LogFAQs > #979855585

25. Prince of Darkness (1987 / 257 points)
Directed / Written by: John Carpenter (writer credit as Martin Quatermass)
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Why Its Significant - The second installment in John Carpenters loosely themed "Apocalypse Trilogy" (also consisting of The Thing & In The Mouth of Madness), Prince of Darkness uses a unique blend of scientific inquiry, religious horror, body horror, & cosmic horror to create an oppressing sense of evil & unstoppable dread, showing us a force beyond human control, making us contemplate the fragility of our own existence. Like most of Carpenters work, though cult-like in its status, its influence and ingenious melding of genres can be seen reflected in various future horror works, from the technological cosmic horror of Event Horizon to the trippy and mind-melding world of Annihilation and even its soundtrack has contributed to many unique creations through sampling from future artists.

The Rankers
Karo - 2
Evilordexdeath - 10
Lightning - 15
Rockus - 17
Seginustemple - 19
Plasmabeam - 20
Fortybelowsummer - 21
Inviso - 24
Jcgamer107 - 25
Johnbobb - 25
Snake - 25
Bitto - 26
Mythiot - 29

Karo - It is discovered that the basement of an old church contains a glowy stasis pod with Satan inside and thus they decide to do the logical thing and poke around it with a university research team.

There's this very cool fusion of nerdy science and christian theology that isn't often seen in things, as well as a truly terrifying plotline that revolves around the concept of 'God isn't who we think'.

Though the scenario was great I think there was much untapped potential to go further than they did, particularly with all the talk of quantum physics there should have been some sort of quantum angle but whatever.

Still its a very good movie that is actually scary rather than just gross or silly, and so many of the people who make all this 'rawr monsters' crap without any depth behind it could learn a lot from this.

Evilordexdeath - I don't know... it's cool, very slow paced, John Carpenter's music adds a lot of atmosphere, there's this sense that the ineffable dark forces of the film's Satan figure are so unstoppable that what the heroes are doing is futile, the imagery with the mirrors is neat and I like the way the ending plays out. I just don't feel very strongly about the movie in the end. Maybe it's a little too slow, maybe it's how the characters aren't really interesting enough to make me feel invested in whether they live or die, maybe the world-threatening stakes make the individual deaths and everything feel less significant. I was reasonably into it but it just didn't leave a huge impression on me.

Lightning - You will not be saved by the holy ghost. You will not be saved by the god Plutonium. In fact, YOU WILL NOT BE SAVED!

This film is a take on satanic horror so refreshing I wound up really enjoying it despite some plainly apparent flaws. So the basic setup of this film is that satan is already manifested on earth in the form of goo in a giant sealed jar, and aims to possess people to turn one of them into an Antichrist who can release the Anti-God from an antimatter dimension to bring about the end of the world. Also, Jesus was an alien. It is put simply a lot to take in.

The film has some flaws and you could nitpick it all day. A lot of the lore is confusing, Im still not quite clear what was up with the homeless people (they dont seem to be possessed as they dont die at the end), some of the effects look tacky and the male lead Brian is pretty unlikeable. However, I found myself so wrapped up in this twisted mythology I didnt care that much. Of course it also helps that the film is genuinely disturbing, the signal that plays in peoples dreams is one of the creepiest images of any horror movie this decade, and the scene where the possessed translator is typing is nearly as creepy. This is actually possibly the scariest film on the list for me. It also has a great Donald Pleasance performance and of course a great score from director John Carpenter.

What really makes this film for me though is the ending, the whole last sequence is great. First you get the setup with the mirrors, the image of the arm reaching out, Catherine sacrificing herself and that heartbreaking image of her reaching back towards the mirror after its broken. This is then elevated by the final dream signal showing her emerging from the church, that great final scare, and the film cutting right before Brian touches the mirror. Its a real rollercoaster of emotion and terror. I truly wish we had more horror films that were not afraid to get weird like this one.

4/5

Rockus - Underappreciated John Carpenter. Remarkable in that the films biggest challenge is adding weight to a kind of abstract evil, a sinister force, that is largely just given a physical body through the drones of people it possesses and that it mostly accomplishes that task. Something I look forward to seeing again because a number of its nightmarish images are unforgettable and its best qualities will likely outweigh its faults the more times I watch it, and the more I think Ill grow to appreciate it.

Seginustemple - Admirably cerebral, although the attempts to square science and religion are frequently more silly than insightful or poignant (this close to guys in lab coats measuring holy water into beakers). It's just fun to watch Victor Wong and Donald Pleasance chew up the technobabble and theobabble respectively. Carpenter knows how to develop tension but most of the actual scares have little impact - unconvincing zombies, guy that turns into beetles, homeless Alice Cooper.The most effective bits are the dream transmissions from the future and the ending sequence leading to the final mirror shot.

Plasmabeam - I love John Carpenter, but this movie doesnt do it for me. Feels generic, especially when compared to the other Carpenter movies of its time.

Fortybelowsummer - Hail liquid Satan! Now this is how you do suspense, and of all the legendary directors I have watched for this project, this one solidifies John Carpenter as the best for me. Its not just his style of filming; the panoramic shots and odd angles, the slow burning minimalism, the reliance on tension but the willingness to use jump scares or gore. Its the scores he creates, in PoD especially where it flows like an undercurrent throughout the whole film and maximizes the unsettling tension. Other than maybe Phenomena (hail Donald Pleasence while were at it), no other movie has so much added to it by the music, all pulsing and synthy, ominous and ethereal. The problem is, and its a pretty big problem, is that it ends up being anti-climactic after all the superb buildup, and it doesnt feel significant enough. Like, theres the possibility of Satan himself being released from his slumber but it seems confined to this church and this group of people and the small army of homeless people around the area. It never feels like humanity itself is actually at stake. Upon reflection, you would think that the all-powerful devil would have a better plan than zombifying a small group of people that would probably get easily wiped out right away. Still though, I like the blend of science and theology and theres plenty to like even if it does disappoint in the end.