Why John Carpenter Thinks This Hidden Gem Deserves More Love Than You Think!

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According to John Carpenter, “Prince of Darkness” is considered one of his lesser-known masterpieces, and it serves as a spiritual successor to a renowned British horror series. Released during the golden era of John Carpenter’s filmmaking career in the 1980s, “Prince of Darkness” was part of a string of exceptional films such as “The Thing” and “They Live.

In this movie titled “Prince of Darkness,” a group of researchers investigates an enigmatic cylinder hidden beneath a church, potentially holding the spirit of Satan. However, be warned, there’s a twist: the cylinder does indeed contain Satan. Despite being successful at its initial release, it remains less popular compared to other films by Carpenter and is considered more obscure.

Though I personally believe the Prince of Darkness is often overlooked, the film is rich in Lovecraftian themes. It evokes a sense of cosmic terror, skillfully merging elements of science and faith while hinting at the presence of ancient entities intent on humanity’s demise.

Prince Of Darkness Is A Spiritual Sequel To Quatermass And The Pit

Carpenter nods to The Stone Tape too

As a cinephile, I, following my tumultuous encounter with 20th Century Fox on “Big Trouble in Little China,” found myself drawn to create on a shoestring budget. The Prince of Darkness was born out of this need for artistic freedom and a tribute to the masterful works of British author Nigel Kneale.

Kneale is most recognized for producing the Quatermass television series and films, as well as the 1972 spine-tingling ghost story, The Stone Tape. Notably, the film Prince of Darkness seems to be a revamp of Kneale’s work, specifically “Quatermass and the Pit,” where the protagonist (portrayed by Andrew Keir) discovers an alien spacecraft hidden beneath the London subterranean.

Investigating the ship and its occupants unveiled that these beings were the architects of advanced life on Earth, shaping human intelligence as well as our inherent violent tendencies and spiritual beliefs. Following the ship’s resurrection, events took a turn towards catastrophic, marking the Quatermass and the Pit series and its Hammer Horror movie adaptations as timeless classics in the realm of science fiction today.

In a similar vein as he did with “Prince of Darkness,” the carpenter used consistent themes, giving more focus to religious concepts and quantum physics. Notably, both stories share a comparable structure, even featuring endings where a selfless act potentially averts disaster – although the enigmatic final scene of “Prince of Darkness” leaves room for uncertainty about its outcome.

The Quatermass Franchise Was Hugely Influential On John Carpenter

There is a reason Carpenter is credited as “Martin Quatermass”

As a youngster, Carpenter nurtured a fondness for B-movies and horror genres. He was deeply influenced by the works of Nigel Kneale, particularly the Quatermass series. According to Carpenter, the first film in the series, The Quatermass Experiment, left a profound impact on him when he watched it through Kino Lorber as a child, stunning him immensely.

The young carpenter found himself captivated by the mixture of horror and science fiction in it, and the body-horror aspects undeniably influenced portions of “The Thing”. Similarly, the impact of Kneale is evident throughout Carpenter’s body of work, with “Prince of Darkness” and “Ghosts of Mars” serving as notable examples.

1979’s “Quatermass” didn’t impress the carpenter much. This was a rather grim conclusion by Kneale, where an elderly Quatermass faced another extraterrestrial threat, and what was most chilling of all – hippies. It’s important to mention that not only did “Quatermass and the Pit” inspire the carpenter in creating “Prince of Darkness,” but there were also traces of the “Stone Tape” concept involved.

Essentially, these are the investigations conducted on the container and the efforts made to rationalize the unexplained using scientific methods. However, it’s important to note that in either scenario, science offers little shield against malevolent entities that predate humanity itself.

Quatermass’ Creator Wasn’t A Fan Of Prince Of Darkness

Kneale and Carpenter had a bad experience together making Halloween III

Following his success in Hollywood, Carpenter seized the chance to collaborate with one of his idols, Kneale, on writing Halloween III: Season of the Witch. This project aimed to depart from Michael Myers, as Kneale’s original concept revolved around an ancient witch orchestrating a mass sacrifice of children on Halloween night.

The idea proposed by Kneale for Halloween was considered bizarre and unsettling. However, producer Carpenter appreciated it but requested modifications to heighten the fear and gore aspects. Despite these alterations, Kneale declined to comply and removed his name from the Halloween movie after other writers rewrote the script. In the end, Kneale didn’t have a positive opinion of Carpenter and criticized Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness film in The Observer/Vice publication, stating:

With an homage like this, one might say, who needs insults?

Once more, it is evident that the film “Prince of Darkness” carries strong influences from Kneale, ranging from its plotline to a character sporting a T-shirt bearing “Kneale University”. However, this homage did not seem to elicit any positive sentiments from the creator of Quatermass, who was known for his grumpy demeanor.

In a 2014 interview with Vulture, Carpenter expressed that despite their challenging professional relationship, it didn’t affect his admiration for Kneale’s work. He said, “No, I truly appreciated his original creations. I think he was groundbreaking… but a pain to collaborate with!

Given Kneale’s strained connections with Hollywood, Prince of Darkness serves as the most American-style counterpart to a Quatermass film. In the early 2000s, discussions about a high-budget Quatermass movie featuring Sean Connery were underway, but unfortunately, the project never materialized.

Prince Of Darkness Is The Second Part Of Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy

PoD is sandwiched between The Thing and In the Mouth of Madness

John Carpenter directed just one direct sequel, which was 1996’s “Escape from L.A.” Apart from that, he chose not to be involved with any subsequent “Halloween” films or other follow-ups as he favored working on fresh ideas instead. However, he did create a thematic series, known as the “Apocalypse Trilogy,” which includes “The Thing,” “Prince of Darkness,” and “In the Mouth of Madness.

The movies don’t bring back any familiar characters or storylines, but they all explore different aspects of the apocalypse: “The Thing” delves into the demise of personal identity, “Prince of Darkness” tackles the concept of God’s demise, and “In the Mouth of Madness” grapples with the end of our understanding of reality itself.

Kneale’s impact is evident in all three works; however, there’s a prominent thread of H.P. Lovecraft’s style running through them as well. The movie “The Thing” seems to be an adaptation of Lovecraft’s renowned tale “At the Mountains of Madness,” while “In the Mouth of Madness” might be interpreted as exploring the question: “What if Lovecraft was a herald for the Old Ones?

The horror trilogy under discussion is one of the greatest ever made. Among them, ‘Prince of Darkness’ remains surprisingly undervalued. Although the Quatermass series has become less well-known in recent times, it’s a must-watch for horror enthusiasts who appreciate the genre’s historical significance.

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2025-07-05 16:30