Prince of Darkness [Archive] - F13: The Community

The Tall Man

07-15-2007, 11:47 PM

I did a search for this and found nothing, so...

I saw this for the first time last night and while I very much enjoyed what I saw, I've got some questions.

Firstly, nobody ever referred to Donald Pleasance by name in the movie and in the end titles he was identified as "Priest", but the closed captioning identifed his character as... Father Loomis! WTF?

The film merely drops vague hints as to its backstory. Apparently in its universe there is a God and an Anti-God and the Anti-God has a son, whom we identify as Satan. Jesus was nothing more than a friendly human-like alien who came to the earth. But it doesn't seem like God himself is ever involved in the equation. This was the best I could tell since they only briefly discuss it.

And what the hell happened at the end of the movie? The "dream" sent from the incredibly insidious-sounding "1999" has changed from the Dark One emerging from the church to the heroine. Is she supposedly possessed by Anti-God since she fell into his realm? What's the deal?

And I'd like to note that while Carpenter's score was seemingly one-note and monotonous, it served very well to imply a feeling of gloom and doom over the whole proceedings.

T.M.

Titan

07-15-2007, 11:59 PM

Where did you see this at? It seems pretty interesting and I think I would like to check it out for myself.

The Dream Master

07-16-2007, 12:01 AM

Titan, it's on DVD. It's a great film, by the way. One of Carpenter's best, in my opinion.

The Tall Man

07-16-2007, 12:09 AM

I saw it on TNT last night.

T.M.

Titan

07-16-2007, 01:15 AM

Thanks! I will have to look for it on DVD or on TNT.

Rich

07-16-2007, 07:43 AM

This is one of my favorite John Carpenter movies along with Halloween and The Fog.

Shoesalesman

07-16-2007, 09:35 PM

Prince Of Darkness was an awsome flick. Takes a while to build up, but the ending was unreal. The scenes with the mirror and the final sacrifice by the lead female were the best in the entire movie.

Utellme

07-19-2007, 10:47 PM

Love the scene where Alice gets the bike frame as prince of darkness plays in the back ground.Also if you get the U.S version of this it has no extras but i believe its the UK version has John Carpenter commentary and i think some other extras.

CampNewBlood

07-20-2007, 09:49 AM

I've never seen this movie. I've heard alot of people talk about it over the years, but have never seen it.

The Dream Master

07-20-2007, 09:50 AM

You should definately check it out, especially if you're a Carpenter fan.

Utellme

08-05-2007, 10:32 PM

Maybe will get a 10th anniversary SE dvd this year ?

The Dream Master

08-05-2007, 11:30 PM

This year is actually the 20th anniversary of the film's release. :eek:

I'm quite amazed it's that old, really. It's aged tremendously well.

Utellme

08-05-2007, 11:34 PM

Oh yeah my bad 1987

Rich

08-06-2007, 06:05 AM

This year is actually the 20th anniversary of the film's release. :eek:

I'm quite amazed it's that old, really. It's aged tremendously well.

I agree. This is one of those movies that will never truely get old in my opinion.

It always has the same effect on me every time I watch it. It has a great end of the world feeling to it.

Utellme

10-07-2007, 06:16 PM

This DVD is my next to buy.Im getting the version with John Carpenters commentary.Not to many extras for this DVD no SE or Blu Ray yet and since this movie don't get much mainstream credit that may never happen.

The Dream Master

10-08-2007, 01:34 AM

The fact that this film is owned by Universal ensures that it won't be getting a Blu-ray release anytime soon. It'll be an HD-DVD exclusive when or if it's ever released in HD.

Shoesalesman

10-08-2007, 03:06 AM

Utellme

10-08-2007, 03:27 AM

Wow i never even seen Kane Roberts in this movie are you sure about this Shoe ?

Rich

10-08-2007, 09:48 AM

I never watched it is closed cap, because I have no need to, but Father Loomis?!?!? That is just awesome! I think I'll have to watch it in CC now.

Utellme

10-09-2007, 02:24 AM

The version of this Dvd with John Carpenters commentary might explain some of these things.Father Loomis , He might also state where Kane Roberts is in the movie.

