Prince of Darkness
Short description
A priest finds a sealed canister holding an unusual liquid in an abandoned church in Los Angeles, and a group of scientists and graduate students is brought in to examine it. An ancient manuscript ties the substance to Satan, and once the researchers begin their experiments, a diabolical force escapes and starts taking possession of them, turning them into servants of evil. The priest and the surviving researchers try to resist, while the entity works toward a return to the world.
John Carpenter directed and wrote the screenplay, the twelfth of the twenty-two films he has directed in chronological order, coming between Big Trouble in Little China and They Live. Donald Pleasence plays the priest, with Lisa Blount, Victor Wong, Jameson Parker, Dennis Dun and Susan Blanchard among the main cast. Larry J. Franco produced.
Made for about three million dollars, the film took roughly fourteen million worldwide, a solid multiple of its budget. On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.8 from 1,193 votes, while the critics' rating stands at 6.2 from 39 reviews, showing audiences responding somewhat more warmly than reviewers.
What's left behind the scenes
- John Carpenter credited himself as a screenwriter under the pseudonym «Martin Quatermass», which he took from the name of the main character of the film «The Quatermass Experiment» — Professor Bernard Quatermass.
- Musician Alice Cooper played a cameo role in the film; in the same year, he released an album containing a song called Prince of Darkness.
- When filming the scene where Dr. Lihy (Peter Jason) first introduces himself to Dr. Birak (Victor Wong), Jason was not warned that Wong would leave mid-scene. Therefore, the subsequent confusion and awkwardness of Peter Jason's character on camera were a completely natural reaction, not acting.
- Peter Jason seriously injured his shoulder while filming the scene where he and Jameson Parker attempt to break down the church doors.
- The film was shot in just over 30 days.
- Donald Pleasence's character, Father Loomis, shares the same last name as the actor's signature role – Dr. Loomis from the 'Halloween' film series, the first of which was directed by John Carpenter in 1978.
- Alice Cooper, who played one of the street zombies, brought one of the tricks from his stage rock-horror shows to the film, namely a bicycle trick that was specifically taken for the film from the rock star’s personal props.
- A television version of the film exists, which has been substantially altered and re-edited. For example, the entire "Brotherhood of Sleep" storyline, and the deceased priest in particular, are completely absent from it, and everything that happens in the film is merely Brian Marsh’s nightmarish dream.
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