Episodes
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What's this? Is that? Well, yes it is! White font on black background, 'John Carpenter Presents'... it's an honest-to-goodness John Carpenter joint. A TV movie anthology of the serial killer variety, humorous Twilight Zone style and downright nasty psychological doings it's BODY BAGS! Join us as we talk through our first watch of the video shop gem.
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Tubi
Dir: John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper
Scr: Billy Brown, Dan Angel
Prd: Sandy King
Starring: John Carpenter, Tom Arnold, Tobe Hooper, Alex Datcher, Robert Carradine, David Naughton, Wes Craven, Sam Raimi, George 'Buck' Flower, Stacy Keach, David Warner, Sheena Easton, Debbie Harry, Mark Hamil, Twiggy, Roger Corman
DoP: Gary B Kibbe
Music: John Carpenter, Jim Lang
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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It's felt like an age. After two made-for-TV westerns written by the man and a bonus episode, we're talking about an honest-to-goodness, directed by John Carpenter movie.
1992's 'Memoirs of an Invisible Man' stands out amongst the man's output as the gun-for-hire, studio project that had less than awesome results. Join us as we talk through the production's ups and downs, the plot's ups and downs, and Grae's up-and-down affection for it.
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Apple
Dir: John Carpenter
Scr: H.F. Saint, Dana Olsen, Robert Collector
Prd: Bruce Bodner, Dan Kolsrud
Starring: Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah, Sam Neill, Michael McKean, Stephen Tobolowsky
Music: Shirley Walker
DoP: William A. Fraker
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Missing episodes?
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We return to the Chronilogcal Canon of Carpenter with the 1991 made-for-tv-western (yes, another one) 'Blood River'. Originall written by our man in 1971 for John Wayne it found it's way on to TV 20 years later with Wilford Brimley in the role. Is it a worthy substitute? Was it worth the 20 year wait? Was it worth being made?
Join us as we chat through this little seen piece in the Carpenter ouvre.
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Red Curtain Version
Commercials Version
Dir: Mel Damski
Scr: John Carpenter
Prd: Andrew Gottlieb
Starring: Ricky Shroder, Wilford Brimley, John P. Ryan, Adrienne Barbeau
DoP: Robert M. Baldwin, Gary B. Kibbe
Music: William Goldstein
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You read that damn right, fuck it! It's a bonus episode. Well, technically not a bonus episode, more of a change in programming.
We'll get to 'Blood River' but we felt that we couldn't rightly do 2 made-for-tv westerns available only on YouTube back-to-back. So we thought, you know, we've mentioned Anaconda a few times, we ain't watched it in a while, why the hell not? So join us as we revisit a film neither of us have seen in many years. Behold the snake! Behold the lack of sense of time! Behold a pre-JLO Jennifer Lopez. And please, please, won't you BEHOLD JON VOIGHT!
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Amazon
Dir: Luis Llosa
Scr: Hans Bauer, Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr
Prd: Verna Harrah, Carol Little, Leonard Rabinowitz
Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Jon Voight, Eric Stotlz, Jonathan Hyde, Owen Wilson
DoP: Bill Butler
Miusic: Randy Edelman
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We're back after our summer hiatus with a... polite pop, don't want to scare anyone. Yes, we're discussing the oft-mentioned 'yeah, this is John Carpenter's next movie', but no it was never John Carpenter's next movie, movie 'El Diablo'. An original script from our man was sold to HBO and Carpenter's western vision was created with he and Debra Hill on board as producers. Lost to the annals of tv-movie history, is it worth re-discovering as a lost Carpenter classic or should it remain a curio? Join Us!
Dir: Peter Markle
Scr: John Carpenter, Tommy Lee Wallace, Bill Phillips
Prd: Rick Nathanson
Starring: Anthony Edwards, Louis Gossett Jr, John Glover, Joe Pantoliano, Robert Beltran, M.C. Gainey, Miguel Sandoval
Music: William Olvis
DoP: Ronald Victor Garcia
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We are live, with 'They Live'. Roddy Piper! Yes! Keith David! Yes! 'Kick ass and chew bubblegum'? Certainly. An over-long fisticuffs scene, why not?
