John Carpenter's Vampires & Ghosts of Mars

John Carpenter's most famous films came in a burst of creativity in the 1970s and 80s. Revered masterpieces such as Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween and The Thing have cemented their places in cinema history as cornerstones of their respective genres. But Carpenter’s back catalogue has riches beyond the big name titles, as evidenced by the pair of late-period films released by Indicator this month.

Vampires and Ghosts of Marsm released in 1998 and 2000 and both filmed in New Mexico, play together tremendously well as two violent neo-westerns that incorporate elements of sci-fi and fantasy. Vampires stars James Woods as a vampire hunter who, after the death of his team, is driven to track down and destroy the first ever bloodsucker. Ghosts of Mars, meanwhile, is a glorious heavy-metal horror spin on the plot of Assault on Precinct 13 (itself a riff on Howard Hawks’ seminal western Rio Bravo), which transplants the prison siege scenario to a matriarchal society on the Red Planet.

Lurid and silly in just the right way, these are the kinds of beautiful genre pieces that are all too rare in today’s cinema. Vampires especially is a gorgeous looking film, with wonderfully saturated desert vistas paired with blood red skies. Ghosts of Mars, meanwhile, is a relentless good time, utilising its stellar cast (Natasha Henstridge, Ice Cube, Jason Statham, Pam Grier) in service of pulpy, Hawksian banter in keeping with its lineage.

Extras

Both films are sold separately and come packed with extra features, including interviews, making-of documentaries and audio commentaries with director John Carpenter. The standout extra is a two-part, hour-and-a-half interview with Carpenter – split across both releases – carried out by Nigel Floyd in 1994. You'll also find booklets with essays from critics Kim Newman and the excellent Nick Pinkerton.

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