Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Maleeha Vincent It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Leofwine_draca THE CARPENTER is an oddball little horror film of the 1980s given a new lease of life on DVD by Code Red. It's a cheap Canadian effort that nonetheless has a unique and odd little feel to it, a dream-like atmosphere you don't often see at this budget in this genre. The plot is reminscient of TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY, albeit with a murderous slant. A crazy young woman moves into a house which is being renovated and soon encounters Wings Hauser, the titular character, who is doing up her basement. The only problem is that a) he's a ghost, and b) he's a murderer. A string of cheesy power tool-assisted death scenes follows, hardly convincing, but mildly amusing for the horror lover. The acting is of a variably standard but Hauser is fun in a kooky way and the running time is too brief for this to outstay its welcome.

The_Void The Carpenter would not appear to be a very well liked film, and it's really not difficult to see why. It seems that certain occupations lend themselves to horror; while dentistry, for example, has obvious horror themes that can spring from it, all carpentry has is the idea of someone murdering people with his tools, this idea has been used many times before and generally isn't all that interesting anyway. The fact that the plot here focuses on a dead carpenter who has come back for revenge doesn't really help since that idea is also massively overused. The plot is also rather boring in the way it plays out. However, I do have to say, in spite of all that I've already said, that The Carpenter isn't a film without any merits at all. Wings Hauser is good in the title role, and the scenes that see him taking some revenge on various people that he doesn't like are generally quite well done. The way he yacks on about 'the working man' etc can be a little dreary, but the delivery is good and Hauser makes for an effective villain. Overall, however, I have to say that The Carpenter is not a great film and there's not enough about it for me to recommend it.

clarkent188 I'm not rating this film so high because of it's great production values, it's haunting score, its vivid cinematography, it's stand-out performances by Wings Hauser or Lynne Adams. Because frankly, it has NONE of those things.What this film DOES have going for it is that it actually one of the highlights of American b grade horror productions that were filmed in Canada in the 80's. If you're a fan of the genre, the basic theme of the movie followed the 'title' with surprising finesse considering the budget they had to work with. Yes, "The Carpenter" did away with most of the cast using power tools, (Surprise!) some of which were disturbingly original. In a couple of cases even gruesome. My personal favorite was watching the character of Barns (played by Robert Austern) having part of his head and face sanded off.I doubt you'll ever find this in the DVD Horror section as it has never been transfered to that medium. But if you should happen across a copy in the old five dollar VHS bin at your local video store, it is indeed very entertaining.

metalface101 * POSSIBLE SPOILERS*Not very bloody and better than I anticipated, this movie to me seems more psychological than your typical "slasher" flick. Wings Hauser gives another wacko performance as the ghost of a serial killer that helps a woman whose husband is cheating on her. But then he goes too far.........A big thumbs up!!