Prophecy (1979)

A log company's waste mutates the environment, creating a giant killer bear-monster.

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writer:

David Seltzer

Stars:

Talia Shire, Robert Foxworth, Armand Assante

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Talia Shire	...	Maggie
Robert Foxworth	...	Rob
Armand Assante	...	John Hawks
Richard Dysart	...	Isely
Victoria Racimo	...	Ramona
George Clutesi	...	M'Rai
Tom McFadden	...	Pilot
Evans Evans	...	Cellist
Burke Byrnes	...	Father
Mia Bendixsen	...	Girl
Johnny Timko	...	Boy
Everett Creach	...	Kelso (as Everett L. Creach)
Charles H. Gray	...	Sheriff
Lyvingston Holmes	...	Black Woman (as Lyvingston Holms)
Graham Jarvis	...	Shusette

Storyline

A Savage beast, grown to monstrous size and driven mad by toxic wastes that are poisoning the waters, spreads terror and death on a Maine countryside.

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Plot Keywords:

pollution | ecology | paper mill | cabin | monster movie | 

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Taglines:

The Monster Movie.

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 August 1979 (France)

Also Known As:

Prophecy: The Monster Movie

Filming Locations:

Crofton, North Cowichan, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$18,389,402

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The acronym EPA stood for the "Environmental Protection Agency".

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Goofs

In the opening sequence, the dog can be seen to be hanging over 40 feet above the ground. Yet the bear (unseen) manages to pluck it down, despite clearly being too short in later scenes.

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Quotes

Maggie Verne: I believe him.
Dr. Robert Verne: Why?
Maggie Verne: Why would he have offered to let you test the water?
Dr. Robert Verne: Maybe it wasn't in the water.
Maggie Verne: Huh?
Dr. Robert Verne: Maybe it's heavier than water. That silvery stuff on your boot, is it dry?
Maggie Verne: Yes.
Dr. Robert Verne: They gave us a trick question in medical school. What's the only liquid in the world that isn't wet?
Maggie Verne: What was the answer?
Dr. Robert Verne: Mercury.

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Alternate Versions

ABC edited 7 minutes from this film for its 1983 network television premiere.

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Connections

Featured in The 50 Best Horror Movies You've Never Seen (2014)

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Soundtracks

Symphony No. 4 in D Minor
(uncredited)
Music by Johannes Brahms

User Reviews

Underrated thriller

It did have its share of cheesy moments, but Prophecy is one of the best rampaging-mutant movies I've seen - and I've seen quite a few. Some users have complained that the terror shots are too few and far between, but this is an ancient and now-lost film-making technique called 'building suspense'. Personally, I think it enhanced the shock value of the monster (which, by the way, still manages to give me the occasional nightmare, even as I approach 30). The scene where Foxworth, speaking into a tape recorder as he puzzles out the environmental disaster, gradually realizes the nature and extent of what he's facing, is a true cinematic gem. If this were a 'serious' movie, it would have been worth of at least a nomination, and the chainsaw/axe duel is intense. However, horror movies rarely win awards.

I do laugh during the sleeping bag scene, though. Can't help myself. And the viewer can clearly see that the monster morphs from fifteen feet tall to eight feet tall when it goes from close-ups to action shots. The creature itself is terrifying, in my opinion. Anyone who can't suspend their disbelief enough to overlook a few flaws in the special effects techniques probably shouldn't be watching monster movies, anyway.

This is one of the prizes of my video collection, if I ever find it on DVD, I won't hesitate to add it to THAT collection, as well.