This is one of my favorite Carpenter films - I love it on so many different levels - and believe me when I say that I like many of his movies ( both horror and comedies alike ).

PoD is quite a dark one, in my opinion, as the title suggests. I totally agree that it requires multiple viewings. There's way more to it than might seem to be the case at first. I think I've seen it thrice now.

I (re)watched another 1980s flick, with a part played by the amazing Donald Pleasance, yesterday night: Dario Argento's Phenomena :>)

P.S. I wrote a short piece on Carpenter's They Live recently. In case you missed it: Back to Watching Movies - John Carpenter's They Live. There's some clear parallels between PoD and They Live.

P.P.S. Thanks for reminding me how awesome In the Mouth of Madness is! I remember having watched it only once, I think on TV while I was babysitting in the late 1990s but it left a lasting impression.