The Witch Who Came from the Sea (1976)

Firstly, the film deals with fantasy but it’s of the sinister, psychological, abused woman kind, not the fantastical kind implied by the modified/stolen Frazetta picture on the cover, so ignore that completely.
It’s the story of Molly, a barmaid. Molly’s emotionally screwed-up but with good reason. It shows you why that is and it pulls no punches whatsoever while doing it. It invites viewers into her tortured world and exposes them to some odd, disturbing, sexual content. The invasive camera-work makes it all the more unsettling, like a horrible dream that turns feelings of innocence into violent reactions to danger. It's exploitation cinema that pushes the important themes far above the methods used to visualise them.

4 close shaves out of 5

Escape from New York (1981)

Snake Plisskin is one of the best roles Kurt Russell ever had. He’s a kind of inner-city version of Clint Eastwood’s no-nonsense cowboy persona but with impaired depth perception. He’s military trained but cares little for authority, so when he’s offered the opportunity to gain a little more freedom from society’s grip (and keep his ass out of prison) Snake has little choice but to say yes. What follows is an action movie in the inimitable John Carpenter style filled with great characters, shifting shadows and a pulse courtesy of a score from the Carpenter/Howarth pairing.

4 nervous passengers out of 5

Village of the Damned (1995)

If I ever wake up and find myself married, there's something wrong. If I ever wake up and find myself pregnant, there's something VERY wrong. It happens in Midwich. When the women wake they discover they've been mysteriously inseminated with weird babies. The kids all have white hair, glowing eyes and a problem with authority.
The late Christopher Reeve starts shaky, but his character improves as the tale unfolds. Kirstie Alley again makes me wonder how she ever finds work. Linda Kozlowski saves the day for the ladies. Not Carpenter’s best work. It feels like a TV movie.

3 cuckoos out of 5

Body Bags (1993)

An anthology of three horror shorts; two shot by John Carpenter and one by Tobe Hooper. Hooper's was so badly cast I couldn't get to the end of it; Mark Hamill (great as The Joker, and Majima Gorō, but sucks at everything else), Twiggy (utterly useless in everything ever) and Sheena Easton (don't even start me on her) fail at everything asked of them. The only notable actor is David Warner.
Introduced by Carpenter, with cameos from some genre greats including Wes Craven, Sam Raimi and Roger Corman it’ll pass an hour and a half of your life without making you want to kill all involved; or if you're like me, about 70 minutes of your life before the square button comes into play.

2 necrofiling cabinets and comb over fails out of 5

They Live (1988)

Obey. Consume. Marry and Reproduce. Sound familiar?

Roddy Piper is the everyman who, with the help of some special glasses, stumbles onto a dark secret about the world we live in.

Carpenter made a scathing, social commentary wrapped up in an action movie bun long before Verhoven did. It's a classic B Movie that's so good I'm going to call it a B+ Movie. They Live is perfect weekend entertainment with the added bonus of being food for thought.

4 fuglies out of 5

The Fog (1980)

The fictional Antonio Bay is the setting for a traditional ghost story with a John Carpenter twist. The Bay's residents are proud of their community, unaware that it has a shady past. But when their 100 years celebration comes around, the sins of the past demand a recompense from the present.
There's not much more to the plot other than scary fog and green lights, but it’s the atmosphere, the tension and the overall Carpenter vibe that raise The Fog above its B-Movie origins. Fans of the director will know what I mean.

3½ gold doubloons out of 5