Showing posts with label john carpenter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label john carpenter. Show all posts

Sunday, August 9, 2026

Now Playing: Cathedral

The music on Cathedral retains all the eerie atmosphere and sinister propulsion of the epochal scores Carpenter created for his films Halloween, The Fog, and Assault on Precinct 13, but this is a much heavier, riff-driven enterprise. Carpenter is a firm believer that music plays a major role in what really makes something scary. That’s first and foremost,” the director says. “It’s all about making the music work.” “This is somewhat different sounding stuff that we've done, but it's done with the same desire in mind,” he adds. “In other words, put this thing on and imagine you're watching a movie. That’s what we want you to do.”

Daniel Davies’ soaring, snaky guitars take center stage on opener “Primeval,” “Elevator,” and the metal masterpiece “Lord of the Underground” while John Carpenter and Cody Carpenter’s synths take the lead on the ominous “Desolation in the Underworld,” the plaintive “Death of the Mapmaker,” and even converge with strings on “Abandoned Cathedral.”

Whereas the Lost Themes albums were written as scores to movies of the mind, Cathedral scores the first original graphic novel written by Carpenter, his wife and long-time creative partner, producer and editor Sandy King, and writer Sean Sobczak, published by Storm King Comics. 

Click below...


Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Now Playing: The Ferryman

By John Carpenter and crew.


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Sunday, May 31, 2026

Now Playing: Lord Of The Underground

By John Carpenter and crew, from the upcoming album Cathedral.


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Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Happy Birthday, Antonio Bay

Another birthday for that special little town founded on the deliberate sinking of a ship of (wealthy) lepers trying to better their lives.  In their defense, the lepers DID plan to move only a mile distant to their cozy little village.  I mean, sure they could have rejected their offer and told them to move elsewhere.  But there was all that gold in their ship.  And that would have helped their village form a charter and blossom into a real town.  


John Carpenter's THE FOG is still the most perfect Ghost Story.  And April 21st will forever be honored as the birthday of the fictitious town of Antonio Bay.  Founded on the principles of deception and murder.  

Click below...


Friday, October 17, 2025

Now Playing: Halloween 2016

By Landing.

A very unique version of Carpenter's classic theme.

Click below...

Monday, April 21, 2025

Happy Birthday, Antonio Bay

Suddenly, out of the night, the fog rolled in. For a moment, they could see nothing, not a foot ahead of them. Then, they saw a light. By God, it was a fire burning on the shore, strong enough to penetrate the swirling mist. They steered a course toward the light.

But it was a campfire, like this one. The ship crashed against the rocks, the hull sheared in two, mars snapped like a twig. The wreckage sank, with all the men aboard.

At the bottom of the sea, lay the Elizabeth Dane, with her crew, their lungs filled with salt water, their eyes open, staring into the darkness.

And above, as suddenly as it had come, the fog lifted, receded back across the ocean and never came again. But it is told by the fishermen, and their fathers and grandfathers, that when the fog returns to Antonio Bay, the men at the bottom of the sea, out in the water by Spivey Point will rise up and search for the campfire that led them to their dark and icy death.








Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Now Playing: Chariots Of Pumpkins

Amazing cover by Mega Beardo.


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Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Now Playing: Cruisin' With Mr. Scratch

Wonderful new single from John Carpenter and crew.


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Friday, October 18, 2024

Halloween III Screening With LIVE Music

Live music by Alan Howarth, that is.  At the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville.


Man, last night was quite the evening.  We had the amazing pleasure of watching Halloween III:  Season of the Witch on the big screen, as composer Alan Howarth augmented his and Carpenter's brilliant score, playing along on stage.  It was bliss.  

After the movie, he spoke about his insanely interesting life and then fielded questions from the crowd.  After that, he did a little guitar playing to cues he put together from his film scores.  It was ludicrous.  What a night.

Some photos below, with two short videos at the bottom.


















Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Sunday, April 21, 2024

Happy Birthday, Antonio Bay

Celebrating Fog Day with some fun appetizers as crab cakes and lobster macaroni and cheese bake in the oven.  The drink of the evening is a Blake's Dark 'n Stormy (Old Republic dark rum with blood orange ginger beer [and a sprig of charred purple sage]).


