The Sentinel (1977)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Michael Winner

Writers:

Jeffrey Konvitz (novel)
Jeffrey Konvitz (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 May 1977 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

She was young. She was beautiful. She was next!

Plot:

Not ready for marriage, a fashion model moves into an unbelievably nice Brooklyn Heights apartment, where scary occurrences turn into a much more frightening turn of events.

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Model | Church | Hell | Birthday Party

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Chris Sarandon	...	Michael Lerman
Cristina Raines	...	Alison Parker
Martin Balsam	...	Prof. Ruzinsky
John Carradine	...	Fr. Francis Matthew Halloran
José Ferrer	...	Priest of the Brotherhood
Ava Gardner	...	Miss Logan
Arthur Kennedy	...	Monsignor Franchino
Burgess Meredith	...	Charles Chazen
Sylvia Miles	...	Gerde Engstrom
Deborah Raffin	...	Jennifer
Eli Wallach	...	Det. Gatz
Christopher Walken	...	Det. Rizzo
Jerry Orbach	...	Michael Dayton
Beverly D'Angelo	...	Sandra
Hank Garrett	...	James Brenner

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 (cut) | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Australia:R | Spain:18 | UK:15 | USA:R | Finland:K-18 (1986) (cut version) | Finland:(Banned) (1977) (uncut version)

Filming Locations:

10 Montague Terrace, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

There was a bit of controversy surrounding this film upon its release when it was leaked that director Michael Winner used real human oddities for the Dead rising up from hell scene at the film's conclusion.

Goofs:

Continuity: While Allison and the landlady are having coffee, the coffee cup is in the landlady's hand, then when the camera changes angles it’s on the table, then back in her hand when the camera angle goes back.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ghost Busters (1984)

See this movie on Halloween......

No, this is not a great movie. But I give the casting director extra stars for the cast, Ava Gardner, Eli Wallach, Chris Sarandon, John Carradine, Burgess Meredith, a very young Christopher Walken (he was quite handsome then), Beverly D'Ángelo, and Jerry Orbach, among others.

The film quality of the 70's adds that special touch, the chrome, shag rugs and gaudy artwork. The apartment Cristina Raines rents for $400.00 per month would probably cost $7000.00 now, so it is fun to see Brooklyn Heights, and days when New York was a little cleaner, filmed during the turbulent 70's when we had Son of Sam, movies like the Exorcist, Amityville Horror, Helter Skelter, and the like.

I am not sure if this is a pro-Catholic film, as one reviewer said. The church is certainly portrayed as Cristina Raines' only salvation; I will have to read the book to see if that is the case.

At any rate, you will enjoy parts of this movie. Beverly D'Angelo is quite strange, Cristina Raines is believable, the scary scenes are a little weird, but if you are up for it, this is an okay movie.