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Amid one of the hottest directing streaks in Hollywood history, John Carpenter paused in 1987 to ask, what if the devil was literally in the details?
Prince of Darkness sneaks in the side door of peak satanic panic, positing that evil as a moral force is merely a construct to hide its eternal existence in microscopic antimatter.
Or as theoretical physics professor Dr. Birack (Victor Wong) so succinctly puts it: “Our logic collapses on the subatomic level into ghosts and shadows.”
His Ph.D. cohort is soon thrust into some field research on that very subject when Professor Birack and a priest (Donald Pleasance) uncover a dripping green column of energy in an L.A. church basement. Soon, the science turns to science fiction and then, of course, to carnage.
Prince of Darkness is best remembered as a Carpenter B-side, but it has both quintessential Carpenterisms and some fascinating idiosyncrasies. More like The Fog than Halloween, it lays out miles of atmospheric runway, driven by the filmmaker’s trademark synth score—albeit a little chantier and swirlier than usual.
But its strongest quality is that Prince of Darkness actually believes in its subatomic chaos hypothesis. When all hell breaks loose, the horror is more about mystification and evil’s boundless improvisation than slasher movie logic.
When the Beast attempts its earthly arrival, understanding will be the first casualty.
Prince of Darkness plays July 17, 18 and 22 as part of Cinemagic’s monthlong Carpenter extravaganza.
Also playing:
Academy: For a Few Dollars More (1965), Hour of the Wolf (1968) and A Knight’s Tale (2001), July 15–16. El Mariachi (1992), Savage Streets (1984) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), July 17–23. Cinema 21: Ride the Pink Horse (1947), July 18. Cinemagic: Christine (1983), July 15. Escape From New York (1981), July 16. Escape From L.A. (1995), July 17 and 18. Before Midnight (2013), July 18 and 20. The Seventh Seal (1957), July 19 and 21. Clinton: My 20th Century (1989), July 16. Donnie Darko (2001), July 17. Seconds (1966), July 18. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), July 18. Vegas in Space (1991), July 19. Redline (2009), July 21. Moreland: My Neighbor Totoro (1988) and Scooby-Doo (2002), July 15. The Wild Robot (2024), July 20. Hollywood: Mikey and Nicky (1976), July 18 and 19. How to Train Your Dragon (2010), July 19. Tomorrow: Pink Narcissus (1971), July 16. Amores Perros (2000), July 17. The Birdcage (1996) and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), July 18. But I’m a Cheerleader (1999), July 19.