The Dream Master

10-10-2007, 02:08 AM

You know, if we ever do get a new home video release of this, I hope they use the original poster (see below) for cover art, as the cover art for the existing disc is lame.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cc/Prince_of_Darkness_film.jpg

The Tall Man

10-10-2007, 04:17 AM

DM, rest assured, if the cover rocks... you'll never see it again.

T.M.

MaDMaNMaRz

10-10-2007, 04:20 AM

Brett, you must have a different version of it. The DVD I have has the original cover. :confused: I didn't know they had more than one version of it on DVD.

The Dream Master

10-10-2007, 04:20 AM

I seriously think the studios got together somewhere around the year 2000 and said, "you know, original poster art and VHS covers are awesome, so how can we fuck them up royally for a DVD release?"

Added: MMM, son of a bitch, you're right. The first release (through Image entertainment) had the original art. Bastards.

Utellme

10-11-2007, 09:59 PM

I like both covers especially the one with Alice Cooper on the front.

simonthekillerewok

10-12-2007, 12:27 AM

This was one of the first horror movies I ever saw and I was so scared of it. Still scares me to this day as I have somewhat similar beliefs of linking Science to religion... I dunno why this movie is so overlooked, I prefer it to most of Carpenter's other work.

Utellme

10-21-2007, 01:50 PM

Got the DVD with John Carpenter commentary and the awesome Alice Cooper cover.Coming to my house next week.

Utellme

11-01-2007, 03:11 AM

Has anyone ever heard of any cut footage from this movie ?

The Dream Master

11-01-2007, 03:15 AM

Utellme, Wikipedia has this blurb, so take it for what it's worth:

Sci-Fi Channel has been known to play an edited cut of the film with some additional scenes. The whole movie is made out to be just Brian's dream. It is unknown if the characters really exist or if they are just part of Brian's vast, yet haunting imagination.

ZPowers

11-01-2007, 03:29 AM

Definitly back when Carpenter did right. Apparently, along with "The Thing" and "In the Mouth of Madness", Carpenter feels the three films make up one collective body of work that has been called the "Apocalypse Trilogy" since all of them have a sort of 'not what they seems' idea and end with a high probability of an upcoming apocalypse.

Or so I kind of remember hearing.

Utellme

11-02-2007, 02:38 AM

Alice Cooper's guitarist at the time, Kane Roberts, is also in the movie, but apparently he's under so much make up he's unrecognizable. One of these days, I'm going to scout out the entire movie just looking for his cameo.
Shoe i just got done watching my new dvd of this movie with Carpenter commentary on.And theres no mention of Kane Roberts and his name is not in the credits ?

Kane Roberts was in Shocker

Fowlees

12-08-2007, 04:12 PM

This film really isn't one of Carpenters best . Compared to The Fog , The Thing and Halloween its pretty much second rate IMO.....

Isn't Alice Cooper in this?

mrniceguy

12-08-2007, 04:25 PM

Yeah he plays one of the mind - controlled ,homicidal homeless people lurking outside of the Brotherhood of Sleep's monastery . One of Carpenter's best films IMO and Donald Pleasance's best performance since Dr. Loomis in Halloween .

The Tall Man

12-09-2007, 03:19 AM

I think PoD kicks the hell out ot "The Thing '82".. but then again, I very much dislike that film.

T.M.

Chucky's back

12-10-2007, 03:53 PM

Never cared much for this one, pretty boring stuff.

Utellme

05-31-2008, 11:32 AM

I wish this movie would of got a 20 anniversary SE edition dvd release with Carpenter and Cooper doing the commentary along with whatever extras they have.

The Dream Master

05-31-2008, 06:15 PM

Well, the 20th Anniversary came and went last year, so that's out of the cards. Maybe for the 25th? Or maybe Universal will surprise us with a random SE.

Deathscythe

05-31-2008, 06:19 PM

I think PoD kicks the hell out ot "The Thing '82".. but then again, I very much dislike that film.

T.M.

