The Ward [DVD] [2010] [2011]

The case of John Carpenter is unique.Dedicated as few to the art of directing, in the strict sense, he has nevertheless succeeded in creating a personal world through his movies, with an outstanding philosophy that is delivered in pure cinematic language.His influence on the contemporary cinema is enormous, but usually underestimated, as is the case with his movies for the last thirty years.In the long run, it has been apparent that his movies aren't for everyone(though I suppose that he would like it to be so). I guess that is because most people have a taste for the banal, the easily recognizable, the plot, the drama, the familiar, the easy (even critics of a kind), and they don't give a damn about subtleness and rare beauty. John Carpenter is back and The Ward is an absolute gem, a haunting film that grabs you with its dreamy feeling, a perfect return to form that makes us want to forget the limitless number of so-called horror movies of the last decades that have destroyed the genre. For those that consider the Ward as not original, the only thing I can say is that they don't understand of cinema nothing at all. Originality lies not in the plot or in the surface (that is how people were fulled by Inception), but in the way that one surpasses the conventions of the media to create his own image of the world. Very few directors have succeeded in this, only the truly great, and Carpenter, together with Polanski, stand at the top. To create a vision, in which we come in terms with the very essence of our existence, touching the surface of a dream within a dream. Thirty years after The Fog, John Carpenter is still the master of cinema. Enter The Ward!

Always been a fan of John Carpenter since his early days with Assault on Precinct 13 and obviously Halloween and did not realise he had directed any further films since Vampires in 1998. Maybe not one of his best and certainly missing one of his iconic themes but lead actress Amber Heard plays the lead superbly although I am a fan since watching her in Drive Angry. Setting is perfect as it was actually filmed in a real life mental hospital and the story starts well enough but is let down by the convoluted ending. Not something you would associate with John Carpenter films. Maybe could have been scarier if Johnny Depp had been playing joint lead!

In this 2010 psychological horror, Kristen (Amber Heard) is committed to a Psychiatric Hospital in 1966 and is given a room previously occupied by a young patient named Tammy who was attacked and killed by an unseen force during the night. Seeing a strange disfigured figure, she reports it but can she convince the others that its real, and not just a figment of her imagination?The atmosphere from the start is atmospheric, the acting good and the hospital creepy. The 1966 setting allows for plot development more than any other reason, relying on the perceived lack of technology and ‘procedures’ back then –which is the only real criticism.The single disc offers play, scene selection and Languages [Spoken: English/English audio descriptive, Subtitles: English for hearing impaired]. Rated 15 this has very little swearing, no direct nudity [back only shower shots] and only 1-2 instances of ’gore’ but does have 4-5 jump out the seat moments and plenty of intense moments, but for a $10 million budget, doesn’t offer anything that many ‘budget’ films have delivered. That said, this is hugely entertaining without resorting to nudity, swearing and buckets of gore, so if, like me, you like your horror more psychological than gore, this is a good watch, but Carpenter fans looking for an 18 may be disappointed.

After a gap of nine years, horror legend John Carpenter returned to the movie screen directors chair for this solid if unspectacular horror movie. Though some of the critical reactions to it stink of an over expectation for a return to his former glories, the plain fact is that it's just safe horror film making.Plot finds Amber Heard (The Stepfather/All the Boys Love Mandy Lane) as troubled arsonist Kristen. Shunted into a mental institution post haste, Kristen finds herself menaced by a violent ghost that seems intent on ridding the ward of all its female inhabitants.And there you have it, a bunch of hopelessly pretty girls (seriously, are all institutionalised girls good looking babes?) are stalked and killed by a female spirit who is dressed up in poor rubbery make up. The odd boo-jump comes and goes, making it not a complete dead loss on the scare front, while the cast are solid in performances and Carpenter shows some trade mark camera techniques to make certain scenes pulse with anxiety. It then hurries along to the big reveal, which sadly disappoints because it just comes off as something done far better in horror/thriller films previously. It was easy money for Carpenter, and us acolytes don't begrudge him that, while it isn't the embarrassment some have made it out to be, but it is average fare and not a great way for JC to bow out from horror movie making, director wise. 6/10

Really great film combining the edge of your seat moments of suspense with longer more intriguing scenes. A must see movie for horror/thriller fans and an easy 5 stars from me

Probably not his best ever work, but a good thriller with a very nice twist I didn't see coming. Girls in a psychiatric hospital in the 60s suspect a ghost of a former patient may be coming for them and they must figure out why.

I was unsure whether I'd like it when I bought this. I'm so glad I did. It gave me a few jumps and had enough violence without being OTT - to me, a lot of gratuitous gore is boring. It also had a surprisingly good story line and for someone who usually sees the ending not long after a film starts, this one kept me guessing to a surprise ending. If you're a purely splatter fan give this a miss, but if you like something thoughtful with a bit of a scare do go for it. Amber Heard gives her usual good performance and I ended up liking what should have been an un-likeable character.