(1994)
Overall: GOOD
For his third entry in the broadly described Apocalypse Trilogy, John Carpenter goes full Lovecraftian insanity with In the Mouth of Madness. Studio executive/producer/screenwriter Michael De Luca provided Carpenter with his script several years prior, though the director only became interested and on board after two other filmmakers dropped out. The end result easily remains the oddest work in his filmography, delivering one mind-melting set piece after the other as the plot goes deliberately off the rails. Once again collaborating with composer Jim Lang whom he had done Body Bags with the previous year, the "Enter Sandman" inspired main theme goes along with Carpenter's usual synth music and helps set the loud, over-the-top tone appropriately. The story of a man trapped in a surreal, film-within-a-film loop where the written word becomes horrified reality is all quite difficult to follow. Considering though that this is the exact point and the numerous H.P. Lovecraft, (with a side of Stephen King), references are no accident, it comes about as close as a movie can to portraying the unspeakable, macabre lunacy that Lovecraft's works almost exclusively explored.
(1996)
Overall: MEH
Well deserving of its lukewarm reputation, Escape from L.A. is essentially the same movie as Escape from New York except not good. A quasi-vanity project for Kurt Russell, (who besides returning as Snake Plissken, also co-wrote and co-produced), he and John Carpenter make an attempt at striking lighting twice, an attempt that comes off more desperate than successful. The plot follows the structure of the first film so closely that Carpenter could theoretically sue himself for plagiarism, except this time the set pieces are prominently more ludicrous than bad-ass. Whether Russell is hang-gliding into action, surfing with Peter Fonda, or shooting basketball against the clock, it all comes off as a cringe-worthy parody of schlocky B-movies instead of a cool B-movie itself. Speaking of cringe-worthy, this is a solid contender as having the worst digital effects in any theatrically released film and worse yet, there are quite a number of such effects. Practically every character is easily bamboozled, least of all Plissken who looks like a buffoon more often than not. The same can be said for all parties involved who may understandably be embarrassed by having such a crud rock on their resumes.
(1998)
Overall: GOOD
After two duds and two more duds on the way before unofficially retiring, John Carpenter got to make the flawed though mostly fun and enduring Neo-western horror hybrid Vampires. Based off of John Steakley's book Vampire$, the project was set to go into production with director Russell Mulcahy and Dolph Lundgren in the lead, both of whom would instead make Silent Trigger after disputes with Largo Entertainment fell through. Carpenter's version cobbles together elements from two different scripts and he brought on James Woods who makes a more convincing, action hero bad-ass than one would expect. Hardly any of the characters are oozing with likeable qualities and the film balances its quasi-grim, misogynistic tone with schlocky plot points, groan-worthy dialog, (Wood's incessant boner jokes become more grating as they go on), and some scenery-chewing performances, particularly from Thomas Ian Griffith as the head undead. For what is essentially a loud, silly, conservatively budgeted B-movie, Carpenter shows off his well-honed skills within such a framework. It is well-paced, has plenty of gruesome gore, and works as a popcorn action movie above all else. Considering that it seems hell-bent on delivering such a thing, it can fairly be labeled a success.
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