Two years ago I wrote an article entitled John Carpenter & Kurt Russell's ELVIS -- Where's the DVD?, wherein I championed this nearly forgotten 1979 biopic of the King of Rock and Roll. Produced by Dick Clark two years after Presley's tragic passing, ELVIS was the first collaboration between young director John Carpenter -- hot off Halloween, the highest-grossing independent film at the time -- and Disney's teen heartthrob Kurt Russell. These two up'n-comers would, of course, later collab...
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In a previous article regarding the 1979 TV biopic, ELVIS, directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell as the King of Rock and Roll, I sang the praises of this little-seen film, bemoaned the nonexistence of the movie in DVD form, and encouraged readers to sign a petition form to see it reissued in a digital format.Well, I am bemoaning no longer.KURT RUSSELL AS ELVIS PRESLEYHere is the press release I just received from SHOUT! Factory:Timed closely to coincide with the 75th anniversary o...
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I've written at length about my passion for the works of Stephen King -- including his novel (and John Carpenter's film version of) Christine. The tale of a terminally geeky high school student who becomes obsessed with, and ultimately possessed by, a 1958 Plymouth Fury.Well now, in what is sure to cause a rubber-burning squeal of glee from fanboys, comes a 1:18 scale, diecast model of the titular car, complete with working lights, steerable wheels, rubber tires, and detailed interior, exterior...
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WORDSLINGER'S NOTE: I've been a bit lax of late in regards to posting. Sorry about that. I've been otherwise occupied in editing the manuscript and getting it ready for ... you know what? Let's just see how this plays out -- some verrrrry interesting things are a'brew. Meanwhile, how about another Halloween related post?By the early 80s, Stephen King was already a brand name author -- due in no small part to the cinematic kick start Brian DePalma gave him in 1976 with his adaptation of Carri...
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As a big fan of John Carpenter, I have always had a special place in my heart for the one movie he made that wasn't a horror, action or suspense film. It could be argued that it's science-fiction, but ... no. Starman is a love story.Released in 1984, Starman was Columbia pictures answer to E.T. It involved an alien come to earth in response to an invitation on one of the Voyager space probes. Attacked by military aircraft, the ship crash lands in Wisconsin near the cabin of a young widow name...
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Iconic suspense director John Carpenter -- who save for a couple of Showtime's Masters of Horror episodes hasn't directed anything in awhile -- is coming out of semi-retirement and sending Nicolas Cage to prison.The movie is called Scared Straight. According to The Hollywood Reporter it involves ... a troubled youth who's sent to prison off the Scared Straight crime-prevention program, which imprisons delinquent teens for a short period in the hopes of deterring them from a life of crime. While ...
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I don't own ALL of John Carpenter's films. In fact, as much as I love him as a director, I'll be the first to admit his recent films pale in comparison to his work from the 70s and 80s. That said, his first smash hit, Halloween (1978), was for many years the most successful independent film ever made. Not bad for a bunch of kids making a horror film about babysitters and the boogeyman.A list of the Carpenter DVDs I do own:HalloweenElvis - the movieThe FogEscape From New YorkThe ThingChristine...
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In 1979, two years after the tragic, untimely death of the King of Rock and Roll, Dick Clark sanctioned a 3-hour TV biopic, entitled simply, Elvis. Director John Carpenter, a lifelong Elvis fan, red hot after the success of Halloween, was hired to helm the film. After lengthy auditions, Kurt Russell was cast as Presley and it would be this film that cemented his transition from juvenile Disney fare to more adult roles. Carpenter and Russell, would, of course, go on to make many more films toge...
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