super marauder
I'm a huge John Carpenter fan, and this is the one that got me started on the series long after it left the air. I could go on about him, but when I saw this in the video store for sale used at $3.99 and it was John Carpenter, I had to have for my collection. And I wasn't disappointed.Norman Reedus plays Kirby Sweetman who owns this theater that show old movies, and on the side he tracks down old films for people. You find out that Kirby and his girlfriend borrowed the money from her father to by the theater but they were both heroine addicts. She kills herself and her father won't get out of Kirby's life. Both of them are living with anger and guilt.Bellenger (played marvelously by Udo Kier) hires Kirby to track down this film that if you were to watch it, you go insane. Kirby sees this at first as an opportunity to pay off his girlfriend's father and get him out of his life for good and move on, but the closer he gets to the film the more strange things happen to him.The story reminded a little of 'In the Mouth of Madness', and once working in a movie theater and seeing Timpson working with that splicer it was easy for me to get into the story. Carpenter is at his best here. It's mostly duologue but when it gets moving you really see what this journey is doing to Kirby along the way. Cody Carpenter's score is a chip off the block to his father in a classic Carpenter sort of way. This feels like a John Carpenter movie in every sense. I think that's one reason 'The Ward' missed because it doesn't have that John Carpenter feel. This does!
chucknorrisfacts
I just watched John Carpenter's "Cigarette Burns" on Netflix. I'm not really sure where to begin so I guess I'll just start by saying I find it a little difficult to say I liked this movie, but not because I didn't think it was pretty good, but because I think it's just odd to say you "like" something that's this disturbing. I'd feel more comfortable in saying this movie was effective in achieving its goal...to thoroughly weird you out! So, if you're wondering what this movie's about, I'll try to sum it up as best I can without giving too much away: There's an old millionaire, a film buff, who learns of a young man named Kirby, who operates an independent movie theatre and has developed a reputation for being able to track down rare films.The millionaire wants Kirby to find an especially rare film by the name of "La Fin Absolue du Monde," which translates into "The Absolute End of the World".Kirby takes the job because he's in debt, and if he doesn't come up with two hundred thousand dollars in the next week, his theatre will be shut down.Kirby follows a series of clues which eventually lead into him discovering the film...but at what cost? Overall, I'd say it was a pretty good horror flick. It doesn't exactly scream classic Carpenter, probably because he didn't write it, but I think he does a fine job in directing it and I think it was pretty well written. It's a movie that only needs one viewing, though. It doesn't have a whole lot of replay value, in my opinion.In conclusion, I'd say give it a shot if you're looking for a horror movie that's a little different than the norm. It doesn't follow convention quite so much as so many movies of its kind do nowadays.
The_Inverted_Necroyeti
Most the Masters of Horror series has so far (almost finished S1) as been short of a disappointment (Don Coscarelli and Tobe Hooper managed to do some nice stuff though). I flicked on this "episode", not knowing what or which director to expect. When I saw it was by Carpenter, I thought "get in!". One of the big names of horror and one of my favorite directors, so I knew I was on to something... I'm not going to tell you about it, just watch it if you want to see an incredibly deranging horror movie. There are some really sick and realistically gory parts though, so brace yourself. The plot is so solid it will glue your eyes to the screen - something that is so incredibly portrayed in this film. As far as the story goes, there would be a lot to right on this, because of the inventiveness and originality of Carpenter's approach. I'm struggling to find my words to write this, so the best thing for you to do is to go and watch it. Second in the series so far only to Takashi Miike's "Imprint", the new landmark in horror from one the very best living directors today.
valleyjohn
Cigarette Burns (2006) - My Review Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities I'm always a little cautious of hour long horror stories made for TV especially when they say " Stephen Kings blah blah blah" or in this Case " John Carpenters Cigarette Burns" . Most are taken from books of short story's that were not good enough for novels and subsequently not good enough for a feature length movie. So when i was asked to watch Cigarette Burns i wasn't expecting to much despite it being directed by John Carpenter. I needn't have worried because this was far better than anything i could have expected.Film is magic. And in the right hands, it can be a weapon. For on-the-ropes movie programmer Kirby Sweetman , the holy grail of cinema is LE FIN ABSOLUE DU MONDE, a legendary lost movie whose sole showing was rumoured to have driven its audience to a homicidal frenzy. But as Kirby gets closer to the truth about the film, he's sucked into a private hell of grisly hallucinations and brutal acts of violence. Now the only surviving print of the film is within his grasp
and the most horrific screening of all is about to begin. Imagine a film so evil it affected the audience to the extent they either killed or killed themselves. What could be in that film? Cigarette Burns brings you close to what could happen if such a film existed. John Carpenter does not mess around either. Some of the scenes are extremely graphic. One in particular where an underworld film fan beheads a woman. It's not clear why he does this but it's a scene that made me wince. Also the idea of the wings being hacked of an Angel is very clever. Or was it an Angel.....Why this film wasn't made into a feature film is beyond me? It has a great story , it's scary as hell and it has a master of Horror behind the camera . all the ingredients for a good horror film.I loved the performance of German actor Udo Kier who plays Bellinger , the man seeking the fabled movie . He reminds me a lot of the James Mason character in Salem's Lot. This is the first time i have come across the Masters of Horror series but it certainly wont be the last.8 out of 10
AD
