The Film:

Other than teaming with Mick Garris and directing a pair of episodes (Cigarette Burns, Pro-Life) for the short-lived Showtime series Masters of Horror, John Carpenter has not been behind the camera since the 2001 box-office flop Ghost of Mars. Piss-poor marketing by Screen Gems and the real life horrors of 9/11 crushed any chance it had to be a hit. While it is not Carpenter’s strongest work, it is still better than the other red planet inspired flicks released at the time, and could best be described as Assault on Precinct 13 on Mars. Fast forward to a decade later and John is finally back with The Ward.

After torching a farmhouse for reasons unknown, Kristen (Amber Heard) is whisked away by the police to the North Bend Psychiatric Hospital in North Bend, Oregon. A bitchy nurse leads her to her new home, a ward with four other young women with issues of their own. Kristen starts seeing a ghostly figure who is haunting the halls and who has already killed a former resident. From day one, she believes she is sane and tries her best to break out of the looney bin. As the appearance of the rotting ghoul becomes more frequent and deadly, Kristen grows more desperate to escape before she becomes the next victim. Her appointed doctor (Jared Harris) tries everything from therapy to shock treatment to help her fragile psyche, but the horrific visions continue and one by one the girls are murdered by Alice Hudson, a former patient who has revenge on her mind.

A central location where a group of characters have to escape evil has been a hallmark of every great John Carpenter film, and that comes in to play here as he turns this infirmary into the spookiest sick bay this side of The Exorcist III and Jacob’s Ladder. Come to think of it, The Ward owes a lot to the 1990 nail-biter, as the macabre moments seem like an homage to Adrian Lyne’s film. You never know what is going to be behind the next corner as the maestro’s widescreen ratio impacts every frame, which is astonishing considering some of the confined spaces he has to shoot in. There are some jolt scares that you come to expect, and Carpenter makes the wise decision not to show the monster too much. All of the acting is above average, and while Amber Heard is competent as the lead, it is Danielle Panabaker as Sarah who shows great range in a secondary role.

What The Ward could have used more of is a less monotonous pace as there never is a sense of urgency, which causes scenes to lag. That could have been alleviated if Carpenter had scored the film, but unfortunately he gave that assignment to Mark Kilian, who drops the ball by not bringing a sense of uneasiness when it’s needed. There is also a “hook” in the film that may or may not rub fans the wrong way.

It is great to have John Carpenter back in the saddle again, and although The Ward is no Halloween or The Thing, it is his best movie since the Lovecraftian tale In the Mouth of Madness.

The DVD:

Audio/Video: The drab and murky cinematography offer up an average SD transfer fro Arc Entertainment that doesn’t look bad, but doesn’t wow either. Details are consistent and fine. The audio is okay too, allowing the score to swell and other typical horror movie sound mix cliches to pop and boom.

Commentary: John Carpenter is here, along with Harris and both deliver a low-key chat, that is sometimes good, other times a little boring.

The only other extra is a trailer.

The Film: Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The DVD: Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

(July 1st)

[Note: We already covered Transformers: Dark of the Moon in our June Movie Preview here, due to Paramount's last minute switch to a June 29th release date, but for everyone's convenience, we'll recover the film below on its original release date.]

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

The IMDb plot: “The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and learn its secrets, which could turn the tide in the Transformers’ final battle.”

3D Option? Yes.

Jon: [My review is here] Here’s a first: I’m actually excited for a Michael Bay film. No this isn’t Donny, it’s still good old Jon, but why you ask? I wasn’t really sold until a few weeks back when I saw the trailer in stunning 3D. Stunning. 3D. Bay has always had a way with action sequences, and this is going to be his epic orgy of destruction and the 3D looks to actually add to the mayhem. Still, that replacement girl Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is no Megan Fox, but that’s what the sound design is for: distraction. After stutter-stepping in the first few films, this is the one where Bay gets it right. See it.

Donny: I have always been a fan of fine cheese and Michael Bay knows how to deliver in that department. I’m disappointed that Megan Fox isn’t in the picture, but I’m always down to watch Bay blow s**t up. See it.

(July 8th)

Horrible Bosses

The IMDb plot: “Three friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.”

3D Option? No.

Donny: I am extremely excited about this movie! The cast is incredible and the concept is interesting. I’m gonna be there on opening night. See it.

