John Carpenter’s
Prince
Of
Darkness
Written By
Benjamin Pearce
INT. ST. JOHNSON’S CATHOLIC CHURCH- MORNING
Father GREG ARNOLD, with a long gray beard, dressed in a black suit, is standing up at the alter. They are singing “Amazing Grace”, They sing the entire song.
Afterwards, He kneels. He pits his hands together, in a preying motion. He looks up at the roof.
FATHER ARNOLD
It is time, Everybody:
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
As he finishes, and everyone leaves, he turns around and walks to the back, he takes a key shaped like an upside down cross. He puts the key in the keyhole. People are looking at him strangely. An old woman starts to walk up to him, but he turns the key and unlocks the door.
INT. STAIRS- MORNING
He opens the door and quickly walks down to the first step. He turns and starts to shut the door, but the old woman comes up and holds the door open.
OLD WOMAN
Excuse me father, but what about the contemporary service tonight at seven?
FATHER ARNOLD
What about it?
OLD WOMAN
Well, are we still having it? Because you don’t look too good.
FATHER ARNOLD
Don’t worry about me, madam.
OLD WOMAN
Oh, ok.
FATHER ARNOLD shuts and locks the door. Now it is dark at the top of the steps. There is no light switch. There IS a shining green light at the bottom of the steps. FATHER ARNOLD starts to walk down the stairs.
INT. BASEMENT CHAPEL- MORNING
Little light is down here. FATHER ARNOLD comes down and kneels down on the dusty cement floor. He looks up at a glowing five-gallon see through tank of a greenish blue liquid.
FATHER ARNOLD
Is it time?
He looks up at the greenish liquid. Then he looks down at the floor. He slowly stands up. His eyes are yellow. He smiles and laughs with evil. He turns and walks.
INT. STAIRS- MORNING
He walks up the stairs, still with that evil smile. He turns the knob to the door. He opens it.
INT. SERVICE CHAPEL- MORNING
He walks over to the entrance of the church, still with that evil smile. He walks to the right.
INT. OFFICE- MORNING
FATHER ARNOLD opens the door to the office and sits town in a chair. He is still smiling. Then he picks up the phone, he dials 9-1-1.
Operator
9-1-1 Emergency, what is your emergency?
FATHER ARNOLD stops smiling. He turns around and grabs a letter opener. He turns back to the phone, he stabs out his right eye. It starts to bleed. Then he just starts to laugh insanely.
FATHER ARNOLD (insanely)
Ha, ha, ha. You are all going to die! Pray for Death! He is coming! He Prince of Darkness is coming! And He’ll get you!
He stabs his other eye out. Then he finishes him off and stabs himself in the throat, the letter opener goes through his throat and out the other side. He gargles on his blood, then he dies. The phone is still off the hook.
Operator
Sir, if this is a prank, you’d better hang up. We are sending the police over. We will track this number and we will find you.
FADE OUT
JOHN CARPENtER’S
PRINCE OF DARKNESS
BEGINNING CREDITS START
NIRVANA’S LAKE OF FIRE plays.
FADE IN
INT. OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH- NOON
An old man, FATHER ALEX MEYERS, walks out of a black sedan, he walks up to three police officers standing in front of the church.
FATHER MEYERS
Excuse me officers, but could you tell me what happened here? I got a call from my sister and she said something happened here.
OFFICER
It is none of your business, a preacher died.
FATHER MEYERS
That preacher is, was my brother.
OFFICER
Oh, I’m very sorry. Go on in, just tell them who you are. And I’m sorry for your loss.
FATHER MEYERS
Thank you, officer.
FATHER MEYERS walks up the steps to the church. At the entrance, there are three guards standing in front of the door. They move out of the way and let ALEX MEYERS in. FATHER MEYERS opens the door to the church.
INT. CHAPEL- NOON
FATHER MEYERS walks through the chapel. He looks around the chapel. Then he stops in his tracks and looks straight ahead.
FATHER ARNOLD is hanging on a seven foot upside down cross on the wall behind the alter. FATHER MEYERS turns around and pulls a handkerchief out of his pocket and holds it over his mouth. A man walks up to him, DETECTIVE MARSHALL WALLS.
