The Monster's Den: Ranking the John Carpenter Films (Top 5)
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- Join Pete Pardo, Chris Alo, Rich Catino, and Dan Brown as they each rank their 5 favorite films from legendary director John Carpenter. #johncarpenter
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Alo draws his line in the sand. “That’s it, I hate this movie ! I won’t buy it a sixth time!”
I don't do it often my man, but sometimes it's gotta be done!!! :)
The Thing is easily my favorite
Saw it once on cable mid 80's that was enough.
@@luisvaldes1568 cool story bro
Any discussion of John Carpenter has to start with “The Thing”
I would have said Halloween but ok
@@preving a very very close second for me
Well, the thing with Halloween is ...
@@preving When he dies and we're reading his mom is obituary the first film mentioned will be Halloween. It's far and away his best known and most successful film. He never gets to make The Thing without Halloween. It's the film that made him.
1. Big Trouble
2. The Thing
3. They Live
4. Halloween
5. Christine
Very excited for this one!
Never seen "Big Trouble".....I'll have to check it out...
I believe Big Trouble in Little China is in my opinion a very unique film in movie history in that it's a fantasy, drama, gangster, buddy, romantic, comedy, Kung Fu film with magic, demons and monsters and it ALL WORKS
The Thing IMO is the greatest horror movie ever made...started as a slow burn when it came out, but established itself over the years. A real masterpiece.
Absolutely 💯
You got that honey child!
John Carpenter my favorite director, heavy metal my favorite music, man I love this channel
1. The Thing
2. Escape From New York
3. Christine
4. Vampires
5. Prince of Darkness is mine
Everyone forgets They live an original idea that worked very well Roddy Piper was a credible protagonist .
Escape from New York was a tolerable film fairly easily forgotten with good reason. Nothing outstanding that was worth remembering.
I'd like to hear more from Rich Catino. Everyone seems to interrupt him, and he has great things to say! More Rich please.
Rich has to compete with three other know-it-alls! 😂 I say that with love!
It’s because he pauses too much when he talks and he asks questions so he invites others to jump in.
1. The Thing
2. Halloween
3. Big trouble in little China
4. Escape from NY
5. They Live, The Fog, or Prince of Darkness (depends on the day you ask me)
Rowdy Piper got on Vince McMahon’s bad side for making They Live and tried to talk him out of it by promising Rowdy a role in a different movie... but Rowdy said, I’ll take the movie with John Carpenter.
Roddy was a legend. I find him inspiring.
So glad he did. Roddy and Keith were great together.
I love this channel. Between the music and the film discussions, it's awesome!
Great show, really entertaining discussion.
1. The Thing - for the blow torch Petri dish paranoia, FX, cast, script, acting
2. Escape from NY -Snake rules!
3. They Live - Good point from Chris that it has a western vibe heightened by that slow music bass notes theme da-dum with harmonica. Carpenter calls it a documentary!
4. The Fog - what everybody said
5. Dark Star - first and admittedly low low budget but very funny, great script, good ideas and of course “Benson Arizona” song
I believe that the 1951 “ Thing” is briefly glimpsed on the TV screen in Halloween.
Yep it is
Love the overwhelming 70s b-movie charm and atmosphere on Assault On Precinct 13. Napoleon Wilson being a more laidback proto-Snake Plissken tough guy delivering endless cool quotes and John's minimalistic score, plus you get 2 pretty young ladies and zombie-like villains.
I agree 100%. It’s my favorite Carpenter movie. I love Halloween as well, but each time I watch it I notice more things that bother me. But Assault gets me every time.
Big Trouble in Little China is the best for a Saturday matinee.
So off the wall but so good!
I'm trying to watch it right now (its on my Disney Plus) and I'm just not feeling it.
I'm mostly distracted as evident with me posting right now as the movie plays. I'm 58 minutes into it and this is the 2nd time in my life I've tried to watch this movie....I don't get it.
1. The Thing
2. Halloween
3. In the Mouth of Madness
4. They Live
5. Big Trouble in Little China
I don't usually watch The Monster's Den but I had to come here and say how much I like Carpenter, especially The Thing and The Fog
It’s way too difficult to pick a top 5. Glad to see vampires get some love.
