This might be silly to say this but "Prince of Darkness" for me is a masterpiece for following reasons: - A seamless combination of supernatural horror with science fiction, that's not easy to do - Heavily moody and atmospheric horror movie that grabs me by the balls. This movie is a B movie but it is much better than any other big budget horror movies. There is surely a certain silliness to this movie but the mood and atmosphere, the direction by John carpenter transcend all of those. John carpenter is like a teacher in "How to make horror sci-fi movie class", he is teaching us that what is most important in horror movies is not gore but it is the atmosphere and the suspense.
Although not his biggest commercial hit movie, Prince of Darkness has always been my personal favorite from John Carpenter. I was lucky enough to see it on the big screen when it was first released, as a Christian, it creeped me out and made me think.
I remember watching this film for the first time as a kid. It was on home video. It definitely holds special place in my heart. To this day I feel his 'Apocalypse Trilogy' (The Thing, Prince of Darkness, and In the Mouth of Madness) are my favourite horror films.
This move scared the crap out of me back in time because I knew also a thing or two about quantum physics mixin it it with religion made it so much more based on reality that's made it way more scary. The soundtrack is mind-blowing it still hear the CD from time to time it sometimes gives me goosebumps.
In regards to Mr. Carpenter's remarks, I personally gravitate toward films like this where there is overwhelming dread. Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the cold war film On the Beach are among them.
An informative interview that actually can give you the creeps! John Carpenter is truly a genius of his craft and Prince of Darkness is a timeless classic of pure horror.
John Carpenter’s horror films are especially unique. My favourites are The Fog, The Thing, Christine and the Village Of The Damned remake. I also have a certain fondness for Prince Of Darkness. At least for how it ended which I thought was very effective.
My favorite John Carpenter film, great score by Carpenter and Howarth. This movie is like "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and "Altered States", combining the 3 elements of: Religion, Science and Horror. Still a hard watch today, very underrated.
A really nice interview! I accidentally watched the film maybe at the age of 15 on television and recorded it to VHS, because the atmosphere at the beginning instantly gripped me. Somehow I could tell without knowing that it's a John Carpenter-film. I liked the whole film, it pulled me in completely, it was mesmerizing and immersive. It has so many memorable scenes, but when the main female character gets trapped in the mirror-dimension at the end, that is just so sad and tragic, a haunting visual composition. And the dream-sequence of course...my God. I was afraid to go to bed because of that, I didn't want to think of it, but then I remembered it constantly. :D
Gnostic/Manichean cosmology and philosophy had to have been an influence on Carpenter's writing as well. Its themes are very prevalent all throughout the film. But yeah, talk about captivating! The first time "Prince of Darkness" ever crossed my radar was hearing snippets from the dream scenes on Dj Shadow's "Endtroducing." It was so trippy and eerie. I had to know where he got those samples from. Later on, I discovered the actual film and viewed it multiple times to try to digest and decode its overall meaning and message. Long story short, everything about it is so on point, dare I say even somewhat prophetic, and just as relevant today as it was when it was first released. Carpenter refers to it as one of his "apocalyptic" works, which is fitting, because indeed a lot of deep truth is being revealed here. Uncomfortable truths that most people probably aren't ready to accept or hear but either way given the current Plutonian Age, will gradually be forced to come to terms with facing and acknowledging - come hell or high water. The real "virus" is one of the mind. Evil, malign intent, confusion, ignorance, hatred etc..spreads like an infection. The storyline makes that fairly clear. Again, all very Gnostic/Manichean. Call it "possession" if you will. Body-snatching. Some call it Wetiko or Mass Psychosis. All of it seems to oddly parallel the absurd COVID1984 era we presently find ourselves living within. There's so much to unpack in this film. But I'll just leave it at that. "Fiction is the truth inside of the lie." --Stephen King
Video is excellent. The succes of carpenter movie was "originality" of screenplay comparing telling story codes in movie. The content of this movie is so original and unique at that time. This is why carpenter is cult: he never respected, in his independant movie, the code for story telling in Hollywood. The second point is the perfect use of cinemascope and editing. that proves the great director he is. the third one is the atmosphere created by his music. For me, his last movie entitled the ward is not so bad but he had to do the music in it.
Prince of Darkness for me is a horror masterpiece and is one of my favorites of all time to this day. The ominous opening music during the Universal logo pulls you in and sets the tone immediately. The science and religion parallel adds verisimilitude to the story. The characters are not stereotypically insipid like most horror film characters are...granted there are a few times where characters stood and "looked at something too long" when they should be exiting, but no one in the movie made really stupid, annoying decisions. The characters were also put in a situation where they could not escape the facility through no fault of their own, just bad circumstances prevented them from doing so. The scares were built up and earned in my opinion, and their was always the worry that anyone of the characters could die/be possessed at any moment. The final sequence and "sacrifice" was a gutsy decision by Carpenter and the final 10 seconds of the film was a great nail-biting way to end the film and left you wondering if the character on the other side reached back or not. Brilliant film that is far better than most of the horror films we get today.
