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Alien
Halloween
Stats
- Episodes featuring their films
- 3
- Movies in this archive
- 4
Rewatchables episodes featuring John Carpenter’s films
Displaying all 3 episodes
Mentioned in discussions
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:20:59Read transcript
- The film’s number-one opening and rapid disappearance frame a Carpenter preference; it is called his last truly great movie. — Sean Fennessey
- Carpenter is selected again; Piper receives a distinct alternative vote for his singular performance, while Peter Jason is considered and rejected. — Chris Ryan
- The film is placed at the end of Carpenter’s peak run, with later influence emphasized. — Bill Simmons
Podcast choices
- Speaker not identified
- John Carpenter
- Speaker not identified
- John Carpenter
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:51Read transcript
- Carpenter options include The Thing and Prince of Darkness.
- Either Invasion of the Body Snatchers version and I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang are proposed for social persecution parallels. — Sean Fennessey
- Escape from New York and the Sutherland Body Snatchers are endorsed. — Bill Simmons
- The Parallax View and Three Days of the Condor fit the discovery of a vast conspiracy. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:16Read transcript
- Carpenter for direction or screenplay competes with Keith David for supporting actor; no category consensus is reached.
Apex Mountain
Roddy Piper; 1980s downtown Los Angeles movies; street fights
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:01Read transcript
- Piper is affirmed because of his wrestling fame and the film’s number-one opening. — Bill Simmons
- Piper’s persona and move into acting are compared with Dwayne Johnson’s later career. — Sean Fennessey
- Carpenter is rejected in favor of Halloween, with Starman also discussed; Reagan critiques receive only a qualified suggestion.
- Downtown L.A. films receive a yes with Prince of Darkness as a comparison; Foster’s possible peaks include Masters of the Universe and Leviathan.
- Keith David’s peak is placed at Platoon, with There’s Something About Mary also recalled. — Bill Simmons
- Street fights receive an affirmative suggestion, challenged with The Warriors and Mission: Impossible comparisons. — Bill Simmons
Half-Assed Internet Research
Homeless extras; Piper commentary; fight choreography; Meg Foster’s television firing
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:57Read transcript
- The production reportedly employed homeless people with food and wages; Piper mistook a comic subliminal-television short for documentary evidence. — Bill Simmons
- Piper’s abrupt commentary story about a stalker who was an arms dealer leaves Carpenter trying to return to the movie. — Sean Fennessey
- The screenplay reportedly used repeated pages saying the fight continues; Piper also alleged payments to local gangs. — Bill Simmons
- Meg Foster’s Cagney & Lacey replacement is discussed alongside a quoted sexist and homophobic executive explanation. — Bill Simmons
- The fight was reportedly rehearsed in Carpenter’s backyard. — Chris Ryan
The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Selling out looks appealing; Carpenter’s most memorable 1980s film; Keith David in Samuel L. Jackson roles
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:40Read transcript
- Alien collaboration appears to offer a comfortable life with cars, housing and television work.
- The film is proposed as Carpenter’s most memorable 1980s work; Escape from New York and The Thing are counterchoices. — Sean Fennessey
- A counterfactual proposes Keith David could have had much of Sam Jackson’s career, including Jules and a Die Hard 3 role. — Bill Simmons
What’s Aged the Worst?
Neo-Nazi and Alex Jones appropriation; cheap-looking production; missed television satire
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:45:31Read transcript
- Neo-Nazi interpretations reportedly prompted Carpenter’s rejection; Alex Jones’s enthusiasm is also criticized. — Bill Simmons
- The ending’s nudity is debated as dated gratuity versus a deliberate satire of cultural distraction.
- The low-budget handmade appearance is compared unfavorably with Prince of Darkness, though the monochrome alien effects work.
- The television-station setting could have included more direct parodies; Stay Tuned and UHF are comparisons.
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:02Read transcript
- The part was written for Kurt Russell, but Carpenter reportedly wanted to avoid another collaboration. — Bill Simmons
- A Russell version is imagined as more talkative; Piper’s few lines and signature dialogue are favored.
Apex Mountain
Roddy Piper as an actor
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:37Read transcript
- The performance is called Piper’s acting Apex; later films are criticized and Piper credited Carpenter with making him a good actor. — Bill Simmons
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Self-destruct; ore economy; hypersleep and sports; 1970s film-industry job
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:36:13Read transcript
- A possible Lambert–Kane romance is inferred from her affectionate looks, presented as speculation rather than established plot. — Bill Simmons
- Unanswerable questions ask why a commercial towing vessel needs self-destruct and how its ore trade and Antarctica destination function in this future economy.
- Long hypersleep inspires questions about missed sports results; a speaker would prioritize championship and draft outcomes over mainstream news when waking.
- The hypersleep joke contrasts missing major sports events with waking to an unexpected presidential outcome. — Bill Simmons
- A hypothetical late-1970s film-industry assistant job prompts Walter Hill and John Carpenter as cool choices, Spielberg or Lucas for financial security, Coppola as financially unstable, and Scorsese as a desired artistic vantage point despite drug-related objections. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:23:17Read transcript
- John Carpenter is the answer; the reply calls it an easy one, and Curtis is right there with him but it has to be Carpenter. — Chris Ryan
Podcast choices
Apex Mountain
Halloween (the holiday) movies
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:06:45Read transcript
- For Carpenter, Escape from New York is the likely apex, though this is a pretty incredible job. — Chris Ryan
- Jamie Lee: no; Trading Places is floated before True Lies is agreed as her apex. — Chris Ryan
- For Michael Myers, a case could be made for H2O. — Chris Ryan
- It is not a haunted-house movie, though it dips into that DNA; for P. J. Soles, Stripes. — Chris Ryan
- The film is perpetual Apex Mountain for Halloween the holiday; nobody will steal that corner, and few movies must be watched at a specific time of year. — Chris Ryan
- For movie serial killers, "probably yes," with Lecter the only comparison, and a joke that Lecter would get Myers to swallow his tongue. — Chris Ryan
Displaying discussions 1 - 12 of 23 in total
