Plot
A research team finds a mysterious cylinder in a deserted church. If opened, it could mean the end of the world.
Release Year: 1987
Rating: 6.5/10 (13,037 voted)
Director:
John Carpenter
Stars: Donald Pleasence, Lisa Blount, Jameson Parker
Storyline A sinister secret has been kept in the basement of an abandoned Los Angeles church for many years. With the death of a priest belonging to a mysterious sect, another priest opens the door to the basement and discovers a vat containing a green liquid. The priest contacts a group of physics graduate students to investigate it. Unfortunately, they discover that the liquid contains the essence of Satan himself, and they also discover that he will release HIS father - an all-powerful Anti-God! The liquid later comes to life itself, turning some of the students into zombies as the Devil comes forward to release his father. Will these students be able to stop him?
Cast: Donald Pleasence
-
Priest
Jameson Parker
-
Brian Marsh
Victor Wong
-
Prof. Howard Birack
Lisa Blount
-
Catherine Danforth
Dennis Dun
-
Walter
Susan Blanchard
-
Kelly
Anne Marie Howard
-
Susan Cabot
(as Anne Howard)
Ann Yen
-
Lisa
Ken Wright
-
Lomax
Dirk Blocker
-
Mullins
Jessie Lawrence Ferguson
-
Calder
Peter Jason
-
Dr. Paul Leahy
Robert Grasmere
-
Frank Wyndham
Thom Bray
-
Etchinson
Joanna Merlin
-
Bag Lady
Taglines:
Before man walked the earth...it slept for centuries. It is evil. It is real. It is awakening.
Opening Weekend: $4,657,401
(USA)
(25 October 1987)
(1239 Screens)
Gross: $14,182,492
(USA)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
Rock singer Alice Cooper is among the hordes of homeless people that surround the church during the film.
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes:
When Susan climbed onto Lisa's bed and sprayed the liquid "evil" into Lisa's mouth, the liquid was obviously sprayed from a tube behind Susan's mouth instead of from inside it.
Quotes: Brian:
[repeated dialogue]
Have you seen Susan? Professor Edward Birack:
Who? Brian:
Radiologist. Glasses.
User Review
Greatly underrated. One of Carpenter's best!
Rating: 10/10
I remember working as an usher when this movie came out. The look on
the faces in the audience after the movie ended was priceless. Most
were either truly disturbed or confused as hell.
I thought the premise was unique. It's always been said that the
existence of God can't be proven. Here we have several scientists and
students trying, not only to prove that the Devil exists, but that they
have him trapped in a jar in a church basement.
The movie is so full of sub-atomic theory that you would swear it was
written by Michio Kaku, not John Carpenter. (Yeah, don't let the
credits fool you. Carpenter wrote this film under a pseudonym)
Took my girlfriend to see this when it came out. She's now my wife and
to this day, she's still a little afraid of mirrors because of this
film.
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