Latest news with #JohnCarpenter
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The 16 Best Slasher Movies Ever Made, from ‘Candyman' to ‘Psycho'
[Editor's note: this list was originally published in October 2022. It has since been updated with new entries.] Slasher movies are generally considered to be among the more disreputable horror film subgenres. They can be misogynistic, punishing women for their sexuality while also appealing to viewers' most prurient, voyeuristic impulses: celebrating the male gaze while damning the objects of that gaze except for a virginal 'Final Girl.' But slasher movies can veer the closest to true-crime of any of the horror subgenres, meaning that its issues of representation often say as much about an audience that wants to consume beastly criminality as packaged narrative, as it does the filmmakers who deliver them to us. More from IndieWire Jennifer Love Hewitt on Horror Comeback: 'I'm There for the Moms' 'Jimmy & Stiggs' vs. the Gore Wars - Eli Roth Backs Joe Begos and Neon Aliens as His Answer to 'Terrifier 3' Jason Blum on Those Big Budgets for Horror Movies and Why 'Sinners' Is the Exception to the Rule The best slasher movies are as idea-oriented as any horror films. And almost all force you to look within and ask yourself: what's the line between you watching a horrific act… and finally looking away? The genre as we know it was birthed in the mid-'70s from American filmmakers like Tobe Hooper and John Carpenter, who broke new ground and introduced classic horror villains with films like 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' and 'Halloween.' But its roots stretch back to formative '40s films like 'The Lodger' or 'The Leopard Man,' which introduced the concept of a silent stalker into horror filmmaking. The giallo wave of the late '60s and '70s in Italy, lead by auteurs like Dario Argento and Mario Bava, proved key foundational texts for the slashers to follow, frightening audiences with unseen murderers in tight black gloves and elaborate, gruesome murder scenes that pushed boundaries for gore in cinema. From the grungy, indie films of the '70s that birthed the genre, slashers have since become arguably the most mainstream of mainstream horror. In the '80s and '90s, movies like 'Chucky' and 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' kept the genre alive, while 'Scream' introduced a self-referential streak that many lesser entries into the canon still attempt to emulate. While today's discourse in the genre tends to be dominated by 'elevated' horror like your 'Hereditarys' or 'The Babadooks,' slashers remain the gateway that can turn a horror skeptic into a foaming-at-the-mouth fan. IndieWire is revisiting our list of the best slashers ever made to provide a guide to whatever horror film marathon you have going on this spooky season. Read on for the 16 greatest slasher movies of all time, ranked. With editorial contributions by Tambay Obenson, Christian Blauvelt, Eric Kohn, Anne Thompson, and Alison Foreman. Best of IndieWire Martin Scorsese's Favorite Movies Include 'Eddington': 87 Films the Director Wants You to See The Best Thrillers Streaming on Netflix in July, from 'Vertigo' and 'Rear Window' to 'Emily the Criminal' The Best Lesbian Movies Ever Made, from 'D.E.B.S.' and 'Carol' to 'Bound' and 'Pariah'
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Godzilla's 70th anniversary celebrated in huge new book with over 900 photos
American author Steve Ryfle remembers scouring his TV guide every week to find the monster movies and horror films he loved. Advertisement 'The Japanese films always appealed to me the most,' says the co-writer of the Emmy-winning 2017 documentary Miracle on 42nd Street. 'They were intriguing because they took place in a world that was unfamiliar, a culture that was unfamiliar.' Godzilla, he says, was especially captivating to a dinosaur-loving kid. 'Of course, when you're younger, you're into dinosaurs,' he says. 'Godzilla seemed like the greatest dinosaur I'd ever seen, and it did all these crazy things, and I just loved it.' Along with Ed Godziszewski, Ryfle is the co-author of the massive new book Godzilla: The First 70 Years, a 432-page, nearly 6lb (2.7kg) book filled with stories, interviews, breakout boxes and more than 900 photos of one of cinema's most enduring figures. Pages from Godzilla: The First 70 Years. Photo: Harry N. Abrams The book, which features introductions by Halloween and The Thing directing legend John Carpenter and recurring Godzilla actress Megumi Odaka, is the culmination of an effort by publisher Harry N. Abrams and Godzilla film producer Toho Studios to mark the anniversary with the ultimate English-language book examining the narrative and visual history of the films, Ryfle says.
