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Prince of Darkness (1987)
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Overview
Release Date:
23 October 1987 (USA) moreTagline:
Where are you...? Christ? morePlot:
A research team finds a mysterious cylinder in a deserted church. If opened, it could mean the end of the world. full summary | add synopsisPlot Keywords:
Tachyon | Electronic Music Score | Dream Transmission | Science Versus Supernatural | Insect moreAwards:
1 win & 1 nomination moreUser Comments:
Lovecraftian horror... very good moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)more
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
102 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Color (DeLuxe)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Ultra StereoCertification:
Ireland:18 | Iceland:16 | West Germany:16 (video release) | Singapore:NC-16 | 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:18Filming Locations:
Los Angeles, California, USAMOVIEmeter: 
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
This is the second film in what John Carpenter calls his Apocalypse Trilogy. The others are The Thing (1982) and In the Mouth of Madness (1995). moreGoofs:
Factual errors: The student radiologist Susan Cabot says she has been "carbon dating the corrosion on the lid" of the cylinder, and "we're talking about 7 million years". Carbon dating is used to determine the age of materials, usually organic, containing carbon, not metal corrosion substances, and is only useful for about 60,000 years. moreQuotes:
Kelly: Hello? I'm opening the door, if you want to stop what you're doing and put your clothes on! moreSoundtrack:
Prince of Darkness moreFAQ
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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