I remember seeing The Thing at the pictures when it was released in 1982,brilliant film the sound is incredible on the film which created huge tension.
First R rated movie I ever saw! Lol 😂 Sacred tfo of me when I was a kid!
As a kid The Thing gave me many sleepless nights.
1. The Thing (not only his best film but maybe the best ever in the entire genre. Simply stunning!)
2. Halloween
3. Christine - I think this is the best film about bullying and it's effects.
4. The Fog
5. Escape From New York
Honourable mention: Assault on Precinct 13
Love Christine...mainly for the EXACT reasons you mention....Death to Shitters! Ever read the book? It's scary as hell...and GREAT. They go into WAY more detail about the original owner and his brother.....
@@dancalmpeaceful3903 I will check it out. Love the photography on Christine as well.
@@EdwardBox Yeah...Damn I love that film....love it when Chrissy gets pissed and attacks the gas station. A warning to all - Yes...sometimes YOU can polish a turd...and be careful what turd you do polish!
Nobody could remember the Mason's are the stone cutters that he spoke of.
f
Dan, Chris, Rich and Pete talking about a master's work - excellent show. Would love to see this crew take a swing at the series that changed TV ...... The X Files but the content selected is great. Thank you all.
Top 5
1-Halloween
2-The Thing
3-Escape From NY
4-Prince of Darkness
5-Big Trouble
HM- They Live and Starman
The fog is amazing.
With Adrienne BarBoobs! 😉 Hell's yeah! 🤘
I've loved John Carpenter since high school where they used to show many of his movies at lunch time in 2 parts.
1. The Thing
2. Halloween
3. In the mouth of madness
4. Assault on Precinct 13
5. Escape from NY
Hey Pete, great video to you and the guys. Great passing of Rich’s water to you at 54:29, pure magic, lol. My picks change year by year with Halloween, The Thing, Escape From New York, The Fog. Not sure if you look at Christine as a carpenter film or Stephen king but I love it. Great channel, keep up the great work.
good eye
LOL! That was classic! Unplanned of course, but worked out perfectly!
I notice that too. They should give each other high fives at time between the boxes, that would be cool.
Awesome episode!! Can't wait for the next one !!
The Thing is the greatest sci/fi horror film of all time and it’s easily his best film. Halloween, Escape and They Live are directly behind it.
I'm in the minority on this one: Invasion of the Body Snatchers(1957)
@@12dreams Yeah, I love the 50's sci fi films a lot.
@@12dreams My movie guide actually says that Invasion of the Body Snatchers is probably the most frightening film ever made.
Have you seen the prequel?.....it's not done by Carpenter...but's pretty good.
1. Halloween
2. The Thing
3. Big Trouble In Little China
4. Christine
5. They Live
honorable mentions:
Assault On Precinct 13
Escape From New York
The Fog
1. The Thing
2. Halloween
3. Escape from New York
4. The Fog
5. Assault on Precinct 13
1. Escape from New York
2. The Thing
3. The Fog
4. Prince of Darkness
5. Big Trouble in Little China
Halloween, The Thing, Stephen King’s Christine and The Fog are my most favorite flicks.
I like Prince of Darkness. The insect scene in the parking lot got me and still does. It would probably be my # 5 or 6 for his films.
5-Escape From New York
4-The Fog
3-The Thing
2-Christine
1-Halloween
1. The Thing
2. Escape From New York
3. They Live
4. Big Trouble In Little China
5. Halloween
Love Kurt Russell as Snake Pleskin, in Escape From New York, ..I love all Kurt Russell films, Big Trouble in Little China was good as well. Christine, was suspenseful and a pretty good movie. The Thing, well I remember The Thing. I got to meet Rowdy Roddy Piper at a small town wrestling gig. He was cordial enough to stop and say "hi, thanks for coming" to people and shake hands after the show as he went on his way through the crowd. He was such a huge factor in the wrestling world. Halloween, is still memorable no matter what, such a trendsetter. GTSY guys, and TY for the enjoyable show!
