John Carpenter

THE WARD Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: August 23rd, 2011 at 8:21 am

John Carpenter is an old man, and he makes old man films. In one way that’s refreshing. He knows where to put his camera in a sequence with multiple people. He knows when to use a close up, and never shoots a film like it’s a TV show. But he’s also a man without a country in new Hollywood, working with low budgets and ambling on with no great respect from those who’ve ripped him off. His latest film, The Ward, was given limited theatrical release before hitting home video. It stars Amber Ward, Danielle Panabaker and Jared Harris in a tale about young girls in the 1960’s who are stuck in a mental institution with a ghost. Our review of the Blu-ray of the The Ward follows after the jump.

Exclusive: Director John Carpenter Talks THE WARD and His Thoughts on Hollywood Remaking His Films

by Christina Radish    Posted: June 8th, 2011 at 3:40 pm

The Ward, horror master John Carpenter’s first feature film in about 10 years, is a psychological thriller about a young woman locked in a mental institution in the 1960s. Unsure of who she is and what has happened to her, Kristen (Amber Heard) finds herself held against her will in a remote ward of a psychiatric hospital that is inhabited by four other equally disturbed young women. As Kristen quickly realizes that things are not what they seem, she learns that the hospital has dark secrets that will lead to a truth more horrifying than she ever could have imagined.

At the film’s press day, filmmaker John Carpenter did this exclusive interview with Collider, in which he talked about why he was burned out on the movie business, the appeal of working with a female ensemble, how much he loves collaborating with actors, the challenge of shooting such a self-contained story, being open to directing again, and how he feels about remakes of his previous films like They Live and Escape From New York. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

A Sneak Peek at Shepard Fairey’s THEY LIVE Poster and John Carpenter’s Special Introduction to the Film’s Alamo Drafthouse Screening

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 8th, 2011 at 11:48 am

I’m pretty sure the Alamo Drafthouse’s mission statement is to make everyone who doesn’t live near one of their theaters to just be insanely jealous all the time.  The latest evidence for my suspicion comes from their upcoming screening of John Carpenter’s They Live.  The screening takes place tomorrow night at the Alamo Drafthouse and Carpenter recorded a video introduction for the audience.

But that’s not enough.  Nooo.  There will be a Mondo poster for the film designed by renowned artist Shepard Fairey.  Posters will be on sale at the screening and a limited amount will be available online this Friday.  You and I will be competing with everyone else on the Internet to get one.  Hit the jump to check out Carpenter’s video introduction to They Live, a sneak peek at Fairey’s Mondo poster, and to read a statement from Fairey about how They Live inspired his work.  Carpenter’s new film The Ward is currently on VOD and will hit theaters July 8th.

Amber Heard Talks THE WARD and NBC’s THE PLAYBOY CLUB

by Christina Radish    Posted: June 7th, 2011 at 9:59 am

Actress Amber Heard wanted to be a part of The Ward because she loves the genre, loves the director (John Carpenter) and loved the script, making it the perfect combination. And, the added attention it gets for being Carpenter’s first feature film in about 10 years doesn’t hurt either. In the horror thriller, Heard plays a disturbed young woman named Kristen, who has no memory of her life before being admitted to a mysterious mental ward. Stuck with four other equally disturbed patients, Kristen begins to see strange things and hear frightening sounds, and quickly realizes that things are not as they seem. As she struggles to regain her freedom, she uncovers a truth more horrifying than she ever could have imagined.

At the film’s press day, Amber Heard talked about what makes John Carpenter the best at what he does, how she tries to make a character as real as possible, and the challenge of being a part of a story with a twist ending. She also talked about her upcoming NBC drama series The Playboy Club, about an innocent young Bunny named Maureen (Heard) who wants to take the world by storm, but accidentally kills one of the Windy City’s most powerful mafia bosses. Check out what she had to say after the jump.

Half Trailer for John Carpenter’s THE WARD

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: January 3rd, 2011 at 9:13 pm

John Carpenter will always be a filmmaker to watch, even when all there is to watch is a half trailer of sorts for his latest, The Ward.  The Ward premiered earlier this year at the Toronto International Film Festival, and represents Carpenter’s first feature in nearly a decade after 2001′s Ghost of Mars.  Amber Heard stars as Kristen, a woman committed to a psychiatric hospital where she “begins to have strange run-ins with a shadowy phantom who roams the halls when the ward is locked down at night.”  Mamie Gummer, Danielle Panabaker, Jared Harris, and Lyndsy Fonseca also star.  Check out the clip after the break.

