Terror in Little Tokyo

John Carpenter’s “Prince of Darkness” (1987) was screened on Sept. 27 at the David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo, co-presented by East West Players, “Horror’s Hallowed Grounds” and Haunted Little Tokyo.

The former Union Church (now Union Center for the Arts), which was unoccupied at the time, was used for the horror classic’s exteriors and some interiors. In the basement of the church, renamed Saint Goddard’s in the movie, a priest, a professor and a group of graduate students find an unspeakable horror that has been kept there for centuries. Attendees posed for photos at the entrance to recreate an iconic scene from the film. A self-guided tour around the building included a replica of a prop from the movie (not a real pigeon).

An episode of “Horror’s Hallowed Grounds” about the making of “Prince of Darkness” was shown. Cast member Dennis Dun shared his memories and paid tribute to his late co-star Victor Wong (1927-2001). The two also appeared in Carpenter’s “Big Trouble in Little China” (1986) as well as “Year of the Dragon” (1985) and “The Last Emperor” (1987). Dun has performed in plays at East West Players, which moved to its current location in 1998.

Photos by J.K. YAMAMOTO/Rafu Shimpo