John Carpenter Talks "Halloween," "The Thing" and More | Letterman
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- Опубликовано: 24 мар 2022
- The horror film director comments on comparisons to Hitchcock, whether or not he thinks kids should see his movies and more. (From "Late Night," air date: 6/9/82)
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![John Carpenter - "He Lives" Interview (2013) [HD]](/img/1.gif)
Can't believe they showed that long of a clip. Love seeing any interview with Carpenter
it seems very strange to me, and not very wise, to show that particular scene, gives too much away
Genuis masterful director The Thing They Live Christine Big Trouble in Little China Escape from New York underrated for sure does not get enough respect
One of those rare directors who can direct and produce his own material without coming off as wack
Not many directors write their own scores. John is hugely talented and whilst The Thing didn't set the box office on fire it was always destined to become a classic.
Ennio Morricone wrote most of the score. The mix between his classical score and Carpenter's electronic one contributed highly to the dread feeling of isolation and despair.
The practical effects in John Carpenter’s The Thing are unparalleled, even after forty years. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the greatest sci-fi/horror movie ever made
Fuckin love it.
I agree!
It surely is up there with the first Alien movie. But Alien was released a year before "The Thing" so I think it really set a new gold standard for horror/scifi movies. But I think the psychological twist of not knowing who/what to trust is made even better in "the thing". since in Aliens the real persons are inhabited by the organism and in the thing the organism becomes a copied version of the person after attacking him/her/it.
Also, the desolation of Antarctica that still is something that you can set your foot on today makes it feel like a more "real" setting compared to the Nostromo starship and it makes it feel even more terrifying.
So, yeah, possibly the greatest sci-fi/horror flick!
Both great movies anyway!
Yes, the quality of the effects work in "The Thing" has certainly stood the test of time, and it's just a pity that Bottin didn't receive an Oscar for his amazing contributions.
I agree!
It's amazing I saw this interview 40 years ago. Just to show you how memory can be at least a little off..I thought all these years that Carpenter described this gory scene with the dogs as "happening in real time" but watching this interview 40 years later Carpenter says "they are objects that are built, with hydraulics and operated like puppets". Then Letterman says "then what we are looking at, actually did take place".
A terrifying frightening film (The Thing) with undoubtedly the best horror director of all time interviewed by the best all time talk show host ever!
Agreed! That movie will always be part of my movie library!
What did you think of the prequel that came out in 2011?
@@sensimania :) I enjoyed the 2011 prequel, it was an OK prequel. You can watch it first then go right into the 1982 film and it works seamlessly. Why it took the studio 29 years later to make as a huge fan of the first film I'll never understand! I think though I would have much preferred a sequel with Carpenter, Russel and David. Apparently when the first film got popular years later It was discussed but was never made.
To me though, the 1982 film still excels and is much superior because of the practical special effects, wonderful cinematography and location filming, terrific musical score and the excellent script with exceptional character development. You can literally feel the sense of paranoia between the characters as they lose trust in each other well as the sense of confinement in their environment and dealing with an unknown entity.
@@digitalmandave I agree with many things (no pun here) you wrote.
However, I think a key element that made the movie so frightening was not knowing too much about what ever hell happened at the Norwegian station.
Definitely amongst the best of this genre! Audiences back in '82 didn't know what they were missing. Released one month after E.T.
Should have been released during the Halloween season and it would have possibly done better business.
When the clip is over you never really see Dave be amazed at something but you can tell after watching Letterman for years that he is going "Holy shit". You can tell his mind is blown
2 GOATs - THE THING is my fave sci-fi horror film of all-time.
I can't believe the clip was kept in for RUclips!
Wondering if it has something to do with this being from NBC's Late Night and The Thing being a Universal film. I'm not sure how rights work with these clips, but NBC would have no incentive to remove the clip if they are still controlling the rights to the show. Frankly, it's silly for any of these clips to ever be removed, because they are still promoting the movie, and the studio should want that, since they can all still be viewed and purchased.
It's totally wild that The Thing wasn't a huge box office success. Such a great film.
