Movie review - "Big Trouble in Little China" (1986) ****1/2 (re-watching)

 Fun. So Howard Hawks. Wonderful teams. Engaging. Can't believe it wasn't a hit. Kim Catrall so funny. Ditto Kurt Russell. Everyone.

Janet Leigh Top Ten

 1) Psycho (1960) - famous scene but also a genuinely nuanced performance as a frustrated woman who makes a bad decision - Vera Miles doesn't have what Leigh had

2) Touch of Evil (1958) - passive (kidnapped) but she has an inner steel

3) Living It Up (1954) - really fun Martin and Lewis movie and Leigh matches well with Dean 

4) Scaramouche (1952) - honestly her character is a ninny and not in Eleanor Parker's league I just love this flm 

5) Little Women (1949) - the most nothing role in the story but she's ideal - she fitted in well at MGM

6) The Manchurian Candidate (1962) a sex positive woman chasing after Frank, from Leigh's hot streak of classic movies

7) The Fog (1980) - she's fine rather than great I just love the movie

8) The Vikings (1958) - lovely and warm in a movie that needs it

9) Houdini (1953) - perhaps the best film she made with Tony Curtis, very winning

10) Harper (1966) - one of many stars.

Book review - "The Future was now" by Chris Nashawaty

 Not bad look at key films from 1982 - ET, Poltergeist, The Thing, Blade Runner, etc. I didn't learn anything new and some of the prose was a little purple but it passed the time.

Book review - "Hell Hath No Fury Like Her - Story of Christine" by Lee Gambin

 Solid book, slightly odd structure, excellent interviews (John Carpenter, Bill Phillips, Keith Gordon, Alex Paul though weirdly no John Stockwell or Steven King). No big behind the scenes dramas, just professionals doing a good job.

Movie review - "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers" (1988) ***

 Odd movie. Half really good - strong story, expanding lore, terrific ending, Donald Pleasance hamming it up, Kathleen Kinmont having fun as a teen minx, a young protagonist ups the stakes, there's memorable set pieces in a school and on a roof. You can feel someone on the movie trying to make it good.

Against this is a bunch of illogical movements and silly scenes. A little more care and this could've been special. Much better than I'd heard. 

Book review - "The Director Should've Shot You" by Alan Dean Foster

 Memoir of a novelist - but someone better known for novelisations. Most film buffs had a Foster on their shelves back in the day - I'm glad he's still at it. Lively account of his life and times. A lot of hours spent in front of the typewriter so not a huge amount for a personal life, at least according to this. 

Some interesting experiences - the challenges of John Carpenter's Dark Star, the generosity of George Lucas giving a percentage on Star Wars, disliking Alien 3 and changing the story (letting Newt live) and being scolded by Walter Hill, getting involved in a actor-director fight on Chronicles of Riddick, working for JJ Abrams (no goss he sounds decent). Too much whining over lack of science in sci fi. But the talk of craft is interesting. Made money from Star Trek log books in the seventies.

Movie review - "The Fog" (1980) *** (re-watching)

 Just put it on for mood and atmosphere and location - it looks so splendid, with that great score, likeable cast. Runs smoothly. Fun to try and spot the reshoots which are quite well integrated. Ending is a little damp squip with randoms in a church and Adrienne Barbeau on top of light house but still worth watching.

Watched a doco on the making of it after - Janet Leigh seems to have cancer, and sad to see Debra Hill looking so smart and healthy knowing she wouldn't live very long.

Movie review - "Halloween III: Season of the Witch" (1983) *** (re-watching)

 Tommy Lee Wallace does good imitation direction of John Carpenter, helped by most scenes shot at night, the isolated north California setting, the wonderful music, and the Carpenter stock company (well, Tom Atkins). 

A spooky, unsettling story, with the catchy jingle, injokes for the fans (including watching Halloween), Woody Allen's ahem muse Stacey Nelkin (as a young woman unable to resist hopping in bed with an elder man). The baddies kill a little kid in front of his parents then the parents, a nice nurse is drilled in the head - so it's bleak.

The public didn't like it, which was a shame.

Movie review - "Christine" (1983) *** (warning: rewatching)

Carpenter took this as a job for hire but he's Carpenter at his peak and he does a good job. Mostly. I remember watching it as a young 'un and realising he didn't get the nuances of the novel. The film lacks emotional heart.

