TSJ Talks John Carpenter’s THE THING on the Re-Creative Podcast
For those of you who don’t download podcasts, here’s an easier way to listen to my 45-minute segment on the Re-Creative with hosts Joe and Mark.
For those of you who don’t download podcasts, here’s an easier way to listen to my 45-minute segment on the Re-Creative with hosts Joe and Mark.
When I was a teenager, I read a lot of 1950s Science Fiction. It was the tail end of the “Golden Age of Science Fiction.” Asimov, Pohl, Heinlein, del Rey and more. I fell in love with the genre because of those books. They sparked my imagination and took me to fascinating locations in futuristic settings. The stakes were always huge. It’s those books that really taught me how important YA Science Fiction is. Readers get hooked on the genre early; it’s what happened to me.
John Carpenter is my favorite director.
I think that’s pretty obvious if you’re familiar with my blog, Life After Gateway. My post “The Greatest Trifectas in Film History” made it clear that I believe him to be a visionary director whose massive appeal in the SF genre is on par with Cameron, Spielberg, and Abrams.
Studio: Perfect World, 87North Productions
Director: Ilya Naishuller
Writer: Derek Kolstad
Stars: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielson, Christopher Lloyd, Aleksei Serebryakov, RZA, Michael Ironside
Platform: Any Video on Demand service
Similar: John Wick, Kickass
Release Date: March 26, 2021
Company: FilmNation Entertainment
Director: Dominic Cooke
Writer: Tom O’Connor
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Merab Ninidze, Rachel Brosnahan
Title: Greenland
Starring: Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, Scott Glenn
Director: Ric Roman Waugh (Angel has Fallen)
Writer: Chris Sparling
Runtime: 119 minutes
Production Company: STX Films
Streamer: AMAZON PRIME
This is an argument that has cavitated through every holiday season since 1988. I am hoping to put it to rest here, although obviously I realize there are always those out there who will continue to hold out and deny reality.
This list is likely to change from year to year, so take it with a grain of salt. But if you’re looking for a more grown up slant to your Christmas holiday season, try one or more of these films.
Movie: THE FLY (1958)
Starring: Vincent Price, David Hedison, Patricia Owens
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Sequels: RETURN OF THE FLY, CURSE OF THE FLY, THE FLY, THE FLY II
Writer: George Langelaan (original story in Playboy)
Screenplay: James Clavell! (THE FLY was his first filmed screenplay)
During this Coronavirus outbreak, I took the opportunity to watch the original film THE FLY with my 12 year old daughter. We’re shuttered inside, and while I spend a great deal of my time writing, we’re also watching a lot of movies, streaming shows, and playing games. THE FLY is a wonderful “horror” film from the 1950’s, part of my new BluRay package of FLY films, and has an important message for all content creators and creative writers.
Title: In the Shadow of the Moon
Director: Jim Mickle
Studio/Distributor: Netflix
Writers: Gregory Weidman, Geoffrey Tock
Starring: Boyd Holbrook (Logan), Bokeem Woodbine (Spider Man: Homecoming), Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
Short Description: A Philadelphia police detective hunts a time-traveling serial killer.