The Thing underwhelmed me as well. :/

Chex

05-31-2008, 07:52 PM

Well, the 20th Anniversary came and went last year, so that's out of the cards. Maybe for the 25th? Or maybe Universal will surprise us with a random SE.

Or a copy of Halloween II that isn't $24.99 right from the get go and contains some sort of special features.

The Dream Master

05-31-2008, 08:24 PM

Or perhaps a Halloween 3: Six Pack Edition with a documentary on the man himself, as well as a short featurette featuring the top hook-up moments in Atkins history.

Chex

05-31-2008, 10:50 PM

Yeah, I'd take even more so. :p

Rich

06-01-2008, 09:20 PM

This is definitely one of John's best films. I think my favorite movies from John are Halloween, Prince of Darkness, The Fog, Assault on Precinct 13, and The Thing.

What I like about Prince OD is how it has the same kind of apocolyptic feeling as Romero's The Crazies. It has that everyone has gone nuts end of the world anarchy atmosphere to it while having a story where science and religion meet. Donald (Dr. Loomis of Halloween) Pleasence's performance is outstanding in this film! This film is a true battle of good versus evil on psychological epic proportions. Of course it offers enough suspense and character development and slashing action to please horror fans, but it truely offers something more too. John Carpenter really made a film worthy of George A. Romero satire and atmosphere.

Utellme

06-25-2008, 10:32 PM

Well, the 20th Anniversary came and went last year, so that's out of the cards. Maybe for the 25th? Or maybe Universal will surprise us with a random SE.
So 2012 SE edition blu ray with Alice Cooper and John Carpenter commentary.
ADDED:
[QUOTE=The Tall Man

I saw this for the first time last night and while I very much enjoyed what I saw, I've got some questions.

Firstly, nobody ever referred to Donald Pleasance by name in the movie and in the end titles he was identified as "Priest", but the closed captioning identifed his character as... Father Loomis! WTF?

The film merely drops vague hints as to its backstory. Apparently in its universe there is a God and an Anti-God and the Anti-God has a son, whom we identify as Satan. Jesus was nothing more than a friendly human-like alien who came to the earth. But it doesn't seem like God himself is ever involved in the equation. This was the best I could tell since they only briefly discuss it.

And what the hell happened at the end of the movie? The "dream" sent from the incredibly insidious-sounding "1999" has changed from the Dark One emerging from the church to the heroine. Is she supposedly possessed by Anti-God since she fell into his realm? What's the deal?

And I'd like to note that while Carpenter's score was seemingly one-note and monotonous, it served very well to imply a feeling of gloom and doom over the whole proceedings.

T.M.[/QUOTE]

Some or all of these questions may be answered on the UK DVD of this film with John Carpenter commentary which i have when i get a chance ill check it out for you.Or you can buy this DVD on Ebay or Amazon the UK version.

Lance Lives

06-29-2008, 04:18 AM

I've only seen some of this once on TV, but recently bought a VHS at a yard sale, so I'm gonna check it out soon, possibly tonight. I remember liking what I saw.

Utellme

06-30-2008, 02:25 AM

Ok TM i watched this again with Carpenter commentary and sub titles on and this is what i gather.

[QUOTE=The Tall Man

I saw this for the first time last night and while I very much enjoyed what I saw, I've got some questions.

Firstly, nobody ever referred to Donald Pleasance by name in the movie and in the end titles he was identified as "Priest", but the closed captioning identifed his character as... Father Loomis! WTF?

That is a mistake made by the TV channel

The film merely drops vague hints as to its backstory. Apparently in its universe there is a God and an Anti-God and the Anti-God has a son, whom we identify as Satan. Jesus was nothing more than a friendly human-like alien who came to the earth. But it doesn't seem like God himself is ever involved in the equation. This was the best I could tell since they only briefly discuss it.

Thats pretty much the answer.It involves the devil escaping his confinement,after being trapped under the earth.The devil is a liquid, buried for thousands of years in the canister, in the abandoned church. He emerges and uses the girl as his host.

And what the hell happened at the end of the movie? The "dream" sent from the incredibly insidious-sounding "1999" has changed from the Dark One emerging from the church to the heroine. Is she supposedly possessed by Anti-God since she fell into his realm? What's the deal?

