26/01/2011

John Carpenter's Prince Of Darkness - 1987 USA d: John Carpenter



I get the feeling that this film is an often overlooked entry in Carpenter's oeuvre. It's a solid, inventive piece with a great deal going for it. The story is balls deep in debt to the great Nigel Kneale, and Carpenter proudly wears this influence on his sleeve by using the writing pseudonym Martin Quatermass! It's an intelligent but fun story: that of a the revelation of a powerful Catholic sect who have been guarding a mysterious and ancient cylinder which contains something diabolical and of the scientific investigation into that cylinder's mysteries just as the time becomes right for the cylinder to open...

There are some big concepts bandied about here, but Carpenter refuses to let the film become po-faced, and for all the talk of the nature of evil and quantum physics this is a good ol' horror romp. There's a decent cast to carry things along with notable turns from Donald Pleasence, Victor Wong, Lisa Blount and Dennis Dun. Unfortunately the "hero" rôle is filled by the charisma free Jameson Parker who resembles a clean-living, camp Tom Atkins, you do tend to wonder when he's going to break into "YMCA"! This poor casting in the lead is the film's weakest issue, but if you can get past that you should be in for a good time.

It rattles along at a decent pace and there's plenty of action and tension. The whole thing is well made and the production just seems to gel nicely.  Although not Grade A Carpenter, this is a damned good film that probably deserves more attention and respect than it has thus far received.

Top notch fun and with a fine script paying homage to one of  la fantastique's great writers, Prince Of Darkness is a must see, really. Enjoy!

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