Reed Alexander's Horror Review of 'Prince of Darkness' (1987)

Cosmic Horror developed from the idea that there are measurable forces, tangible entities, and connected realities, all of which are scientifically feasible. This actually has been a bit of an issue with horror in general. There really isn't a need to have tangibility in horror. Why does Michael Myers keep getting back up? Is it some mystical force? Sure! It could be anything. It could be demons, the spirit of Samhain, evil incarnate, whatever. It honestly doesn't always need an explanation. That was my critique of The Hallow (2015). Sometimes scientific plausibility kills the mood of horror.

But if scientific plausibility is the hallmark of cosmic horror, what's the difference? The difference is that cosmic horror is a kind of science fiction that gives the mythos tangibility. Existing mythos like fairies and demons don't need tangibility, the intangible makes them more frightening. That's the difference between Frankenstein's monster and Michael Myers. The story of Frankenstein needed the scientific tangibility to work, Halloween (1978) simply did not.

So where does Prince of Darkness stand? If the container of green gew is concentrated evil, do we need scientific plausibility? Of course not, and Prince of Darkness doesn't even really try. The scientific setting that is brought forth in the movie is complete misdirection. It never matters. The scientists involved in the study of the green gew find themselves pawing helplessly at mysteries with no real answer. It shows that our science is feeble and cannot help or save us, and this is far more terrifying than simple scientific plausibility. That is the true purpose of Cosmic Horror, to show us that all our science and technology are useless against forces and powers among the infinite void in our cosmos.

Here's the thing, though. When we really peel back the premise of Prince of Darkness, we discover that it's just a Possession Horror movie, not dissimilar to a Zombie Horror movie. Kind of like Deathgasm (2015). Possessed victims are pretty much just semi-intelligent zombies. It's funny, because they pass the possession on like the movie The Invasion (2007). Don't get me wrong, it's a good movie. It's even got pretty good acting for horror. Nothing award winning, mind you, but definitely better than par. It's got two of my favorite horror actors in it, Donald Pleasence, and Victor Wong. I'm only gonna mention Alice Cooper to say, fuck you, you transphobic piece of shit. Long ago you may have had my respect and admiration, but you lost all that when you became a bigot. Your presence in this movie is a black stain it doesn't deserve. Get fucked.

It's even got great representation. Carpenter's movies usually do, and this one is no different. Not only is a good chunk of the cast Asian, but the black guy DOESN'T die first, and even when he gets it, he continues to get marvelous screen time right until the bitter end of the movie. Carpenter frequently sets a standard that the rest of horror can learn from.

The atmosphere was also pretty good. The whole thing basically takes place in a church which is a really good set choice. The lighting and filters are all right. The practical FXs are all simple but done perfectly. It's got the Carpenter standard that makes him a master of horror.

Honestly, this movie is mandatory viewing for Horror Heads. It's good enough to make it worth it too. But it's also the third installment in Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy with The Thing (1982) and In the Mouth of Madness (1994). Every Horror Head really should be familiar with all three of these classics. So watch them!