And, of course, the movie of the evening is Carpenter's flawless ghost story The Fog.





Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Now Playing: He Walks By Night

From the upcoming Noir release.


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Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Now Playing: My Name Is Death

By John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies, from the upcoming Lost Themes IV: Noir.


Click the gents below...


Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Dinner And An Alien Autopsy



We had the pleasure of seeing John Carpenter's THE THING on the big screen last week.  Hard to imagine that this film didn't do well when it was first released in 1982.  Fortunately, all these years later it can still manage to fill a theater.  

They took a poll before the film started to see how many people were seeing it for the first time and there was a pretty decent number of folks with their hands raised.  Imagine seeing the scene below for the very first time.  I envied those people...

Click to watch:


Thursday, September 28, 2023

Now Playing: The Way To Darkness

A Tribute to John Carpenter.




So many great tracks on this album.
Click each below to hear three of them.






Thursday, September 14, 2023

CHRISTINE

We saw this John Carpenter gem last night on the big screen.  Only a handful of people in the theater for this two-night-only release by Fathom Events.  That's not a complaint, but it does make me wonder what kind of earnings are enjoyed by these releases.  


I always wanted to watch Moochie get his due on the big screen, and it was glorious.  And seeing Christine pull out of that garage fully ablaze was breathtaking.  It's easy to forget these things were made for the big screen, so here's hoping Fantom goes through the Carpenter lineup, as it's an odd fact that I haven't seen any Carpenter films in an actual theater during their original release.  Would it have killed my mom to take us to see THE THING?

Some photos from a fun night at the movies...










Thursday, August 24, 2023

Anthology II: Movie Themes 1976-1988

Coming October 6th from John Carpenter...


Anthology II (Movie Themes 1976-1988) continues the celebration of his compositional genius via an excellently sequenced collection of some of his most iconic pieces of music from his extensive filmography, all newly recorded with his musical collaborators Daniel Davies and Cody Carpenter. 

The compilation includes selections from Escape From New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Thing, They Live, Assault on Precinct 13, Prince of Darkness, The Fog, Halloween (and its sequels), and beyond.

Click below for an amazing track from the album...


Friday, April 21, 2023

April 20th: Fog Day's Eve


Fitting that we spent 4/20 charring rosemary and filling the house with an earthy herbal smoke.  

We wanted to do something fun for the upcoming anniversary of the sinking of the Elizabeth Dane (and Antonio Bay's birthday).  As the new owner of a cocktail smoker, I wanted to come up with something that was appropriate for Fog Day and I think I did it.  Behold Blake's Revenge.  A smoking rum-based cocktail that even has its own piece of seaweed.

Blake's Revenge:
2 oz aged rum (we used an 8 year Barbancourt)
1/2 oz sweet red vermouth
1 Teaspoon lemon & charred rosemary simple syrup
Garnish with a sprig of charred rosemary

After you combine the ingredients above, smoke the cocktail excessively to obtain a miniature fog bank.





Our Fog Day's Eve happy hour needed a dip.  

Mrs. Kobritz' Famous Smoky Clam Dip:
1 Tin smoked clams, oil drained
4 oz cream cheese
4 oz sour cream
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Teaspoon paprika 
1 Teaspoon minced onion 
Salt and pepper 

Mix by hand or blitz in a food processor for a smoother texture. Enjoy with Blake’s Revenge on the 21st of April.




Happy hour came to a perfect close with a viewing of The Fog - perhaps the finest horror film ghost story of all time (definitely up there with The Legend of Hell House and The Haunting [in its own way]).

Long live Blake and his ghostly comrades.  And Happy Fog Day, everyone - the twenty-first of April.

Happy Birthday, Antonio Bay

The six of us met tonight. From midnight until one o'clock, we planned the death of Blake and his comrades.  I tell myself that Blake's gold will allow the church to be built, and our small settlement to become a township, but it does not soothe the horror that I feel being an accomplice to murder.


- The Journal of Father Patrick Malone, 1880