Yeah, people in '82 just didn't seem to want a grim and ambiguous ending. However, it's now widely considered one of the greatest science fiction/horror films ever made and that's a lot more significant than how much it made 40 years ago.
E.T. came out before The Thing so people were busy phoning home and falling in love with a cuddly alien.
@@outpost31737funny because I was a kid and disappointed in ET because I thought it was Peter Coyote due to the trailers where he looked like he was in a spacesuit
Bad timing: ET and Star Treck Wrath of Khan had just delivered a more reassuring and mainstream take on sci-fi, which is probably one of the reason why both The Thing and Blade Runner flopped that year.
And yet, 40 years later, it is Carpenter's and Scott's movies that really stood the test of time (without taking anything away from Spielberg's flawless direction).
it was never gonna win against E.T., it shouldve been released in october
The Thing is his best film, I think. He knew to punctuate the tension only a couple of times with truly laugh-out-loud comic relief that never breaks character or the reality of the film.
Still one of my favorite movies that I watch every Halloween! The monster and the score...oh yeah!
I’ve never seen this before. Very cool. Thanks.
Hopefully the Tom Savini appearances pop up at some point in the future. Those are classic.
"I have a hunch it will do quite well" ...
Only in the long run. Shame the movie was panned upon initial release
@@williamarnold9821 Sam Raimi has also battled those same naysayers.
That was great, absolutely love this film. I really hope the channel releases the John Dykstra interview too!
Oh hey. Two heroes.
I saw most of John Carpenters movies during my early years 5 to 10
Great memories and nostalgia . The Thing is one of my all time favourite movies .
This movie was so scary to me i couldn't watch it for a few decades, but I've lost both parents now, i can laugh while I'm watching it.
Just airing a picture of that dog must've freaked out the audience back then!
In studio and at home!
Great follow up by Dave. XD
Great follow up by John about kids!
I can't believe they showed this scene on a late night show.
well it was late night tv, and the great 80's, it was a long clip too
So cool to see this moment captured before The Thing became one of the best horror movies ever. Awesome.
This is great thank you
Auto captions are great. Thank you!
my dad showed me The Thing when i was 8!
Now that was a clip!!✊🏾
Seen this movie a number of times and it still gives me douche chills.
John Carpenter is a brilliant filmmaker!
Love me some Carpenter!
Sadly, it really wasn't much of a hit when it first came out. Now, people recognize it for the masterpiece that it is.💯💯💯
7:55 Yeah about that. Might take 20 years, but it will get its recognition.
I first saw this movie on HBO, and it was frightening, and fascinating. Despite thinking that it was setting the stage for more movies like it, there hasn't been a movie like it since - the prequel didn't even come close.
The Thing is a masterpiece, acting, directing, special effects, cinematography everything is top of the line its an absolute travesty that it was critically panned upon release, the only thing I can think is it was too effective at scaring people. I know I was absolutely terrified to my soul by it in a way no film before or since has achieved.
I'd love to see the Dead Space movie Carpenter has talked about...
Well, it seems it won't happen. I guess we'll have to keep the idea in our hearts. It would have been great.
Kudos to Mr. Carpenter. One of the best.
I first saw The Thing in early '83 with Cat People at a second run theater. Still remember the audience reactions to the horrific effects and a nude Nastassja Kinski 😁
I saw The Thing in theater (many times) and Cat People on vhs (many times, with many pauses and rewinds).🤫
I just wish I had the opportunity to watch Cat People in theater at least once.
I love The Thing -- but not sure that clip would attract many. Everyone blames ET for its failure; but also wonder if they focused on the wrong aspects to attract a new audience at the time.
I know, it's weird I guess they were going all in on the gross out aspect of the movie. Also, what scene should they have shown to successfully promote the movie? It's so dark, gory, heavy, clinical..I can't think of one scene that could entice people to go see it..
It was brave of Carpenter to wrap up the story with only a partial victory, guaranteeing the hero certain death- or absorption. Audiences in 1982 just seemed unwilling to embrace such a grim and ambiguous ending. At least it's re-appraisal over time has earned the movie it's now classic status.
