Prince of Darkness (1987)

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:

Nun | Science Versus Supernatural | Tachyon | Electronic Music Score | Dream Transmission

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Donald Pleasence	...	Father Loomis
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
Alice Cooper	...	Street Schizo
Betty Ramey	...	Nun
Jessie Ferguson	...	Dark Figure

Directed by
John Carpenter

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John Carpenter		writer (as Martin Quatermass)

Produced by
Andre Blay	....	executive producer
Larry J. Franco	....	producer
Shep Gordon	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Carpenter
Alan Howarth

Cinematography by
Gary B. Kibbe

Film Editing by
Steve Mirkovich

Casting by
Linda Francis

Production Design by
Daniel A. Lomino

Set Decoration by
Rick Gentz

Makeup Department
Janis Clark	....	hair stylist
Francisco X. Pérez	....	makeup artist (as Frank Carrisosa)
Mark Shostrom	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Stratton Leopold	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Larry J. Franco	....	first assistant director
Bruce Solow	....	second assistant director (as Bruce Alan Solow)

Art Department
Rick Caprarelli	....	lead man
Claudia Gilligan Ivanjack	....	stand-by painter (as Claudia Gilligan)
Audrey A. Johnson	....	assistant property master
Kent H. Johnson	....	property master
Richard M. Kerns	....	assistant property master
Craig Talmy	....	prop shop consultant
Anthony Tomeo	....	stand-by painter
Larry Verne	....	construction coordinator
Ward Welton	....	paint foreman
Michael Wright	....	construction foreman

Sound Department
Bruce Bell	....	foley recordist
Joseph F. Brennan	....	boom operator
Thomas Causey	....	production sound mixer
Greg Curda	....	foley mixer
Charles Davis	....	assistant sound editor
Dane A. Davis	....	special sound effects creator
John P. Fasal	....	special sound effects creator
David Gertz	....	dubbing recordist
Jeremy J. Gordon	....	sound editor
Laura Hekking	....	adr recordist
Michael Hilkene	....	supervising sound editor
Frank Howard	....	sound editor
David J. Hudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Doc Kane	....	adr mixer
Fran Kaplan	....	apprentice sound editor
Val Kuklowsky	....	supervising sound editor
Eric Lindemann	....	sound editor
Mel Metcalfe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Terry Porter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joan Rowe	....	foley artist
Jerry Trent	....	foley artist
John O. Wilde	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Kevin Quibell	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Jim Danforth	....	matte painter
Robert Grasmere	....	visual effects supervisor
Jim Danforth	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Christine Anne Baur	....	stunts
Simone Boisseree	....	stunts
Justin De Rosa	....	stunts
Ellarye	....	stunts
Debbie Evans	....	stunts
Randy Hall	....	stunts
Bob Herron	....	stunts
Jeff Imada	....	stunt coordinator
Wayne King	....	stunts
Mario Roberts	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Kevin Arnold	....	electrician
Kirk Bales	....	dolly grip
Danny Falkengren	....	grip
John R. Hamilton	....	still photographer
Frederick Hamm	....	second assistant camera
Casey Hotchkiss	....	first assistant camera: second camera
Jud Kehl	....	camera operator
Robert McCarthy	....	best boy electric
Ron Peebles	....	best boy grip
Charles Saldana	....	key grip
Charles Smock	....	electrician
Ken Spencer	....	gaffer (as Kenneth Spencer)
Chris Squires	....	panaglide operator (as Christopher Squires)
Chris Squires	....	second camera operator (as Christopher Squires)
Joseph E. Thibo	....	first assistant camera
Ian Wayne	....	video engineer

Casting Department
Bess Gilbert	....	extras casting
Melanie Massey	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mark Peterson	....	costumer
Deahdra Scarano	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Timothy Alverson	....	first assistant editor
Lee Grubin	....	apprentice editor
Frederick Wardell	....	assistant editor
Dode Weyant	....	negative cutter