Jon: Is it bad that I can relate to this movie? Sorry Donny. Jokes, jokes, I have other jobs were my bosses would benefit the work force by being six feet deep, and this little morbid comedy should fit the bill for my sadistic tastes. Good cast, neat idea, see it.

(July 15th)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II

The IMDb plot: “The end begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione go back to Hogwarts to find and destroy Voldemort’s final horcruxes…”

3D Option? Yes.

Jon: Oh, no! It’s the final Harry Potter film EVER! [falls to his knees and cries out to God] Actually, I don’t care, but I understand the success and popularity of the series, which this film should close it out in epic fashion. If you haven’t jumped on this train yet, no sense in doing so now so I’m skipping it, but fans will gladly see it twice.

Donny: Does a bear shit in the woods? Of course I’m gonna see it! I’ve been a Harry Potter fan from the beginning and I’m not about to stop now. One of my favorites is coming to an end and I will definitely be there. 

(July 22nd)

Captain America: The First Avenger

The IMDb plot: “After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America’s ideals.”

3D Option? Yes.

Donny: I’m not completely sold on it. The trailer looks slick, but the CGI skinny version of  the Captain looks terrible. I’m gonna reserve judgement until I see it.

Jon: Out of all the Marvel superheroes, I also thought a movie version of Captain America would be risky, and possibly cheesy. When they announced Joe Johnston as the director, I was still skeptical. I loved his Rocketeer and Jurassic Park III was fun, but recent works left a lot to be desired. Then the trailer hit. WWII action, superb casting, killer outfit, and all of that cheesy aspects I felt wouldn’t translate well went away, and we might have one hell of a movie here. Plus, it’s the last Marvel movie before The Avengers. See it.

Friends with Benefits

The IMDb plot: “While trying to avoid the clichés of Hollywood romantic comedies, Dylan and Jamie soon discover however that adding the act of sex to their friendship does lead to complications.”

3D Option? No.

Jon: Ah, friends with benefits. A concept foreign to Donny and I, since we’re married men, but remember back in January there was another movie based on this sexual concept called No Strings Attached? This looks really funny, and better than the Ashton Kutcher/Natalie Portman sexcapade comedy. Plus, I can fantasize about having Mila Kunis as my “friend with a benefit”… See it.

Donny: I have slowly become a fan of Justin Timberlake’s acting and Kunis is hotter than fish grease. While I’m not impressed with the story of this one (we’ve all seen this before) I still want to see it.

Another Earth

The IMDb plot: “On the night of the discovery of a duplicate planet in the solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident.”

3D Option? No.

Donny: Looks fantastic. I’m a sucker for sci-fi flicks and from the looks of it, I don’t think Another Earth is going to disappoint. See it.

Jon: More drama than action sci-fi, it wowed festival audiences before getting picked up by Fox Searchlight. Neat, quiet sci-fi concept. Worth a look if you’re tiring of big budgeted summer fare. See it.

(July 29th)

Cowboys & Aliens

The IMDb plot: “A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys are all that stand in their way.”

3D Option? No.

Jon: If there’s any genre that has been stale for a good long while, it’s the western. Now, we love our gunfights, our hard-nosed heroes, our Americana, but let’s face it: it’s a genre that probably won’t ever change or become as popular in Hollywood as it was in the 40s and 50s. So the solution is to add aliens? Hell yeah! This is one of the genre offerings this summer I cannot wait for. Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford, aliens, Jon Favreau, shit son, this is going to rock. How could it not? See it.

Donny: Jon Favreau + Daniel Craig = kick-ass action! See it.

Attack the Block

The IMDb plot: “A teen gang in South London defend their block from an alien invasion.”

3D Option? No.

Donny: I don’t know much about ATB, but it sure looks like fun. I’m gonna disagree with Jon and maker sure my ass is in the theatre on opening night. See it.

Jon: Apparently, this is the coolest thing since Monster Squad, yet nothing has gotten me excited for it. The posters are ‘meh’, the trailer looks okay, but word on the street is this is 2011′s cult classic. Until I see it (and I’ll probably eat my words), it hasn’t done it for me: Thrill me. Skip it.

