Empire of the Dark is a 1991 American fantasy action horror film written, co-produced, directed and edited by Steve Barkett, who also stars in the film. Barkett plays Richard, an ex-police officer who seeks to avenge the apparent death of his former lover (Tera Hendrickson), whom he witnessed be ritually sacrificed two decades prior by Satan worshipper Arkham (Richard Harrison) after entering a portal to Hell.[2]
| Empire of the Dark | |
|---|---|
_DVD_cover.jpg) DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Steve Barkett |
| Screenplay by | Steve Barkett |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography |
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| Edited by | Steve Barkett |
| Music by | John Morgan[1] |
Production company | The Nautilus Film Company |
| Distributed by | VCI Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Cast
edit- Steve Barkett as Richard Flynn
- Christopher Barkett as Terry Nash
- Tera Hendrickson as Angela Nash
- Richard Harrison as Arkham
- Dawn Wildsmith as Madame Oleska
- Jay Richardson as Eddie Green
- Patricia Schiotis as Stacey Brent
- Joseph Pilato[3] as Guy Zupan
Animator Jim Danforth appears as one of Satan's henchmen.[4]
Production
editEmpire of the Dark was shot on 35 mm film.[2]
Barkett described the film to Tulsa World:
It's really very much a Sleeping Beauty story, combined with Bela Lugosi's White Zombie and a lot of other stuff. It's the toughest movie, and the most expensive movie, I've ever made, and it's been a tough sell.[5]
Home media
editThe film was released on VHS by the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based distributor VCI Home Video in 1997;[2] VCI later re-released the film on DVD.[6]
References
edit- ^ Lentz III, Harris M. (2001). Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film and Television Credits (Second ed.). McFarland & Company. p. 1,071. ISBN 9780786409426.
- ^ a b c Ziemba & Budnik 2013, pp. 97.
- ^ Squires, John (March 25, 2019). "[R.I.P.] 'Day of the Dead' Scene-Stealer Joseph Pilato Has Died at 70". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
- ^ Ziemba & Budnik 2013, pp. 98.
- ^ Wooley, John (May 27, 1997). "The Buzz of Thriller Bs". Tulsa World. Tulsa, Oklahoma. p. D-2. Retrieved May 7, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Empire of the Dark [DVD-R] [1991]". VCI Entertainment. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
Sources
edit- Ziemba, Joseph A.; Budnik, Dan (2013). Bleeding Skull!: A 1980s Trash-Horror Odyssey. Headpress. p. 97. ISBN 978-1900486880.