Director: John Carpenter
Screenplay: John Carpenter (as Martin Quatermass)
Starring: Donald Pleasence, Lisa Blount, Victor Wong, Dirk Blocker, Jameson Parker, Susan Blanchard
Running Time: 100 minutes
Genre: Horror
A priest (Pleasence) invites quantum physicist Professor Howard Birack (Wong) and his students to investigate a derelict Los Angeles church, which is the centre of bizarre occurrences. As the investigation takes increasingly disturbing turns, it becomes apparent that in the basement of the church is a vat of glowing green liquid which is nothing less than the Devil itself.
This film forms the centerpiece of Carpenter's so-called "Apocalypse Trilogy" which began with The Thing (1982) and ended with In the Mouth of Madness (1995). While this is far from Carpenter's best it has plenty of effective moments. It's a slow burner, and takes a long time to really kick into gear, and there is a lot of metaphysical exposition to wade through. However there are some good action scenes, imaginative camera angles, and plenty of intentional humour. The film is strongly influenced by the work of British writer Nigel Kneale , best known for his groundbreaking Quatermass TV series, to the extent that Carpenter wrote the script under the pseudonym Martin Quatermass, and there is a reference to "Kneale University". Kneale specialized in stories that blended the supernatural with science-fiction, and he wrote a TV movie called The Stone Tape (1977) about a scientific investigation into an allegedly haunted house, which seems to have strongly influenced Prince of Darkness. Rock singer Alice Cooper appears as the homicidal leader of a group of demonically possessed homeless people. This is a film that may not necessarily be good, but it has some striking moments and a ridiculous but fascinating premise.
Susan Blanchard and Ann Yen in Prince of Darkness
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