Whilst Elvis was made by Carpenter for TV in 1979, it was actually later granted a UK cinema release the next year. With the running being nearly three hours long, that made for many aching buttocks in cinemas up and down the country. But, fortunately, Elvis is anything but a chore. Yes, some of Carpenter’s …
Continue reading John Carpenter Reviewed- Day 6- Elvis (1980)
‘After moving in a new apartment, Leigh Michaels receives mysterious phone calls and gifts. She approaches the police but unsatisfied with their investigation, she decides to tackle the matter herself.’ I remember watching this on TV and it scaring the crap out of me. On rewatching it, it still had the same effect. This was …
Continue reading John Carpenter Reviewed- Day 4- Someone’s Watching Me! (1978)
I remember the first time I saw Halloween on VHS in the late 80’s here in the UK. It was in pan-and-scan, and hence not the perfect format to watch a film that used the frame so brilliantly. But I’d learn that as the film would be released in widescreen on VHS, then DVD, then …
Continue reading John Carpenter Reviewed- Day 3- Halloween (1978)
It's 1990. I'm tuning into the excellent Moviedrome series of films on BBC2 with each cult film in the series being introduced by director Alex Cox. The film being shown that night was John Carpenter's second feature film Assault on Precinct 13, his reworking of Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo and my mind was blown. I …
Continue reading John Carpenter Reviewed- Day 2- Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
A motley crew work in space aboard the dilapidated vessel, Dark Star as they destroy unstable planets to make way for future colonisation. John Carpenter’s debut is ripe with stoner humour, perceptive insight (yes, even in space you can hate your job) and a delightfully minuscule budget. Whatever they were partaking in whilst making this …
Continue reading John Carpenter Reviewed- Day 1- Dark Star (1974)
From Google- ‘A housewife (Mink Stole) murders her husband, runs away and ends up in a town ruled by an evil queen who wants to infect her kingdom with rabies.’ Desperate Living feels like quintessential Waters…but with significant differences. Firstly, Divine doesn’t feature. He was actually appearing on stage and so couldn’t appear. Susan Lowe …
Continue reading John Waters Reviewed- Day 5- Desperate Living (1977)
Once again, the hilarious Google plot outline- ‘An obese woman (Divine) gives birth to an obnoxious child and embarks upon a bizarre and violent life of crime.’ Get ready for your jaw to ache with this John Waters film. Every single line of dialogue is comedy gold as we chart the criminal career of glamour …
Continue reading John Waters Reviewed- Day 4- Female Trouble (1974)
I was going to write my own plot outline for this masterpiece but I love the one that Google provides- ‘A bizarre fat woman (Divine) and her misfit family compete with a Baltimore couple (David Lochary, Mink Stole) to be named the filthiest people alive.’ Perfect. Waters purposely set out to make a transgressive piece …
Continue reading John Waters Reviewed- Day 3- Pink Flamingos (1972)
Lady Divine runs The Cavalcade of Perversion (key attractions- The Puke Eater, The Bicycle Seat Sniffer and ‘two queers who actually kiss on the lips’). But this is actually a front as she robs any of the squares who come to see the show. Alas, Lady Divine has grown tired of just robbing the patrons …
Continue reading John Waters Reviewed- Day 2- Multiple Maniacs (1970)
I first saw this classic when I was a late teen, studying for my A-levels at college in 1994. My friend taped this for me on the same tape as Last House on the Left. With it being copied from a copy, the picture and audio were crappy, but somehow this added to the experience …
Continue reading The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Reviewed- Day 1- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Meathook Cinema 