She might be the film don't elaborate much on that cause it ends soon after, Or it could be showing her cause she is wanting to escape, Jamison Parker is the one who had the dream with her in that vision so maybe its her way of cummunicating with him.

And I'd like to note that while Carpenter's score was seemingly one-note and monotonous, it served very well to imply a feeling of gloom and doom over the whole proceedings.

You can all ways tell Carpenter music from Halloweens to Christine to Prince of Darkness.

TM i don't know if you will ever look at this but i hope it helps if it don't. Theres 2 other options get the UK dvd of this movie with Carpenter commentary and get Fangoria issue 69 if you cant find it anywhere i have it.

Lance Lives

06-30-2008, 04:35 AM

I thought that the dream being sent from the future was basically trying to warn of who would be emerging from the church, and we don't see who it will be until it's too late. After she's sacrificed herself through the portal, I suppose she became part of evil as well.

Esten

07-02-2008, 01:01 AM

The commentary isn't much help. You get anecdotes such as these:

"I don't know."

*lights-up*

"I just tried to put weird shit in there."

*cracks open a beer*

"So, that's the story?"

*sluuuurp*

"I can't remember."

The Dream Master

07-02-2008, 01:07 AM

"I just tried to put weird shit in there."

Did Martin Quartermass ghost-write some episodes of Freddy's Nightmares dere?

Esten

07-02-2008, 01:10 AM

You know, I wouldn't doubt it. Quatermass was unpredictable.

As a side note, Carpenter lights-up 12 times on the commentary. Musta ran out.

DrSpengler

09-15-2008, 05:03 PM

Reviwed "Prince of Darkness" the other day. (http://pellecreepy.blogspot.com/2008/09/prince-of-darkness-1987.html)

I hadn't watched it all the way through until Saturday. I'd drifted in and out of TV broadcasts but never paid it much mind. I'd always heard it was "disappointing".

Honestly, I thought it was a good movie. While it doesn't compare to some of Carpenter's other accomplishments during his 10 year span of pure awesome (1978-1988), it's still a good movie among great movies.

I think all that really kept it down was a rather bland leading protagonist, all the pretentious pseudo-philosophy and the not-so-funny antics of Walter.

The only movies from Carpenter's 78-88 golden era I haven't seen are the non-horror stuff, like "Elvis" and "Starman", so I can't comment on them. But aside from that, there isn't a single movie by Carpenter during that time period which I don't enjoy.

4BarrelHemi

10-15-2008, 02:19 AM

It's a pretty decent film although it does have it's slow parts. It did take me a few viewings to really figure out and understand what exactly was going on though.

AmonStone

11-04-2008, 03:47 AM

Not a film that seems to be mentioned often when talking about John Carpenter, but a great film. Opinions?

Spook

11-04-2008, 05:23 AM

I love this flick! I always found this film to be Carpenter's scariest (along with In the Mouth of Madness). When I say scariest, though, I mean storywise. It's a frightening concept. It's got more of an apocalyptic approach than most of his films.

I still think Halloween, The Fog, and The Thing are scarier in terms of giving me nightmares.

Utellme

11-06-2008, 02:37 PM

Not a film that seems to be mentioned often when talking about John Carpenter, but a great film. Opinions?

Very under rated if you ask me.

Utellme

01-18-2009, 03:54 PM

Still awaiting a SE Blu Ray with Commentary.

Rich

01-19-2009, 05:26 PM

Halloween and Prince of Darkness are my two favorite films made by John Carpenter. Prince of Darkness has an absolutely awesome end of the world as we know it feel to it. It is a very intelligent story of science and religion coming together to battle a force of evil.

Spook

01-19-2009, 07:14 PM

Man, the ending of the movie always gives me chills. I'm talking about the dream where it looks like someone recording with a video camera, and you see the silhouette of the girl standing in the doorway of the church. Gave me nightmares as a kid.