The Devil’s Double

The IMDb plot: “A chilling vision of the House of Saddam Hussein comes to life through the eyes of the man who was forced to become the double of Hussein’s sadistic son.”

3D Option? No.

Jon: This film has a solid director in Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day) and early buzz for Dominic Cooper’s performance, yet outside of the solid gold (and creative) poster, little has really grabbed hold of my interest. It’ll probably be a decent film, but wait. Skip it.

Donny: This is one of my most anticipated films of the year. Great director, interesting story, and ass-loads of style. See it.

July Spotlight

The Ward

The IMDb plot: “A thriller centered on an institutionalized young woman who becomes terrorized by a ghost.”

3D Option? No.

Donny: John Carpenter is one of those directors that I’ll follow no matter what. While he has made a few stale flick, all of them are still watchable. With that said, I’m going to see it.

Jon: Early word has been mixed, but how could we not feature the latest John Carpenter movie, especially given his absence? I love Amber Heard and Danielle Panabaker and the concept seems tried and true. Even average Carpenter is worth watching over the highly saturated studio horror movies released every other month. See it.

It’s a pretty interesting month for genre releases, huh? We will have reviews of these films and more all month long here on the genre site of awesome, Killer Film! We told you what to see and skip, but comment below letting us know what you’re exciting for or what are you not seeing?

After torching a farmhouse for reasons unknown, Kristen (Amber Heard) is whisked away by the police to the North Bend Psychiatric Hospital in North Bend, Oregon. A bitchy nurse leads her to her new home, a ward with four other young women with issues of their own. Kristen starts seeing a ghostly figure who is haunting the halls and who has already killed a former resident. From day one, she believes she is sane and tries her best to break out of the looney bin. As the appearance of the rotting ghoul becomes more frequent and deadly, Kristen grows more desperate to escape before she becomes the next victim. Her appointed doctor (Jared Harris) tries everything from therapy to shock treatment to help her fragile psyche, but the horrific visions continue and one by one the girls are murdered by Alice Hudson, a former patient who has revenge on her mind.

A central location where a group of characters have to escape evil has been a hallmark of every great John Carpenter film, and that comes in to play here as he turns this infirmary into the spookiest sick bay this side of The Exorcist III and Jacob’s Ladder. Come to think of it, The Ward owes a lot to the 1990 nail-biter, as the macabre moments seem like an homage to Adrian Lyne’s film. You never know what is going to be behind the next corner as the maestro’s widescreen ratio impacts every frame, which is astonishing considering some of the confined spaces he has to shoot in. There are some jolt scares that you come to expect, and Carpenter makes the wise decision not to show the monster too much. All of the acting is above average, and while Amber Heard is competent as the lead, it is Danielle Panabaker as Sarah who shows great range in a secondary role.

What The Ward could have used more of is a less monotonous pace as there never is a sense of urgency, which causes scenes to lag. That could have been alleviated if Carpenter had scored the film, but unfortunately he gave that assignment to Mark Kilian, who drops the ball by not bringing a sense of uneasiness when it’s needed. There is also a “hook” in the film that may or may not rub fans the wrong way.

It is great to have John Carpenter back in the saddle again, and although The Ward is no Halloween or The Thing, it is his best movie since the Lovecraftian tale In the Mouth of Madness.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Jason Bene: The Ward is your first feature film since Ghosts of Mars. Why haven’t we seen you directing besides your two episodes of Masters of Horror (Cigarette Burns, Pro-Life)?  

John Carpenter: I just had to stop for a while. I just had to take a break. I found myself burnt out a little. I was tired of the business and I was tired of working. It didn’t help that Ghosts of Mars didn’t do very well at the box-office. I decided it’s time to sit down and relax for a while. I had a lot of basketball to watch.

Jason Bene: The timing was bad for Ghost of Mars because 9/11 happened a few weeks after its release. Fans need to remember that from Halloween to Ghosts of Mars, you didn’t take that much time off in between movies.

John Carpenter: You got it, my friend. You got it. It was just a necessity for my own life. I had to just stop for a while. I really had to stop.

Jason Bene: I have a two-month old daughter and it has put my future in perspective. What I do for a living is not my life.

John Carpenter: (Laughs) That’s true. That’s true. How is your two-month old daughter doing?

