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Director John Frankenheimer (d.2002) made a LOT of fantastic movies: Birdman of Alcatraz; The Manchurian Candidate (1962); Seven Days in May (1964); SECONDS. The latter scared me severely as an impreesioable teenager for its theme: "An unhappy middle-aged banker agrees to a procedure that will fake his death and give him a completely new look and identity - one that comes with its own price.'' Can you say MONSTER? Frankenheimer's most recent MONSTER movie is THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, starring Brando, Kilmer, Thewlis and especially, Stan Winston's amazing MONSTERS - all practical effects and well worth your time, whatever you think about the rest of that movie. PROPHECY is just a bit more than a mere a monster movie; it is done in the classic "B" movie format but with a meditation on the fragile earth - all in one fell swoop. It reminded me of one that came out two years later which I saw before PROPHECY: ''Nightwing'' (1979). Remember? ''When a series of strange deaths surrounding an Indian reservation are shown to be the work of vampire bats, a scientist enlists help from a local priest to help rein in the beasts' rampage before they can spread out to other areas.''(IMDB Reviewer GL84). In PROPHECY, we enjoy the creeping terrors of nature on sawmill poison and running amok up in the remote, northern woods of Maine. Men, women, children, native American grandfathers, even racoons and dogs - no living thing is safe from the horrors of industrial pollution. Again, the rubber monster effects , while nowhere near the unapproachable excellencies of Stan Winston's, are "B Moviie Passing Fair" and well worth your movie time.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This movie has always been a favorite of mine, because underneath the cheesy effects and inconsistent acting is actually a decent story. Talia Shire and Robert Foxworth star as an inner-city married couple who become involved in a forest land dispute. What is an already tense situation rife with the outrage of Native Americans becomes darker with the appearance of freakish-looking (or acting) animals. Armand Assante (cast as a very unconvincing American Indian) puts aside his ethnic pride long enough to ask for help in protecting the land of his people. What no one knows is that a deadly secret lurks in this forest, creating carnage and terror. The truth goes deeper than a mere land dispute, and is more blood-curdling than any Indian legend. As I said before, the effects and acting in this film leave something to be desired. There is absolutely no chemistry between the lead characters, and the sub-plot about Shire's uncomfortable pregnancy is completely pointless. I've always considered Foxworth to be a rather dud actor, and his performance fares no better here. The effects waver between poorly designed and outright goofy at times. But what does work for Prophecy is a fine balance of horror and eco-conservatism (I may have just coined a new term there). Unlike most mutated-monster-kills/heroes-fight-monster-but-don't-learn-anything stories, Prophecy actually carries a pertinent message and delivers it quite effectively. Despite the perception it might garner at first glance, it's much more than a simple low-brow schlocky thriller. I've read that there is a novel on which this is based. I'd like to find it to discover how the execution of the film could have been improved. No matter how I sound, I really DO like this movie! It's one of those rare instances when you can envision much more than the producers had in mind. If this were to be remade (which is distinctly possible for Hollywood these days), I would provide a more favorable approach to the Native American group, expand the presence of their nature and lore, and make the lead character less of a twat. To sum up, if you enjoy a somewhat-poignant man vs. nature tale, or even just an original creature feature, definitely check this one out!Read full review
I don't know why I like this movie exactly, but it never seems to get old. The acting is fairly good and the plot/storyline is good, but I think it is the amazing camera work that sets this movie apart from others of a similar genre. You really get the feeling that these people are "way back in the sticks" as the story unfolds, which adds to the suspense. The special effects are very good for the time period as well. I have always felt that this movie could have been so much more with just a few simple changes/additions to the script and better actors to portray the native people. If you like 70's era horror/sci-fi movies that never quite made it to the mainstream, then you will probably like this one because it is surprisingly good for an unknown. Grab your favorite beverage, a big bucket of popcorn and sit back and enjoy. You will not be disappointed!Read full review
Native Americans squaring off against corporate loggers and paper mills! Giant salmon and giant tadpoles capped off by a gigantic, mutant bear trying to eat everyone in sight! Best of all, a great statement about how, if we keep ignoring the consequences of our behavior, Mother Nature and the environment will "level out" the playing field. A slow start to the film leads to a huge amount of action, suspense and bone crunching; all in a day and night's work for the mythical, but very real creature, called "Katahdin". Not one of director Frankenheimer's best but a worthy film for any fan of horror and suspense.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I always wanted this movie, but it was hard to find for me as I live in Denmark and mostly only bigger movies make it to here. I always heard it was really cheesy and laughable and in some ways it might be, but how can anyone not like people who screw up nature being attacked and mutilated by a giant monster created from mother nature mixed with pollution?? I love it. I don't understand why this movie didn't get more attention back then. It's better than many other movies released around that time.
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