John Carpenter to Direct DARKCHYLDE; Plus the First Teaser Image from the Film

by Jason Barr    Posted: October 31st, 2010 at 3:13 pm

On the day that is nearly synonymous with his own name, we’re confirming that legendary horror director John Carpenter has signed on to direct Darkchylde.  Based on the comic book series created by Randy Queen, the film will follow a southern teen by the name of Ariel Chylde.  Per the press release, Chylde is “cursed to become the creatures from her many recurring nightmares.”  Having not read the comic book series, I can only assume this is bad news for the people who cross paths with the “good-hearted” teen.

Darkchylde‘s production will be a couples affair as Carpenter and his wife Sandy King will co-produce the film under their Storm King Productions moniker alongside Queen and his wife Sarah’s Darkchylde Entertainment label.  Hit the jump to check out the first teaser image from the film as well as the full press release.  Carpenter’s latest effort, The Ward, debuted in September at the Toronto International Film Festival.  Additionally, a prequel of his 1982 classic The Thing is currently slated to hit theaters on April 29th, 2011.

Eric Christian Olsen On Set Interview THE THING

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 8th, 2010 at 7:13 am

Eric Christian Olsen is one of those actors you’ve seen in a bunch of different movies and TV shows, but you probably don’t know his name.  That’s because  over the past few years, Olsen has been working consistently on shows like NBC’s Community, Brothers & Sisters, Fired Up, and he recently started on NCIS: Los Angeles.  Basically, he’s one of those actors right on the cusp of being recognized.

However, a few months ago, when I was in Toronto visiting the set of The Thing prequel, Olsen met up with the group I was with at a local restaurant and no one recognized him. I think that’s about to change.

During the interview, Olsen told us how he got involved in the project and who he plays, was he interested in doing a horror film, what was it like to work with all the Norwegian actors, the practical effects, and what does he remember about seeing The Thing for the first time.  He also told us how the movie isn’t your typical modern horror film, and he talks about NBC’s Community and how he was supposed to do more episodes last season.  Hit the jump to read or listen to what Olsen had to say:

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje On Set Interview THE THING

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 7th, 2010 at 8:50 am

While many people know Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje from his work on HBO’s Oz, I’ll admit to first appreciating his acting skills as Mr. Eko on Lost.  While his time on the island was short, he made a lasting impression on everyone that watched the show.

So when I found out I was going to visit the set of The Thing prequel a few months ago in Toronto and he’d be on set, I’ll admit to being excited to talk to him.  Thankfully, Akinnuoye-Agbaje was great to talk with and he told all the visiting online reporters about who he plays in the prequel and and how he arrives at the situation they’re in.  He also told us why he has to do an American accent, how his character served in Vietnam, what he remembers about seeing the original Thing for the first time, the practical effects, and we talk a bit about Lost.  Hit the jump to read what he had to say:

Mary Elizabeth Winstead On Set Interview THE THING

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 4th, 2010 at 9:07 am

A few months ago I got to visit the set of The Thing (the prequel to the classic John Carpenter film with the same name) with a few other online reporters.  As I said in my set report, I think the prequel is going to surprise a lot of people because director Matthijs van Heijningen is making a movie that should tie seamlessly in with the original.  If it all comes together like the way they told us on set, you should be able to watch both films back to back and they’d feel like they belong together.

Anyway, while on set we were able to speak with Mary Elizabeth Winstead.  In the film, she plays a paleontologist named Kate Lloyd and it’s through her character that we journey to Antarctica and meet the rest of the crew.  During the interview she talked about how she got the part, who she plays, what was it like to walk around with the flamethrower, what was it like being the only girl in the film, when did she first watch The Thing and what was her take on it, how is filming a horror film different from other movies, how did she prepare for the role, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to read or listen to what she said:

Joel Edgerton On Set Interview THE THING

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 4th, 2010 at 9:00 am

A few months ago I got to visit the set of The Thing (the prequel to John Carpenter’s classic film with the same name) and while on set I got to speak to almost the entire cast – along with a few other online reporters.  As you might imagine, getting to visit the set was an awesome experience and you can read all about it here.

Anyway, the lead in The Thing is a great Australian actor named Joel Edgerton.  If you saw the movie Animal Kingdom, he was one of the leads in that.  But since most of you probably missed it, perhaps you recognize him from Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith as he played Owen Lars.

During the on set interview, Edgerton talked about why Australians are playing American alpha male characters, doing accents, if he feels any pressure being the lead in a big science fiction film, what he remembers about the original Thing, who his character is, the practical special effects, how he prepares for each scene and the film, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to either read or listen to what he had to say:

Director Matthijs van Heijningen On Set Interview THE THING

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 4th, 2010 at 9:00 am

While a lot of you have no idea who Matthijs van Heijningen is, by the end of next April, many of you are either going to love or hate him.  That’s because van Heijningen is the director of The Thing prequel, and with the film getting released April 29, 2011, we’ll all know soon if van Heijningen has crafted a worthy film to stand alongside the classic John Carpenter movie with the same name.

