MovieChat Forums > Prince of Darkness (1987) Discussion > Question about the last few seconds of t...

Question about the last few seconds of this movie.

posted 8 years ago by gentlegee1976
10 replies | jump to latest

At the risk of sounding like a complete dumbass, I'm curious about something.

Am I right in thinking that if Brian's hand had gone through the mirror when he touched it, then the portal to the other side is still open, Satan's father is free to come into our world and humanity doesn't stand a chance.

On the other hand, if the mirror was solid then the portal remains closed and humanity is (for the time being) relatively safe.

Please don't insult me or make fun of my question. I watched this for the first time a few days ago and loved it. The ending is what I'm unsure of.

[–] regularfellow 8 years ago

Brian was having a nightmare.

Remember that the future video pushes out your dreams to show what is yet to be.

He was having a nightmare as the presentation from 1999 happened, once done the nightmare resumed.

Don't assume he woke up. We all have had dreams within a dream.

The bad ones really mess us up. I can recall waking up, sitting in bed asking myself if this was real?

[–] kmags84 8 years ago

I had a dream within a dream last night and it's what makes the ending so crucial. Ambiguous and finite at the same time. Such an odd little film, I've recently just gotten back into Carpenters less "popular" films after not having watched them in a few years. They're refreshing now more than ever. A good handful of his films were disregarded at the time of its release and have more than stood the test of time. Even 'The Thing' was blasted in 1982. Not only was the film overlooked, but Carpenter himself was labeled a hack. All these years later, he's spawned a generation of Horror Directors and Films.

[–] mav100000 (350) 7 years ago

To be completely honest, I've never had a dream within a dream...

[–] R_Kane (15828) 5 years ago

Given that it is VERY rare to recall a dream when awake, how the hell would you know?

Yes. Derisive rhetorical question. Could have resisted. Didn’t want to.

[–] mav100000 (350) 5 years ago

Funny that this was a year ago. I actually recall many of my dreams, though they fade out of memory quickly.

[–] ElectricalCoffee (1) 5 years ago

Brian was having the 1999 dream at his home. That means the sequence was sent either by Him, Walter or Birack. The portal is closed (Until John decides to produce the tv show )

[–] pjl69 (2647) 5 years ago

Its one of the greatest endings. I love everything in it, the music, the tension when Brian's hand goes closer and closer the mirror at which point everybody in the audience is expectin a cheap jump scare and something's coming out of the mirror, but the image turns black instead and the credits starts scrolling. Absolutely ingenious! I think this is the best ending in any Carpenter movie, and he has plenty of excellent endings. He surely can end his movies.

[–] stones78 (426) 3 years ago

no it isn't, stop it.

[–] pjl69 (2647) 3 years ago

What's your favourite ending then?

[–] acelesson (812) 2 years ago

The Thing probably.

Big trouble in 2nd