Fallen (1998)

Homicide detective John Hobbes witnesses the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese. Soon after the execution the killings start again, and they are very similar to Reese's style.

Director:

Gregory Hoblit

Writer:

Nicholas Kazan

Stars:

Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Denzel Washington	...	John Hobbes
John Goodman	...	Jonesy
Donald Sutherland	...	Lt. Stanton
Embeth Davidtz	...	Gretta Milano
James Gandolfini	...	Lou
Elias Koteas	...	Edgar Reese
Gabriel Casseus	...	Art
Michael J. Pagan	...	Sam
Robert Joy	...	Charles
Frank Medrano	...	Charles' Killer
Ronn Munro	...	Mini Golf Owner
Cynthia Hayden	...	Society Woman
Ray Xifo	...	Society Man
Tony Michael Donnelly	...	Toby
Tara Carnes	...	Teenage Girl

Storyline

Det. John Hobbes is convinced that when killer Edgar Reese is executed, all of his troubles are over. But when people he knows and people on the street start to sing the same tune that Reese sang in the gas chamber, and those same people taunt him, he is told that maybe the cursed fallen angel Azazel is behind it all. Azazel is cursed to roam the Earth without a form, and he can switch bodies by any contact, making him hard to track. When Hobbes is forced to kill a man possessed by Azazel, he must clear his name while protecting his family and others from the evil, vengeful Azazel.

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Plot Keywords:

azazel | execution | gas chamber | murder | serial killer | 

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Taglines:

Time is on my side....

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Fantasy | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Syriac Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Release Date:

16 January 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dämon

Filming Locations:

Holmesburg Prison - 8215 Torresdale Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

DEM 500,952 (Germany) (27 March 1998)

Gross:

£981,247 (UK) (27 March 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Turner Pictures (I), Atlas Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first day of shooting was scheduled to be the scene where Hobbes (Denzel Washington) arrives at the cabin for the first time. A huge rainstorm was passing through the area at the time however, so producer Charles Roven decided to send the equipment truck out to the location much earlier than normal, so early that it was still dark. However, due to it being dark, and with such heavy rain, visibility was poor, and on the side road to the cabin (which was the only road to the cabin), the truck hit a tree, completely blocking off the road. By the time the truck was cleared, it was nearly night time again, and no shooting could be done, meaning that one day into production, the film was one day behind schedule. Charles Roven has said that this first day was the worst day of his entire career.

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Goofs

When Hobbes shoots the school teacher, after he fires one shot, his gun is apparently empty (the action on any semi-automatic 9mm handgun, like Hobbes' Glock, stays open when the final round is expended, as can be seen in the two quick cuts after the shot is fired). However, when Hobbes approaches the body in each view after-wards, the action of the gun is closed, indicating that he still has ammunition.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Azazel: I wanna tell you about the time I almost died....

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Connections

Referenced in Smallville: Spirit (2005)

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Soundtracks

"Excerpts from Nan Jing 1937"
Written by Tan Dun
Used by permission of G. Schirmer, Inc.

User Reviews

Clever

A chilling psychological thriller, that is cleverly written and superbly portrayed.

This film is not for everyone, you'll need patience and a real thirst for a good thriller. This film will play with your mind, it won't cover the screen with visuals and gore; that's why it works.

Sit back and be absorbed by the story, be amazed by the cast, and be shocked by the climax.

Warning, if you bore easily stay away, if you love a mind bending thriller; you won't find many better.

Fantastic and clever 9/10