The Ward (2010)

[detective392]

ward.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw7dvwOr8Yg

JOHN CARPENTER'S THE WARD, a psychological thriller about a young woman locked in a mysterious mental institution in the 1960s, marks iconic horror master John Carpenter's first feature film in ten years. Kristen (Amber Heard), a beautiful but troubled young woman, finds herself bruised, cut, drugged, and held against her will in a remote ward of a psychiatric hospital. She is completely disoriented, with no idea why she was brought to this place and no memory of her life before being admitted. All she knows is that she isn't safe.

John Carpenters 'The Ward' will be released on August 16th. Heard it wasn't good but still looking
forward to this.

The Ward Blu-ray

[TeresofBlood]

It's going to be hard to not get a little excited about this, despite the reviews. Hopefully the price goes down, so I can feel better about a blind buy

[retablo]

A month after it plays theatrically is never a good sign. Carpenter hasn't made a good film in 20 years.

[KubrickFan]

Originally Posted by retablo

A month after it plays theatrically is never a good sign. Carpenter hasn't made a good film in 20 years.

Bad marketing/no big box office doesn't relate to the film's quality.

[Biolante]

Good to see the Carpenter haters who haven't even seen this movie are already bashing a movie the haven't seen on this thread. The guy hasn't released a movie in ten years, can you please refrain from taking one or two online reviews by stuck up wannabe horror hipsters as the gospel?

And wow, let's argue it's bad becuase the Hollywood machine wouldn't give the film a theatrical release. Becasue that's what we're really fans of here, the Hollywood machine, right? God bless AMC Theatres, the MPAA, and all the 2 corporations who now own every studio. I'm certainly fans of those things and not the directors who made the movies I love before I turned on them to keep up appearances on the internet.

[detective392]

Originally Posted by Biolante

Good to see the Carpenter haters who haven't even seen this movie are already bashing a movie the haven't seen on this thread. The guy hasn't released a movie in ten years, can you please refrain from taking one or online reviews by stuck up wannabe horror hipsters as the gospel?

And wow, let's argue it's bad becuase the Hollywood machine wouldn't give the film a theatrical release. Becasue that's what we're really fans of here, the Hollywood machine, right? God bless AMC Theatres, the MPAA, and all the 2 corporations who now own every studio. I'm certainly fans of those things and not the directors who made the movies I love before I turned on them to keep up appearances on the internet.

Yeah people should wait until they see the movie to make claims. From the trailer it still looks better then the hundreds of other horror movies that get released straight to video.

[csdot]

Originally Posted by retablo

A month after it plays theatrically is never a good sign. Carpenter hasn't made a good film in 20 years.

In the Mouth of Madness is awesome.

[Ite]

Wow i'm a big Carpenter fan and never even heard of this movie!

[DarknessBDJM]

Originally Posted by retablo

A month after it plays theatrically is never a good sign. Carpenter hasn't made a good film in 20 years.

In the Mouth of Madness came out in '94 so it's been 17 since a classic film from him (though I'd say all his films are fun to watch), he has only made four films since not counting The Ward, and none since 2001. However Cigarette Burns (his first MoH episode) was very highly regarded.

It's his first film after a long hiatus and being burned out from Hollywood, I wouldn't expect an athlete coming off of a long injury to make a huge play in their first outing.

[Drewza89]

Originally Posted by csdot

In the Mouth of Madness is awesome.

Agreed.

All of his movies are awesome except for Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Village of the Damned and Ghosts of Mars.

[retablo]

Originally Posted by KubrickFan

Bad marketing/no big box office doesn't relate to the film's quality.

Bad marketing? How about NO marketing? That's ALWAYS a bad sign if a film goes straight to video or BARELY gets a theatrical release. 99% of the time that means the movie is a dog. If they can't even sell it based on Carpenter's name or star Amber Heard, coming off of Drive Angry, then I'll wager it's a bomb.

[Ite]

Originally Posted by retablo

or star Amber Heard, coming off of Drive Angry, then I'll wager it's a bomb.

Drive Angry itself was a bomb.

[Tom Hiddleston]

I've never heard of this. I'll pass on it. I can always netflix it later.

[Biolante]

Originally Posted by Ite

Drive Angry itself was a bomb.

No kidding. And I bet his favorite CDs are the ones by Justin Bieber. Because you know marketing determines whether or not something is good or bad. If it doesn't get big corporate marketing, it must suck. No good band has also ever not been signed to a major and not gone platinum, guys.

Here's a cold hard fact, if the hollywood system that existed today existed in the late 70's, Halloween wouldn't have gotten a theatrical release either. Halloween is the classic example of an independent film finding success in a market place that wasn't yet owned and ran by mega-corporations and where pretty much each theater owner could decide what he or she wanted to play.

How about you watch the movie first before you rag on it in a completley pretentious manner with arguments that seem extremly pro-corporate sell out Hollywood?

[BladeRunner2007]

Might pick it up. I'm a huge John Carpenter fan and love many of his films. Hope this one is good. Hated Ghosts on Mars.

[KubrickFan]

Originally Posted by retablo

Bad marketing? How about NO marketing? That's ALWAYS a bad sign if a film goes straight to video or BARELY gets a theatrical release. 99% of the time that means the movie is a dog. If they can't even sell it based on Carpenter's name or star Amber Heard, coming off of Drive Angry, then I'll wager it's a bomb.

No marketing is still bad marketing, no?

And it doesn't mean it's awful. Could be that the distributor has no idea how to market it, or doesn't want to for whatever reason. Joe Dante's The Hole barely got any decent promotion, and that's not a bad movie.

[zombeaner]

Originally Posted by csdot

In the Mouth of Madness is awesome.

This is hands-down my favorite Carpenter in the last 20 years.

Oh, and I have seen The Ward, and it is AWFUL.

[blufiend]

I've just started seeing previews for this. Amber Heard was on AOTS yesterday promoting it. It doesn't release until July 8 but it can be seen a month earlier from On Demand on June 8. Give it a chance people. It isn't even out yet. The month time frame to home release is a little weird but I'm not complaining as I hate having to wait.

[TeresofBlood]

I watched it in a slightly less than legal way, because I couldn't wait. I'm still planning to pick it up on blu-ray.

All I can say about the movie is... as you watch, you'll be struck by how mediocre and run of the mill it is, UNTIL the last act, which is handled so respectfully by Carpenter - respectfully to the story, characters, and most of all the audience. Knowing now how it ends, it will be much easier to appreciate upon subsequent viewings. 7 out of 10.

[Omen2002]

I was a little disappointed in the movie. But I still enjoyed it enough that I thought it was alright. As far as Ghosts of Mars goes, I thought that was a fun movie.