Preview: "John Carpenter's Riot"

Anyone who knows me will tell you, I'm unabashedly a John Carpenter fanatic. I think the guy is a tremendous filmmaker and, even more than that, someone who makes movies that always deliver just what I'm looking for. Usually it's equal parts character,  story,  practical effects (i.e. light on the CG) and, of course, a terrific, if slightly recycled, score.

For a while now he has been rumored to have been working on a film entitled "L.A. Gothic", which was supposedly an episodic horror like his previous collaboration with George Romero, "Body Bags." However, there has also been another project in the works that had been referred to as "Scared Straight." Well, it seems like that's the one that got the green light, and it's now going to be his next film, "Riot." Oh, excuse me, "John Carpenter's Riot."

Not much is known about the film other than, obviously, it stars Nicholas Cage. One other tidbit-- it takes place during a prison riot. Sounds good, right? I think we could all use a proper update of his "Assault on Precinct 13." (Let us not bring up the abomination of a remake that starred Laurence Fishburne and Ethan Hawke, please.) Anyhow, from the very little that I've heard about this film, I choose to believe that it's going to deliver. After all, it pains me to see Carpenter relegated to shooting only 2 episodes of "Masters of Horror" per year. This guy really is a master, and he deserves better!

Now, I know that Nicholas Cage is a questionable choice for a starring role these days. Especially considering Carpenter's go-to guy, Kurt Russel, was primed for a return to the big time after "Death Proof." But let us not forget, Cage has some bona fide genre-film chops. Forgetting for the moment "Ghost Rider" and "The Wicker Man", think back to a film like "Con-Air." He was terrific! And I'd like to think if anyone will know what to do with a hammy Nicholas Cage performance, it's John Carpenter.

So, you can count on me to keep you updated on this project, because it has quickly become one of my most anticipated films of next year. As soon as a trailer or synopsis hits the web, I'll dutifully steal the link, and post it here as a scoop. Until then, let's all give "Assault on Precinct 13" another whirl on the old DVD player.