Join us as we talk about one of the most culturally significant movies in the Carpenter Canon. But are we willing to 'Obey'?
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Dir: John Carpenter
Scr: John Carpenter, Ray Nelson
Prd: Larry Franco
Starring: Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster, George 'Buck' Flower, Peter Jason
DoP: Gary B. Kibbe
Music: John Carpenter, Alan Howarth
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Welcome to Assault on Church 13! After the unfortunate commercial flopping of 'Big Trouble', our hero Mr. Carpenter went back to what he knew best. A Low-budget, largely single-location horror thriller but this time he's been reading a lot of science-type books while writing the script. Featuring Donald Pleasence as a priest and Victor Wong as a university lecturer doing battle against a tube of green liquid that could be... is the son of satan, it's a bug-filled romp start to finish.
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https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/0HOM9H0CNE81RE0N2B4MV1TS67/ref=atv_dl_rdr?tag=just016-21
https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/prince-of-darkness/umc.cmc.m0maum8tl59t24wbkpp8mmc?playableId=tvs.sbd.9001%3A1439005025
Dir: John Carpenter
Scr: John Carpenter
Prd: Larry Franco
Starring: Donald Pleasence, Victor Wong, Lisa Blount, Jameson Parker, Dennis Dun, Alice Cooper
DoP: Gary B. Kibbe
Music: John Carpenter, Alan Howarth
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We're back to the BIG ONES. Not some circumspect, 'based off a script idea John Carpenter had when Nixon was still in office' movie, but an honest-to-goodness John Carpenter. Up there with Halloween and The Thing in terms of audience fondness, Big Trouble in Little China remains beloved for a generation of home video viewers.
Join us as we go back to Little China after a long time away to see if it still holds up as one of the 80s greats.
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PrimeTV
Disney+
Dir: John Carpenter
Scr: Gary Goldman, David Z. Weinstein, W.D. Richter
Prd: Larry Franco
Starring: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong, Victor Wong
DoP: Dean Cundey
Music: John Carpenter with Alan Howarth
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Tommy Lee Jones? Yes! A John Carpenter script? Yes! A cult 80s bleep bloopy movie? A thousand times, yes!
And yet... hmmmm. Join us as we sit dumbfounded by Robert Vaughn's villainous plan, Linda Hamilton's hair, Robert Vaughn's plan, plot hole begetting plot hole, Robert Vaughn's plan, Tommy Lee Jone's naked torso... but at least he looks good in a leather jacket.
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https://www.arrowfilms.com/black-moon-rising-blu-ray/12032963.html
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Rising-Blu-ray-Tommy-Jones/dp/B07N3RFXGJ
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https://www.arrow-player.com/black-moon-rising/videos/black-moon-rising
Dir: Harley Cokeliss
Scr: John Carpenter, Desmond Nakano, William Gray
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Hamilton, Robert Vaughn, Richard Jaeckel, Lee Ving, Bubba Smith
Prd: Douglas Curtis, Joel B. Michaels
DoP: Misha Suslov
Music: Lalo Schifrin
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Something of a completionist task on this episode. One of the top-tier motion pictures on the list of Great Unmade John Carpenter movies. Our Dear Director worked for years trying to bring the story of an experiment gone wrong to the screen, but tapped out and passed it on to another bunch of folk to go make it. Don't let that fool you, we still find MUCH to talk about - blowing up the sky, left-turn body horror, being over there, then over here.
