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In 2010 I had the honor of hosting a special Q&A with director John Carpenter… on my birthday no less. I also got to talk with Amber Heard on the red carpet for THE JONESES. Sadly, we never got time to discuss her work with Carpenter on THE WARD, a film I’ve been curious about for a while. Now, Echo Lake Productions has put out a full trailer for John’s new horror movie, a return of sorts for the acclaimed director, going back to his most popular genre. Now in all honestly, Carpenter’s films in recent years haven’t been terribly great, but then again, when the beginnings of your career deliver masterpieces like HALLOWEEN, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, and the fanboy favorite BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA, it can be hard to top yourself… much less give someone something that really wows them, based on your inaugural efforts. That said, I’m anxious to see THE WARD, both for Carpenter behind the camera, and to see what Amber Heard can do carrying a scary story like this. I think we’ve yet to see what she’s capable of as an actress, and I believe there’s serious potential there. Check out the poster above and trailer below, and tell us your thoughts in the comments.
Studio synopsis: 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 over seven 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.
The other patients in the ward—four equally disturbed young women—offer no answers, and Kristen quickly realizes things are not as they seem. The air is heavy with secrets, and at night, when the hospital is dark and foreboding, she hears strange and frightening sounds. It appears they are not alone.
One-by-one, the other girls begin to disappear and Kristen must find a way out of this hellish place before she, too, becomes a victim. As she struggles to escape, she will uncover a truth far more dangerous and horrifying than anyone could have imagined.
Source: HeyUGuys
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
