Prophecy (1979) coming from Scream Factory

[agenda]

Originally Posted by kong73

$2.50 for an adult ticket! Those were the days

INDEED!!! I would love to turn the clock back permanently.

[MJD64]

Being that my most vivid recollection of PROPHECY was the bloodied visage of that mutant bear staring back at me from the cover of the second issue of Fangoria I purchased back in the day, figured it was time for a rewatch...

This one's an odd duck: John Frankenheimer seemingly wants to make a socially and ecologically conscious drama on the mistreatment of Native Americans and the befouling of the environment only to periodically remember that this is primarily a horror movie and thus dutifully throws in some rubber-suited monster mayhem and carnage. I credit the majority of the cast for remaining straight-faced through much of this. I confess to having a nostalgic affection for these films from my adolescence, but this one really is too silly and, even worse, dull (silly is fine but dull is unforgivable). I couldn't help but think 1981's WOLFEN mixed horror and an environmental message far more effectively (and also contained a strong Native American presence).

I will say this: The sequence where our heroes find the two mutant babies in the water, one dead and the other wailing in agony, was quite creepy and even mournful; shame there weren't more scenes with that degree of effectiveness.

Still, I'm glad this is coming out for fans of the film and it'll be interesting to see what sort of extras Scream can muster for this release. As the announcement for the Omen collection cites a new interview with actor Robert Foxworth for that set, I'd imagine Scream may have gotten him to spill on the making of PROPHECY.

[NeMo_ET]

I'm typically not a fan of monster movies like this so it won't be a priority for me, but depending what people say and if I can watch it somewhere I might be in.

[DukeTogo84]

This is one of the those movies that has always been on my radar, but never got around to watching it. This will be an easy purchase for me.

[PipesDonatello]

I always had kind of a soft spot for this movie. I'm revisiting it on Prime right now after not having seen it in forever, and I have to say the bear is very unimpressive at best. Like a giant, lumbering turd with fangs. And that shot with the giant fish jumping out of the water is quite possibly one of the worst displays of forced-perspective I've ever seen.

[darkness2918]

I’ll be picking this up for sure. Always wanted to see it after seeing pictures of the mutant bear.

[Rockercub]

All the criticisms are true. I still love it.

[RalphoR]

This is a personal favorite of mine and the one movie of newly announced ones I really want. It scared the crap out of me as a kid. That scene

[Show spoiler]where the native grandfather gets swung around by the creature

still disturbs me to this date. A guilty pleasure I can't wait to watch, for sure.

[bonehica]

Originally Posted by Rockercub

All the criticisms are true. I still love it.

Agreed.

And what about that final shot?

[Show spoiler]Seriously...we need a sequel. I want to know what's up with the mutant cubs papa.

[Rockercub]

Originally Posted by bonehica

Agreed.

And what about that final shot?

[Show spoiler]Seriously...we need a sequel. I want to know what's up with the mutant cubs papa.

Even a remake could be cool. They're pretty hit and miss with me, but this is one that would definitely benefit from improved special effects.

[bonehica]

Originally Posted by Rockercub

Even a remake could be cool. They're pretty hit and miss with me, but this is one that would definitely benefit from improved special effects.

I could handle a remake. The overall message of the film is still very relevant today.

[agenda]

I would absolutely LOVE to see something, anything from sfx group with Kevin Peter Hall. That would be something since I've never ever seen anything from there at this movie, and Kevin happens to be one of my all time heroes behind the mask(s).

Also, I wonder if Shout! is about to re-create the poster, and if so, who's going to do the alternative cover? I do love the original, and that one is very hard to beat.

[Zillamon51]

I too have fond memories of seeing this as a kid. My mom took me to see it in theater. For years afterward, we'd get a laugh out of remembering the sleeping bag scene.

