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?

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Plot Keywords:

graduate student | end of the world | living dead | abandoned church | college student | 

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Taglines:

Where are you...? Christ?

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Genres:

Horror

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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 recurring dream was shot on video and filmed off of a television screen.

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Goofs

(at around 60 mins) When Lisa is typing "I Live!" over and over on the computer keyboard, her fingers in no way match the letters being typed on the screen.

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Quotes

Kelly: Hello? I'm opening the door, if you want to stop what you're doing and put your clothes on!

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits last for nine minutes.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Sicilian/Prince of Darkness/No Man's Land/The Glass Menagerie/The Whales of August (1987)

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Soundtracks

Prince of Darkness
Performed by Alice Cooper
Courtesy of MCA Records
Written by Alice Cooper & Kane Roberts
Produced by Michael Wagener
(C) 1987 Ensign Music Corporation, Ezra Music Inc.
Screen Gems Music - EMI Music Inc.

User Reviews

One of Carpenter's best

You don't hear too much about this one when people talk about John Carpenter, but, in my mind, it's easily one of his best films. It's very original, well paced and damned frightening. Donald Pleasance is a Catholic priest who recruits his friend, Victor Wong, a physics professor (Victor Wong, of Big Trouble in Little China), to draft a bunch of his best grad students to study a large vial of green liquid that is supposedly an ancient relic. The grad students, being people of science, find the assignment very silly, but it's definitely weird and has some unexplainable stuff going around it. On the base of the vial there is a Latin inscription that claims that the liquid is the essence of Satan, which will someday be used to bring back Satan's father to rule the Earth. Soon enough, the liquid finds its ways into the mouths of a few of the students, who become possessed. Dennis Dun of Big Trouble in Little China appears as one of the students. Highly recommended for fans of the director, and horror fans in general.