Prince of Darkness - Lisa Blount

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness" )

directed by John Carpenter
USA 1987

When the guardian priest of a derelict Los Angeles church dies before his meeting with the local bishop, Father Loomis (Donald Pleasance, HALLOWEEN) comes across a diary and a key that lead to the discovery of an eons-old cannister in the church's basement. Horrified by the revelations in the diary and an ancient, previously-unknown scripture, he appeals to physicist Howard Birack (Victor Wong, BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA) to investigate the canister. He assembles a team of physicists and top graduate students who arrive at the church under the watchful eyes of the sinister street people (lead by rocker Alice Cooper). As student Brian (Jamison Parker, TV's SIMON & SIMON) discovers evidence that the liquid inside the canister may be sentient and possess psychokinetic capabilities, Catherine (Lisa Blount, NEEDFUL THINGS) tries to interpret quadratic equations conceived thousands of years before their invention, and translator Lisa (Ann Yen, LOVE OR MONEY) discovers that the canister discovers that Jesus was an alien and the canister contains the son of Satan (and the container can only be opened from the inside). Those that have fallen asleep all experience a shared dream vision from the future of a dark figure emerging from the church out into the world. The liquid from the canister takes possession of radiologist Susan (Anne Howard, THE WEATHERMAN) who proceeds to infect others in the group in a Cronenbergian fashion. Meanwhile, ants, worms, and beetles start answering to a sinister higher power and the street people turn murderous and seal the surviving members of the team inside the church (already filled with zombified team members) as the canister decides to open itself. Dennis Dun (BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA) and Peter Jason (IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS) also star. Visual effects artist Robert Grasmere (PREDATOR 2) and casting director Joanna Merlin (THE LAST EMPEROR) have prominent supporting roles.

Eric Cotenas

Posters

Theatrical Release: October 23rd, 1987

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DVD Comparison:

Universal Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Studio Canal (Collection Un Maxx de Frissons) - Region 2 - PAL vs. Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for all the Screen Caps!

(Universal Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Studio Canal (Collection Un Maxx de Frissons) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers

Distribution	Universal Pictures Region 1 - NTSC	Studio Canal Region 2 - PAL	Image Entertainment Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:41:27	1:37:40 (4% PAL speedup)	1:41:30
Video	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.83 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 7.73 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	2.47:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.55 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Universal Pictures
Bitrate: Studio Canal (Collection Un Maxx de Frissons)
Bitrate: Image Entertainment
Audio	English Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround	English Dolby Digital 5.1; English Dolby Digital 2.0 Sturround; French Dolby Digital 5.1; French Dolby Digital 2.0 mono	English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo
Subtitles	English HoH, Spanish, French, none	French, none	none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Universal Pictures Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Theatrical Trailer (4:3; 1:51) • Recommendations DVD Release Date: 7 October 2003 Amaray Chapters 18	Release Information: Studio: Studio Canal Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Audio Commentary with director John Carpenter and actor Peter Jason • Introduction by John Carpenter (4:3; 7:13) • Scene Analysis with John Carpenter (4:3; 2:49) • Photo Gallery • U.S. Theatrical Trailer (16:9; 1:56) • Filmographies • Internet Links DVD Release Date: Amaray Chapters 12	Release Information: Studio: Image Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.47:1 Edition Details: • none DVD Release Date: 29 April 1998 Snapper Case Chapters 12

Comments

The Universal and Studio Canal DVDs sport dual-layer transfers with the Ultra Stereo mix encoded as Dolby 2.0 Surround, while the Image DVD encodes it in 2.0 stereo (there is little difference and it is a strong mix on all three discs). The French DVD also features okay 5.1 remixes of the original English surround and French mono tracks. The French disc image appears a tad softer than the Universal (of course, it sacrifices some of its bitrate to 5 audio tracks and more extras). The Image DVD (which I thought was amazing when it first came out) is brighter than the newer transfers, but that occasionally causes highlights to blow out. I suspect the newer transfers may be more accurate in terms of color (retaining the candlelit warmth of the basement scenes - Carpenter acknowledges that the actors were also lit with gold gels so their skin tones should look warmer during these scenes). On the other hand, the 2.47:1 Image DVD reveals more info on the right side of the screen, while at other times it reveals more info on both sides of the frame than the newer transfers. The wider framing does accentuate the bowing of the straight lines caused by the wide-angle anamorphic lenses (but this is also apparent in the newer transfers). The Universal DVD is also marred by some interlaced passages (most notably the opening few minutes and a sequence in the middle of the film) but it features the original trailer.

The Studio Canal release features an audio commentary by John Carpenter and actor Peter Jason, which is entertaining but not always as informative as one would wish (Carpenter describes how some of the effects were achieved, but does not note their cinematic antecedents - for instance, ORPHEUS for the mirror effects using mercury [which he tells us was siphoned from the inside of one of the production's Chapman cranes and then returned afterward]). At times, Jason seems to recall more about the story than Carpenter, and he also relates a lot of cast anecdotes.

- Eric Cotenas

DVD Menus
(Universal Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Studio Canal (Collection Un Maxx de Frissons) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

Screen Captures

(Universal Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Studio Canal (Collection Un Maxx de Frissons) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)