✌️🤟
They live is a classic
I also love Prince of Darkness and it definitely has been criticized and hated in the past. Loved the creepy sense of doom...and where better to place all of that darkness than in a church setting! Brilliant!
I think PoD is amazing. I saw it again recently and I still think it's fucking great.
I totally agree, don't understand the dislike for it or the criticism of it being too bright after all it's indoors most of the time where you'd keep the light on so not to bumble about in the dark, still it manages to be eerie. That's no small feat but in the hands of a master, it's doable. I think I'll even go as far as to claim it may be Carpenter's most complete film, it's got a good story the atmosphere is doomy and heavy with dread from the get-go helped greatly of course by the amazing score. Normally, I dislike movie scores that are nonstop but the pulsating synths here work brilliantly in its favor. So where a movie like say They Live is more uneven yet fun it's only in parts, it's not paced as well and feels like a string of set pieces. Prince of Darkness is constant.
I'm hearing subtle deep rooted unresolved issues regarding the Dodgers escaping NY for LA
1:00:25
To me it's Halloween all day long. It's fashionable to these days to say The Thing, and I love The Thing and saw it in the theater as a kid, but Halloween is the from the first frame to the last THE most focused razor sharp masterpiece in film history. The visceral impact of it, the MUSIC, the iconic villain. Narratives get repeated on the internet and people follow them, often subconsciously, but in this case I think Halloween (like iconic albums Led Zeppelin IV or Who's Next) gets severely underrated these days due to it being overplayed. But never forget what that movie was when it came out, and what it is, a focused masterpiece where EVERY second serves to build the tension and dread. My order: 1. Halloween 2. The Thing 3. Escape From New York 4. They Live 5. Assault On Precinct 13
1. Christine
2. Halloween
3. The Thing
4. In the Mouth of Madness
5. Body Bags
HM's:
His Masters of Horror episode "Cigarette Burns"
They Live
I haven't seen The Fog, or Escape from New York.
My first Carpenter film was Escape from New York and he got me so easily with his gritty and dirty style, nihilistic characters, raw action, dark atmosphere and sense of humour
Little by little, film by film, and despite some of them (Vampires, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, the truly hateful Escape from LA...) I discovered a true master of suspense and thriller.
My Top 10 would be: Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, The Fog, Escape from New York, The Thing, Christine, Big Trouble in little China, Prince of Darkness, They Live and In the Mouth of Madness
They Live!
Tremendous show. I enjoyed it. ! 👍💯
1.The Thing
2.Escape from New York
3.They Live
4.Prince of Darkness
5.Halloween
6.Christine
7.Starman
8.Memoirs of an Invisible Man
9.Dark Star
10.The Fog
11.Assault on Precinct 13
12.In the Mouth of Madness
13.Village of the Damned
14.Escape from L.A.
15.Vampires
16.Ghost of Mars
17.The Ward
18.Big Trouble in Little China
The Thing, Halloween, The Fog, Starman and Christine
Starman is amazing. Underrated
@@damiankarras well acted, good soundtrack, interesting story. One of his underrated ones.
40:19....asking Chris Alo if he has a copy!!!!......This guy has everthing.....
Top 3 for me are "Escape from New York," "The Thing," and my favorite is "Halloween." I haven't seen all of Carpenter's films but "The Fog" was a good watch, plus "Christine" was fun as a kid. I'd like to see "Starman" again; I have a feeling I'd like that one after seeing it since being a kid.
I saw Starman for the first time two years ago. A local indie movie theater ran that and "Christine" as some sort of Carpenter tribute . I really enjoyed it .
Here are my baker's half-dozen:
6) In the Mouth of Madness
(the red covered bridge is just a few minutes out of town; also featured in the It remake)
5) Prince of Darkness
4) Halloween
3) The Fog
2) Escape from New York
1) The Thing
They Live and The Thing are two of my favourites films of all-time, not just in the Carpenter catalogue.
I can't believe no one listed "Assault on Precinct 13" (my fave) in their top 5!
Great Show Gents! My list:
1.) Halloween
2.) The Thing
3.) Escape from New York
4.) Big Trouble in Little China (can you guess I'm a Kurt Russel fan)
5.) The Fog (took me awhile to get into this but great atmosphere)
My favorites. Not my ranking of his best films but the ones I watch and enjoy the most.
