One of my all time favorites.

Awesome Movie

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

'Prince of Darkness' is not master of horror John Carpenter's best film and it is weakest in his so called "Apocalypse Trilogy", but Carpenter is such director whose more mediocre work surpasses other genre director's film by miles. In 'Prince of Darkness' Carpenter again manages to perfectly create creepy and claustrophobic atmosphere (although might not as good as in 'The Thing') and the horror doesn't need to rely on jump scares and fancy special effects. Only Carpenter can build up such a slow an intense waiting of the doom.After some flops at the box office John Carpenter had fallen into discountenance by the mayor studios 'Prince of Darkness' was again independent film with modest budget. The low budged doesn't take anything away from the movie, on the contrary it doesn't show like a low budget film (I guess it's Carpenter's experiences working on shoestring budgets). The build up is little slow, and the action parts are little corny some times (without right amount of cheese it wouldn't be Carpenter's film), but the dialogue is magnificently written and characters (except some expendables) are rather intelligent and avoiding too much horror movie clichés. Again, Carpenter manages to create an eerie synthesizer soundtrack, that is pleasure to listen, but is not recommended to listen on your ipod while walking on dark streets.'Prince of Darkness' is above average atmospheric and intelligent horror film that uses many interesting ideas and avoids to slump into horror film clichés. It should please hard core horror fans, and is must see for John Carpenter fans.

This review has potential spoilers. Suffice to say, it is still a very creepy film after nearly 30 years, and you need go no further than that.I read some of the negative reviews about this movie, and about the acting, and I just sort of shake my head. They are missing one of the key aspects upon which this movie stands: disbelief. And it's also the same reason why you can watch this film maybe 40 years later, and it would probably still creep the livin' h*ll out of you.Indeed, it starts a little slow. The music Carpenter adds for the non-dialog scenes builds a very thick sense of dread. But it's when they get the graduate students is where this film gets legs. The students and the professors, all of whom are very scientific and rational people, are asked to analyze something that only lives in what modern Man thinks is nothing more than Dark Age superstition. Yet, the green goo is there, in all of its horrible glory. Moreover, not only are they asked to PROVE that this is evil incarnate, but find a way to stop it. And their reactions reflect their basic struggle to come to grips of what they are seeing.And yet, Carpenter's sound track rolls on. It really does give you the creeps.And that's the genius of the film: the fact that the security of modern thinking has just been ripped away in one fell swoop, and you're staring straight into a chapter or two of Revelations of John, in the flesh. And you're trying to turn it all back with test tubes and computer print-outs. Even early in the film you get the impression that this isn't going to end well.And then there is the dream sequences that lengthen as the movie rolls. This is also key to the movie, for reasons that I won't explain because it is a potential spoiler.To that end, this is a film whose premise is to turn Christianity on its head. For those of faith, this is a bit of an issue. I personally put that aside - it's a horror film, and a flight of fancy. All in all, this film is best experienced in the dead of the night, in a darkened room, alone. That you'll get it.The last scenes in the movie are undoubtedly the best.

I've never seen this movie until a few days ago for the first time. Man I overlooked this one way to late into my adult life. I've seen plenty of John Carpenter films growing up, and I loved everything than mans done. His style and tone just speaks to me when it comes to horror and concepts. How was the movie?Different. I think John was on a mission when he made this movie. The idea of Science explaining an ancient evil is rarely done in horror movies since the concept of horror works best with the supernatural. But in this case, it was a nice touch up of change and I welcomed it.The script was well paced. The plot wasn't convoluted, and the score was AMAZING(if you love synth music). The use of practical effects can't be overlooked, especially the use of water effects in the scenes taking place during the possessions(cool stuff). And that last scene is horrifying as hell!The characters are a bit stiff. Typical class of characters brought together for an experiment, yadda, yadda. But in the end, they do their part not tripping over one another. I'm glad I finally seen this piece of work from John Carpenter. And I will watch the final in his apocalypse trilogy to make myself complete in viewing the works from a great filmmaker. 8/10

This Movie will end and you will have one of two opinions 1. It's one of the great movies ever or 2. It's just boring Seriously it's that simple it's not for everyone that's for sure It goes like this okay In a run down cellar in a church, a priest (Donald Pleasence) finds a weird vial That is filled with slime. Confused and frightened the priest Makes a call and brings his discovery to a circle of top scholars and scientists, who eventually learn the secret of the strange liquid and hell is unleashed But can they survive to tell the tale The cast is great carpenter really nails another movie with his directing It has a real classic feel to it I loved it try it