“決して解けない呪いがある”
ロサンゼルスのとある廃墟と化した教会。その扉を開けた一人の老司教はそこに不気味な緑の液体を発見。悪魔の復活を予感した彼は超常現象の研究を進める教授ほか数名の研究員と共に教会に乗り込み調査を開始する……。「ハロウィン」「遊星からの物体X」などで知られるSFホラー作家の鬼才ジョン・カーペンターが、マーティン・クォータマス名義で脚本も手掛けたオカルト・ホラー。
AIが作品の魅力を深く読み解いています
製作費: $3,000,000 (5億円)
興行収入: $14,182,492 (21億円)
推定収支: $11,182,492 (17億円)
※製作費・興行収入はTMDBのデータを参照しています。収支は(興行収入 - 製作費)で算出したFindKey独自の推定値であり、広告宣伝費や諸経費は含まれません (1ドル=150円換算)。
監督: ジョン・カーペンター
脚本: ジョン・カーペンター
音楽: ジョン・カーペンター / Alan Howarth
制作: Larry Franco / Andre Blay / Shep Gordon
撮影監督: Gary B. Kibbe
制作会社: Alive Films / Larry Franco Productions
Then it really is Old Scratch knocking at the door. Something of the forgotten John Carpenter movie, Prince of Darkness shows both the good and bad side of the supremely talented director. The story is a beaut, a bit skew-whiff, but unmistakably Carpenter territory as Satan exists in some sort of parallel universe. How he manifests himself is narratively a bit tricky, but still it makes for good horror, especially as the old religious angle finds Carpenter - in the guise of Donald Pleasence - chortling away to himself in a way that Old Nick has been prone to do. Cue bugs, green goo, zombies and a centuries old sect determined to keep Satan out of our world. The scares are many, atmosphere bubbling away (in time with another of Carpenter's pulse beat synth musical scores), while the finale has a genuine surprise up its sleeve. Unfortunately the cast are playing second fiddle to the supernatural strengths, working from a script that doesn't sit at one with the screenplay, rendering the characters as uninvolving fodder. Yet be that as it may, it's still a film of delights, enough in fact to make it a top end entry on Carpenter's CV. 7/10
When an elderly priest passes away, one of his colleague discovers a mysterious green liquid hidden in a cylinder deep beneath a long-abandoned church. Rather misguidedly, as it turns out, he invites a group of enthusiastic students to come and investigate it's properties. Big mistake! It was hidden deep in the bowels of this crypt for a very good reason, and once they release it they discover that the Satanic horror they face might just be the tip of the iceberg! Donald Pleasence is strong here as the priest who realises, all too late in the day, that they are facing a terror that could jeopardise the very future of humanity... Christianity at any rate! Can he galvanise his now panic-stricken helpers to reverse the effects of the deadly gloop before they all become zombified servants of evil? The dialogue maybe isn't so hot, especially as hysteria begins to set in amongst the petrified, but the pace is great and the effects have held up remarkably well as this solid and quite menacing story builds to a genuinely exciting conclusion. The supporting cast deliver well, too and John Carpenter and Alan Howarth manage a score that adds quite a bit of peril to the accruing sense of danger the former creates throughout this rather superior drama. It's short, taut, and well worth a watch.
Such an interesting film, grew up minutes from the church this was filmed at. It’s where the Pope used to stay when he came to Los Angeles, California. This was really quite unnerving when it came out, as we saw it in the movie theater, and it had people gasping and leaving the theater. I knew I was in for a good time when that started happening. I’ve loved this film ever since, raised my 3 kids on John Carpenter films, and am hoping to do the same for ALL OF my grandchildren as well.
