Prince Of Darkness (1987) ***1/2

Prince Of Darkness (1987) is a bleak, perhaps even nihilistic film, but I love it. There's a definite Lovecraftian vibe running through POD and it plays as a kind of more-focused Fulci film, channeling a similar sense of unease. At times it's also reminiscent of the kind of sci-fi/horror on display in Halloween III: Season Of The Witch (1982) (review).

What hampers POD from being a stronger film are the numerous amateur performances (though Donald Pleasence and Victor Wong, as the most seasoned actors, are both strong here), very underdeveloped characters, some unfortunate dialogue, and a bunch of humor that falls flat. Though on one hand, some of the aforementioned qualities, along with the siege plot aspect, and director John Carpenter's penchant for delivering bang for every dollar spent, harken back to his earlier Assault On Precinct 13 (1976).

On a technical level, it's as good as anything Carpenter ever made (the "dream transmissions" are particularly excellent and eerie). The cinematography—though not handled by Carpenter's frequent collaborator Dean Cundey (who unfortunately shot his last film with the director the year before with Big Trouble In Little China (review))—by Gary B. Kibbe is very good and the visual effects are both gleefully grotesque and surreal. 

As a concept (that of psychics and the embodiment of Satan), it's incredibly interesting and unique. There's a great tension that builds and builds in the latter half—driven by Carpenter and composer Alan Howarth's pulsing score—to a truly creepy and somber finale. It's just a shame that Carpenter wasn't able to take the concept and fully deliver. POD is an imperfect film but an underrated one, nonetheless.

You can find my John Carpenter Films Ranked list here.