This movie scared the shit out of me when I first watched it hahaha especially the dream sequence with the transmission coming through. I think it’s looked at as one of his weaker movies but I think it’s probably his creepiest? Anyway, it sits high on my list of horror movies
Also, what i love so much about this movie is that the ending is ambiguous like "Blade Runner". Have they really changed the future so that there wouldn't be apocalyptic ending for cosmos? Or Is it that the anti-god will keep trying to get free until it succeeds?
For me my favourite Jc films are The thing and Halloween I also like vampires, and his kurt Russell movies. Oh and that movie with the aliens lol they live I sorta liked that too
This is my favorite Horror movie of all time. I still find the entire concept unsettling. It probably will until I die. Groundbreaking ideas. Today's horror is garbage. Especially found footage. Grrrrrrr
I'm interested in the issue he made around 4:35 in the video. I think, the things he's trying to tell us here is actually a problem of modern day movies. On theory, Russian montage is the way generates the meaning by combining multiple shots with symbols. On the other hand "wide long shot", he referred in the video, is more like fine arts. it self-contained and contains all necessary symbols to tell us the meaning of the shot. Both are the theoretical base of audio/visual communication (including music video, documentary even evening news...) but I really don't see the latter used effectively in modern day films. I'm afraid it possibly means lack of vision from the modern day directors. Carpenter's movies are visual. That's the reason why sometimes the poster of his movies tell so much about its contents. Maybe my sensibility just became too old to capture the vison of the culture in 21st century but honestly I miss a director like John Carpenter who showed me strong visual images. And the politics is the second things I'm afraid about modern movies. It seems to me that modern directors make political statement in their movie to satisfy the social system rather than their own visons. I always like John Carpenter's "They live" regardless of its political taste because it is the movie about the vision based on the politics rather than the propaganda to manipulate opinion for the needs of social system...apparently, it was exact opposite wasn't it? By the way, when the last time you saw something inspires you for real on the screen? It's just a nostalgia or it's really happening...I'm not sure. How do you think?
I hate this movie because its so terrifying I do not want it to exist. Its the awful idea you can do absolutely nothing to stop evil...the sun comes up the devil is still there. You get together with your friends, still there. Smash the mirror, throw holy water, NOTHING WORKS. And if you try to get away Alice Cooper is gonna come stab you with a bicycle. I LIVE I LIVE I LIVE I LIVE I LIVE I LIVE I LIVE I LIVE I LIVE I LIVE I LIVE I LIVE I LIVE I LIVE I LIVE I LIVE
The fact that he Hired the Best special effects makeup artist in 'The Thing" and then hired an inept "Artist" name Frank Carrisosa who ruined "Prince of Darkness" and "They Live" makes me think that he's hit or miss. I don't get it!
Matter and antimatter. The 2 things holding the Universe together. And behind it is God and the counterpart of himself. So in actuality there are ultimately 2 Supreme forces in the Universe. God and The Other
A decent movie but not one of his best films, the low budget nature of the film becomes obvious when watching the possessed scientists, but this film does have several brilliant moments, including the anti-god scene as it leaves the church, very creepy, and the future radio transmission which could have had a bigger part in the film...BTW, it was Catherine coming through the church's front doors the entire time
No kidding the horror movies of today are mostly lacking. If you were a horror film fan growing up in the 70's, 80's and even into the 90's, you've pretty much seen it before and done much better. These remakes and reboots are mostly terrible, uninspired ripoffs.
There is one God and then there is free will. The last part gives you the opportunity to choose. At the beginning all were beautiful beings of light and because of free will everybody chose darkness and because of that the universe is now devolving. To the point that a guy comes here and says that there are two supreme beings which is a lie. We came from the same force and this force broke in infinite pieces giving birth to you. Some of them have tremendous dark energy and it may feel like a God, but it is not. God is only the original source and through free will you prove that you can come back to the source by yourself. That’s the meaning of life and your mission in the universe. If everything becomes darkness then it’s nothing you can do but stay true to your free will and your path regardless of others. When everything becomes engulfed in dark matter you will still exist as once created it cannot be destroyed, life goes beyond this life, it’s goes eternal.
55:5 ^^ photo dark but light brite. but negative dark. Left become rite ? vFallout is great. like borderlance. dozence? of cult ural dif eh refce. ^ ^ is there a link ? in the blööd? ötherce?