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https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/the-philadelphia-experiment-1984
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https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philadelphia-Experiment-Blu-Ray-Michael-Par%C3%A9/dp/B07MXTPGCB
Dir: Stewart Raffill
Scr: Michael Janover, William Gray
Starring: Michael Pare, Nancy Allen, Eric Christmas, Bobby Di Cicco, Stephen Tobolowsky
Prd: Douglas Curtis, Joel B. Michaels
DoP: Dick Bush
Music: Kenneth Wanberg
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How does a director follow up the left/right of two fantastic horrors? One about a bloody demonic car. The other about a bloody alien that makes YOU very bloody. Well, you go out and make a perfectly lovely road-trip romance about grief and hilarious misunderstandings. Join us as we watch through Mr. Carpenter's 1984 drama, that feels like a step outside the norm for our man.
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https://www.amazon.co.uk/Starman-Blu-ray-Region-Karen-Allen/dp/B07VHX5V9B
https://hmv.com/store/film-tv/blu-ray/starman
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https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/p/john-carpenters-starman/8d6kgwzl5ngk
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/0FWLLJ7W0FC3QHNS5QV8ZEXG6N/ref=atv_dl_rdr?tag=just016-21
Dir: John Carpenter
Scr: Bruce A. Evans, Raynold Gideon
Prd: Larry J. Franco
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen, Charles Martin Smith, Richard Jaeckel? Jay-kal? Jackal?
DoP: Donald M. Morgan
Music: Jack Nitzsche
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John Carpenter? Yes. Stephen King? Yes. Haunted car? YES. YES. YES! But many years ago Mike watched Master Carpenter's 1983 teenage, Americana horror and was bored to tears. Time has passed now and he realises what an absolute BOOB he was. For 'Christine' has so much to offer. Join us as we discuss why this film rules.
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https://www.powerhousefilms.co.uk/products/christine-bd
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christine-Blu-Ray-Keith-Gordon/dp/B075DXTJTC
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https://www.skystore.com/product/christine/ffccfc78-ddbc-43b5-b58d-ed832c6d76bc?dcmp=afc-ROI:nc_AWIN&utm_source=IE-trading&utm_medium=IE-affiliate&sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=400165&awc=12422_1711914979_5bb9bd3edf8413416a95240e2b80b997&dclid=CNeLlKKkn4UDFRBSpAQdSB0AJA
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/0M6IL8I2V33GLJUAFH35LW9K0Q/ref=atv_dl_rdr?tag=just016-21
Dir: John Carpenter
Scr: Bill Phillips
Prd: Richard Kobritz
Starring: Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky, Harry Dean Stanton
DoP: Donald M. Morgan
Music: John Carpenter, Alan Howarth
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1982 the producers implored our man John and producer, partner Debra Hill to keep the Halloween franchise going. Bored with Michael Myers they came up with the novel idea of creating a new, Twilight Zone-esque anthology series. 'Season of the Witch' would be the first of this brave new venture, creating a beloved annual horror tradition...
Didn't quite work out like that, join us as we talk about this wonderfully ludicrous, Tommy Lee Wallace penned/shot piece of claptrap.
Featuring: Some big faces, robots? Stonehenge? Snakes? Absolute harridans of ex-wives. James Bond plots to murder children and a whole lot of not making sense.
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https://www.amazon.co.uk/Halloween-III-Season-Collectors-Blu-ray/dp/B07GQ59F7R
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https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/0KPS7MW4DDGWACK9LWONWGRG38/ref=atv_dl_rdr?tag=just016-21
Dir: Tommy Lee Wallace
Scr: Tommy Lee Wallace
Prd: John Carpenter, Debra Hill
Starring: Tom Atkins, Stacey Nelkin, Dan O' Herlihy
Music: John Carpenter, Alan Howarth
DoP: Dean Cundey
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Here we are with a bumper episode on possibly the biggest film of Director Carpenter's cannon.
