A Lifetime of Rewatches (Thus Far)

 

Carpenter Makes a Shelf

I have now obtained all of John Carpenter's films. (Not pictured: Dark Star and Elvis, which are on the shelf above.) They're displayed here with action figures of Keith David as Frank Armitage (They Live), Adrienne Barbeau as Stevie Wayne (The Fog), Christine the Plymouth Fury (Christine), and three alien invaders (They Live). 
 

My Escape from New York blu-ray included some themed pins, so I used them to create a safe place for my metal Criterion Channel charter subscriber card. I figure it's appropriate, since the film has been on the channel. 
 

Some Things to Consider

John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) is one of my favourite films, and one of a select few movies I like to call "perfect." By that I mean I can find no flaws in performance, editing, sound, story, or any of the other qualities that create a masterpiece. 

The Thing needs no sequel. Therefore, I have concocted a list of possible titles for said unnecessary sequel: 

Things 2 Come
That Thing Is You 2
Some Enchanted Eve Thing
Kill the Right Thing
2 Things I H8 About U
Needless Things
People, Places, and Things

Head Thing

Ewwwwwww but I love how the mouth and eyestalks came out. 
 

Some Thing from the 80s

I'm pretty happy with this Thing. Fans of John Carpenter or 1980s science fiction or horror films will recognize this monstrosity. 
 

They Still Live

For a while I thought I'd lost my "CONSUME" candy wrapper, but I unearthed it a few days ago and made a companion sign for OBEY. 
 

Sign of the Times

Welcome, reader. I see you've found a pair of the special glasses that open your eyes to the truth of the world. We are being programmed by forces malicious and cruel, and recognizing that truth is our first step to liberation. 

You may have surmised that I opened the candy after all. I realized that the wrapper would fit perfectly into this 28mm sign. This'll be a nice little pop culture touch in my modern 28mm-scale city. 

Consume Obey Reproduce

These sinister candies came in the mail today. Given the wrappers, it seems I must eat them . . . and yet I fear the consequences . . . 
 

Quick Takes: Escape from New York

As much as I love the performances, the action, the music, and the simple but perfectly effective plot, it's the worldbuilding in Escape from New York (John Carpenter, 1981) that I find most compelling. Through production design, costuming, and dialogue, Carpenter has created a compelling alternate America, a fascist police state made mean by a cold war turned hot and a never ending battle against its own citizens. Carpenter makes it so easy to imagine this plausible alternate destiny for the United States, one that could so very easily still come to be.

Saturday Night Thing

Stop, Go, Go Very Fast

Today while driving west on Stony Plain Road I noticed that the traffic signal was showing green, but also flashing amber. I have never seen this signal before, and I instinctively slowed down a little while I tried to puzzle out what that particular configuration of lights could mean.

Green, of course, means go. A flashing amber generally means go, but use caution. Together? Uh...go, but use even more caution? No, that's backwards. Use caution, but less than usual? That doesn't seem likely.

Has anyone else seen this odd signal before? I fear I may need to redo my driver's test.