I've seen it a few times over the years. I rewatched the DVD fairly recently. My GF and I watched the Native American-themed horror double feature that Mill Creek put out, and I wanted to keep the streak going with Prophecy and Orca. The scenes with the cubs disturbed her greatly. (As did the scenes with the dogs in Alligator, which we watched in the wake of Crawl.) They just don't make them like Prophecy any more: Serious, straight-faced monster movies with strong messages. Gotta love the seventies. So I'm in for this. Hopefully, SF's deal with Paramount will also get us Orca, Bug, and maybe even King Kong 1976.

Originally Posted by kong73

$2.50 for an adult ticket! Those were the days

Originally Posted by agenda

INDEED!!! I would love to turn the clock back permanently.

Sign up for AMC A-List.

[ditcin]

Originally Posted by bonehica

Agreed.

And what about that final shot?

[Show spoiler]Seriously...we need a sequel. I want to know what's up with the mutant cubs papa.

From what I remember the ending of the novel is much better. Something about - a description of the forest and hills, then a hill moves... suggesting that there's another mutant... something very large.

Books are sooo much better.

[Robbie The Robot]

I had fond memories of this as a kid to. But man I had a laugh revisiting it a few years ago. The lead actors frosted flicks and the scene where they are crossing the lake to escape and the baby bear starts attacking the woman carrying it is so bad - you can really tell she is just shaking a dummy/puppet around and screaming badly. I kinda felt bad for the poor actress being subjected to that. I still enjoyed it though. Just like I had a riot revisiting The Manatou recently.

[JMDiaz718]

Originally Posted by Rockercub

Even a remake could be cool. They're pretty hit and miss with me, but this is one that would definitely benefit from improved special effects.

If they actually adapted the novel, it would be a great remake. The book was much more creepier and graphic. The cubs were also much older in the book if I remember correctly.

[JMDiaz718]

Originally Posted by THUNDERSTRUCK

1979 was a pretty good year for horror.

Alien
Amityville Horror
Don't Go In The House
Phantasm
Prophecy
When A Stranger Calls

Don't forget:

Dracula, The Brood, Nosferatu and Tourist Trap.

[MechaGodzilla]

I've never seen this one, always been interested though. Being that the DVD is out of print and a Blu-ray release didn't seem like it'd happen, I started to contemplate buying it off iTunes. Thankfully, Shout came to the rescue right on time with this announcement!

Looking forward to watching it, finally. Just have to wait a few more months.

Originally Posted by Zillamon51

I've seen it a few times over the years. I rewatched the DVD fairly recently. My GF and I watched the Native American-themed horror double feature that Mill Creek put out, and I wanted to keep the streak going with Prophecy and Orca. The scenes with the cubs disturbed her greatly. (As did the scenes with the dogs in Alligator, which we watched in the wake of Crawl.) They just don't make them like Prophecy any more: Serious, straight-faced monster movies with strong messages. Gotta love the seventies. So I'm in for this. Hopefully, SF's deal with Paramount will also get us Orca, Bug, and maybe even King Kong 1976.

I take it the "abortion scene" in Orca disturbed her as well? That whole film is deeply disturbing on a psychological level. I remember when I watched it as a kid, expecting something like Jaws, but got a way more emotionally heavy experience, and it got me thinking about death and loss at a very early age. Probably has a lot to do with why I was thrown into depression shortly after.

One of the best Jaws rip-offs, but not something I'm in the mood for very often. It's too emotionally draining.

[Zillamon51]

^ "That scene" in Orca is over quicker. Or, at least it seems that way, since the climax and result of the female's suffering is so shocking and "out there" that it kind of overshadows everything else.

And before we get to the dogs in Alligator, there's also the scene at the gator farm.

I'd don't like seeing animals suffer either, but it adds a lot of grit and grimness to these '70s movies. It's something that's rarely touched on nowadays. While I wouldn't argue that Jaws is the superior film, Orca is hardly the cheesy rip-off its reputation would suggest. I think it's very good.

[Bobbyjoe766]

Originally Posted by ditcin

From what I remember the ending of the novel is much better. Something about - a description of the forest and hills, then a hill moves... suggesting that there's another mutant... something very large.

Books are sooo much better.

Agreed. Just started reading Peter Straub’s Ghost Story (50 pages in), and already it sh*ts on the 1981 film.