The Prophecy (1995)

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

Director:

Gregory Widen

Writer:

Gregory Widen

Stars:

Christopher Walken, Elias Koteas, Virginia Madsen

2 wins & 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:

profanity | porn magazine | pizza | black comedy | gross out | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Gabriel meets Jerry, the camera's focus moves around Jerry's house. For a brief moment a photo can be seen where appears Jerry with his girlfriend. Although neither she nor her name are ever are mentioned, the woman who appears in the photo with Adam Goldberg is Michele Spadaro, set decorator of the movie. This was her only appearance in a film.

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Goofs

When Gabriel opens the saw of the corpse of Colonel Hawthorne, he leaves it open. The next shot has the Colonel with his mouth shut as we found him.

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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

The German TV version is cut for gore to attain a "Not under 16" rating.

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Connections

Referenced in Video Buck: Las traducciones más mierdosas vol. 5 (2019)

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Soundtracks

Surf N' Turf
Written and Performed by Dennis Michael Tenney (BMI)
Published by Psycho Babel Music (BMI)

User Reviews

Cool supernatural thriller. Atmospheric and original.

Strangely enough being an atheist I am fascinated by supernatural thrillers, especially of the apocalyptic or eschatological variety. 'The Prophecy' is one of the smartest and most effective of this small genre, helped by a first rate cast. Thomas Daggett, a priest turned cop (Elias Koteas - 'Crash', 'Exotica'), stumbles across the corpse of an angel and a Bible with an extra chapter to the Book of Revelation, which mentions a war in heaven. Soon enough he becomes involved in a fight between the angels Gabriel (Christopher Walken in one of his best roles) and Simon (an impressive Eric Stoltz) over an evil man's soul.

A fascinating, atmospheric movie packed with interesting ideas, scenes and performances. Writer/Director Gregory Widen (only previous work of note: 'The Highlander'!) really comes up with the goods in this one, which nods to both Milton and Garth Ennis while adding several original touches. Also co-stars Virginia Madsen ('Dune', 'The Hot Spot'), Amanda Plummer ('Butterfly Kiss', and Walken and Stoltz' co-star in 'Pulp Fiction'), and a small but memorable appearance by Viggo Mortensen ('The Indian Runner', 'American Yakuza') as Lucifer!

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)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,510,332, 4 September 1995

Gross USA:

$16,115,878

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$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