Shame Donald Pleasance isn't here, but we do have top-tier Russell. How remarkable is this hodge-podge of genre? How unfairly treated was it when it came out? What a find Wilford Brimley was ey? Please join us as we chat on the iconic 'John Carpenter's The Thing'
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https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/0GHZPSFV4HWNIB3OG48JOQLEQD/ref=atv_dl_rdr?tag=just016-21
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=The+Thing%2Bmovie
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https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thing-UHD-Blu-Ray-Region-Free/dp/B09BS4R8D5/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1PU9IFE4M6GI1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.iviDJ_1GCsArVSgggb7gGMv7kSRBNGFmd600dmEjpO7IMFOqDmPl5Zk6idCnbkHARfhloGbi2PsJKEwohM6KfTTp9bau8SubEjbqpif_xr5ASz1Cx9CoN1kvdddV8iMrd3UWYj334p8MsWvRmBcecFn5KXKVaZnyxCyIvN55uDBC7waLBjURL3tRSECuHKgN6eL0VFhD0nWm5hoGFG3jN2peG0YGFK7O0CaHTzC0LFE.Y7lDEZPflMNJDiX3nCq0iNCXHGS34Aj7Fzt12TpdC2A&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+thing&qid=1709494323&sprefix=the+thing%2Caps%2C102&sr=8-3
https://shop.warnerbros.co.uk/products/thingtheuhd
Dir: John Carpenter
Scr: Bill Lancaster
Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, T.K. Carter, Donald Moffat, Richard Dysart, David Clennon, Charles Hallihan
Prd: David Foster, Lawrence Turman
DoP: Dean Cundey
Music: Ennio Morricone, with a bit of Carpenter
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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We're taking a step back in our chronological canter through the films of John Carpenter to 1979's 'Better Late Than Never'. Why cover it now? Because we've only just managed to get hold of a copy from the deepest darkest web (not to be confused with The Dark Web).
A TV movie broadcast in '79, for which our man John took a writing credit on, this would sit between 'Elvis' and 'The Fog' in the timeline. Join us as we offer up no John-text, as none was to be found but we do talk about a truly lost-Carpenter film that we came away from with unexpected thoughts on.
Oh, and for some reason it's directed by Rambo's own RICHARD CRENNA
Dir: Seriously, Richard Crenna
Scr: John Carpenter & Greg Strangis, Robert Stitzel & Robert Johnson
Starring: Harold Gould, Tyne Daly, Strother Martin, Harry Morgan, Donald Pleasance
Prd: Robert Birnbaum
DoP: Ronald W. Browne
Music: Charles Fox
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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*Note upfront, the recording of this episode isn't quite up to the usual haphazard standard but we know what the problems are for next time. Apologies and hope it doesn't spoil your enjoyment too much*
Completing the saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode in a titanic battle of cunning and physical strength, join us as we sit through the thrilling conclusion to the Halloween story...
Of course not, this is 'Halloween II' the ever-so dull, "what it's kind of like the first one, what's wrong with it?" follow-up to the OG masterpiece. A film so devoid of life you can feel John Carpenter and Debra Hill's writer's block up there on the screen. Nevertheless, it's canon so we cover.
Buy
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Halloween-II-Collectors-UHD-Blu-ray/dp/B07GQ63D83
https://www.filmtreasures.co.uk/halloween-ii-4k-uhdblu-ray1981collectors-edition2-disc
Stream
https://www.nowtv.com/watch/halloween-2-1981-1981/A5EK6sKrAaydRkKR4biQu
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/0PHXMX74INVODV6R6QERECWXNI/ref=atv_dl_rdr?tag=just016-21
Dir: Rick Rosenthal
Scr: John Carpenter, Debra Hill
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Charles Cyphers, Jeffrey Kramer, Lance Guest, Pamela Susan Shoop, Dick Warlock
Prd: John Carpenter, Debra Hill
DoP: Dean Cundey
Music: John Carpenter, Alan Howarth
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Yes, we're hitting the 80s stride now talking about the cinema of Mr. Carpenter. This episode we're talking the iconic Kurt Russell hostage mission thriller Escape From New York. Join us as we delight in this stacked cast of horrible people, a cavalcade of amazing effects done on a shoe-string budget and THAT theme music, my goodness THAT theme tune. Plus, we take great delight in the performance of our old friend Donald Pleasance along with the bad-assery of Lee Van Cleef.
