Precinct 13: The Movies and Music of John Carpenter

Hello out there, and welcome back! As promised, Chris and Nick have returned with an all-new episode to discuss Halloween Ends, the final film in David Gordon Green's sequel trilogy that's now out in theaters and on Peacock. Like every Halloween fan out there, we've got some thoughts on this unique and highly divisive horror film, featuring an original score by John Carpenter (with his usual collaborators Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies) as well as what is -- supposedly -- the very last on-screen appearance of Jamie Lee Curtis as babysitter, massacre survivor, and, uh, pumpkin pie baker Laurie Strode. We really enjoyed being back to talk all things Carpenter once again, and we hope you'll join us for an in-depth, occasionally rather heated talk about the final (?) chapter in the franchise that he and Debra Hill kicked off back in 1978. Enjoy, and, if you're a horror fan, please join us on our new show, The Shuddering (shudderingpod.simplecast.com)!

Be warned: MAJOR SPOILERS for Halloween Ends beginning at 36:10 on this episode! They conclude at 1:21:25.

We're BACK -- and sooner, rather than later! After wrapping up the show proper, we promised to check back in any time there was a good reason to do so, and the recent release of Firestarter is exactly that! Why, you ask? Well, most importantly, the Stephen King adaptation features a brand new score composed by none other than John Carpenter, and it features his regular collaborators Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies from his album, soundtrack, and live concert projects. Plus, the film was written by Halloween Kills scribe Scott Teems, and -- as we're sure you've heard us talk about -- back in the early 80s, Carpenter himself was originally tapped to direct the earlier Firestarter film that ended up in the hands of another director. So, those were more than enough reasons for Chris and Nick to get back into the saddle and revive the show for what we hope is the first of MANY returns to the Carpenter-centric conversation! So, join us for this "bonus" episode, and please check out our new podcast, The Shuddering, when it launches very soon!

Well, everybody, this is it! On this extra-special (and extra-lengthy) episode of Precinct 13, Chris and Nick reveal the top seven films in their Carpenter rankings -- and cap off our three-part sort-of series finale with a look back at some of our favorite stuff. We also welcome back Megan Mosley, who you might remember from our Halloween and The Fog episodes from way back when, to share her own rankings and thoughts on the Carpenter canon. We hope you enjoy this look back at everything we've done over the past few years on the show, and please stay subscribed! We'll be back any time there's something new to talk about in the world of filmmaker, composer, and all-around fascinating creative talent John Carpenter. Thank you all for listening, and please share with us your thoughts on the show, your own Carpenter rankings, or anything else that's on your mind! And, hey, if you like what we do around here, check out our new show, The Shuddering, coming soon -- we're on Facebook and Twitter @ShudderingPod if you'd like to stay informed as we get set to launch!

The knock-down-drag-out Carpenter-ranking extravaganza continues this week as Chris and Nick share their next round of picks (the middle of their lists) and returning guest Josh Mosley gives us his takes on all 23 films! Once again, the good, the bad, and the silly in the John Carpenter filmography get discussed, along with a few of this year's Oscar nominees, an Elvis impersonator who's got nothing on Kurt Russell, and some further details of your hosts' next podcasting endeavor. This is the second-to-last episode of the show proper (though we'll be back whenever the occasion presents itself), so enjoy and be sure to join us again in a few weeks as we close things out with our very favorite Carpenter films!

We're back again, and the time has finally come to unveil our rankings of all of the John Carpenter-directed films we've covered since Precinct 13's humble beginnings in the fall of 2019! This week's show is part one of our three-part "final" episode extravaganza (more on that in just a second), and we're welcoming back two-time guest host Alexandra Wiles to share her own rankings of all of the Carpenter films. Chris and Nick, meanwhile, share their bottom eight -- some of which you probably have already figured out, others that might be a little bit of a shocker -- and you can hear the rest of their lists as we look back and close out the show over the next few episodes! As we've mentioned several times before, this isn't quite the end of Precinct 13, but now that we've covered all of the Carpenter movies, we'll be moving on to a whole new show (a few details of which we'll reveal on this episode...) and periodically checking back whenever something new happens in the Carpenter universe. So, sit back and enjoy, send your own Carpenter rankings to us [email protected], and stay tuned for our favorites in the weeks ahead!

Ever wonder what happened before MacReady and the boys went toe-to-toe with alien terror in John Carpenter's 1982 classic The Thing? Well, we didn't really, either, but leave it to Hollywood to show us the mysterious backstory that Carpenter's film left tantalizingly out of reach. 2011's The Thing, a sort of grotesque, body-horror hybrid of prequel and remake, takes place a few days before the original and tells the tale of the Norwegian research base that made the colossal mistake of not letting sleeping extraterrestrials lie. Directed by Matthijs van Heijningen, Jr. and starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton, the film is similar to its predecessor not only in its story and visuals, but also in the critical and box-office disappointments it suffered on its release. But, hey, it turned out that Carpenter's film was actually pretty incredible -- can the same be said about this long-in-development return to Antarctica? Chris and Nick break it down in the last of our reviews of Carpenter-adjacent projects, taking a look at the film's controversial CGI visual FX, van Heijningen's direction, the little details that make this a very faithful prequel to the '82 version, and lots more! Plus, Nick checks out a trippy slice of forgotten 70s horror, Chris recommends another stellar film from South Korea, and the guys preview the grand finale (for now) of this very podcast!