But before you get nervous that Universal is somehow going to frak up a classic film, I got to visit the set of The Thing while the production was shooting in Toronto a few moths ago and everything I saw and learned on set tells me the prequel is shaping up to be a really cool movie, and not at all what you’re expecting.

Want to know more?  Hit the jump:

Collider Goes to the Set of THE THING Prequel; Plus First Official Images!

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 4th, 2010 at 9:00 am

Mary Elizabeth Winstead is scared.  She’s standing inside an Arctic bunker wearing a heavy winter coat and looking at something on the ground.  The scene is being shot with two cameras.  One is focused on Winstead, and the other is a wide shot which includes more of the surroundings.  For at least eight seconds we see Winstead reacting to whatever is on the floor, and after awhile, she decides to turn on what’s in her hand and strapped to her back.  I guess now would be a good time to mention she’s wielding a flamethrower!

But let me back up a second.

As I type these words I’m on a plane flying back to Los Angeles from Toronto.  It’s June 8th, 2010 and I spent yesterday on the set of director Mattthijs Van Heijninger’s prequel to John Carpenter’s The Thing.  While I was neither for or against the prequel before I arrived on set, I can tell you with certainty the set visit sold me on not only the film, but the cast and the filmmakers.  It was a great set visit which I’ll share in more detail after the jump:

Spike TV Announces Nominees for SCREAM 2010

by Jason Barr    Posted: September 1st, 2010 at 9:18 pm

The nominees for Spike TV’s “Scream 2010” have been announced and Christopher Nolan’s Inception leads all films with fourteen nominations.  While there are certainly more prestigious awards that films (especially Inception) would like to be honored with, the award show always looks like a good time from my couch and I imagine it’s nice to be recognized for your work regardless of the outlet.  Moreover, while fans may vote for the winners, the nominees themselves are chosen by an advisory board made up of industry professionals including: Tim Burton, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Neil Gaiman, Eli Roth, Quentin Tarantino, and Joss Whedon.  In short, it’s not like the kind people at Spike are calling me up asking for my opinion on who deserves a “Scream” nod (Note: I am available just in case though).

Officially, the “Scream Awards” honor “the best in sci-fi, fantasy, comics, and horror” and will air on Spike on October 19^th.  In addition, they are responsible for one of the few times a year that I feel compelled to watch Spike TV (I’ll admit to occasionally indulging in an episode or five of Pros vs. Joes).  To check out the press release which includes a full list of this year’s nominees, hit the jump.

First Images from THE WARD and BEAUTIFUL BOY

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 25th, 2010 at 2:53 pm

Continuing our first-look image series of movies playing at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, we have images from John Carpenter’s The Ward starring Amber Heard, Mamie Gummer, Danielle Panabaker, Jared Harris, and Lyndsy Fonseca.  The Ward is Carpenter’s first film in over a decade and that alone is reason enough to see it. We also have images from Shawn Ku’s Beautiful Boy, which has a killer cast that includes Michael Sheen, Maria Bello, Moon Bloodgood, Alan Tudyk, Kyle Gallner, Austin Nichols, and Meat Loaf Aday.

Hit the jump to check out all the images and synopses for both films.  The 2010 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 9 – 19th.

Director John Carpenter Heads to FANGLAND – UPDATE: Hilary Swank to Star

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 6th, 2010 at 10:37 pm

John Carpenter is going to give his spin on Bram Stoker’s Dracula with Fangland.  Based off the 2007 novel by John Marks, the book is about “a New York-based producer who travels to Romania for an interview with a notorious European arms dealer, who turns out to be a modern-day Dracula.”  Please don’t tell me that “modern-day” Dracula means he glitters in sunlight and just wants to talk about his feelings.  According to Variety, the great Mark Wheaton (the Friday the 13^th remake; he also used to write for CHUD) wrote the script, so I don’t think we need to worry.

I’m happy to have Carpenter return to directing after his nine-year absence.  He’s currently in post-production on The Ward, which is a ghost story starring Amber Heard and is set in a mental institution.  If you don’t know who Carpenter is, his credits include Halloween, Escape From New York, They Live, Big Trouble in Little China, and The Thing.  If you haven’t seen these movies, go correct that mistake in your life.  Then we can be excited for Fangland together (even if it adds to the endless vampire movie onslaught). [UPDATE: ComingSoon reports that Hilary Swank is attached to star as "Evangeline Harker, a producer of a TV news magazine eerily similar to '60 Minutes.'"]

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