Product Details

• Actors: Charles Hallahan, Christopher Reeve, Cody Dorkin, David Clennon, Dennis Dun
• Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Universal Studios
• DVD Release Date: September 15, 2009
• Run Time: 405 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0024FADBA
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,424 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "John Carpenter: Master of Fear 4 Film Collection (The Thing / Prince of Darkness / They Live / Village of the Damned)" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Possessed by an ominous creative vision and a chilling ability to keep audiences guessing until the very end, director John Carpenter is justifiably known as the Master of Fear for his body of mind-altering horror films that helped introduce the slasher genre to American audiences. The John Carpenter: Master of Fear Collection, featuring The Thing, Prince of Darkness, They Live and Village of the Damned, delivers all the shocks, suspense and sinister twists fans have come to expect. Dare to enter the world of John Carpenter: it’s a journey to the dark side of humanity that you won’t soon forget... The Thing In the winter of 1982, a twelve-man research team at a remote Antarctic research station discovers an alien buried in the snow for over 100,000 years. Soon unfrozen, the form-changing alien wreaks havoc, creates terror and takes on the appearance of those it kills. They Live Aliens are gaining control of the earth by masquerading as humans and lulling the public into submission. Humanity's last chance lies with a lone drifter who stumbles upon a unique pair of sunglasses that reveal the terrifying and deadly truth. Prince of Darkness A group of graduate students and scientists uncover an ancient canister and inadvertently unleash a strange liquid from it. As the substance turns their co-workers into zombies, the remaining members realize they have released Satan himself. Village of the Damned After an unseen force invades a quiet coastal town, ten women mysteriously find themselves pregnant. A local physician and a government scientist join forces when the women simultaneously give birth…and the reign of terror begins.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great package but nada on extras September 24, 2009

By Alex Faber

Format:DVD

Will the real John Carpenter step forward? Is he the diabolical, masterful horror trailblazer who made Halloween and The Fog, or the sardonic, self-aware b-movie cheese-slinger who made Escape From L.A., Ghosts of Mars, and Body Bags? What makes this collection so good is that it not only represents some of his biggest and best, but you can almost see the transition take place. Carpenter is in top form with The Thing, a gripping, atmospheric feat of pure horror. Prince of Darkness is somewhat of an experimental film, with little in the way of special effects, a relaxed and naturalistic pace, and perhaps even heavier on the atmosphere, complete with a strange, somewhat elliptical tale. While it has its moments, Village of the Damned seems to be a misstep, and while Carpenter seems to handle this movie with a straight face, the subject matter is ultimately too meager and silly to make it a worthwhile watch. Thankfully, Carpenter remedies this disjunction with They Live, helming a far out, 50s pulp era story and giving it both the seriousness it needs for us to connect with it while also ensuring hammy performances and exaggerated visuals as a counterpoint.

The four movies are collected on two DVDs, and thankfully, they're one-sided discs with artwork instead of those abominable flippers. We get The Thing and Prince of Darkness on the first disc, with They Live and Village of the Damned on the second. All four movies are in Widescreen, but that's all you get here. There are no special features of any kind, not even any trailers. In fact, there aren't even chapter selection options on the menu screens, so if you want to get to a certain point in the movies, you have to play them from the beginning and then skip chapters from there.

Thankfully, the packaging makes up for the threadbare content. This four movie set is contained in a standard size, clear 2-DVD case with 2-sided artwork, although the inner artwork is pretty plain. This is topped with a slipcover that has the same cover art but highlighted with iridescent ink that lends some beauty to the horrible images imposed there.

So, is this set worth it? Chances are, if you're a fan of the man, you already own most of these, and the lack of any special features really degrades the value of this set. But, if your Carpenter collection consists of The Thing and Halloween, this inexpensive, compact, varied array of movies housed in a handsome package is too good to pass up.

Thanks for reading.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Old Movies. August 11, 2011

By TheBuckeyeFamily

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

This set is fantastic to get out if you want to experience the chill that older movies can send down your spine without the use of all the special effects that are currently used today. The best of the set, in my opinion, was Village of the Damned. Let's face it... any film about scary, evil children is flat out freaky. I am crossing my fingers for a remake of this movie.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Some of my favorite movies. July 4, 2011

By james

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you want a great sampling of John Carpenter at his best,get these.

Let me be clear I love John Carpenter's movies.Nothing else feels like his gritty mix of mild gore,cheese and sense of impending doom.Everything from the score to the camerawork contributes to this,but it is the story that keeps me coming back.I really think these are not true horror flics,but there is not really a genre to squeeze them into,they dabble in sci-fi,horror,action but don't really fit into any single frame.In essence they are Carpenter,and you really can't say a nicer thing!