In The Mouth Of Madness

The final masterpiece from a master who has since lost his way.

Prince Of Darkness

Carpenter’s second in his trilogy of love letters to Lovecraft suffers from a considerably lower FX budget than the other two which means to truly enjoy how excellent this film is you have to be really on board with ideas like ancient entities of pure evil being represented by the occasional spray of dirty water.

Big Trouble In Little China

It’s a testament to John Carpenter’s power at his height that he could take a raft of elements that would sink a modern movie - belligerent masculinity, reductionist femininity, lazy racial stereotyping, shoddy special effects - and fashion something so damn cool out of it all.

They Live

 

A classic.

The Ward

 

Carpenter finally brings some form after a long stretch in the desert, with this predictable but enjoyable yarn about stylish girls looking frightened in a hospital.

The Thing

Oh, the visceral joy of real special effects. Landmark horror cinema.