It doesn't get Keith Gordon falling in love with the car and convey about the car. Alexandra Paul is wooden. John Stockwell gives heart to his relationshp with Gordon. But the emotional pull of the piece is not as clear as the book. It's like it's going through the motions.

Stylish motions, though. Loved the bullies - the main one, his tubby sidekick who deserves death, ditto his gawky sidekick. Christine Belford is strong as mum. Robert Prosky feels a little under utlilised.

A solid King adaptation. Not top tier. I sense Carpenter missed the influence of Debra Hill on this one.

Movie review - "The Fog" (1980) *** (re-watching)

 Felt like watching again just for the mood - the photography, location, John Houseman, Adrienne Barbeau. music, acting. These keep you watching. Killing the old baby sitter adds to the dread. Janet Leigh loses a husband - so the stakes are hevay. I read my old review of this my opinons haven't changed on the film.

Book review - "Did I Ever Tell You This?" by Sam Neill

 Got a lot of time for Sam Neill - he's been around so long, had a fabulous career. In the 80s he always seemed on the verge of being a big star - Omen 3, etc - but never quite happened. I think he was more a very handsome character actor, often overshadowed by big stars but holding his own eg My Brilliant Career (Judy Davis), Jurassic Park (dinosaurs), The Piano (Holly Hunter). He just sort of chugs along.

The book is touchingly written after Neill has been diagnosed with cancer and he's living alone in his flat in Surry Hills. He's very discrete about the end of his relationships (Lisa Harrow was one) and affectionate about his kids. More open about his friendships especially Bryan Brown but also Kiwi mafia members like Tim Finn. Discusses life in Ireland and NZ - Dunedin not selling out to watch the Beatles, boarding school, uni, documentary film unit, low rent theatre, leaping to stardom quite quickly via Sleeping Dogs then My Brilliant Career then a British career (with a few TV detours on the way, one of which, Reilly Ace of Spies really established him there).

An amiable enjoyable chap who found a way to consistently work with great directors, on a whole variety of material. A lot of Aussie directors made their best films with Neill: Gillian Armstrong, Jane Campion, Fred Schepisci, Phil Noyce, John Duigan. There's also John McTiernan, John Carpenter, Martin Campbell, etc.

I would have liked more gossip but that's me. Enjoyed it.

I feel a little guilty for finding those videos he did during COVID really annoying.

Movie review - "Dark Star" (1974) ***

 One of the all time great debut features even though it's probably a Dan O'Bannon film as much as a John Carpenter movie. The plot is about a ship travelling around destroying unstable planets. Really it should be a short feature, there's not a lot of story, but there's terrific stuff - the Monster, the captain not being dead, the ending.

Movie review - "Starman" (1984) **1/2

 More serious John Carpenter movie with Jeff Bridges excellent as an alien who arrives on Earth and takes the form of Karen Allen's dead husband. It's played very seriously, like a love story, with Allen going for the emotion.

Bridges underplays nicely when the temptation must have been to do muppet acting. I've got to admit - I found this movie kind of boring. I wanted to enjoy it more than I did. Allen and Bridges' relationship lacked snap and kick. She's not bad, she's clearly thought about her performance - they don't have much chemistry and their adventures aren't that interesting: some rednecks, a man who gives them some pie. She's gloomy and he's a man child. Richard Jaekel looks as though he wants to cut loose with some madness but never can. Charles Martin Smith is the decent scientist.

This was nice. Just dull.

Movie review - "Vampires" (1998) ***

 A return to form for John Carpenter after some iffy movies. This is a jaunty tale of vampire hunters in the South West, a modern day Western with James Woods as the bounty hunter equivalent out for baddies. He has a posse which is wiped out (the film's best sequence), except for Woods and Daniel Baldwin.

Baldwin gives the film some camp appeal, with his chubby cheeks and faux macho posturing. His "romance", I guess, with hooker Sheryl Lee, who is bitten by the head vampire is very rapey and awkward (he takes off her clothes and chains her to the bed and they fall in love). Lee is beautiful but looks downright uncomfortable in a lot of scenes.

Woods is another attraction with his method intensity and leather jacket. He seems to be having the time of his life. He is given a priest sidekick - no reflection on that actor but I wish the sidekick had been a nun.

I think the other flaw for me was the relationships between Lee and Baldwin and Woods and Baldwin. These are is the emotional core of the film - if this had worked I feel the movie would be remembered more fondly.

Still it's a solid story, and is basically well done by Carpenter.