Jason Bene: She is doing great! She is almost twelve pounds. She is starting to sleep a little longer during the night. For a while she was getting up every two hours to eat and it was killing us. But you look at that face and it’s all worth it.

John Carpenter: I know. I know. They are cuties. Just wait until she gets to be a teenager. Just you wait. Your time is coming.

Jason Bene: Is it true that The Ward is the first film you haven’t shot in Panavision since Dark Star?

John Carpenter: I shot it widescreen and not Panavision. You are right. You are absolutely right. It was budget. I wasn’t really in control of that stuff. I had to meet a budget and had to do it. We shot widescreen, but it was not Panavision. It was interesting. It was real interesting to do opposed to Panavision, which I dearly love. Nothing looks as good as Panavision. Nothing does. No film looks any better. But that was not the way it was done in this film. So I just accepted it, like I accept everything else about life.

Jason Bene: You didn’t write or score the film. Did that give you breathing room so you could concentrate on your directorial duties?

John Carpenter: It’s all too hard. Man, oh, man. Mark Kilian is a very talented composer. He is really really talented guy. I thought we’ll make this guy do the work. He just did a tremendous job for me. I’ve kind of slowed down now. The Ward was a perfect movie to come back and do movies with. What I mean by that is, it was a low budget film with a small cast. It all took place in one area. It was confined spaces. And it had a small cast. It was right up my alley. I didn’t want to do anything bigger than that. Masters of Horror was a lot of fun to do. But they were a week’s work, where this is thirty days. It was a deal and a great time. I love my cast! I love each of them. What can I say? I’m in a mental institution with beautiful Hollywood actresses. Nothing is better. Nothing. It’s awesome! It was great. I had a great time.

Jason Bene: A lot of naysayers think Amber Heard is a pretty face and can’t act. Maybe this type of meaty role will prove them wrong.

John Carpenter: She’s got a lot of talent. She’s got a whole lot of talent. I think her time will come. You never know. Sometimes fate plays tricks on you, but I think she’s going to be fine. I really loved working with her.

Jason Bene: Getting back to the score. Did you consider having your son, Cody, do the composing?

John Carpenter: He was in Japan at the time. He was in Japan teaching. He’s back now, thank God. I thought, well, okay, I’ll work with somebody I haven’t worked with before. That will be interesting to do.

Jason Bene: I haven’t seen The Ward yet, but from the theatrical trailer the music had a very Argento feel to it.

John Carpenter: We discussed it. The director kind of guides the music like he does everything else. I did a little guidance here and there. Mark brought it. He was just fabulous. I loved working with him.

Jason Bene: This is your first period film since Christine. How did it feel to do a horror film set in the 60′s?

John Carpenter: It’s not that hard. I was there. I remember what it was like. It takes place in ’66. The reason we did that was because we had to choose a period of time when there was still involuntary incarceration in a mental institution. In other words, by 1966 you still could be put away for an extended period of time. But that all changed in the 70′s. It all changed. So that was the reason to do it then. It was great. We had a great time doing it. It was fun. The girls did a little dance for me one night. It was great fun, just great fun.

Jason Bene: For The Thing, the creatures were out in the open to be seen, whereas with In The Mouth of Madness, you kept them in the shadows. How did you approach them in The Ward?

John Carpenter: Just very briefly seen. Very briefly. Hidden is the wrong word. It was done not out in the open so much.

Jason Bene: Monster nerds like myself really love seeing the creatures.

John Carpenter: Me too! But it wasn’t that kind of film.

Jason Bene: The movie to me looks like Jacob’s Ladder meets One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. How would you describe it?

John Carpenter: (Laughs) It really is Shutter Island. That’s what it is. You’ll see. It’s an old school horror film, because I’m an old school kind of guy.

Jason Bene: How hard is it to scare audiences today when you have terrible events happening all around the world? Can they be scared?

John Carpenter: They can be scared, but real life is scarier. My God! What’s been going on is unbelievable. I’ve had several people come to me and say, “What’s going on with our world? Is it the end of the world?” I don’t think so.

Jason Bene: I think people have been watching films like Roland Emmerich’s 2012 too much.

John Carpenter: I didn’t see that. I don’t think so. Not yet. It’s crazy times.

Jason Bene: The Ward has already been released in the UK. Is there a domestic release date yet?

