Prince of Darkness (1987)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

John Carpenter

Writer:

John Carpenter (writer)

Release Date:

23 October 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Fantasy | Thriller | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Where are you...? Christ?

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Church | Priest | Devil | Research Scientist | Insect

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

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
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

Also Known As:

John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | West Germany:16 (video release) | Australia:M | Canada:18+ | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2000) | UK:18 (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (1988) | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

'Jameson Parker', who plays Brian, was sporting an old leg injury he picked up while making TV series "Simon & Simon" (1981), and would sometimes need to rest in his trailer because of the pain.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The moon/sun configuration we see repeatedly could not last even a single day, yet it is shown on several different days.

Quotes:

Susan Cabot: Hi.
Etchinson: Hey.
[Susan leaves the room]
Etchinson: Frankie, who was that?
Wyndham: Susan Cabot. Radiologist. Married.
Etchinson: How married?
Wyndham: Very.

Movie Connections:

Features Heavenly Puss (1949)

Soundtrack:

Prince of Darkness

Highly Underrated Imaginative Horror Piece.

Among the many great John Carpenter classics such as Halloween, Escape From New York and The Thing, his 1987 sleeper Prince of Darkness is often forgotten. The film centers around the return of Satan and a wonderfully eclectic group of scientists and religious figures who attempt to battle for the survival of humanity. Wonderfully cast with such John Carpenter screen regulars as Donald Pleaseance and Victor Wong we also get to see Alice Cooper as one of Satan's evil minions. The film fails in the respect that this movie can't possibly be scary or believable to anyone who isn't of Christian faith. Never the less it has great scary moments, witty dialogue and fabulous cinematography for the non-Christian horror film lover as well. Fans of religious based horror films will love finding this "diamond in the rough."