Sunday 23 October 2011

Prince of Darkness

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Year:1987
Country of origin:USA
Director:John Carpenter
Genre:I see thee, Satan
Starring:Donald Pleasence, Jameson Parker, Lisa Blount, Victor Wong
Rating:4/5
IMDB link:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093777/
Tagline:Where are you...? Christ?
Favourite line:Hello... Hello... I've got a message for you... and you're not going to like it.

One of Carpenter's least well known horror movies, this sees the director once more turning to Donald Pleasence to add an air of menace and creepy gravitas.

The plot:
A team of scientists are conducting research on a strange, cylindrical object within which swirls green fluid which seems to defy gravity.
The object, located in a derelict church, is of unknown origin and unknown intent.
As the team learn more about it they soon figure out that, if opened, the very world we know could end. A particularly dim-witted female scientist approaches the object, head turned upwards, mouth agape, and a jet of fluid spurts into her face (calm down at the back), possessing her with the spirit of....something, which she duly passes on to any who comes into contact with her and her own mouth-propelled fluids.

It's a bit odd, and never entirely convinces, but it's certainly unsettling stuff.
The location is effective, though the interiors seem unduly 'studio-bound' at times, and the script tugs along at a fair old clip.
Featuring some wonderfully evocative moments involving insects, in particular the collapsing corpse on the car park, this is proper horror.
Carpenter's requisite nervy score is present and correct and, for fan boys at least, this is a satisfying enough affair.

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