John Carpenter had a fantastic run of form, from his debut Dark Star in 1974, up until They Live in 1988. Just before that sci-fi action classic he made this excellent little supernatural horror movie, which I had somehow failed to see until now. Donald Pleasence plays a nameless priest who enlists the help of controversial scientist Victor Wong and his team of research students. In the bowels of an abandoned church they discover a mysterious cylinder that might just prove to be a portal to another dimension, and Satan himself is knocking on the door. Something of a slowburn, the film nevertheless successfully builds suspense and tension, while serving up a decent number of old school scares and splatter effects. The unconventionally downbeat ending only adds to the reasons why this film stands out.