2011's The Ward may not be one of the heavy hitters in the John Carpenter canon, but does this modestly budgeted return to feature filmmaking nevertheless have something to offer the Master of Horror's fans? Chris and Nick consider that question in a discussion that also touches on the future of Carpenter's directorial career -- and whether or not there'll actually be one! Yes, that's right, folks: this is Carpenter's last film, made an entire decade ago, and it might just end up being the final entry in his filmography. Fear not, though -- we at Precinct 13 still have a few more episodes waiting in the wings, and we're not quite ready to step away from all things J.C. just yet! But, for now, our in-depth look at The Ward covers everything from the film's female ensemble cast (a Carpenter first!), its relationship to Carpenter's classic genre works, its slew of new collaborators both behind and in front of the camera, and even which national chain restaurants we'd compare this movie to (trust us, it does sort of make sense!). Plus, Chris revisits Nick's all-time favorite film, Nick thoroughly enjoys a bonkers 90s horror sequel, and the guys propose a cinematic collaboration that would definitely be one for the ages (or, at least, one for the aged)!

Michael Myers is back, and so are we -- it's time to close out another "season of the witch" with an episode about Halloween Kills, the long-awaited (by us, anyway) second entry in David Gordon Green and Danny McBride's sequel trilogy! After debuting to stellar box office numbers and some decidedly mixed reviews from critics and audiences, the new movie has left Chris and Nick with a lot to talk about, so pull that William Shatner mask over your face, grab your favorite piece of cutlery, and strap in for a mayhem-filled ride. Kills has what is likely the highest body count in the entire franchise, it brings back A LOT of supporting characters from Carpenter's 1978 original, and -- of course -- it treats us to another go-round of Jamie Lee Curtis in her most iconic role of Laurie Strode. There's even an extended flashback to 1978 that painstakingly recreates the look and feel of the FIRST night that Michael Myers came home. Is all of that enough to satisfy fans of the long-running franchise and, more importantly, of the film that put John Carpenter on the map? Your humble co-hosts break it down piece-by-piece, from the screenplay to the score to the bigger, badder, meaner tone that allows for brutality and bloodshed that might surprise even a hardened slasher fan. Does this film improve on the one that it (sort of) replaces in the series' continuity, Halloween II? Will fans enjoy the return of characters like Brackett and Tommy Doyle for a four-decades-later showdown with The Shape? And what, exactly, does this film have in common with Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ? All that and more on this very special Halloween episode! Incidentally, we keep the spoilers as limited as possible for most of the episode, but if you're wary of big-time spoiler content, then skip from 1:06:30 to 1:38:30, and you'll be all good! We've got a few last-minute spooky-season movie recommendations for you, too, of course, so enjoy this jam-packed episode, have a very happy Halloween, and don't forget: EVIL DIES TONIGHT!!!

With the long-awaited sequel Halloween Kills hitting theaters and All Hallow's Eve just a few weeks away, it was the perfect time to revisit one of the most high-profile, critically acclaimed, and financially successful remakes of any film in the John Carpenter catalog. 2018's Halloween, directed by David Gordon Green and co-written by Danny McBride, tosses away all of the franchise's continuity after what was established in Carpenter's original, and it attempts to faithfully capture the spirit of the 1978 classic and pick up the story four decades after we left off. How successful is it in doing that, and what's in store for the rest of the trilogy it began? Chris, Nick, and returning guest co-host Alexandra Wiles discuss those questions and many more in a comprehensive breakdown and review of Green's sequel/reboot/homage. We've covered a lot, here -- from the evolution and psychology of Laurie Strode to the (too plentiful?) meta nods to the original film to the music and cinematography that, like a lot of this effort, take inspiration from Carpenter's classic work while catering to a more modern taste in horror cinema. Along with that, we also have some more recommendations for your Halloween movie-viewing month -- and, of course, we'll be back in two weeks to tackle our most highly anticipated horror film of the season, Halloween Kills!

We're back to working our way through John Carpenter's filmography this week, taking a look at the second and final of Carpenter's Masters of Horror episodes. Pro-Life, from the show's second season, features Ron Perlman in a major role and was written by the team that gave us the earlier Carpenter-directed episode Cigarette Burns. Should be great, right? We'll leave you to find out our thoughts on this film -- and we have plenty of them -- but, suffice it to say, this story about a young woman, her fundamentalist father, and the demon baby she's determined to not give birth to is... well, it's not quite what you might expect. Plus: Chris shares his thoughts on the divisive James Wan horror opus Malignant, Nick revisits a classic HBO series with a new movie on the way, and the guys debate Red Letter Media's recent video ranking John Carpenter's films from worst-to-best!