Metro
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Legendary sci-fi film dubbed 'one of the best ever made' streaming for free
An iconic 80s horror film lauded as 'terrifying' and 'remarkable' is streaming now for free on ITVX. Released in 1982, The Thing quickly garnered a cult following after its home video release and has since become one of the most influential sci-fi films of all time. It is based on the 1938 novella Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr., and followed the 1951 film adaptation The Thing From Another World. The Thing tells the story of a group of American researchers in Antarctica who come across an extraterrestrial life form that can infiltrate the bodies of other living organisms and imitate them to go undetected. Starring Kurt Russell, Keith David, A. Wilford Brimley, and many more, it was met with mixed reception at the time of its release, being praised for its special effects but criticised for the gory body horror at the same time. It failed to make an impact at the box office but became a sleeper hit when it was released on home video and shown on television, since being reappraised as 'one of the best science fiction films ever made.' The Thing was followed by a novelisation in the same year, comic book sequels, board games, video games, and a 2011 prequel film of the same name. It holds an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics' consensus reading: 'Grimmer and more terrifying than the 1950s take, John Carpenter's The Thing is a tense sci-fi thriller rife with compelling tension and some remarkable make-up effects.' In their review, The Times wrote: 'The solemnity of the frozen wastes contrasts brilliantly with the sweaty paranoia of the men, who are unsure which of their colleagues is next going to erupt with hidden jaws and shooting tendrils.' Empire said: 'The Thing is a peerless masterpiece of relentless suspense, retina-wrecking visual excess and outright, nihilistic terror.' praised: 'Every October, I revisit John Carpenter's 'The Thing' to celebrate the month of Halloween, and every year I arrive at the same conclusion: it's one of the most effective horror films ever made.' Meanwhile, Loud and Clear reviews added: 'In my eyes, The Thing is as perfect as a movie can get: it knows exactly what it wants to be and what it's trying to do, and succeeds on every level I can conceive.' Many hailed director John Carpenter, with Radio Times saying he 'stresses the slimy ET at the expense of characterisation, mood and practically everything else, yet it's precisely this one grisly facet that makes it such compelling science fiction.' Speaking to The Guardian, the horror icon behind titles such as Halloween and Escape From New York opened up about why he thinks The Thing has stood the test of time as well as addressing why he chose to leave one huge unanswered question right at the end. 'Audiences didn't like the ending. They wanted to know who the Thing was – which was left up in the air. They hated that but I don't care, that's the way I wanted to end it,' he began. More Trending 'The film was about the end of the world. Its bleakness was the reason it wasn't a success at the time, but I think also why it has endured. In fact the film was an enormous failure. 'I got fired because of it and was out of work for a while, but slowly its reputation changed. Not everybody's convinced, though. There are still plenty of people who think it's a piece of trash.' The Thing is streaming now on ITVX . Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Acclaimed thriller hailed as a 'masterpiece' now available to stream MORE: 'A shark ate my arm and leg – I wouldn't change a thing' MORE: 'Worst film ever' ripped apart by critics in one-star reviews
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Victoria's Whitney Gardner explores fame, phantoms and free (not haunted) pianos in new graphic novel
When Whitney Gardner came across an ad for a free piano, advertised as "not haunted," she knew there was a story there. "That piano is obviously very haunted," she told CBC's North by Northwest host Margaret Gallagher. And while she never learned the story of that particular piano, the Victoria-based author and illustrator felt moved to write her own story that includes a haunted instrument. The book, a young adult graphic novel, is centred around a pre-teen girl searching for fame. It begins in 1980 and then jumps forward to the present day. "When I sat down to write the book, I first thought that it would be like this big wooden stand up piano haunted by a Victorian ghost," Gardner said. "I kept hitting roadblocks and hitting the wall and not wanting to write this sad dreary piano music book. And then I realized, wait, I'm in charge. I can write whatever I want." So, she chose a haunted synthesizer, one just like the model John Carpenter used to compose the soundtracks for the Halloween horror films. In Gardner's book, the synthesizer is haunted by a ghost from the 80s, named Vision. The ghost is based on the American pop star Tiffany, who rose to fame with her cover of I Think We're Alone Now in 1987. While writing the book Gardner watched the music video for I Think We're Alone Now every day. "Just to put myself in the mindset of this superstar and also to see all of the backgrounds and the antics of the 80s," Gardner said. The book's main character, Margot, has a lot in common with her creator, Gardner. For one, they both have fathers who spent much of their lives in search of fame, which left Margot and Gardner feeling that they had to compete for attention with their father's fans. Second, Margot and Gardner both tend to write light-hearted pieces. "There's a lot of myself in Margot, probably more so than any of the other books I've written." LISTEN | The story behind Whitney Gardner's latest book: In the story, Vision and Margot share a commonality: by making music that makes them popular, they're giving up making music for themselves. Gardner is both the author and illustrator of this book as well as her previous works, Fake Blood and Long Distance. While art and drawing are her first loves, writing stories for younger audiences has become her passion. "These books, comic books, have more pictures than any kind of book. This is where my heart is now. I sort of fell in love with telling stories through words and pictures together. And now it's like all I want to do." Free Piano (Not Haunted) is available now.
CBC
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Victoria's Whitney Gardner explores fame, phantoms and free (not haunted) pianos in new graphic novel
When Whitney Gardner came across an ad for a free piano, advertised as "not haunted," she knew there was a story there. "That piano is obviously very haunted," she told CBC's North by Northwest host Margaret Gallagher. And while she never learned the story of that particular piano, the Victoria-based author and illustrator felt moved to write her own story that includes a haunted instrument. The book, a young adult graphic novel, is centred around a pre-teen girl searching for fame. It begins in 1980 and then jumps forward to the present day. "When I sat down to write the book, I first thought that it would be like this big wooden stand up piano haunted by a Victorian ghost," Gardner said. "I kept hitting roadblocks and hitting the wall and not wanting to write this sad dreary piano music book. And then I realized, wait, I'm in charge. I can write whatever I want." So, she chose a haunted synthesizer, one just like the model John Carpenter used to compose the soundtracks for the Halloween horror films. In Gardner's book, the synthesizer is haunted by a ghost from the 80s, named Vision. The ghost is based on the American pop star Tiffany, who rose to fame with her cover of I Think We're Alone Now in 1987. While writing the book Gardner watched the music video for I Think We're Alone Now every day. "Just to put myself in the mindset of this superstar and also to see all of the backgrounds and the antics of the 80s," Gardner said. The book's main character, Margot, has a lot in common with her creator, Gardner. For one, they both have fathers who spent much of their lives in search of fame, which left Margot and Gardner feeling that they had to compete for attention with their father's fans. Second, Margot and Gardner both tend to write light-hearted pieces. "There's a lot of myself in Margot, probably more so than any of the other books I've written." In the story, Vision and Margot share a commonality: by making music that makes them popular, they're giving up making music for themselves. Gardner is both the author and illustrator of this book as well as her previous works, Fake Blood and Long Distance. While art and drawing are her first loves, writing stories for younger audiences has become her passion. "These books, comic books, have more pictures than any kind of book. This is where my heart is now. I sort of fell in love with telling stories through words and pictures together. And now it's like all I want to do."