1) Escape from New York
2) Big Trouble in Little China
3) They Live
4) Christine
5) Halloween
Assault on Precinct 13 is my overall favourite Carpenter movie.
My Top 5
The Thing
Halloween
Starman
Christine
Escape from New York
Honorable Mention: The Fog
Great Job Guys!! We all need to hang out at Dan's Place !
Thanks, Dan, for joining the Trio of Terror in this show - a great episode for those who watch The Monster's Den. The depth and breadth of the knowledge of this panel makes for such an enjoyable episode and i really appreciate Rich willing to be the show "googler" to check on certain information while to episode is underway. But Chris' discussion of how much he detests his least favorite John Carpenter movie put an indelible image in my brain for future reference. Thanks, gents, and looking forward to the George Romero discussion to come next.
1. The Thing
2. Escape From New York
3. They Live
4. In the Mouth of Madness
5. Big Trouble in Little China
Guys: I actually enjoy Escape From LA. Gotta look at it as a satire of the original. Not a big fan of Halloween. (Moves too damn slow for me.) Mouth of Madness still the greatest HP Lovecraft film even though it isn't based directly on an HPL story. The Thing has an all male cast, I believe. Something that is very rare even in the early 80's. (There are a few others.) I sometimes wonder how They Live would have been with Kurt Russell in the lead role.
My go-to Top 5
1. The Thing
2. Escape From New York
3. Halloween
4. They Live
5. The Fog
Carpenter's soundtrack albums would make a great topic for a ranking show of their own, if not already done before. (Assault ... may be my favourite...that repeating Fender Rhodes pattern, if I remember correctly.) Non-soundtrack album Lost themes III - Alive after death came out in Feb 2021 btw.
5. They Live
4. Big Trouble in Little China
3. Prince of Darkness - I really like this movie a lot
2. Escape from New York
1. The Thing
The Fog is my favorite horror movie of all time... the atmosphere, the music, everything was perfect.
Absolutely, that film is one of my faves!
The new or old version?
@@irena7777777 old
@@irena7777777 What other version would it be? Its a discussion about Carpenter.
@@oldskool4572 I didn't know Carpenter had nothing to do with the 2005 version. Calm down
Good job on this series !! Could maybe you guys do sci-fi ??
At 57:28 Albert Finney was not in Network. It was Peter Finch. I had to comment, Nework is one of my all time fav. pics.
Nice discussion, there can never be enough Carptenter talk. Mine:
5. dark star
4. prince of darkness
3. the fog
2. assault on precinct 13
1. the thing
I love the thing! I think child’s was a thing at the end because of the drink Kurt Russell gives him, Kurt doesn’t drink from it and childs does with no reaction… the drink is gasoline, it’s a call back to when Kurt defeats the chess computer by pouring the alcohol into it.
Thank you guys for your picks.🎤🎸🎵🥁
- The Thing
- Assault on Precinct 13
- Halloween
- In the Mouth of Madness
I remember also liking the Body Bags anthology. Since I worked on it for several days I have to mention Escape from L.A. Great experience watching him direct.
Predictable top 5 from me:
1) Halloween
2) The Thing
3) Assault on Precinct 13
4) Escape from New York
5) The Fog
Honourable mentions: They Live, Dark Star and Vampires
For me, Carpenter and Russell were an awesome team. Great action horror in The Thing. Laconic and channeling Eastwood in Escape From New York. The love-child of John Wayne and Inspector Clouseau in Big Trouble in Little China. Dennis Dun was great in that film: his only other role I can remember is next to Gary Cole in Midnight Caller.
I came back to this episode, strangely by coincidence when I was thinking about Carpenter’s score in Escape From New York. The incidental music of the Irish electro-folk group Clannad to HTV’s eighties show Robin of Sherwood reminded me of it. Perhaps Carpenter influenced them.
Love Carpenter films as well as music. Have many soundtracks and all three Lost Themes.