DETECTIVE WALLS
Yeah, It’s disturbing, ain’t it? I’m Detective Marshall Walls. Did you know this man well?
FATHER MEYERS
Hello sir, Father Alex Meyers. He was my brother.
DETECTIVE WALLS
But the name on the slip says…
FATHER MEYERS
I know what it says! He changed his name because he didn’t think he was part of the Meyers family anymore. Ever since he became a Catholic and the rest of us were Methodist, he figured that we wouldn’t accept him.
DETECTIVE WALLS
I’m sorry for your loss, but I need to ask you a few questions.
FATHER MEYERS
I don’t want to be here long.
DETECTIVE WALLS
Oh, It’ll only take about three minutes, maybe.
FATHER MEYERS
I guess I can answer a few questions.
DETECTIVE WALLS
Ok, did your brother have any case of schizophrenia?
FATHER MEYERS
No, they do not let anyone with a severe case of mental illness be a preacher.
DETECTIVE WELLS
I understand. Well, the operator said that he said something about the prince of darkness is going to murder him or something. Well I went ahead and researched it, and if this man was a preacher, than the prince of darkness is Satan.
FATHER MEYERS
Yes, my brother did believe that Satan was contained somewhere on Earth. He told us that he could communicate with Satan. I didn’t think he was telling the truth.
DETECTIVE WELLS
Well, Father Meyers. One thing confuses me, here. It appears that your brother died in the office. Plenty of blood samples proves that he died in that room. Well how did he manage to get all the way out here and nail himself, upside down, to that cross? I just can not believe that he did it by himself, he would not have been able to nail himself to the cross. Did your brother have any enemies?
FATHER MEYERS
No, He did not. I don’t know who would do this to him.
DETECTIVE WELLS pulls a cigarette out of his coat pocket. He takes the cigarette and puts it into his mouth. Then he reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out a lighter. He lights his cigarette. Then he blows the smoke out of his mouth, all over FATHER MEYERS.
DETECTIVE WELLS
Oh! I am so sorry. That was real rude of me! Now, before I go, there isn’t anything you’d be hiding from me… is there?
FATHER MEYERS
Detective Wells, Get out of here! I don’t need people like you in here! No there is not anything I’m hiding! Give me a damn moments peace!
DETECTIVE WELLS
Jesus Christ, calm down, Father! I mean it’s not like you killed him or anything. Did you kill him?
FATHER MEYERS faces one of the guards by the door.
FATHER MEYERS
Mister! This man is harassing me! Get him out of here!
FATHER MEYERS (to WELLS)
If you are not out of here in ten seconds, I’ll file charges for assult!
DETECTIVE MEYERS
Uh, file charges for what?
FATHER MEYERS
Harassment, Assault! Get out of here! All of you! Please just give me five minutes alone with my brother.
A SHERIFF stands up.
SHERIFF
You heard the man! Give the fucking guy a few fucking minutes of fucking peace for Christ sakes!
SHERIFF (To MEYERS)
Sorry for the language.
FATHER MEYERS
Just please get.
SHERIFF
Yes, Father.
FADE OUT
INT. BASEMENT CHAPEL- NOON
FATHER MEYERS is looking at the tank of greenish blue slime.
He gets up and walks around the tank. He turns around and sees a notebook lying on a rotting desk. He picks up the notebook and looks inside it. On the first page, in big bold words it reads:
The Prince of Darkness is coming!!!
FATHER MEYERS shuts the notebook and puts it in his coat.
FATHER MEYERS
Lord, please don’t let it be time. Please.
INT. OFFICE- NOON
FATHER MEYERS walks into the office. He sees the blood on the floor. He walks toward the blood and looks out the window. He sees DETECTIVE WALLS standing in front of the window, looking toward the road. He walks over and closes the curtains.
FATHER MEYERS walks over to the phone, which is hanging off the hook. He picks up the phone and puts it back onto the hook. Then he takes it off. He dials 555-3213.
FATHER MEYERS
Professor Brahms?
CUT TO
INT. FRONT OF CHURCH- AFTERNOON
THE NEXT DAY
A Blue F-150 pulls up beside the Church. There is equipment in the trunk. Monitors, Computers, Speakers, and other equipment. A woman walks out of the Passenger’s side. She takes off her sunglasses and looks at the Church. The woman is HILARY DANE.