@@gallery7596 Yes, I saw it opening night I immediately knew it was a great movie. TBH there was a flood of movies that summer thankfully I had the time to see them all but I think most people had to pick and choose. Carpenter was on a roll for about 5 years maybe this was his last great movie?
I also think releasing The Thing in the Summer wasn't probably the best movie. It's more of an October, Fall flick than a Summer one.
@@erichaynes7502 I think Carpenter himself greatly undervalues "Starman," and "Big Trouble In Little China" has gathered quite a cult following, too.
Many years ago I bought and then lost a dvd copy of The Fog. It was still in its wrapper. I wish I could find it.
You'd enjoy the director/producer commentary as well.
Very cool movie. I watched it again recently, maybe within the last 6 months or so.
I'm glad it got what it deserved in the end. One of the best (horror) movies of all time. ❤
They weren’t ready
Sam Raimi and John Carpenter: Conquering all naysayers! Interestingly, Bruce Campbell and Kurt Russell have both played Elvis Presley.
Carpenter besides coppola the greatest director at this point
The special effects still hold up
6:31 A little Escape from New York talk
A good reminder of how the Thing's main 'soft' power is how horrifying it looks. This can often overwhelm potential victims with shock or temporary insanity. Childs managed to resist the horror at the last moment, but Windows doesn't later on. It's worth noting that getting shouted at by MacReady doesn't exactly help in either case, too.
The biggest mistake the studio made was releasing the movie in the middle of summer, if they waited until september/october it would have been huge.
The special effects shown in the clip were in fact created by Stan Winston and not bottin....
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What was the movie that topped "Halloween" and took away the title with the biggest return on investment in (independent) movie history, and what is the champ now?? Blair Witch would be my guess for the first question, but I have a feeling that by now it's something else (if Blair Witch even ever held the title) ??
.
Mad Max had a much bigger ROI than Halloween just the next year at 498.8x budget. Rocky had a bigger ROI than Halloween before Halloween came out, but I guess it wasn't an independent film. Blair Witch did beat Halloween soundly with 413.8x, but didn't beat Mad Max. El Mariachi had also topped Halloween before Blair Witch did at 291.7x.
So how much *did* Carpenter make from Halloween's box office success?
He got 10 percent of profit. So almost 7 million dollars
"The problem about making special effects on film is that once you've done them... people coe to be blaze about them"
How ironic - because today, if a horror film, a creature-feature, is presented to anyone who knows diddly squat about practical special effects and the effort it takes to make them... and it has effects which are on par with "The Thing" - they would go insane like a zoo of crazy chimps. Seeing how CGI has made us all completely bored it is *INCREDIBLY ENGAGING* to see something on screen which is actually physically there.
And then it bombed at the box office and had to wait till home video to become a classic.
Due to stiff competition - literally opened the same day as BLADE RUNNER & it was the summer of E.T. ; still the greatest sci-fi horror film of all-time & yes Rob Bottin's genius is non-paraleil
@@MrGpschmidt Blade Runner bombed too. Box office is not a clear indicator of the quality of a movie. It also had something to do with the mood of audiences. They were more inclined towards feel good films (ET, Star Trek 2) that summer as opposed to darker films like the Thing and Blade Runner.
@@richardb6260 A lot of good and well-remembered movies came out that summer.
Halloween no. The Thing yes.
Letterman grew into a good, if not great, interviewer, but watching his early years, he was such a snarky punk. I'm sure he was embarrassed at how he conducted himself in his early years.
Two cranky men; Carpenter the cranky introvert, Letterman the cranky extroverted introvert.
How did America went from letterman to fallen
This would’ve been a ballsy Steve Jobs ceo type decision BUT I would’ve shelved the thing after production and waited until AFTER return of the Jedi released and then released the picture in 1984 and I think it would’ve saved it’s box office run
The thing aint for sure
When John was young 😅
Thank God for John Carpenter. ❤
duhozlzf
ruclips.net/p/PLatBUqXIPJGg77ODNDckYbK6hiRP-ERW8
Carpenter recognizes he was inspired and improved on the magnificent (both director & movie) Howard Hawks' "The Thing" from the 1950s.
I think Hawks/Christian Nyby made a brilliant film too, so it's great that there's two excellent movies called "The Thing."