1. Big Trouble In Little China
2. The Thing
3. Escape From NY
4. They Live
5. Halloween
6. The Fog
7. Star Man
8. Halloween 3
9. Bodybags
10. Escape From LA
The Fog has moved up over the years. Really digging it these days. But can't top Kurt and John. Favorite actor with favorite director equals hell yes.
I have a feeling I may be the only Carpenter fan who likes "Escape From LA". Yes, there are some scenes that fall flat. And, yes, the surfing scene is dopey. But overall, I dig it. Then again, I also like "Prince Of Darkness". And I don't much care for "Big Trouble In Little China". So I guess I'm the outlier.
read some comments - i like it too
Mine are 1. The Thing 2. Halloween 3. They Live(It also has grown on me over time. It totally reflects whats going on in the world/USA today) 4. The Fog(Another that I didnt like at 1st but, now I love) 5. Escape From New York.
It doesn't get any better than "The Thing." I saw it when it was first released in theaters and it remains one of my favorite movies of all time. The Naro Cinema in Norfolk, VA brought it back a couple of years ago for one night only. SOLD OUT. They had sled dogs and a snow machine in the auditorium. I had the best time.
Hi guys, good overview of John Carpenter's work. I think my top 5 JC films would be:
1)- The Thing,
2)- The Fog,
3)- Big Trouble in Little China,
4)- Escape from New York &
5)- Dark Star.
1. Halloween • saw it a s a kid, had a HUGE impact on me. the music, the shadows, the darkness, the chills. a true classic. loved Donald Pleasence
2. The Thing • downbeat paranoia has got a new meaning. and the chills
3. Escape From New York • definition of coolness, anti-hero and urban decay. NYC as a prison, a great idea
4. The Fog • great atmosphere. glowing fog is amazing
5. Prince Of Darkness • loved the atmosphere. Carpenter actually said he liked Argento's Inferno so much it sparked an idea for Prince Of Darkness
HM's:
Assault On Precinct 13 • amazing soundtrack and the main theme, downbeat, black guy as a lead + racially mixed gangs - Carpenter was so ahead of the time messing with stereotypes
Halloween III: Season Of The Witch • love the soundtrack so much, love the movie too
@54:28 it looks like Rich is handing Pete a bottle of water that transforms into a glass of water, LOL.
Halloween, The Thing, The Fog, Escape from New York and Christine. HM: Assault on Precinct 13, They Live and Starman.
1. Big Trouble in Little China
2. They Live
3. Escape From NY
4. Assault on Precinct 13
5. The Fog
Great video gentlemen! Here's mine
1) The Thing
2) They Live
3) Halloween
4) Assault on Precinct 13
5) Big Trouble in Little China
Honourable mention: Dark Star!
The Napalm Death album Utopia Banished opens with a sample from They Live.
Great album.
1. Big Trouble In Little China
2. The Thing
3. Escape From New York
4. Halloween
5. Assault on Precinct 13/Christine
My Carepenter Top 5;
5. Big Trouble In Little China (Somewhat based on Zu Warriors From The Magic Mountain and almost as weird)
4. Dark Star (a very important movie for UK audiences as without this movie, there would have been no Red Dwarf)
3. Vampires (a criminally underrated masterpiece)
2. The Fog (this was VERY nearly my No.1 choice, and I kind of view it as joint first place actually - I love this movie)
1. The Thing (The only reason that THe Fog didn't get the top spot is because it wouldn't feel right to place this at No.2)
James Woods is the man!
I like him best when he plays a prick....
1. Big Trouble in Little China
2. The Thing
3. They Live
4. Escape From New York
5. The Fog / Halloween
1. The Thing
2. Escape from New York
3. They Live
4. Big Trouble in little China
5. Christine
I will never forget seeing Halloween as a kid in the movies. Scared just walking in to the theatre. It was the very first movie to show a killing so graphically. ( in my experience at the time). For me and my buddies at the time it was beyond groundbreaking . We talked about it for a year. I loved that they would screen it for years every Halloween somewhere near me.
The Thing is a bloody work of art in the genre (sci fi horror?) and on release in London,i went to the pictures (cinema) 3 nights on the spin at the Empire,Leicester Square (they had an amazing sound system with low frequencies that you felt as well as heard) and those 3 nights were packed out so it did very well here in England.
