Grimmfest Presents/ John Carpenter: Film Legend at Stockport Plaza

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor

Grimmfest Presents/ John Carpenter: Film Legend at Stockport Plaza Cinema, Stockport 7 August 2021 Tickets from £23.5 — Book now

American filmmaker John Carpenter is responsible for some of the most celebrated genre movies ever made. Responsible for the likes of horror classic Halloween, iconic urban siege film Assault on Precinct 13, and snowbound sci-fi The Thing, the man born in Carthage, New York would be a shoo-in for a spot on a hypothetical Mount Rushmore of cult movie directors.

In a demonstration of the depth of his filmography, Grimmfest has lined up another all-day marathon of Carpenter movies at Stockport Plaza this August. Dedicated to some of his (slightly) less widely celebrated works, the four film programme showcases the filmmaker’s thrilling sense of economy, his nuts-and-bolts approach to building compelling plot, his ability to conjure unique atmospheres — not to mention his oft-imitated electronic scores.

In the Mouth of Madness

Starting with 1987’s Prince of Darkness, which sees Carpenter blur the lines between scientific enquiry and theological terror, the films run from horror, to action-comedy, to politically-minded sci-fi and back again. The second film of the day sees Kurt Russell star in 1986’s delirious actioner Big Trouble in Little China, while third up is 1988’s They Live which pits Rowdy Roddy Piper against the aliens who walk among us, as Carpenter balances B-Movie thrills with Reagan-era paranoia.

Lastly, and most excitingly, the Grimmfest team have scheduled a super rare screening of Carpenter’s 1994 In the Mouth of Madness. With a cult following amongst a cult following, Madness stars Sam Neill as an insurance investigator sucked into a surreal, disorientating horror of collapsing fiction and reality, as he investigates the disappearance of horror writer Sutter Cane (Jurgen Prochnow).

Grimmfest Presents/ John Carpenter: Film Legend at Stockport Plaza Cinema, Stockport 7 August 2021 Tickets from £23.5 Book now

Where to go near Grimmfest Presents/ John Carpenter: Film Legend at Stockport Plaza

Manchester
Museum
Air Raid Shelters

Carved into the natural sandstone cliffs, the intriguing network of underground tunnels offers visitors an unparalleled insight into life in wartime Britain in the 1940’s.

Image licensed with iStock.
Stockport
Library
Stockport Central Library

Stockport Central Library is a Carnegie library, built 1913–15 in the Edwardian Baroque style. It continues to serve as Stockport’s largest library.

Manchester
Museum
Hat Works Museum

Top hats, bowlers, trilbies …. who doesn’t love a hat? Visit the UK’s only collection devoted to hats which celebrates Stockport’s role in the hatting industry.

Stockport Memorial Gallery on Wellington Road Stockport.
Manchester
Gallery
Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery

Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery aims to give emerging artists the space to showcase their work. It has a varied programme, though its exhibitions often return to themes linked to…

The Produce Hall
Stockport
The Produce Hall

This Stockport-based modern food hall has a beer-focused bar and plenty of food stalls to satisfy all tastes.

Stockport
Bar or Pub
Bohemian Arts Club

Bohemian Arts Club is a chic and intimate cocktail bar in Stockport owned by Blossoms singer Tom and Katie Ogden.

Stockport
Restaurant
Where The Light Gets In

It might be in Stockport but Where The Light Gets In serves up some of the most magical food in the UK. With a fixed multi-course tasting menu that changes with the season and a strictly limited number of seats, this is the North’s best-kept secret.

Manchester
Shop
Vintage Village in Stockport

Find quality authentic vintage clothing and accessories for men and women, vintage jewellery, homewares, decorative items, textiles, luggage, furniture, curios and collectables, and unexpected delights you never knew you wanted, all at this pop-up village in Stockport every month.

What's on: Cinema

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in Manchester and the North

Affecting contemporary performances and fresh, relevant takes on enduring classics, we pick out shows that help us scrutinise the world we live in.

Teenage Dads
Music in Manchester and the North

Fresh concert seasons, forward-thinking festivals and a revolving door of amazing gigs. Things are looking bright as spring comes into view.