God Told Me To (1976)

A New York detective investigates a series of murders committed by random New Yorkers who claim that "God told them to."

Director:

Larry Cohen

Writer:

Larry Cohen (original screenplay)

Stars:

Tony Lo Bianco, Deborah Raffin, Sandy Dennis

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tony Lo Bianco	...	Peter J. Nicholas
Deborah Raffin	...	Casey Forster
Sandy Dennis	...	Martha Nicholas
Sylvia Sidney	...	Elizabeth Mullin
Sam Levene	...	Everett Lukas
Robert Drivas	...	David Morten
Mike Kellin	...	Deputy Commissioner
Richard Lynch	...	Bernard Phillips
Sammy Williams	...	Harold Gorman
Jo Flores Chase	...	Mrs. Gorman
William Roerick	...	Richards
Lester Rawlins	...	Board Chairman
Harry Bellaver	...	Cookie
George Patterson	...	Zero
Walter Steele	...	Junkie

Storyline

The storyline of this movie involves a series of motiveless murders committed by various New York residents: a sniper shoots people from a water tower; a father murders his entire family; and a cop opens fire during a St. Patrick's Day parade. The only consistent pattern to the crimes involves the perpetrators calm admissions of guilt, explaining, "God told me to." While investigating the murders, catholic police detective Peter Nicholas is increasingly troubled by evidence of a Christ-like figure named Bernard Phillips who appeared to each of the killers and can't seem to shake the feeling that his own fate is somewhat linked to this mysterious being. As he comes closer to the truth, his worst fears are confirmed.

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Plot Keywords:

drive in classic | grindhouse film | darkness | american horror | death | 

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Taglines:

Was he a god - the Devil or something even more terrifying...

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Genres:

Crime | Horror | Sci-Fi | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 October 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Demon

Filming Locations:

Broadway Station, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$300,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Big Hit Productions,New World Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many years after the film's release, a 70-something year old Larry Cohen stated in an interview that a young French filmmaker had asked him if he could remake the film. He couldn't remember who this guy was, but he had left some of his films for Cohen to see, and when he took them out, that young French filmmaker turned out to be no other than Gaspar Noé.

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Goofs

A shadow from one of the crew, most likely the camera operator, can be seen on Peter and Casey in bed.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Peter J. Nicholas: God told me to.
[PETER J. NICOLAS Committed to Matteawan State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, Beacon, New York]

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Crazy Credits

This motion picture is dedicated to the memory of Mr. Bernard Herrman.

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Connections

Referenced in Cinemassacre's Monster Madness: Q: The Winged Serpent (2012)

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Soundtracks

Sweet Momma Sweetlove
Lyrics by Janelle Webb
Music by Robert O. Ragland
Performed by George Gentre Griffin

User Reviews

Larry Cohen's best and one of the most underrated horror/exploitation movies of the 1970s. This is a must see for genre fans!

I must have seen close to twenty movie written and/or directed by Larry Cohen ('Q', 'Black Caesar', 'Maniac Cop', 'It's Alive!', 'Best Seller', 'The Stuff', 'Uncle Sam',etc.etc.) and I have greatly enjoyed most of them, but 'God Told Me To' is without a doubt his best movie. It's an extraordinarily original picture, one of the best low budget horror movies of all time. Horror movie? Horror, mystery, science fiction, whatever you want to call it! Tony Lo Bianco plays a religious cop who is faced with a seemingly random series of murders committed by various people who, when asked why, simply say "God told me to". This is just the beginning of a very strange and fascinating story that will leave the viewer continually guessing! Lo Bianco was a last minute replacement for Robert Forster who was sacked after two days filming and a personality clash with Cohen. Lo Bianco gives a terrific performance, his best in my opinion after 'The Honeymoon Killers'. The movie features a strong supporting cast: Deborah Raffin, Sandy Dennis, screen veterans Sylvia Sidney and Sam Levene, plus cult favourite Richard Lynch ('Scarecrow', 'Open Season', 'The Ninth Configuration'), and even the movie debut of the enigmatic comedian Andy Kaufman. 'God Told Me To' is one of the 1970s most underrated horror/exploitation movies. Any fan of the genre must, I repeat MUST, see it!