Horror
A priest discovers an ancient canister containing a strange liquid in an abandoned church. When a group of graduate students and scientists are tasked with studying it, they unknowingly unleash an evil force waiting to destroy all of humanity.
Directors
Donald Pleasence
Priest
Lisa Blount
Catherine Danforth
Victor Wong Chi-Keung
Prof. Howard Birack
Jameson Parker
Brian Marsh
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
Directors
User reviews3
Review
Featured review
Then it really is Old Scratch knocking at the door.
Something of the forgotten John Carpenter movie, Prince of Darkness shows both the good and bad side of the supremely talented director.
The story is a beaut, a bit skew-whiff, but unmistakably Carpenter territory as Satan exists in some sort of parallel universe. How he manifests himself is narratively a bit tricky, but still it makes for good horror, especially as the old religious angle finds Carpenter - in the guise of Donald Pleasence - chortling away to himself in a way that Old Nick has been prone to do.
Cue bugs, green goo, zombies and a centuries old sect determined to keep Satan out of our world. The scares are many, atmosphere bubbling away (in time with another of Carpenter's pulse beat synth musical scores), while the finale has a genuine surprise up its sleeve.
Unfortunately the cast are playing second fiddle to the supernatural strengths, working from a script that doesn't sit at one with the screenplay, rendering the characters as uninvolving fodder. Yet be that as it may, it's still a film of delights, enough in fact to make it a top end entry on Carpenter's CV. 7/10
John Chard15 Oct, 2015
Box office
Budget
$3,000,000Gross worldwide
$14,182,492More to explore
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