Days of JC:
Not that great ... JC def had better stuff than this

Rather watch ghosts of mars again

After recently watching Vampires, I had a hankering for some more John Carpenter. This made-for-tv film is definitely above average fodder. Reminds me of Hitchcock, perhaps not quite at his absolute peak, but Carpenter does a good job with what he has at his disposal.

Some decent tension, but not enough payoff. Still, there are signs of the potential that would bring us 'Halloween'.

This is very slow paced, but still slightly effective. It takes a while for any real action to happen, but it gets more fast paced and interesting toward the end. But as soon as everything is piecing together, it all ends rather upbruptly and forgettable. So, although this had great moments, they were few and far between and I would only recommend this to hard core Carpenter fans. Hard to believe He made both this and Halloween in the same year.

Despite a limited production time, Carpenter manages to wring a great deal of suspense out of what could have been a disposable movie-of-the-week. It is not perfect, a partial reveal of the stalker's face eliminates a number of possible red herrings and consequently, the mystery. Also, Hutton is a pretty unattractive lead character- bony, chain-smoking with a canyon-wide gap between her front teeth and a pushy and annoying personality. Also, David Birney (the poor-man's Bert Convy) is a stiff addition as the boyfriend. Still, a number of creepy, unsettling sequences and the presence of some Carpenter cast alumni on hand make for a solid viewing experience.

Days of JC:
Not that great ... JC def had better stuff than this

Rather watch ghosts of mars again

After recently watching Vampires, I had a hankering for some more John Carpenter. This made-for-tv film is definitely above average fodder. Reminds me of Hitchcock, perhaps not quite at his absolute peak, but Carpenter does a good job with what he has at his disposal.

This one is actually pretty good. A classy, old-fashioned chiller. Like all the best 70s TV movies, it's rather cinematic and interesting. It also has to be said that it's paced like a jar of molasses, so bear that in mind. But John Carpenter combines Hitchcockian tension with 70s paranoia to craft something that is still very watchable and engaging just the same. He takes the material seriously, and layers it with some real style. He gets some extra mileage out of a strange tongue-in-cheek lead performance from Lauren Hutton as well as Adrienne Barbeau playing her surprisingly matter-of-fact lesbian friend. The elements add up to a quality that...much like Spielberg's Duel...you forget you're watching a TV movie. (Until the dramatic fade-to-blacks remind you) Special mention, also, for Harry Sukman's bombastic musical score, which is deliberately reminiscent of Bernard Hermann and, while not being at all Carpenter-like, is still effective and gives the movie an added layer of camp.

Good quality little 1970s TV movie - by John Carpenter?! He slotted in this cheap thriller just before he did that Halloween, and it's a decent little watch.

It's far, far better than the vast majority of made for TV films you will ever see, with one or two very good plot turns - and even a cameo by Uncle Leo! He-llo! It just about overcomes Lauren Hutton's clear limitations in the lead role and although nowhere near Carpenter's best, still a worthy addition to his canon.

A woman is terrorised in her apartment by an unseen man who watches her from a neighbouring apartment block.

Made just before he scored a bullseye with "Halloween", this displays a few of the touches for which Carpenter would later become better known although without many of his trademark aspects i.e. 'scope photography (it was made for TV) and the simple self-penned electronic score.

It's a better-than-average TV movie and is worth a look but "Halloween" or "The Thing" it is not.

Some decent tension, but not enough payoff. Still, there are signs of the potential that would bring us 'Halloween'.