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

3 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 | fallen angel | demon | demonic possession | supernatural | 

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Taglines:

Detective John Hobbes is searching for a criminal he's already met... already caught... and already killed.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Denzel Washington did ride-alongs with local detectives to prepare for his role. He soon learned that some of the cops carried a second pair of shoes in the trunk of their cars while on duty since the shoes they were wearing would occasionally get blood on them at murder scenes.

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Goofs

Azazel supposedly retains the memories of the people he possesses. However when he confronts Greta he doesn't recognize her, despite the fact that he had possessed her father when he failed to destroy him. He makes a comment that she looks familiar but he can't place her.

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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 The Making of 'Alien³' (2003)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Chilling yet intriguing

Fallen is not your typical suspense film. There is very little gore, a clever plot, gorgeous cinematography...but it all adds up to the scariest movie I've ever seen. Why? It plays with your mind. The horror is confined to your brain and not shown onscreen. Some people will (and do) hate this film; it eschews graphic storytelling for a visual, intellectual approach. The ending, which has been criticized for many reasons, is actually the only plausible way it could end. Yes we like to see the human spirit triumph, but more often than not things do not work out the way we like them to. It's refreshing to see a movie which ends on a real level, giving the film a true-to-life credibility which enhances the terror even more. Highly recommended for the intellectual person. Those easily bored stay away.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Syriac Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Release Date:

16 January 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fallen

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,401,586, 19 January 1998

Gross USA:

$25,232,289

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$25,232,289

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