The Prophecy (1995)

The angel Gabriel comes to Earth to collect a soul which will end the stalemated war in Heaven, and only a former priest and a little girl can stop him.

Director:

Gregory Widen

Writer:

Gregory Widen

Stars:

Christopher Walken, Elias Koteas, Virginia Madsen

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christopher Walken	...	Gabriel
Elias Koteas	...	Thomas Dagget
Virginia Madsen	...	Katherine
Eric Stoltz	...	Simon
Viggo Mortensen	...	Lucifer
Amanda Plummer	...	Rachael
Moriah 'Shining Dove' Snyder	...	Mary (as Moriah Shining Dove Snyder)
Adam Goldberg	...	Jerry
Steve Hytner	...	Joseph
J.C. Quinn	...	Burrows
Emma Shenah	...	Grandmother
Albert Nelson	...	Grey Horse
Shawn Nelson	...	Indian Healer
Emily Conforto	...	Sandra
Sioux-z Jessup	...	Nurse

Storyline

"Some people lose their faith because Heaven shows them too little," says Thomas Daggett. "But how many people lose their faith because Heaven showed them too much?" Daggett nearly became a priest; now he's a cop. He may want to put religion behind him, but one morning a weird, eyeless, hermaphroditic corpse turns up. Suddenly he is on a path that will put him right in the middle of a war in Heaven. And once again, Heaven will show him too much: gore, blood, charred flesh, living corpses and much worse. Even more central to the heavenly war effort is a young girl. This American Indian child has something Gabriel wants. And Gabriel is willing to kill her and anyone in his path - or even reanimate a corpse or two - to get it.

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Plot Keywords:

religion | angel | gifted child | soldier | soul transference | 

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Taglines:

This film outlines the exercise of faith in a real struggle for the ultimate and most glorious of heavenly prizes.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and gore, and for some language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 September 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Seraphim

Filming Locations:

Apache Leap Mountain, Superior, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$16,115,878

Company Credits

Production Co:

First Look International,NEO Motion Pictures,Overseas FilmGroup

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was released a year after both Christopher Walken and Eric Stoltz appeared in the Academy Award Winning, Pulp Fiction as both Stoltz and Walken had completed work on that film prior to starting work on this film. The way one can tell is Stoltz's look which he sports in Quentin Tarantino's film.

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Goofs

When Thomas is in Hawthorne's apartment, he finds a movie reel marked as police evidence. If it is evidence, it should be safeguarded in a police precinct, instead of inside the deceased's home.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Simon: I remember the First War, the way the sky burned, the faces of angels destroyed. I saw a third of Heaven's legion banished and the creation of Hell. I stood with my brothers and watched Lucifer Fall. But now my brothers are not brothers, and we have come here where we are mortal to steal the Dark Soul, not yet Lucifer's, to serve our cause. I have always obeyed, but I never thought the War would happen again.

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Alternate Versions

European release, titled God's Army, runs 90 minutes and features different footage:

• A sepia-tinted opening sequence shows Thomas Dagget sitting in in a swing, talking to Lucifer;
• The sequence where the first angel falls to Earth is shorter;
• The exorcism sequence at the end is shorter and has no special effects.

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Connections

Referenced in Hagan Reviews: Exorcist: The Beginning (2012)

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Soundtracks

Your Best Friend
Written by Peter Frega and Brian Hirsch
Produced by Brian Hirsch and Peter Frega
Published by King Blue (PF) (ASCAP) and Talisman West (BH) (BMI)
Performed by "Peter Bear"/E. Sandra Jones
Arranged by Brian Hirsch

User Reviews

Beaten Up By an Angel! ;=8)

Clunky but effective cult thriller about a lost chapter in the Book of Revelations which describes a second war in heaven, in which the arch angle Gabriel (Walken) gets cast out. Gabriel & his minons hate humans because of God's "special treatment" for humanity, and decides to hatch a sinister, and somewhat bizzare, plot to regain his place. The plot twists are uneven, but an interesting story lies at the core. Walken is wonderful as the anti-hero Gabriel, and Viggio Mortensen is a total hoot as Satan, Gabriel's rival. Eric Stoltz's character is underdeveloped, as is the relationship between Elias Koteas and Virginia Madsen. Director Widen gives his angels a refreshing cyberpunk/goth feel, rather like Tim Broadstreet's Vampire drawings - it is effectively disturbing to watch angels dressed like they belong to the Shotgun Mafia, instead of white sheets and feathered wings, but some will be put off by the contrast. This moovie spawned a less-effective sequel, and rumor has it a third one is in the making! You can tell Christopher Walken had a blast with this character, and that alone keeps the moovie interesting and effective. MooCow says if ya don't mind the silly bits, go for it! :