John Carpenter: Yes, it is coming out in three months. Very soon.

Kristen, a beautiful but troubled young woman, who finds herself bruised, cut, drugged, and held against her will in a remote ward of a Psychiatric Hospital. She is completely disoriented, with no idea why she was brought to this place and no memory of her life before being admitted. All she knows is that she isn’t safe.

The other patients in the ward, four equally disturbed young women, offer no answers, and Kristen quickly realizes things are not as they seem. The air is heavy with secrets, and at night, when the hospital is dark and foreboding, she hears strange and frightening sounds. It appears they are not alone.

One-by-one the other girls begin to disappear and Kristen must find a way out of this hellish place before she, too, becomes a victim. As she struggles to escape, she will uncover a truth far more dangerous and horrifying than anyone could have imagined.

Source: Arrow

If the name of the artist doesn’t ring a bell, I’m sure you’ve seen his wonderful work before, especially for President Obama in the famed “Hope” poster after his election.

Here’s what Fairey said of Carpenter’s They Live: “The This is Your God show in 2003 at the Six Space gallery in downtown L.A. was an opportunity to showcase the sociopolitical message of the OBey campaign by paying homage to John Carpenter’s They Live, which was a major source of inspiration and the basis for my use of the word “obey.” The movie has a very strong message about the power of commercialism and the way that people are manipulated by advertising. One of my main concepts with the show (and the campaign as a whole) was that obedience is the most valuable currency. People rarely consider how much power they sacrifice by blindly following a self-serving corporation’s marketing agenda, and how their spending habits reflect the direction in which they choose to transfer power. In They Live, the protagonist discovers hidden messages lurking behind billboards and anything commercial, and the money says “THIS IS YOUR GOD” on plain white paper. I designed a graphic that looked somewhat like real money but with that slogan, which we used for the invitations and a billboard I rented on the corner of Sunset and Hollywood to promote the show.”

Follow Mondo for a chance to win this poster on Twitter. And feel free to re-read our own retrospective on They Live in a special Late Night Classics here.

Amber Heard stars as a young woman held in a psychiatric hospital who experiences strange visions that convince her the residents are being hunted by a ghost. Of course, don’t forget to re-read our exclusive interview with John Carpenter about The Ward here, while you wait.

Source: Bloody-Disgusting

The Ward is an intense psychological thriller set in a mental institution where a young woman, Kristen, is haunted by a mysterious and deadly ghost. As danger creeps closer, she comes to realize that this ghost might be darker than she could have imagined.

Kristen, who is in her early 20′s, wakes to find herself bruised, cut, drugged, and held against her will in a remote ward of Chamberlain Psychiatric Hospital. She is completely disoriented with no idea why she was brought to this place and no memory of her life.

The other patients in the ward, four equally troubled girls, offer no answers, and Kristen quickly realizes things are not as they seem. The air is heavy with secrets, and at night, when the hospital is dark and foreboding, she hears strange and disturbing sounds. It appears they are not alone.

One by one the girls disappear, and Kristen must find a way out of this hellish place before the ghost comes for her, too. As she struggles to escape, she will uncover a truth far more dangerous and horrifying than anyone could have imagined.

Source: MovieFone

The Ward is an intense psychological thriller set in a mental institution where a young woman, Kristen, is haunted by a mysterious and deadly ghost. As danger creeps closer, she comes to realize that this ghost might be darker than she could have imagined.

Kristen, who is in her early 20′s, wakes to find herself bruised, cut, drugged, and held against her will in a remote ward of Chamberlain Psychiatric Hospital. She is completely disoriented with no idea why she was brought to this place and no memory of her life.

The other patients in the ward, four equally troubled girls, offer no answers, and Kristen quickly realizes things are not as they seem. The air is heavy with secrets, and at night, when the hospital is dark and foreboding, she hears strange and disturbing sounds. It appears they are not alone.

One by one the girls disappear, and Kristen must find a way out of this hellish place before the ghost comes for her, too. As she struggles to escape, she will uncover a truth far more dangerous and horrifying than anyone could have imagined.

Source: Dread Central

Speaking of lame, you won’t find John Carpenter talking about the film on any websites….not named KILLER FILM! Check out our exclusive interview with the Master of Horror here as we wait for a domestic release (and hopefully, a way better one-sheet).