Buy
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Escape-New-York-Kurt-Russell/dp/B0002JK73Y
https://shop.bfi.org.uk/escape-from-new-york.html
Stream
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Escape-York-Remastered-Kurt-Russell/dp/B00ILNHRV8
https://tv.apple.com/gb/movie/escape-from-new-york/umc.cmc.3hubbyao5k45o0mk8y4kz1yh9
Dir: John Carpenter
Scr: John Carpenter and Nick Castle
Starring: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasance, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau, Tom Atkins, Season Hubley
Prd: Larry Franco and Debra Hill
DoP: Dean Cundey
Music: John Carpenter
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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We're hitting the 80s and with it we begin the great Carpenter run with cult favourite 'The Fog'. Join us as we talk about Mr. John's spooky, pirate ghost chiller replete with terrifying smoke machines, re-shoots, re-shoots, re-shoots and array of random people doing random things. We'll be talking:
Why is Jamie Lee Curtis' character here and where should she be?Why isn't Donald Pleasance here?So do people come back from the dead when killed by spooky pirates or what?Why does the radio station only play smooth jazz?So do the spooky pirates have poltergeist powers or what?Buy
https://www.studiocanal.co.uk/title/the-fog-1980/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fog-4K-Ultra-HD-Blu-ray/dp/B07MXVFX9B/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1Q2H2UHOMFE6A&keywords=the+fog&qid=1702241396&sprefix=the+fog%2Caps%2C91&sr=8-1
Stream
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fog-Remastered-John-Houseman/dp/B07K4H1FST
https://www.nowtv.com/ie/online/the-fog-1980/A5EK6sKrAaydHVP2cDZNY
Dir: John Carpenter
Scr: John Carpenter and Debra Hill
Starring: Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Hal Holbrook, Janet Leigh
Prd: Debra Hill
DoP: Dean Cundey
Music: John Carpenter
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Before Baz made his epic telling of The King of Rock and Roll for the big screen, our Dear Director Carpenter made a TV movie of the icon.
Can the man who has already turned his hand to serial killer horror, comedy sci-fi and neo-westerns pull off a music biopic? Can he bring that same skewed vision to a cradle to grave story of the biggest icon of the 20th Century? Join us as dig out an online link to find out and discuss:
How handsome IS Kurt Russell?Does everyone need a father like Bing?Can this film be any more 'and then this happens'?Why does Brenda feature more than Priscilla?Can Shelley Winters do one take without crying?Why Pat Hingle?Dir: John Carpenter
Scr: Anthony Lawrence
Starring: Kurt Russell, Shelley Winters, Bing Russell, Season Hubley, Pat Hingle
Prd: Anthony Lawrence
Music: Joe Renzetti
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1978 was a banner year for Maestro Carpenter. One month after the release of the seminal 'Halloween', the thriller 'Someone's Watching Me!' popped up on US TV. If 'Halloween' is his 'Psycho', this may well be his 'Rear Window'. Considered 'The Lost Carpenter' film for many years due to its unavailability (which unless you have the patience to find a link it kind of is), we've unearthed it from a digital crypt to check it out.
So, was it a test-run for Halloween? How many phone calls before you'd seek the police or a Donald Pleasance of some kind? Carpenter's penchant for writing kick-ass women. The unattractive men of LA. Is it truly a Carpenter film without a Carpenter score?
Someone's Watching Me!
Dir: John Carpenter
Scr: John Carpenter
Cast: Lauren Hutton, David Birney, Adrienne Barbeau
Prd: Anna Cottle, Richard Kobritz
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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