Precinct 13: The Movies and Music of John Carpenter

This week, Chris and Nick take a look at one of John Carpenter's more obscure early works, the 1978 made-for-TV thriller Someone's Watching Me! The film premiered just one week after Carpenter's breakthrough hit Halloween arrived in theaters, though he actually made this one first -- and, as your humble hosts are quick to point out, it's filled with small glimpses of the masterful suspense and superb visual storytelling to come. That's not to say that Someone's Watching Me! is one of Carpenter's finest, but it does feature some great performances (including those of star Lauren Hutton and Carpenter's soon-to-be wife, Adrienne Barbeau), a nifty setting, and some pointed commentary on sexism in the TV news industry (seriously, there are moments in this movie that would make Ron Burgundy blush!). Join us as we break down the film's most distinctly Carpenter-esque setpieces, consider the constraints that the writer/director faced in working within the boundaries of acceptable TV content, and rejoice at the sight of a beloved Seinfeld supporting player who unexpectedly shows up halfway through the movie!

As promised, we're back with another episode on Carpenter's horror masterpiece Halloween, just in time for All Hallow's Eve -- and, this time, we've also welcomed to the show our very first guest co-host, Halloween devotee Megan Mosley! Chris, Nick, and Megan go in-depth on some of their favorite shots, sequences, subtleties, and scares in a wide-ranging discussion that covers the multitude of reasons why this 1978 film is a cut above the slasher-film genre it pioneered. Plus, a way-too-detailed analysis of the crane shot in the film's opening sequence, a (somewhat) spirited defense of some late entries in the long-running franchise, an appreciation of the late, great Donald Pleasance, and much, MUCH more! Happy Halloween, and remember -- the boogeyman is out there!

Happy Halloween, Carpenter fans! Chris and Nick are celebrating the season with the first installment of our two-part discussion of 1978's all-time horror classic -- a movie that defined the slasher sub-genre and remains one of the filmmaker's most critically acclaimed and popular efforts. We kick things off with a few horror-flick recommendations to get your season started right, and then it's on to a wide-ranging exploration of everything Halloween! From the film's masterful direction and cinematography to the myriad sequels, remakes, and ripoffs it spawned to (of course) that iconic original score, we've got a whole lot to say about this one. So much, in fact, that we'll be back in two weeks to take an even deeper dive into Laurie Strode and Michael Myers' unforgettable onscreen debut. After all, it's Halloween -- everyone's entitled to one good scare (or lots of 'em)!

In this super-sized episode, Chris and Nick tackle John Carpenter's critically acclaimed second film, Assault on Precinct 13 -- for us, the source of a killer podcast title, and for Carpenter, a springboard to (eventual) Hollywood success. The film is a gritty, low-budget action/thriller that draws on Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo in its story of a straight-laced cop and a smooth-talking criminal who lead a dwindling band of survivors against the vicious street gang that's trapped them in a decommissioned L.A. police station. The discussion covers everything from the film's western influences and homages to its still-striking onscreen brutality to the character dynamics that make it a standout in the Carpenter catalog.

It's the movie that started it all! On the premiere episode of Precinct 13, hosts Chris Oliphant and Nick Rocco Scalia kick off their film-by-film discussion of John Carpenter's body of work with 1974's Dark Star. Made in collaboration with Dan O'Bannon, Carpenter's USC classmate who would go on to co-create the Alien franchise, this sci-fi comedy began its life as a student film and became Carpenter's first theatrically-released feature. With some still-impressive low-budget production design and visual effects, a cast of colorful characters, and a deep roster of young creative talent bringing it all to life, Dark Star is both a fascinating film and a critical step in Carpenter's evolution. Hear all about it, as well as Chris and Nick's vision for this show, on episode one of Precinct 13!