Precinct 13: The Movies and Music of John Carpenter

We're back to discuss another collection of John Carpenter's original musical compositions, the 2016 Sacred Bones release Lost Themes II. Like the first Lost Themes album, this one features songs that aren't tied to any of Carpenter's film projects -- though anyone who loves his film-scoring work will likely find a lot to love across these 11 tunes. Chris and Nick break the album down track-by-track, discussing Carpenter's composing, instrumentation, and influences -- and considering the amazing unmade films that this very cinematic music might have soundtracked. Plus, what we're currently watching on Shudder and what we have planned for the Halloween season ahead!

After the disappointing returns of his big-studio effort Memoirs of an Invisible Man, John Carpenter briefly returned to television for a Showtime anthology film, seemingly designed to cash in on the popularity of HBO's Tales from the Crypt. 1993's Body Bags was a particularly fun entry in the filmography for Chris and Nick to discuss -- it includes two segments directed by Carpenter (plus a third by his fellow 70s genre auteur Tobe Hooper) and, even better, features the filmmaker/composer in a rare on-screen appearance as the mortician who hosts the show! We even get cameo appearances from the likes of Wes Craven, Sam Raimi, Debbie Harry, Greg Nicotero, and lots of others (not to mention Mark Hamill in a REAL change-of-pace role from his Skywalker persona). So, yeah, lots to talk about with this one! Plus, we continue to shill for Shudder, Nick watches some cartoons, and there's even a little Stephen King talk to round things out.

We've covered a lot of Carpenter classics on this show thus far, and now it's time to take a look at one of his less-loved efforts. 1992's Memoirs of an Invisible Man was a project that star Chevy Chase had been attempting to get off the ground for years, and after passing through the hands of directors Ivan Reitman and Richard Donner, the film became Carpenter's return to the screen after his longest hiatus to date. So, does this sci-fi star vehicle (also featuring Daryl Hannah and pre-Jurassic Park Sam Neill) deserve the bum rap it received from critics and audiences? Chris and Nick chew over that question and many more, and you might be surprised with some of their conclusions on a movie that may very well still be worth a watch!

This week, we're firing up the Wayback Machine for a look at the very beginnings of John Carpenter's film career. As a student at USC in the late 60s/early 70s, Carpenter wrote and directed the bizarre comedy/horror short Captain Voyeur, and he followed it up by collaborating (as co-writer, editor, and composer) on the Academy Award-winning The Resurrection of Broncho Billy. After our marathon look at They Live, and before we tackle Carpenter's still-prolific 1990s, we thought we'd study some of his most notable student work to see if the seeds of his later successes can be found there. The answer? Kinda sorta, we guess? At any rate, we thought it would be fun to analyze his pre-Dark Star output, and with both films available for viewing on YouTube, you can check them out, too! Plus, we give Carpenter's unexpected (and awesome) new musical compositions, Skeleton and Unclean Spirit, a listen, and ponder what Carpenter's lockdown life has been like.

Sorry for the delay on this episode... we seem to have run out of bubblegum. But, for those who've been patiently waiting for the conclusion of our discussion of Carpenter's 1988 sci-fi/action satire They Live, we've got a whole lot of show for you! This week, Chris and Nick break the film down beat-by-beat, with an eye on its sharp character moments, the witty critiques of 80s-era media and consumer culture, that deservedly famous fight scene between "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Keith David, and SO much more! We can just about guarantee that, no matter how big a fan of this cult classic you are, we've singled out some things that you've never even thought about before -- you'll never see that garbage truck scene the same way again. Put your sunglasses on and enjoy! And, please join us in two weeks (we promise!) for a very special episode that takes us back to the very beginning of Carpenter's filmmaker career.

Well, how about that... we seem to be all out of bubblegum. Only one thing left to do, then! This week, Chris and Nick put the glasses on and take a look under the surface of Carpenter's paranoid 1988 sci-fi/action flick, They Live. In the first of two episodes on this much-discussed, still relevant satire of consumerism and the evils of media technology, we explore some of the film's subversive and daring themes, the cast and crew of returning Carpenter regulars and welcome new faces, and the period in Carpenter's career where he truly called all of the shots. And, as always, we consider J.C.'s musical contribution to the film (his last score with frequent collaborator Alan Howarth), its influential aesthetics and design, and just how much of a stone-cold badass co-star Keith David is. Plus, we've got some plans for new content that we'd like to share! Check it out, and join us in two weeks for an even deeper dive into the film that taught us just how much fun an endlessly drawn-out hand-to-hand fight sequence could be!

Is 1987's Prince of Darkness one of the most underrated and overlooked films in the John Carpenter canon? Or does this smaller-budget but thematically ambitious tale about science, religion, and bicycle impalements not quite hit the sweet spot of cinematic craft and outright horror that, by the late 80s, we knew was well within his wheelhouse? Chris and Nick wrestle with these questions, and many more, in an exploration of a movie that might not have won over the box office or the critics, but undoubtedly contains some of the craziest and most fascinating stuff Carpenter has ever put on film. With a cast of returning players (More Donald Pleasance! Back-to-back Victor Wong and Dennis Dun!), the debut of a longtime collaborator in cinematographer Gary B. Kibbe, and thematic echoes of everything from Assault on Precinct 13 to The Thing, we've got a lot to talk about with this one! Plus: Chris sings the praises of a definitive documentary on 80s horror, Nick has some thoughts on the video games inspired by the Carpenter filmography, and we look ahead to the kick-ass (and chew bubblegum) follow-up,They Live.

The Porkchop Express rolls on in part two of our discussion of Carpenter's action/comedy cult classic Big Trouble in Little China! Picking up where they left off (after catching up on a bit of quarantine film-viewing), Chris and Nick explore the bizarrely wonderful back half of Big Trouble, which features some of the wildest moments in the entire Carpenter canon. Along the way, the guys also pay tribute to some of the amazing character actors and art department personnel that helped make this film pop off the screen. Plus, Nick finally gets to talk about that amazing set on which the film's insanely over-the-top climatic battle takes place (is it just us, or does David Lo Pan have one of the greatest villain lairs ever?).

It's cult-classic time once again here on Precinct 13, and this week, Chris and Nick are jumping aboard the Porkchop Express for part one of a two-part discussion of Carpenter's mid-eighties action-comedy Big Trouble in Little China. You know the deal: Kurt Russell stars as trucker Jack Burton in a wildly colorful movie that goes so far over-the-top with its martial arts and mystical mayhem, it's almost too much to take in in a single sitting. For part one of our exploration of Big Trouble, we take a look at the film's pre-production (at one point, this movie was going to fit into another genre entirely!), the introduction of Russell's bumbling hero and his much-more-competent companions, and the influence of both Hong Kong action cinema and the silent comedy tradition. Oh, and there's also another iconic Carpenter musical score, cinematographer Dean Cundey's dazzling return to the filmography, a future Sex and the City star who lands one of the best character names in the Carpenter canon... We've got a lot to talk about with this one (and, don't worry, we'll get to Al Leong next episode!).