I suppose it's not a big stretch to consider this one of John Carpenter's less seen movies, at least with general audiences. Maybe that's because it's a fairly ideas heavy film about science fiction and religious mythology clashing together. Or maybe it's just because a team of physicists and a priest have to join forces to fight a big glass tube full of green goop. There are no iconic villains here or heroes, it's all far more eerie and ambiguous. Even the typical Carpenter and Howarth score swaps out the memorable keyboard tunes for something purely atmospheric. But this is still worth examining; a sinister film full of smaller moments that still make a lasting impact. It's how these pieces come together as a whole that make this less favoured with genre fans.
Those hoping for a minor reunion with some of the Big Trouble in Little China cast will probably feel let down, as both Victor Wong and Dennis Dun are playing against type here. However that's certainly one of many positive aspects to the film; that it's often unconventional. Not everything works unfortunately but it never tries to be anything straightforward. There are some axe attack moments, but it's not a slasher film. There are some discussions about quantum theory, but it's not a genuinely cerebral story. There are even some zombie style moments but there's not much to set anything up as a walking dead plot of any kind. So what is this film exactly? The problem is that there are so many different ideas floating around that nothing ever becomes a core for the story.
Professor Birack (Wong) and a priest (Donald Pleasence) must join forces to unravel a mystery involving ancient languages, anti-matter and messages hidden in dreams being broadcast from the future. Still following so far? Well this is all just dressing for a story in which Satan is hidden in a church basement... in the form of a swirling tube of sentient green liquid. Birack and his students must put all of the pieces together in time to prevent the apocalypse, while also contending with a gang of murderous homeless people led by Alice Cooper. To say this is all a bit bonkers is probably an understatement, but the film spends little time talking down to the viewer as ideas about quantum particles and evil beings are thrown about.
The bulk of the experience is really about the mood of the film, as images of a strange eclipse are shown and millions of insects begin to swarm. The whole thing looks really good despite a small number of sets, and the design of the central basement is a highlight. It's all incredibly oppressive despite the L.A. sunshine and an eclectic team of characters. They all find themselves trapped inside a make-shift laboratory and soon start to share a dream... about a shadowy figure emerging from the very same building. How much of Carpenter's so-called 'apocalypse trilogy' really fits together is debatable, but it's certainly another downbeat tale with an ambiguous ending.
Some of these elements on the other hand are often just either too silly or executed in ways that feel too outlandish to be taken seriously. One of the students is taken over by a swarm of beetles and another is possessed just so she can type spooky messages on a computer screen. Again on their own these sort of things are very entertaining and often memorable, but as a whole it's sometimes very hokey. The introduction of telekinetic powers in the third act is never frightening, and Donald Pleasence being wheeled away on a stretcher in one scene comes off as unintentionally funny. In fact the whole finale in which the priest spends most of his time hiding behind a bookshelf and various students try and barricade themselves in is often laughable.
The cast give it their best shot but many of these jargon filled inclusions are tough to digest, while the more mundane character moments are about as effective. Walter (Dennis Dun) is often an abrasive presence making threats to his life less unwelcome than they should be, and the romance between moustached creeper Brian (Jameson Parker) and fellow student Catherine (Lisa Blount) has zero chemistry. Other familiar faces like Peter Jason give it that classic '80s ensemble vibe, and in general there's a mixture of serious and fun dramatic beats. But when everyone's job is so specialised it's hard to relate to many of them unless you're into quantum mechanics and complex mathematics (and if so the results are probably even sillier).
Purely as a chiller this is all fairly well made and the general mood of the story results in an eerie viewing experience. There's a mixture of strange imagery and gruesome shocks as things slowly go off the rails resulting in a stylish, if eyebrow raising, horror show. Things like 'The God Plutonium' and sinister parallel dimensions lurking behind everyday mirrors might be nonsensical, but they're still pretty indelible. The same can be said of the brutal conclusion which doesn't hold back on gnarly special effects or overtly bleak set pieces. In the end it's a mixed bag with so many competing ideas that never really mesh as intended, but the dreamlike atmosphere and the strange plot developments make it kind of unique. It might not be a highlight for the lead actors or the director, but it's still worth revisiting.
3/5