A man gets out of the Driver’s side of the truck. He has a cell phone at his Ear. This man is JAMES DANE.
JAMES
Well, Yeah… no, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you on Tuesday. Ok, Love you, Bye.
HILARY
Jimmy… remember when we used to go here?
JAMES
Yes… the preacher was a dickhead and deserved to die.
HILARY
Jimmy! Hey, not nice!
JAMES
So what is happening here?
HILARY
I don’t know, Professor Brahms called me up and told me to bring all of the computer equipment I had.
JAMES
Why?
HILARY
I don’t know, Jimmy! He said it was urgent.
JAMES
Hilary, why did you bring me? I graduated three years ago. Why the hell would I want to waste my weekend in a rotting church with a bunch of college students?
HILARY
Professor Brahms said you knew how to operate the equipment better than any of his students. He needs you. Can you be helpful for one weekend?
JAMES
Or what? You’ll tell mom on me? Like the time---
HILARY
That was because you were practically killing the dog!
JAMES
I accidentally slammed the damn dogs head in the door and you told mom on me!
HILARY
Jimmy, get over it. It was what, sixteen years ago! Jesus Christ.
JAMES
Hey, Were at church now. No language.
HILARY walks in the back and opens the trunk. She grabs a monitor and lifts it up and starts walking toward the church. JAMES grabs a computer stand. He also starts walking toward the church.
HILARY
When’s the last time you’ve been to church, Jim?
JAMES
Not since I was seventeen. When was the last time you were at church, Hilary?
HILARY
Wednesday.
JAMES
I thought church was on Sundays.
HILARY
It is, but it’s also on Wednesdays also. We have food and then a service.
JAMES
Why do you take a science class that says that we evolved from monkeys, or whatever the hell we evolved from. But then on Sundays you go to church that completely throws all of that science shit out the window and tells us that a supernatural creature made us.
HILARY
I don’t know. I find both of the subjects interesting.
JAMES
No, History is interesting.
HILARY
Well, Church is kind of like a History class.
JAMES
A very boring History class.
HILARY
Ok, now shut up… were here.
FATHER MEYERS opens the door.
JAMES
No shit.
FATHER MEYERS
Welcome.
JAMES
Oh, dude, I’m sorry about that. No more swearing the rest of the weekend. If I do, for every time I swear, you can have a dollar.
HILARY
Oh, You wouldn’t last twenty minutes, Jimmy.
JAMES
Hilary… Shut the… heck up!
HILARY
Oh, close one. Sorry Mister…
FATHER MEYERS
Father Alex Meyers.
HILARY
Well… Father Meyers, Um… can you tell us what we’re dealing with here?
FATHER MEYERS
Honestly, I have no clue what it is.
JAMES
What what is?
FATHER MEYERS
Come… I’ll show you. Please… just leave the equipment here.
INT. LOBBY- AFTERNOON
The two siblings walk into the lobby and set the equipment on the floor.
JAMES
Hilary… What is it?
HILARY
All I heard is that it is a liquid. We may need to take samples of it.
FATHER MEYERS
Ok, you two. If I tell you my opinion of what I think it is, please right now, promise you won’t tell anyone.
HILARY
No, We won’t tell a soul.
JAMES
Yeah, whatever… tell me.
FATHER MEYERS
Ok, I think it is a liquid form of an ancient Evil.
JAMES
Wait… What?
HILARY
Evil, when you mean evil, you mean…
FATHER MEYERS
Well… for a scientist, It’d be pretty hard to explain.
JAMES
Try me, Mister Meyers.
FATHER MEYERS
Ok, I was reading this book---
JAMES
Just tell us!
FATHER MEYERS
Satan! Alright? I think it is the devil himself!
HILARY
Well… I’m sorry to tell you, mister Meyers… but I’m afraid that I just can not believe that. Now, take us to this Stuff.
INT. BASEMENT CHAPEL- AFTERNOON
The light is shining through the basement, the green light from the round container.
The three are standing there, looking up at the liquid… it is starting to swirl.
JAMES
Ok, no chemical spins around like this.
HILARY
Well… let’s go get the equipment, set it up, and figure out what this shit is.
JAMES