The Prophecy - 1995

First Look International, NEO Motion Pictures, Overseas FilmGroup

Written and Directed by Gregory Widen

Cast:

• Thomas Dagget – Elias Koteas
• Gabriel – Christopher Walken
• Katherine – Virginia Madsen
• Simon – Eric Stoltz
• Lucifer – Viggo Mortensen
• Jerry – Adam Goldberg
• Mary – Moriah “Shining Dove” Snyder
• Rachel – Amanda Plummer
• Joseph – Steve Hytner

Story: A young man is about to become a priest. He prostrates himself before the cardinal, is prepared to say his vows, but suddenly a vision comes over him, a vision so bleak and full of despair, he cannot continue. Flash forward several years to this same young man, now a Los Angeles police officer, who is called to a murder scene normally off his shift. A man has been run over by a car in an alley and smashed into a wall. In the room the man has jumped, or was pushed, from, is a copy of a book written by Thomas Dagget, the police officer who wanted to be a priest. The coroner informs Dagget of some irregularities with the body. He has no, nor has ever had, eyes. His bones have no indication of growth. And in his possessions is a hand written Bible with an extra chapter that refers to a second war in heaven. Soon Dagget discovers he is caught in the crossfire in a war between angels over the right of man to be in heaven.

Review: After his incredible success with the Highlander franchise, Gregory Widen wrote and directed this incredible eerie tale of suspense and horror. The characters are crisp and fresh, and the cast depicts them with an eerie sense of reality. Elias Koteas is incredibly adept at his role, portraying the disillusioned Dagget with a humanity we can all associate with. Eric Stoltz is adept at his role as Simon, the angel from the forces loyal to God's will concerning man. Christopher Walken is the perfect Gabriel, smiling and deceptive, treating us “talking monkeys” with the same sort of casual disdain as one may treat a retarded child. Virginia Madsen plays the lone teacher for what remains of an abandoned mining town, and she portrays the role in such a manner as to have us believing she has taught school for years. While the remainder of the cast is proficient and talented in their roles, special mention has to be made of Viggo Mortensen as Lucifer. He delivers his lines with such precision of depth and directness, you can believe he is the devil incarnate. Rated R for violence, gore and language, this is truly a work of art. Collectible as the first in a series of five films, or by itself as just an incredible work of fiction and the imagination of Gregory Widen.

Daylight - 1996

Davis Entertainment, Universal Pictures

Directed by Rob Cohen

Cast:

• Kit Latura – Sylvester Stallone
• Madelyne Thompson – Amy Brenneman
• Roy Nord – Viggo Mortensen
• Frank Kraft – Dan Hedaya
• Stephen Crighton – Jay O. Sanders
• Sarah Crighton – Karen Young
• Eleanor Trilling – Claire Bloom
• Mikey – Renoly Santiago
• Vincent – Sage Stallone
• Norman Bassett – Barry Newman
• Grace Calloway – Vanessa Bell Calloway
• George Tyrell – Stan Shaw

Story: A chain of events leads to an explosion and collapse in a tunnel leading in and out of New York City. The former chief of Emergency Services, Kit Latura, is a driving a limousine at one end of the tunnel and witnesses the initial explosion. As his two passengers are doctors, he hurries them out of the car, then rushes to aid injured people. When he has done all he can at the scene, he hurries off to find the current chief of Emergency Services to lend his expertise and experience, but is rejected because he was let go under questionable circumstances. Seconds later the new chief dies in a collapse, and Latura becomes the leader by default and volunteers to go into the tunnel to aide in rescuing the survivors. Its a one way ticket, with no way to get out once he is there. Once he is there, he must fight to keep the survivors from killing each other and make them work together to survive.

Review: Non-stop action with little lead in or lag, this is one of the best low budget (only $80 million to make) action films in the Stallone arsenal. The first 15 minutes of the film is lead in, and only as much character development as we need. Amy Brenneman (Judging Amy, Heat) is a disgruntled screen writer who has had it with New York. Jay O. Sanders and Karen Young, along with daughter Danielle Harris, are a dysfunctional family recovering from a separation. Throw in a bus load of Juvenile offenders in a Corrections bus (among them Sage Stallone and Renoly Santiago), a tunnel guard (Stan Shaw) with romantic attachments to a safety observer (Vanessa Bell Calloway), a hot shot extreme sports hero (Viggo Mortensen) trying to make a publicity coup out of the situation, and elderly couple with their dog, and you have the makings of a film with plenty of angst, drama, paranoia and panic. Stallone plays Kit Latura, formerly the head of the EMS division who was fired a few years back when he lost people in a tunnel explosion and collapse. He is a man of principles who immediately assumes personal responsibility for rescuing the survivors. He risks his life to reach them and works with difficulty to keep them together and alive. When the City Engineers begin to dig out the tunnel, allowing the pressure that is keeping the water from rising, he must find a way to keep them alive while trying to decide how to escape. Rated R for death and destruction, this edge of your seat drama has plenty of fine performances to keep the viewers interested. Collectible is a coin toss. If you are a Stallone fan or you like good action films, you might want this one on the shelf.