Prince
of Darkness
Director:
John Carpenter
Year
1987
Prince
of Darkness is a highly atmospheric horror film directed by the
master of genre flicks, John Carpenter. Following the cult success of
his prior directorial effort, Big Trouble in Little China, Carpenter
delves back into his horror roots to unearth a frightening spectacle
that is as thought-provoking as it is moody and surreal. Knee deep in
foreboding doom and filled to the brim with an all-star cast of
character actors, this late 80's entry really packs a punch. Consumed
in apocalyptic tones and oozing that trademark Carpenter style,
Prince of Darkness is a sorely under-appreciated horror film that
delivers an engaging storyline, which should please anyone out there
that likes their horrors crafted with genuine feel and unabashed
heart.
The film
begins with a local priest stumbling onto an unusual vile of green
liquid in the basement of an abandoned Los Angeles church. Sensing an
evil presence within the vile and fearing the worst, the priest
enlists the help of Professor Howard Birack and his team of
colleagues and graduate students to investigate the archaic relic.
Once there the team begins to experience all sorts of unexplainable
phenomenon which only seems to strengthen the longer they stay on the
grounds of the monastery. With a malevolent presence consuming the
lives of each of the researchers and an ancient evil beginning to
breach itself into the world of the living, could this spell the end
of the world for mankind or is this just a new beginning?
When it
comes to an all-star cast, Prince of Darkness definitely takes the
cake. The legendary Donald Pleasence embodies the role of the central
priest character and he simply nails it in the doom and gloom
department. His prophetic descriptions of an ancient evil or Anti-God
is chilling and his presence in this film is essential in relaying to
the audience that the events that are taking place in this movie are
not to be taken lightly. The same can be said for Victor Wong, who
plays the role of Prof. Howard Birack. He is equally fervent in his
delivery and when the two share screen time together the film
literally hits an authentic pitch that solidifies the severity of the
situation at hand. It's amazing to see two of John Carpenter's most
memorable characters like Pleasence, who played Dr. Loomis in
Halloween, and Victor Wong, who played Egg Shen in Big Trouble in
Little China, and to see them together in the same film is just pure
cinematic bliss. If there was ever a foundation for this movie to
stand on, it would be the performances made by these two absolutely
engaging actors.
As for
the rest of the cast, Carpenter spared no expense in keeping the
quality consistent across the board. Among the long list of actors in
this film, the real standouts are Lisa Blount as Catherine Danforth,
Jameson Parker as Brian Marsh, Dennis Dun as Walter, Peter Jason as
Dr. Paul Leahy, and Jessie Lawrence Ferguson as Calder. Everyone does
a tremendous individual job with putting life into the picture, but
it is the collaborative effort of the combined cast that really
interjects a sense of purpose and authenticity to the production.
From Blount's vulnerable and innocent young Catherine, to Parker's
headstrong and capable Brian, to Dun's quirky and quick-tongued
Walter, the cast is a cohesive force to be reckoned with. The best
way to describe their function would be to compare them to the cast
of The Night of the Living Dead. In that film, the cast consisted of
stand-out performances and characters across the board which gelled
so well together to form one single-minded surviving unit, that you
felt apart of the struggle. In Prince of Darkness, you get that same
feeling of being a part of the team and fending off the evil as it
begins to take down each member one by one, and that is a tremendous
asset for a film to have.
Another
one of the long list of assets that Prince of Darkness has going for
it is John Carpenter's impeccable ability to gradually build the
tension as the movie moves along. These are especially prevalent
during the many disposition moments of the film, where we begin to
figure out what is going on inside this church by gathering the bits
and pieces of knowledge that each character uncovers as they delve
into the mystery of the liquid filled glass vile. Carpenter also uses
a genuinely masterful visual mechanism in the form of visions of the
future, which slowly begin to appear in small fragments, gradually
revealing more and more of the mystery as the film nears its
apocalyptic conclusion. The tension in these moments are quite
effective, giving a tantalizing taste of what's to come, while
simultaneously making us question the very nature of the film.
Of
course with this being a horror movie, and a John Carpenter one to
boot, you know there are going to be some wildly demented imagery in
the mix and some insanely enjoyable situations to revel in. One of
the most interesting aspects of this production is that it is a
strange brew of religion and science fiction, with a zombie twist.
Like a page straight out of Invasion of the Body Snatchers or The
Exorcist, the main villains of this movie are ordinary people, yet
changed and deformed by the effects of this evil entity that is
narrowing the gap between its world and ours. Initially the derelicts
and vagrants residing around the church are first affected by the
malevolent presence, then it soon spreads to the research team as the
vile of liquid makes contact and then infects the rest of the crew.
The overall theme of the film is, at its core, good versus evil, and
through the presence of Donald Pleasence's priest character, you have
an overwhelming notion that this is a spiritual war with God and
Satan at the forefront. In a sense this is the essential premise of
the movie, but Carpenter switches the formula up a bit and adds a
futurist element into the mix in the form of a visual warning from
the future. Add onto that the tried and true premise of a zombie
survival horror flick and you've got yourself one hell of an original
story while at the same time making for one devilishly good time at
the movies.
Prince
of Darkness is a wonderful Carpenter vehicle and the collaborative
effort between the cast of characters and their essential roles in
the film are perfectly executed and tremendously balanced. Donald
Pleasence and Victor Wong simply knock their performances out of the
park, while Lisa Blount, Jameson Parker and Dennis Dun leaving a
lasting impression that really amplifies the enjoyability factor of
this horror gem. Even Alice Cooper turns out an unforgettable
performance as a homeless murderer.
In true
Carpenter fashion, the atmosphere of the production is palpable,
bringing about a heightened sense of believability to this
otherworldly haunting opus that grabs you the minute the film begins
to roll. With its motley assortment of genre staples, sci-fi
elements, possession antics, heaven and hell parallels, and downright
zombie-filled goodness, Prince of Darkness is an underrated Carpenter
effort that truly deserves a wider and more appreciative audience.
It's right on par with the rest of his horror-tinged classics and
it's probably one of his most foreboding films to date, so check it
out! This flick is.....
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| How romantic. |
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| Alice Cooper.... you dirtbag! |
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| What is this? The Breakfast Club sequel? |
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| Ewwwwww! |
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| Computers before internet porn was invented. So sad. |
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| Don't drink that shit! |
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| Something kinky's going down now. |
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| It's time for Daddy Pleasence's story time. Yippie! |
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| Put down the spit-wad! Nobody has to get hurt! |
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| Don't cry... you don't look that bad. |
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| This guy has got a splitting headache. |
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| Looks like someone is ready for baseball tryouts. |
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| Don't go into the light! |
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| Get some rest. You need your beauty sleep. |
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| Way to get ahead douchebag. |
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| Well someone is all smiles. |
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| Pleasence is the..... Decapitator! |
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| Come on over Tim Curry. |
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