John Carpenter once called Prince of Darkness his most underrated film – an opinion I wholeheartedly endorse. While Carpenter is considered a master filmmaker now, many of his films either underperformed or outright bombed. John Carpenter movies like The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China or In the Mouth of Madness are considered genre classics, but they all flopped and met with mixed reviews upon release. The Thing, in particular, is now considered one of the best horror movies ever made despite being roundly panned in 1982.
Carpenter’s work has been incredibly influential too, inspiring movies like It Follows, The Purge movies or shows like Stranger Things. One movie that rarely gets referenced amongst his work is Prince of Darkness, a 1987 religious horror about a group of students studying an ancient vial of liquid that may, or may not, contain Satan; spoiler warning, it absolutely contains Satan. Prince of Darkness has always been one of my favorite Carpenter films, and while far from flawless, I think it’s one of his most purely terrifying works.
John Carpenter Is Right About 1987’s Prince Of Darkness Being His Most Underrated Movie
Prince of Darkness has never received the attention it deserves
While speaking with Anne Billson in 1996 (via Multiglom), Carpenter was asked what his most underrated film was, and the always succinct director replied with “Prince of Darkness is the most underrated of my films.” Prince of Darkness was Carpenter’s follow-up to Big Trouble in Little China, whose underperformance the filmmaker blamed on studio interference and a bizarre lack of advertising. Carpenter yearned for control on his next project, and made a deal to write, direct and score Prince of Darkness for a modest $3 million in exchange for final cut and the promise of no creative interference.
The result is something that plays like a nightmarish mashup of Dario Argento and the Quatermᴀss movies. I can’t think of another film quite like Prince of Darkness, and it’s unique even among Carpenter’s output. Sure, it has the pulsating score, the siege setup and several of his favorite actors (including Donald Pleasence), but its blending of science and religion, exploration of quantum mechanics and slow-burn mood makes it stand alone.
John Carpenter also worked with Donald Pleasence on Halloween and Escape from New York.
I can be honest about the film’s issues; it can get bogged down in sci-fi mumbo jumbo and lead actor Jameson Parker lacks the charisma to front the movie. Regardless, Prince of Darkness is loaded with haunting concepts and images, from the famous recurring Future Message nightmare to the relentless finale. It is terrifying on an almost existential level, and while it has some traditional slasher scenes and the occasional beheading, it taps right into the brain’s nightmare centre; or at least, it does for me.
Prince Of Darkness Is The Middle Chapter Of Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy
The Thing and In the Mouth of Madness form an unofficial trio
Carpenter accidentally created one of horror’s biggest slasher franchises with Halloween, but he has largely avoided making sequels to his own movies. That said, Carpenter has stated that The Thing, Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness form an unofficial series dubbed the Apocalypse Trilogy. None of the movies feature returning characters or storylines, but all deal with the end of the world via different means. The Thing is about the death of idenтιтy, Prince of Darkness is about the death of God while In the Mouth of Madness is about the end of reality itself.
It’s a thematic trilogy that offers all the jump scares and gore scenes audiences could ask for, while tackling some heady concepts. The Thing is my favorite, but all three movies are great in their own right. Prince of Darkness is the oddest of the bunch in the best possible way, and feels like a film only John Carpenter could have made. It’s a movie where religion and science ʙuтт heads with the fate of the world in the balance – and where a swirling vial of green liquid is the main antagonist for (most) of the story.
Prince of Darkness has its admirers, but compared to The Thing or They Live, it’s relatively obscure. I completely agree with Carpenter that Prince of Darkness is his most underrated film, and pray that horror fans who’ve overlooked the movie finally give it a chance.
Source: Multiglom