In my top 3 films of all time.
Also,a bit of love for Starman.
A warm feelgood movie,always loved it.
*you didn't mention his Thriller video 👹
Even that was a groundbreaker.
Escape from New York
The Thing
The Fog
Prince of Darkness
They Live
These are the John Carpenter movies I have.
1)Christine
2)Halloween
3)Halloween ll
4)The Fog
5)The Thing
6)Someone's Watching Me
Been a fan of this channel for a couple years now, but I'm not big into horror films so I've never gotten into these Monsters Den videos. However in the last year or so, I've gotten really into John Carpenter so I skimmed through the list figuring you had a video like this one, glad I wasn't disappointed.
I've been meaning to watch Escape from New York for a while, I think this is as good an occasion as any!
A top stephen King movie ranking would be awesome
We've done 2 Stephen King themed shows already-check 'em out.
@@seaoftranquilityprog sorry bout that will check them right away.
5. Escape from New York
4. They live
3. The thing
2. Christine
1. Halloween
1) The Thing
2) Escape from New York
3) Big Trouble in Little China
4) They Live
5) Escape from L.A.
What I love most about Carpenter and I would add Craven to this as well is the body of work is so varied. I love many of the the Italian directors works too but they stayed within their fields. My top 5 are
1. Halloween (my fav horror movie of all time)
2. The Thing
3. The Fog
4. Christine
5. They Live
Honorable mentions to Escape from NY and Vampires
1) The Thing; 2) In the Mouth of Madness; 3) Christine; 4) Big Trouble in Little China; 5) Escape From New York (maybe tied with They Live)
1. The Thing
2. Halloween
3. Assault on Precinct 13
4. Escape from New York
5. They Live
6. The Fog
7. Village of the Damned
8. Ghost of Mars
9. The Mouth of Madness
10. Starman
My 5
5. Assault On Precinct 13
4. The Thing
3. Christine
2. Escape From New York
1. Halloween
Halloween IS a total masterpiece. It’s way more than just a slasher film. It’s simple in that it’s straightforward, but it’s not simplistic. The killer is a metaphor for evil, which is why he cannot be killed. All the sequels get this wrong and try to explain what he is; if you lose the metaphor, you lose its power. Plus, it looks great, it sounds great, and has a reality to it that was entirely relatable at the time. I grew up in Illinois and completely identified with this town (even though it’s shot in CA) and it’s babysitters, who reminded me of my own. I will never forget coming home after trick or treating with my friends (‘80? ‘81?) and watching the premiere on NBC. It absolutely terrified me! And it wasn’t just the music or the scares, which are great, but the very ideas...a little boy killing his own sister? This figure suddenly appearing in a town like a ghost? Just a great film.
Man the passing of water at 54:29
Someone else pointed it out long before me. But it had me rolling!!
1:00:25
What the hell..!! 😂
Dan is enjoying a beer. The other guys should drink some beer on each episode! 🍺
1:00:25
I was pleasantly surprised by his "Village of the Damned" remake after being told all my life how bad it is. The guy on the grill. 😱 It was the closer a few years back at the Coolidge Corner Halloween Marathon.
The Thing is my favorite movie of all time, so it can really do no wrong in my book, but I really struggle to suspend disbelief that (A) R.J. would have poured the drink down the chess computer game, and (B) if he had, a fight wouldn't have broken out. Can you imagine isolation in Antarctica and one of the crew intentionally sabotages one of their few video games? At least they left the pinball machine alone. 😂
One day studios are finally going to realize CGI just isn't that scary. I hope one day practical effects make a big comeback in horror. Compare the gore in the Hateful Eight to the pitiful attempts in the Walking Dead.
My all time favorite movie theatre experience was the Thing at midnight at the IFC Center in Manhattan. The print looked amazing and they played it LOUD. I hadn't seen it in so long I actually got scared a few times. Man, I can't wait for midnight movies in a theater again.
Just watched Village today on Netflix .
I had never seen it
Expectations were exceeded.
Not a bad movie at all. I don't know why it bombed so bad during its box office run.