What was the last movie you watched?

[RVR II]

Watching Armageddon on Blu-Ray.

Lotta great actors in it

[RandyMistie]

Really, Jon? I thought it had distinctly "plastic" moments. In other words flimsy and artificial. ("In the Mouth of Madness")

It could have been Carpenter's DP. The Cinematography was a bit flat... But I agree, the story and overall direction was very good. I loved when Sam Neil was talking to the publisher in the coffer shop in front of a plate glass window, and, as they talked some bloody zombie looking dude creeps up with an axe and smashes through the window.

The first time I saw the film, that shocked me, because it was in the afternoon on a crowded city street!

But the central theme was derivative of Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea's "Illuminatus Trilogy".

There were H.P. Lovecraft homages, but also Stephen King homages, and a basic storyline that was cribbed from yet another work... (I don't want to spoil it by spelling it out here...).

There things that I really liked, but overall I thought it was flawed. Probly NOT by Carpenter though as I think about it, it could have been the DP or the lighting director... either could cause that flat "commercial" look...

[jonalame]

I can't disagree with you, but the plastic-y bits just made me feel safe enough to be terrified again shortly thereafter, like a nightmare I thought had ended. It just took my guard right down... and I'm not one to usually cringe or have my pulse adjusted.

[RandyMistie]

Well, if it effected you like that, then it accomplished it's goal and was a success!

That is cool! That's all you want in a horror movie, right?

[Darth Geek]

It's funny you mention the cinematography, Randy. Because I vividly remember when the DVD came out and it had John Carpenter commentary on it. Except that he had the cinematographer with him, and proceeded to mostly talk about lighting for the whole damn movie. I know how important lighting and shot composition is for a movie. But unless you are into it on a technical level yourself, it is one of the most BORING things to hear people talk about!

[RandyMistie]

Lighting is very important. Star Trek V would have been a 30% better film if it was lit properly.

Unfortunately, the writing and acting and costumes would have still dragged it into the dirt.

[Darth Geek]

Lighting is very important. Star Trek V would have been a 30% better film if it was lit properly.

And AVP: Reqium would have been...easier to see.

[RandyMistie]

HAHA! Yes, well movies that are not originally lit for 3d tend to be very dark, because you are watching them with sunglasses on, basically.

But full 3d lighting and scoping is expensive, so some movies are shot in 2d and processed for 3D and then you get a major loss. Of course, it's all about the final finishing.

We saw "Captain America: Winter Soldier" on a 2d screen in the theaters, because I hate 3-d (gives me a headache, Linda, too), and I thought it might be too bright, but it looked great. It even looked great on my 2D hi-def TV...

So... a lot depends on the... oh god I am boring myself... sorry...

Um... yeah... lighting and digital processing! YAY!

[RandyMistie]

Jon. Your screaming Santa Icon may be the most terrifying thing I have ever seen. Is Santa getting raped? I mean... I thought Tyrant's Icon was blood curdling, but...

Why Santa, Jonalame? WHY!

[Johnny Unusual]

Rewatched The Lego Movie again.  Still good.  With Miller and Lord set to take over the Flash, it looks like there's finally a DC movie I'm interested in seeing.

[Relaxing Dragon]

"In the Mouth of Madness"

I had to watch this again when it got brought up.

John Carpenter is a bad-ass. This movie gave me an acute sense of dread I haven't really felt outside of a few Cronenberg movies. If he just made this movie I would still worship him, but no, he has horror nailed down. I'll add in Halloween for his soundtrack and for making people give a damn about slasher movies post 60's drive-in double features and setting the stage for Wes Craven AND indeed producing a market for these movies to work in.

Speaking of horror... The Thing? Are you kidding me? With an eye-widening creeping suspense only a year long shooting delay could deliver. Speaking of Kurt... He did Escape from New York AND Big Trouble in Little China. Was there a finer era for Kurt Russell or indeed 80's action schlock? Patrick Swayze WISHED. Mike Nelson wishes when he watches Roadhouse! He directed AND wrote Assault on Precinct 13... the beginning of his career is a love affair with Toho Studios and Ray Harrenhausen. Then he did Dark Star, a dark space comedy with inspirations to Alien and Red Dwarf? What? Bad-ass.

He also did Ghosts of Mars and too many Halloween stories, but I forgive him.

Strictly speaking, Dark Star came before all of them, and he only directed the first Halloween (wrote the second one, and I forget his involvement with the third). But other than that, yeah, he was a good'un. Good call on his music, too many seem to forget the amazing scores he's done. And even when they do remember it, it's always his synth work, and never stuff like the incredible, genre-bending stuff he did for In The Mouth of Madness.

Also also, he actually just did a whole new batch of theme music (music in search of movies, essentially) and released them on an album. And they're all great! I recommend them.

[RoninFox]

I believe he was only a producer for Halloween III, which was supposed to begin his original vision of a series of unrelated horror films that only shared the day of the year as a theme, with different directors using it at their launching pad.

Oops.

[jonalame]

Strictly speaking, Dark Star came before all of them, and he only directed the first Halloween (wrote the second one, and I forget his involvement with the third). But other than that, yeah, he was a good'un. Good call on his music, too many seem to forget the amazing scores he's done. And even when they do remember it, it's always his synth work, and never stuff like the incredible, genre-bending stuff he did for In The Mouth of Madness.

Also also, he actually just did a whole new batch of theme music (music in search of movies, essentially) and released them on an album. And they're all great! I recommend them.

RD, I meant to get across that Dark Star was his first feature film after his shorts involving Godzilla and other monster stuffs(Revenge of the Colossal Beasts was done when he was 14.). I was aware he only directed the first Halloween. I was just commenting on that film's importance in creating a market for horror films, not strictly Halloween itself, but he did produce 1,2, and 3(wrote 1 and 2, etc.). The new music you linked I was entirely unaware of, however. Cool stuff.

Ronin, Carpenter kind of got his wish a couple of years ago when people started doing Halloween tributes, but they still involve the Halloween characters. I'm sure you know this, though. Why am I telling Ronin about slasher films he surely already knows? 

Randy, Santa is just confounded by Pitch's evil. He may also have a thing for a certain Blacksmith and Merlin, but I digress.

[Relaxing Dragon]

Ah, I see jonalame, I misread your initial comment.

From the looks of things, Trick 'r Treat is the closest we'll ever get to Carpenter's original idea for the Halloween series (and what a great idea it was). Which is okay, because that movie is the most perfect adaptation of the spirit of Halloween that has ever been made.

Yes, even more so than Halloween itself (a movie whose greatness lies in many areas, but not so much its devotion to the actual holiday).

[Kete]

Citizenfour
How is this not a big effing deal with everyone?  How is John Oliver able to interview so many people about it without them having a clue about it?  Why are foreign countries even talking to us anymore?