Prince of Darkness is a unique film in the pantheon of "demonic" films with a strong melding of science and religion to inform it's plot line. It is this element more than anything that makes this film stand apart from the usual films of this genre and interestingly enough one that initially turned me off to it. The first time I saw this film, I wasn't crazy about it and only when I watched it again this past spring in preparation for a John Carpenter panel I was on did my opinion change and change dramatically.
Quantum Physics Professor Howard Birack (played by Victor Wong) is invited by a Priest (played by Donald Pleasence) to an abandoned church to study a unique find. The object of their research is a large, sealed cylinder filled with swirling green liquid. Professor Birack assembles a team of students to assist him in investigating this bizzare and mysterious cylinder. Among the students is the wisecracking Walter (played by Dennis Dun), reserved Kelly (played by Susan Blanchard), and lovers Brian (played by Jameson Parker) and Catherine (played by Lisa Bount). They set up labs and sleeping quarters within the large church and begin researching the cylinder. They decipher text next to the cylinder identifying the contents as the embodiment of Satan. Outside, a group of homeless people, led by Alice Cooper no less, begin to surround the church, seeming to be in a trance and kill anyone who tries to leave. Things escalate even further when some of the green liquid is ejected from the cylinder to certain students, possessing them. The unaffected students begin having strange dreams of a cloaked figure leaving the church with a voice telling the dreamer they are receiving a transmission from the future, warning them to prevent these events from occurring. As more students become infected by the green liquid, with one chosen to become the living embodiment of Satan, it becomes clear it's going to come down to the remaining students, their professor and the priest to prevent the beginning of what will become Armageddon.
John Carpenter wrote the film in addition to directing it, feeling inspired to tell a familiar tale of good vs. evil but mix it with scientific theory and Quantum Physics, which he had been reading at length about at the time. He also adds another unique twist on the "devil" movie genre with the Anti-Christ as it were spending the better part of the movie as a giant canister of swirling green liquid that reminded me of those slushie machines you see in gas stations, only slightly more ominous. The fact that Carpenter is able to make such a ridiculous concept work so well is a testament to his skill as a filmmaker. There is also a simplicity to his filmmaking that I have always admired. He got his start making independent films and this film was very much in line with those when the film he made prior to this, Big Trouble in Little China, underperformed. He knows the parameters he has to film within and what he can make work with the resources he has and makes it work beautifully. He also shoots the film in his usual widescreen ratio, which gives the film a lot more grandeur than usual and also knows how to use the frame to his advantage. The film also has another great score from John Carpenter and Alan Howarth that adds a great feeling of foreboding to the film.
The film has a fantastic cast headed by Donald Pleasence as the Priest. He is very much in his element here, once again tackling lines about the nature of good and evil, not too far removed from his famous role as Dr. Loomis from Carpenter's Halloween. There is just something about Pleasence that makes him so compelling in these types of roles. Victor Wong is the other side of the coin, representing the hard science side of this film and he is an interesting casting choice for the role. I love seeing him in this role and his scenes with Pleasence as they together try to make sense of the universe and what they are dealing with from their respective viewpoints. Dennis Dun is amusing as the wisecracking Walter, one of Professor Birack's students. His reactions when things start getting really crazy helped break the tension for me as they were pretty over the top and funny.
Prince of Darkness exists as one of the more underrated John Carpenter films but is worth a look for a more unique spin on the whole biblical apocalypse sub-genre. It's a little more unpredictable and weird than one might expect. But at the same time, I can understand the mixed reaction to it, because it took a second viewing for me to really warm up to it. But all these years later, it is started to develop a cult following, like most of Carpenter's films. It's worth checking out though, if you're in the mood for something creepy that's a little bit different than the usual scary movie fare.
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