial talent is achingly present when you do it that way!
* You would be amazed at the decrease in love for THEY LIVE and the increase in love for PRINCE OF DARKNESS over the last few years. I went to a retrospective triple bill of Carpenter movies whilst living in London a few years back and they showed PRINCE OF DARKNESS, THEY LIVE and CHRISTINE and PRINCE went over like a ****ing fireworks display on 4th of July.
In years to come I truly believe that, as great a film as THEY LIVE is, it will become known and obviously spotted as the film where Carpenter started to lose his steady hand (watch it again – once we’re out of the awesome first act, the film plays like a computer game; right down to the big “end of level” shoot out in the bad guy HQ etc) and PRINCE OF DARKNESS will become known as his flawed but last truly great movie!
* “…There’s only one Halloween (OK, according to IMDB there are actually 10 but that’s not the point!) and this is it…” PMSL!!! I love it when you make little malpropisms like that in your review! Ha Ha, great line mate!
* I’d take a sequel to BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA or THE THING over THEY LIVE any day! Rumour has it that both THE THING and THEY LIVE are Sci-Fi Channel properties now and that the latter is still in mini-series development hell after Frank Darabont’s script was rejected back in 2003 and they’re looking at making THEY LIVE into a trilogy of Sci-Fi Channel movies starring Phillip Rhee if I remember correctly. Oh Dear God!
Great write up though mate! Thoroughly enjoyable!
Oh I agree about Prince of Darkness. It is a good movie, but when compared to the others here it does show it’s flaws. And I still love They Live – I just wish it had ended properly! It was such a great setup and it just fades badly towards the end. And your example of a video game is totally right!
And that’s why I’d love to see a sequel to it – it badly needs something to finish the tale. Not sure if Sci-Fi channel movies were quite what I had in mind, though!
As for a sequel to Big Trouble In Little China – oh my God, I would give your left nut for that! (I’m too attached to mine) Seriously, we were promised that much by the end of the original and I have been waiting years to see it. Doubt I ever will, but damn it would be nice!
And coming from the guy who gave us Lessons in Carpentry your final comment means a lot, cheers.
I remember back when he was promoting ESCAPE FROM LA and he was asked about other characters he’d like to revisit and Kurt Russell said something like:
“… Well, if the studios had their way it would be TANGO & CASH. But for me I’d work for free to bring back McCready or Jack Burton! I loved those guys!”
And, as a side note, we came very close to getting a “triple bill” night named in this very website’s honour arranged with a local cinema and it fell through, but is not completely dead yet! BUT the “Stale Popcorn Presents…” triple hitter would have opened with:
PRINCE OF DARKNESS
(and was to be followed by prints of THE HIDDEN and MONSTER SQUAD)
A triple bill night named after the site? Nice.
Be even nicer if I heard about these things once in a while….
You actually did! Thank you very much, sir!
I told you about this in one of our MSN chats back in JULY!!! I told you what was on the agenda and how it was being planned for AUGUST! And your response (this is not an exact quote but a paraphrase) was:
“Wish Newcastle wasn’t so far away. That’ll be a great night!”
You then commented on wishing you could travel up just to see MONSTER SQUAD on the big screen but what with wife and kids etc you knew that wasn’t going to be possible!
Sheesh! I don’t mind getting the digs when I’ve done wrong but now I’m getting them when I’m more innocent then Richard Kimble ha ha.
I think a quick retraction from you and a click on the “blushing” emoticon will sooth my delicate, dented sensibility!
lol
PS
I suggested the name of the site and it isn’t exactly trademarked either AND such a night would have only brought in even MORE readers AAAAAND as I said, you WERE already aware of this!
I do feel as if I need a “Wyv” hug now!
You expect me to remember a conversation we had late at night two months ago?
Yeah right! Half the time I don’t remember something my wife has told me two minutes ago!
Still, sorry anyway. That’s the best you’ll get. :p
I don’t expect you to “remember”. I just expect you not to “assume” it didn’t happen, lol.
And “sorry” is still a sorry, so… Thank you sir!
Who said it wasn’t trademarked? :p
ME!!!
Coz I had to verify that fact when the event was being arranged AND that was one of the questions I got asked by the people of that person who I might be talking with for the site which we discussed yesterday but you probably won’t remember because you’ve just said you don’t remember shit after two minutes so you’re probably going to need me to be more clearer in who I am talking about but I won’t be because then it will either spoil the surprise or it will make me look like a dick if it falls through which as we both know, or at least I know coz I REMEMBER, it has the potential to do and…
… I’m out of breath!
No, I remember that one.
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