Transportation Department
Steve Brooks	....	driver
Randy Cantor	....	driver
Jim Huffey	....	driver
Marty Huffey	....	driver
Bob Muehlig	....	driver
John Pratt	....	driver
Mario Simon	....	transportation captain
James E. Vargas	....	transportation captain
Eddie Lee Voelker	....	transportation coordinator
Gordon Wiles II	....	driver
Dennis Yank	....	driver

Other crew
Rezza Badakhshan	....	photographic doubling
Mike Berro	....	computer programmer
Rick Chavez	....	craft service
Maurice Costello	....	first aid
Michelle Costello	....	photographic doubling
Kimberley Coy	....	unit publicist
Burt Davidson	....	effects crewman
Joy Ewing	....	production accountant
Phronsie Franco	....	photographic doubling
Gary Gero	....	bug wrangler
Joseph R. Gonzales	....	technical advisor
Robert Grasmere	....	computer effects coordinator (as Robert Grasmere Jr.)
Sandra Holden	....	assistant to producer
Kent H. Johnson	....	production associate
Randy Killen	....	shop foreman
Sandy King	....	script supervisor
Steven R. Kutcher	....	bug wrangler
Ken Lavet	....	location manager
Michael Nelson	....	computer technical consultant
Steve Patino	....	operator
Steve Patino	....	supervisor
Douglas A. Raine	....	production associate
Marian Shambo	....	production coordinator
Jeffrey Truby	....	labourer foreman
Pablo Ferro	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures
• Alive Films

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• Senator Film (1988) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• 4 Front Video (2000) (UK) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Astro Distribution (1999) (Germany) (VHS)
• H.O.M. Vision (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1988) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Momentum Pictures (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Pioneer (1991) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Starlight (1988) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Starlight (1990) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Vivivideo (19??) (Italy) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Effects Associates

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:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:NC-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

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

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).

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:

[Wyndham is being consumed by beetles]
Wyndham: I've got a message for you, and you're not going to like it.
Brian: Look at his chest!
[Wyndham's suit coat opens to reveal swarms of beetles]
Wyndham: Pray for death!
[Wyndham's head falls off, and his body starts coming apart]
Brian: [in horror] Jesus Christ!

Movie Connections:

Features Heavenly Puss (1949)

Soundtrack:

Heavenly Puss

The green goo

I missed this one the first time around back in the 80s, and despite what all the critics say, I didn't think it that bad at all.

Ok some of it's pretty silly and Jameson Parker and Lisa Blount were about as wooden as two totem poles, but the story did keep my attention without me having to reach up and change the channel. Plus, I really dug the tension filled pulsating synth soundtrack by Alan Howarth.

A group of graduate students & scientists are called upon by Father Loomis (Donald Plesance) to investigate a mysterious canister filled with green goo that is stored in the basement of an abandoned church. Right after they get there, all kinds of strange things begin to occur such as the homeless (led by a pale-faced Alice Cooper) going around, zombie-like, killing people outside the church, earthworms and ants clustering on window panes in strange patterns, and machines and equipment moving on their own.

When the team begin to translate an ancient document that was also stored in the basement, they find out that the canister contains the energy of the son of Satan who was banished to the darkside, eons ago. This supposedly occurred in ancient Middle Eastern times but how it got to L.A. is never explained.

One by one, each of the students are either killed off or possessed by the entity that is slowly growing around them. The scene where thousands of beetles eat away at the guy in the church parking lot is cool. It looks pretty funny when his hands and then his head falls off, rolling around on the ground. Hilarious.

Then one of the females has all the green fluid from the canister flow into her mouth and eyes from the ceiling in a reverse matte shot. That looks pretty cool, too. While she's lying on the cot, her stomach starts to expand and she starts to decompose as this thing is growing inside her. It seems the Prince of Darkness is going to use her as an incubator to grow his fetus.

The scene at the end with the mirror leading into an alternative universe and Satan's arm being outstretched towards the woman was fairly impressive. It sort of looked like it existed in some kind of clear, oily fluid that had the consistency of cooking oil.

All in all, I think this is a pretty entertaining John Carpenter flick to watch on a Saturday night and I consider it light years above his recent mess, GHOSTS OF MARS.

7 out of 10.