Source: IMP Awards

Back in July of last year, Killer Film and Master of Horror John Carpenter did a retrospective on his 1987 classic Prince of Darkness (here). We like to cover the new as well as the old, so we got in contact with him again to talk about his first film in a decade – The Ward – and we will have that interview with him later this week!

We also discussed what he has lined up next, what happened with the flick he was going to do with Nicolas Cage, and his involvement, or lack thereof, on the prequel to The Thing and the reboot of Escape from New York.

“We are working on a bunch of things and that’s one I hope to do. It’s a terrific story. It’s a terrific idea. I’m very excited by it. It’s based on a comic book.”

“The producers didn’t want to spend the money to do it right.”

“I am not involved with it at all. They didn’t even pay me any money. Some of the other remakes and sequels paid me money, but this one didn’t. I haven’t heard a word (about its release). I haven’t heard. No one tells me anything. No one tells me. They didn’t ask me any questions. They treated me like the lacky that I am. I don’t want to do (direct) that. I’ve done it, man. I don’t want to do that again.

These days you need some babes. You have to have the babes. They are doing the story of the Norwegian camp in the prequel. I did see a couple of photos of the girl (Mary Elizabeth-Winstead) with the flamethrower flaming away. I’m assuming she’s battling the aliens. We’ll see what happens. I don’t know what their plans are for the creature itself. I don’t know what it looks like. I don’t know where they are going with it.”

“They paid me money. That’s always good. But I haven’t heard anything on that either. I know they are trying to get a director involved. They had Breck Eisner for a while, then I don’t know what happened. I haven’t heard anything. He was there to work on a version of the script. I haven’t heard any new news on that. I don’t care to know some of these things. It’s better off not to know. There are certain things man was not meant to know, especially me.”

Source: Killer Film

“ARC Entertainment has teamed up with XLrator Media to pick up the U.S. distribution rights to John Carpenter’s horror thriller The Ward. The pic premiered at last year’s Toronto Film Festival and the move finally gives it a chance to be seen by American audiences.

No specific details of the release strategy was given although many platforms will be involved.

ARC is a marketing-based distribution company. Earlier this week the two partnered on U.S. distribution rights to ContentFilm’s period action movie Ironclad.”

Looks like it could be fun.

Can’t wait for this one.

Poster is pretty weak, but the flick sounds interesting.

Sort of lame.

This looks like it could be a solid flick.

Don’t dig this poster at all, but I’m a huge Carpenter fan so I am looking forward to this one.

Thoughts?

And now, the trailer:

To watch more, visit www.t5m.com

We were teased a few weeks ago on the trailer here. Thoughts? Also, check out our interview with Danielle Panabaker here about The Ward! Still no US date…yet.

John Carpenter will get his much deserved award on Sunday, October 10, 2010 at the Wyndham Orlando Resort.

Source: Dread Central

From the Press Release
The 5th Annual FREAK SHOW Horror Film Festival has announced that legendary horror director John Carpenter will receive the festival’s Lifetime Achievement “Freaky” Award at a gala ceremony to be held on Sunday, October 10, 2010 at the Wyndham Orlando Resort. The announcement was made today by Robert J. Massetti, Founder and Director of the FREAK SHOW Horror Film Festival.

Mr. Massetti states, “We are honored to have Mr. Carpenter be this years recipient of our Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a master filmmaker and embodies the true independent filmmaking spirit, which has been an inspiration to me and to all independent horror filmmakers.

Past recipients of the Lifetime Achievement “Freaky” Award have included the Godfather of Gore HG Lewis, Music Composer Henry Manfredini, and Troma Film’s Lloyd Kaufman.

John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, film score composer and occasional actor. Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres, and is considered one of the most accomplished and influential horror and science fiction directors in Hollywood. Films include “Halloween”, “The Fog”, “Christine”, “The Thing”, and “Escape From New York”.

The FREAK SHOW Horror Film Festival is a horror genre film festival founded by FEAR FILM Motion Picture Studio’s owner Robert J. Massetti. The Festival is part of Spooky Empire’s Ultimate Horror Weekend, which is the largest horror convention in the state of Florida drawing more than 12,000 horror fans annually. The convention features celebrity guests, bands, tattoo room, and huge after parties by pool.