RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / Upcoming / Prince of Darkness
Prince of Darkness

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Prince of Darkness (1987)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
44 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:18

Fresh:8

Rotten:10

Average Rating:5/10

Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: Director John Carpenter creates a film that is genuinley scary with PRINCE OF DARKNESS. Graduate students are confronted with pure evil when they go to study a container of strange ooze discovered... Director John Carpenter creates a film that is genuinley scary with PRINCE OF DARKNESS. Graduate students are confronted with pure evil when they go to study a container of strange ooze discovered in the basement of an abandoned church. The ooze is released and all hell, quite literally, breaks loose within the church. Some of the students are turned into skinless zombies while others receive warnings from the future sent in the form of hazy dreams. The warnings tell of the rise of Satan and the ensuing destruction of humanity. The students must stop the evil from being released, even at the cost of their lives and souls. Carpenter pulls together a solid ensemble cast and builds a heavy mood of impending doom around them. There are many truly terrifying moments, with the climax of the film being one of the most visually brilliant and disturbing in the horror genre. Rock star Alice Cooper provides a fun cameo appearance as a minion of Satan. PRINCE OF DARKNESS was the first production in a three-film deal Carpenter signed with a small Hollywood studio in the 1980s and is one of the great films of the director's canon. The other two films in that deal were THEY LIVE and MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN. [More]

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Lisa Blount, Victor Wong, Jameson Parker

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Lisa Blount, Victor Wong, Jameson Parker, Alice Cooper, Dennis Dun, Susan Blanchard, Ann Marie Howard, Ann Yen, Ken Wright, Dirk Blocker, Jessie Lawrence Ferguson, Peter Jason, Robert Grasmere, Thom Bray, Joanna Merlin, Betty Ramey, Jessie Ferguson, Helen Kelly

Director: John Carpenter

Director: John Carpenter

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Prince of Darkness

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/26/09
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Crossing the boundary at the outer reaches of the physical world where science meets superstition and reason collides with the irrational, it tells a tale as miraculous as the Bible and as dry as any technical text.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
10/05/08
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Eye for Film
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
08/18/08
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

No review available.

comment Comment
02/18/07
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out

No review available.

comment Comment
08/02/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Reasonably chilling.

Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness | comment Comment
06/29/05
Nick Schager
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness

The setup is great; the payoff leaves you more than a little bit disappointed.

Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies | comment Comment
01/24/05
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Goatdog's Movies

One of John Carpenter's most underrated films, gory, grim and good.

comment Comment
01/14/05
Blake Davis
Blake Davis
KFOR Channel 4 News

it's NEW and IMPROVED LIQUID SATAN!!!

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
09/04/04
Brian Mckay
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com

No review available.

comment Comment
08/20/04
Nicolas Lacroix
Nicolas Lacroix
EnPrimeur.ca

No review available.

comment Comment
01/24/04
Spence D.
Spence D.
IGN Movies

No review available.

comment Comment
01/15/04
Randy Shulman
Randy Shulman
Metro Weekly (Washington, DC)

The last superlative Carpenter film. Moment of silence, please.

comment Comment
09/08/03
Widgett Walls
Widgett Walls
Needcoffee.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
01/28/03
Mark Palermo
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Among Carpenter's worst and that's saying something.

comment Comment
11/25/02
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

An okay rental. Didn't even come close to living up to its potential.

comment Comment
08/28/02
Alex Sandell
Alex Sandell
Juicy Cerebellum

A minor Carpenter entry, to be sure, but still weird and freaky enough to make for solid B-horror viewing.

comment Comment
07/26/02
Rob Vaux
Rob Vaux
Flipside Movie Emporium

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mark R. Leeper
Mark R. Leeper
rec.arts.movies.reviews
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
See All

More Movies

Coming Soon in Australia
Tomatometer Percentage Movie Date

70% 70% Where the Wild Things Are 03/12
83% 83% Paranormal Activity 03/12
89% 89% Zombieland 03/12
76% 76% The Informant! 03/12
— The Strength of Water 03/12

What’s Hot On RT

Shock! Horror?

Shock! Horror?

Lars von Trier talks Antichrist

Avatar

Avatar

Watch an exclusive behind-the-scenes video

RT's Twilight corner

RT's Twilight corner

Everything you need on New Moon is here

Doomed Romance

Doomed Romance

Our top 10 star-crossed movie lovers

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
30
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
10
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
112
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
112
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
  • 6 Reasons 'Twilight' Is Doomed Source: The Wrap
64
  • Forbes Names Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors Source: Forbes
20
  • Chris Weitz Says He's (Almost) Done with Directing Source: Film School Rejects
26
  • Spider-Man 4 Casting Rumors Multiply Like Rabbits Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
51
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
168
  • Critics Consensus: New Moon Wanes
129
  • Tomatometer Watch: Will Twilight's New Moon Dazzle?
97
  • Total Recall: Star-Crossed Lovers
75
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
62
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
56
  • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
32
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
8
  • RT on DVD: Harry Potter returns, Bella heads to Adventureland
4
  • Ho, ho, ho! It's RT's Great Big Gift Guide!
0
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
8
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
8
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
19
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
6
  • RT on DVD: Wassup, Bruno
3
  • Scott Hicks Talks The Boys Are Back
0
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Richard Kelly chats about The Box
2
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
19
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Prince of Darkness at Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Links

Featured
Win Glee DVDs
Win Glee DVDs External Link

We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.

New Moon Portraits
New Moon Portraits External Link

TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

Why Don't Australians Make Sci-fi?
Why Don't Australians Make Sci-fi? External Link

The New Matilda's Lynden Barber looks at the recent success of low-budget sci-fi -- and asks the question.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter External Link

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.

Competitions
Win Star Wars prizes
Win Star Wars prizes External Link

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Win the entire 007 collection
Win the entire 007 collection External Link

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

Win Fight Club Special Editions and more
Win Fight Club Special Editions and more External Link

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.