Movie review - "Elvis" (1979) ***

 John Carpenter fans focus on his horror/sci fi/action output but he always said it was making this that made him a real director - although a TV movie it was a delux one, involving lots of locations, sets and jumps in time. It's an affectionate, loving recreation of Elvis' life with Kurt Russell very strong in the title role. Shelley Winters offers some old time star power/ham as his ma, and it's fun to see various actors from Grease in it, like Crater Face as a bigot who wants to give Elvis a haircut, and Potzy who plays Nick Adams. Joe Mantegna is in this!

Red West is given very very sympathetic treatment. So too Priscilla (played by Kurt Russell's wife IRL). This isn't surprising.

This is an enjoyable tale. I did find myself tuning out from time to time - it's very long. We see a bit of Tom Parker and the movies. There's cute stuff like Elvis on a date with Natalie Wood. I always remembered the ending with him singing 'Glory Glory Hallelujah'. Carpenter does a fine job.

Movie review - "Eyes of Laura Mars" (1978) **1/2

 I was reluctant to see this because John Carpenter, who wrote the original script, said his work was needlessly changed, and I'm prepared to believe that (Carpenter was on a hot streak as a writer around this time). But it has charm, of a sorts, especially in its depiction of hedonistic late 70s New York, with fashion photographer Faye Dunaway shooting violent art shots of models (including the lovely Darlanne Fluegel) and her assistant, puffy haired Rene Auberjonois. 

There's also Tommy Lee Jones as the hunky cop, Barbra Streisand on the soundtrack (producer Jon Peters bought the script as a vehicle for her - she opted out but provided a song), stylish photography, Brad Dourif as a loony, Raul Julia as a gigolo type. Everyone looks as though they are on their way to Studio 54.

I'm not a big fan of giallo but there's not too much violence.

I would've preferred the original script was shot starring Roberta Collins, which was Jack Harris' original plan. Still, this is of interest.

(I gather this was Dunaway's big pay day movie after making Network. I understand she wanted big payday movies that focused on her but in hindsight she should've focused on just working on higher end projects. In fairness, this film didn't hurt her - Mommie Dearest is what turned her in to a joke.)

Movie review - "Escape from New York" (1981) **** (re-watching)

 Why not watch it again? Getting creaky as the years go on. But Kurt Russell is great, the weirdness works - the oddness of the town, the deserted streets, the show that's performed, the spooky people, the music.

Movie review - "Assault on Precinct 13" (1976) ***1/2 (re-watching)

 A film of wonderful mood: endless deserted streets, sun going down over baked roads, gangsters walking around killing people at random (ice cream truck guy, little girl), isolated phone booths, cut off precincts.  It's horror as much as action.

This version has mystery missing in the remake: the gang kill people at random, we don't know what the death row prisoner is in for or what happened to him. It's a super Hawksian take with these professionals banding together - the gal, the cop, the prisoners - to defeat the enemy. The death row prisoner channels Gary Cooper the cop John Wayne.

Very enjoyable. The low budget causes some dramas but it's compelling.

Movie review - "Someone's Watching Me" (1978) ***

 Unfairly ignored by people who study John Carpenter because it was a TV movie and is hard to source but is absolutely in his wheelhouse and is a very impressive piece. It's stylish, well made. It doesn't break new ground - its the story of a stalker - but is very effective. It borrows from Rear Window (the heroine breaks in to an apartment across the way) and Dial M for Murder (stabbing) and also has a vibe of something like Midnight Lace.

Lauren Hutton is terrific in the lead - likeable, down to earth. The film has a strong feminist vibe - she's a working gal, a bit of a clutz in love (she looks like Lauren Hutton still but Hutton pulls it off), she makes good friends with Adrienne Barbeau, there's talk of a stalker being like rape. Did Debra Hill do a pass on this script? It feels like it.

I couldn't pick the stalker - was it the creepy bit part, or the other creepy bit part, or the boyfriend David Birney, or the cop? Occasionally Hutton's character acts silly and you can tell Carpenter would have benefited from another few days but it's well made, and spooky and I liked it.

Movie review - "Escape from New York" (1981) **** (re-watching)

 Random thoughts:

- Kurt Russell is bad ass

- this is more a horror movie than an action - the action isn't that well done, but the world is spooky

- superb cast - especially the small roles like Charles Cypher

- they shouldn't redo this as a movie but as a TV show because the world is so rich.