Resurrection (1999)

Chicago homicide detectives John Prudhome and Andrew "Andy" Hollingsworth are assigned to investigate a gruesome murder, and both become entangled in the plot of a serial killer whose goal is to recreate the body of Christ.

Director:

Russell Mulcahy

Writers:

Brad Mirman (story), Christopher Lambert (story)

Stars:

Christopher Lambert, Mike Anscombe, Jeff J.J. Authors

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mike Anscombe	...	News Anchor
Jeff J.J. Authors	...	Paramedic (as Jeff Authors)
Patrick Chilvers	...	Officer
David Cronenberg	...	Father Rousell
Jayne Eastwood	...	Dolores Koontz
Darren Enkin	...	John Ordway
David Ferry	...	Mr. Breslauer
Jan Filips	...	Stanley Galloway
Rick Fox	...	Scholfield
Silvana Gatica	...	Mother of Baby (as Silvan Gatica)
Karen Glave	...	FBI Receptionist
Barbara Gordon	...	Judge Seers
Rothaford Gray	...	Jailor
Robert Joy	...	Demus
Robert Kennedy	...	Hotel Clerk

Storyline

Detective John Prudhomme, a Cajun transplanted to Chicago, is assigned to investigate the savage murder of a man who has bled to death from a severed arm. A message, "He Is Coming", written in blood on the victim's window is a dark, forboding clue of his task. After two more victims with missing body parts are discovered, Prudhomme realizes he is on the trail of a serial killer who is using the missing body parts to reconstruct the body of Christ...just in time for Easter. As Prudhomme struggles to catch the zealot-murderer, he is haunted by the death of his son, his continued estrangement from his wife, and his wavering faith in God.

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Plot Keywords:

brutality | baby | reference to jesus christ | fbi profiler | amputee | 

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Taglines:

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men. Ecclesiastes 6:1

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence/gore, language and some nudity

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

5 June 1999 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

Resurrección

Filming Locations:

Metropolitan United Church - 56 Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Interlight,Baldwin/Cohen Productions,Resurrection Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actor Christopher Lambert, writer Brad Mirman and director Russell Mulcahy were having a meeting at an LA hotel to discuss another project that they were working on, but the trio couldn't stop talking about "Resurrection" and how much they liked the idea. The three soon abandoned the other film, and quickly decided to make this film.

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Goofs

(at around 23 mins) Prudhomme (Christopher Lambert) and Hollingsworth (Leland Orser) are sitting on a bench and Hollingsworth is drinking a coffee and eating donuts. Throughout the scene the donut keeps changing both size and type.

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Quotes

John Prudhomme: [about a flower] Where can I find it around here?
Botanist: You can't... is indigenous to Australia.
Det. Andrew Hollinsworth: We're not in Australia.
Botanist: I can see why the made you detective.

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Connections

Referenced in The Angry Video Game Nerd: Chronologically Confused About Movie and Video Game Sequels (2006)

User Reviews

The year's best thriller!

Man, what a movie! I see well over a hundred films per year and although I enjoy many of them, there are only about four or five which really impress me and this one definitely did! Of course, one could say that this film is simply another rip-off of "Seven". And in fact, it is. But is that a bad thing? I liked "Seven" and want to see more films like that. And in my opinion, "Resurrection" has a better plot, better music and more atmosphere. It may borrow the elements (rain, darkness etc.) from David Fincher's thriller but it enhances them so well that if you watch "Resurrection" before "Seven", you might even be disappointed by the latter. I know I would.

I like Christopher Lambert. I think John Prudhomme could only have been played by him. He has the looks, the screen presence and the charisma. Some might say he's wooden but I think he's acting style really worked well with this film. Prudhomme has lost his only child a year ago and there is something in Lambert's performance which reflects that, something sad but hopeful, which really makes you care for his character. This is a man who's been through hell and now he's finding out that he's seen nothing yet. I also liked the performance of the actor who played his partner.

The script is clever. The dialogue works very well and everything moves at a perfect pace. But what really sets this film apart from it's competitors are the high production values. There are clearly very talented people behind the camera. The cinematography, the music, the lighting, everything works extremely well together. I would really have liked to see this film in a movie theater but unfortunately it came direct-to-video in Finland.

I'm sure some people will be complaining about the gore. This film is quite bloody but I believe a film like this must be. In here the gore really enhanced the mood and I think the film wouldn't have been as good if it had been less bloody. There are some films which work best when the details are left to the imagination but I'm glad the director knew that this wasn't one of them. If you don't have the stomach to see gory bodies, don't watch a film involving a serial killer.

Overall, "Resurrection" is a superb thriller which should appeal to anyone who wants to see more films like "Seven". I gave "Seven" an 8 but I'm giving this one a full 10.