tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121497265402071351.post2997396151658809798..comments2023-10-05T20:30:21.364-07:00Comments on Things That Don't Suck: The 25: Part 3: Big Trouble In Little ChinaBryce Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040954580033470664noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121497265402071351.post-11416865681403383362010-04-03T11:13:13.342-07:002010-04-03T11:13:13.342-07:00Agree JD, Carpenter is really good at that, its a ...Agree JD, Carpenter is really good at that, its a tool that comes handy when your story is huge, and you don't have the budget to show it all. Characters just start creating mental images, through the words they use. It works wonders on the imagination!<br /><br />My favorite Lo Pan quote is "In deed!" or when he says "Nothing you can understand!"Franco Macabrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121497265402071351.post-66606198181750967802010-04-01T13:32:19.197-07:002010-04-01T13:32:19.197-07:00The Film Connoisseur:
"Upon watching it, I r...The Film Connoisseur:<br /><br />"Upon watching it, I realized one of the things that Carpenter is really good at is building up story through dialog. I like how the characters talk a lot about how they feel, bulding up the spooky vibe saying things like "Hey Jack, Im chinese and even I dont want to believe it...but its true. Chinese Black Magic" I love that!"<br /><br />Me too! This is something that isn't mentioned much when people talk about his films but Carpenter is the master at conveying exposition dialogue in an engaging. Most of the time, in so many films it can be boring and tedious but in his films... maybe it's the way the characters say it or something but I'm always riveted. Like in BIG TROUBLE when Wang and Jack and trapped in Lo Pan's place and as they're trying to figure out what to do, Wang explains to him a little bit about Chinese mythology. Great stuff.<br /> <br /><br />Bryce Wilson:<br /><br />"What really got me this time was how good James Hong is as David Lo Pan. He's funny, cool, charming, exasperated, and genuinely freaky at a couple of moments its a great performance."<br /><br />Indeed! Like the bit where he talks to Jack and Wang when they're in wheelchairs and for a moment he looks over to the monitors and sees Gracie and co. arrive and says, "Now this really pisses me off!" It's this sudden outburst that makes me laugh every time.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164105442273577128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121497265402071351.post-86037125627148862212010-04-01T12:52:26.673-07:002010-04-01T12:52:26.673-07:00@ JD Yeah its just one of those films that works f...@ JD Yeah its just one of those films that works full tilt. What really got me this time was how good James Hong is as David Lo Pan. He's funny, cool, charming, exasperated, and genuinely freaky at a couple of moments its a great performance. <br /><br />@FC Yeah that is a very cool element of Carpenter, he can ratchet up the suspense without you noticing it.Bryce Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040954580033470664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121497265402071351.post-17440301849809706042010-04-01T08:23:45.421-07:002010-04-01T08:23:45.421-07:00I feel pretty much the same as you about carpenter...I feel pretty much the same as you about carpenter. I was a fan of his films, even before I knew who he was. <br /><br />The Thing was the first film to truly truly scare me. I must have seen it when I was about 10. My uncle said, here is a movie you have to see! I was terrified of it, but I couldnt take it off. I also loved it. <br /><br />Same experience with Escape from New York, which I saw in the theaters when it was first released. i was a child (my dad took me to see all sorts of horror movies even though I was just a child) and the dark world of Escape from New York scared the living wits out of me. <br /><br />But speaking of Big Trouble, I recently re-watched it this week (your review was a strange coincidence!) and I still enjoy it every step of the way. The visual effects are awesome, the mid air swordfights are still spectacular, and the movie has this ghost story vibe to it that I love. <br /><br />Upon watching it, I realized one of the things that Carpenter is really good at is building up story through dialog. I like how the characters talk a lot about how they feel, bulding up the spooky vibe saying things like "Hey Jack, Im chinese and even I dont want to believe it...but its true. Chinese Black Magic" I love that! <br /><br />Long live J.C., not a perfect filmmaker, but when he hit the mark, he really hit the mark.Franco Macabrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121497265402071351.post-31610379478227800712010-04-01T07:17:16.757-07:002010-04-01T07:17:16.757-07:00Nice post! I love Carpenter and most of his films....Nice post! I love Carpenter and most of his films. Even ones I don't care for I still admire the care and craft that went into them. While I don't think BIG TROUBLE is his best film, it's my fave and the one I love watching the most. It never gets dull and I still have fond memories of catching this film when it first played in theaters back in the day and then memorizing all of the dialogue when it finally came out on video.<br /><br />There is just something about this film that gets me every time - the snappy, Howard Hawks-esque banter between Jack and Gracie, the grizzled, Yoda-like wisdom of Egg Shen, and the way Carpenter pays loving homage while good-naturedly poking fun at kung fu films. Great stuff.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164105442273577128noreply@blogger.com