Prince of Darkness (1987)

A research team finds a mysterious cylinder in a deserted church. If opened, it could mean the end of the world.

Director:

John Carpenter

Writer:

John Carpenter (as Martin Quatermass)

Stars:

Donald Pleasence, Lisa Blount, Jameson Parker

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Donald Pleasence	...	Priest
Jameson Parker	...	Brian Marsh
Victor Wong	...	Prof. Howard Birack
Lisa Blount	...	Catherine Danforth
Dennis Dun	...	Walter
Susan Blanchard	...	Kelly
Anne Marie Howard	...	Susan Cabot (as Anne Howard)
Ann Yen	...	Lisa
Ken Wright	...	Lomax
Dirk Blocker	...	Mullins
Jessie Lawrence Ferguson	...	Calder
Peter Jason	...	Dr. Paul Leahy
Robert Grasmere	...	Frank Wyndham
Thom Bray	...	Etchinson
Joanna Merlin	...	Bag Lady

Storyline

A sinister secret has been kept in the basement of an abandoned Los Angeles church for many years. With the death of a priest belonging to a mysterious sect, another priest opens the door to the basement and discovers a vat containing a green liquid. The priest contacts a group of physics graduate students to investigate it. Unfortunately, they discover that the liquid contains the essence of Satan himself, and they also discover that he will release HIS father - an all-powerful Anti-God! The liquid later comes to life itself, turning some of the students into zombies as the Devil comes forward to release his father. Will these students be able to stop him?

---

Plot Keywords:

reference to schrodinger's cat | graduate student | end of the world | living dead | abandoned church | 

---

Taglines:

Before man walked the earth... it slept for centuries. It is evil. It is real. It is awakening.

---

Genres:

Horror

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

23 October 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness

Filming Locations:

Long Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,657,401, 25 October 1987, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$14,182,492

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alive Films,Larry Franco Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo 4-Track Stereo (Psycho Dynamism Sound) (Japan theatrical release)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The genesis of the project came from Debra Hill describing a dream she had of a vague dark figure exiting a church which filled her with dread. John Carpenter developed the story around this idea in hopes of recreating the fear Hill really felt.

---

Goofs

(at around 12 mins) In the beginning of the movie the Priest tells Dr. Birack that the Catholic Church containing the demonic fluid, located in Los Angeles, was built in the 1500s by Spanish missionaries. The Spanish did not colonize California with missions until 1769, with the founding of San Diego by the explorer-missionary Fray Junipero Serra. The mission where filming took place, Mission San Fernando Rey de España, was not founded until 1797.

---

Quotes

[as possessed Kelly is reaching into the mirror]
Father Loomis: [uncovers an axe] I could...
[picks the axe up]
Father Loomis: I could.

---

Crazy Credits

The opening credits last for nine minutes.

---

Alternate Versions

Television version is slightly reedited, suggesting that all that takes place in the film is just a dream that Jameson Parker's having:

• after the opening credits there a new shot showing Parker's house from the outside (the theatrical version opens with a shot of Parker trying to perform a card trick).
• at the beginning, after Parker watches on TV a program reporting the discovery of a new supernova, the narration goes on talking about the death of a millionaire and the discovery of a religious book in his library
• all mentions of the dead priest, member of the Brotherhood of Sleep who took care of the church where the evil liquid is kept hidden, are deleted;
• during the whole film, there are new inserted sequences showing Parker sleeping/dreaming in his bed

---

Connections

Referenced in Event Horizon (1997)

---

Soundtracks

The Devil Awakens
(uncredited)
Written and Performed by John Carpenter
Produced by Alan Howarth

User Reviews

Lovecraftian horror... very good

An old priest who belonged to a cryptic sect passes away. A new priest is assigned to the church and he discovers a bizarre basement with an even more bizarre object in its center - a big vat of green moving liquid. He summons the help of some investigators and the ensuing field study reveals some very frightening revelations about the liquid - it is the essence of Satan. Then the liquid leaks out of the canister...

After a few films in the studio system, most notably "Big Trouble in Little China," which undeservedly flopped, Carpenter returned to his roots in small budgeted horror/thriller films. The result was this and it could have hardly been better. The infamous eerie music makes an especially profound effect in this film, which admittedly starts slow, but when it takes of it takes all of your nerves with it.

Unlike many horror popular films this film focuses very heavily on conversation. Atmosphere is of course put first, but the dialog is very interesting and makes for a film that is frightening on a thinking level. There are a well timed moments of violence, but it is on a intellectual level where this film scares the crap out of you. Carpenter must have done a good amount of research as the characters try to use various scientific concepts and terms to describe what they are slowly falling victim to. The dialog very heavily resembles H.P. Lovecraft's writing, who was unrelenting in providing the rational and thought-out narration of his protagonist. One can bet that it is this element that made it necessary for this film to be made independently. The shock isn't visceral, but no less effective.

The only downside are a few really goofy moments ("I said a rich doctor!"), but they are ultimately forgivable and are not as sorely out of place as you might think. 8/10

Rated R: horror violence