I still am under the belief that in the right hands (which is very rare nowadays), a remake of this would be good. It's got a frightening concept, and I think that a new film could improve on the faults of the old one. Also, a remake could prompt the studio heads to release a nice, Special Edition DVD with commentary and some nice behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Esten

01-19-2009, 07:19 PM

The region 2 disc has a commentary. Carpenter gives some fascinating insight on Ghost Of Mars - Ghosts Of Mars? I mean Prince Of Darkness.

Chex

01-19-2009, 07:49 PM

Yeah, Carpenter doesn't really tell much about this film on the region 2 commentary which is a shame. Over at IMDB (yes yes, I know...just hear me out) there's a group of folks that have really jumped into this film to make sense of everything. While I don't think they've got an exact answer or what they've been looking for, they really help shed some light on certain things and make the film more intriguing. Certainly worth a look.

Other than that, this film changes its stance with how I feel about it at times. I do enjoy it, but it could have been more focused in some areas. I would say "great ideas, average execution" sums it up for me. That, and that Tom Atkins wasn't cast. It's like Carpenter tried to find someone that could fill in for a role that says "burly man with mustache who can seduce women with ease". Atkins must have been busy or something because the man who fills in just doesn't do it justice.

I still am under the belief that in the right hands (which is very rare nowadays), a remake of this would be good. It's got a frightening concept, and I think that a new film could improve on the faults of the old one.

I could easily see this and Halloween III remade. I always thought the best remakes would be taking a film that had a wonderful idea, but just wasn't executed right.

Esten

01-19-2009, 08:14 PM

Carpenter himself says "I don't know. I just tried to put in weird shit.". He didn't have a clue what the film is about either. :X

Chex

01-19-2009, 08:54 PM

Carpenter himself says "I don't know. I just tried to put in weird shit......"
...and then he took a drag off of his ciggy. :p

I wonder how come Carpenter hasn't tried to make a full fledged western. He's been quoted as saying he loves the genre and looking at a few of his films, he seems like he's tailored made for it at times.

Spook

01-19-2009, 08:58 PM

Ha, gotta love Carpenter and his honesty.

...and then he took a drag off of his ciggy. :p

I wonder how come Carpenter hasn't tried to make a full fledged western. He's been quoted as saying he loves the genre and looking at a few of his films, he seems like he's tailored made for it at times.

Well, wasn't he supposed to make a western entitled El Diablo? I think he wrote it with Tommy Wallace, and it was supposed to be epic or something. I forgot why it didn't go through, but I think the film was still made by another director, and with some re-writes. I still think he needs to do a western and with complete creative control.

The Dream Master

01-19-2009, 08:59 PM

"I don't know. I just tried to put in weird shit."

A deleted part from the commentary that's just come to light:

Yeah, then Mike De Luca caught wind of this and thought it was a swell idea for Freddy's Nightmares--the entire series, not just one episode. I'm still waiting on my residuals from that. *Carpenter takes a drag of a cig and a swig of beer.*

Esten

01-19-2009, 09:40 PM

De Luca hooked him up with sum huars on the set of In The Mouth Of Madness. John seems to be forgetting that.

4BarrelHemi

01-23-2009, 07:50 AM

Tom Atkins would have taken this film to the next level had Carpenter cast him.

Utellme

03-02-2009, 02:23 AM

Imo the commentary on this is a little boring.

pa®tci

03-04-2009, 05:43 PM

This movie scares the shit out of me even when I watch it now. I remember when I watched it as a little kid - scary shit! The moment with that woman that got possessed and her stomach got baloony makes me shiver till this day on. :nervous:
A nice reminder, gotta watch it again these days.

Penhall

03-05-2009, 07:06 AM

I really love this movie. It seems like most view it as one of Carpenter's lesser efforts, but I love every minute of it.

nottidelterrore

10-05-2011, 02:17 AM

So, I had only seen bits and pieces of this until tonight. Caught it on Netflix and dug it quite a bit. Not my favorite Beer n Cigs effort but it was pretty good. Took awhile for me to get into but once I did, I enjoyed every second of it. Jameson Parker's mustache was almost up to Tom Atkins proportions. Almost.

Susan. Radiologist. Glasses.

MaDMaNMaRz

10-05-2011, 03:20 AM