Short Attention Span Review: Prophecy (1979)

Billed as "The Monster Movie," Prophecy strives to be just that.  Alas, the effects don't quite live up to the hype, but this bold creature feature still manages to entertain.  This is largely due to the presence of several quality performers  and a terrific director.  Prophecy also boasts a nifty plot, so while the creature design is a bit of a disappointment, the movie itself is easy to recommend.  Besides, it's not the worst creature design ever, and there's enough fright and suspense in the mix to keep horror fans rooted to their chairs until the gruesome finale.  Now, director John Frankenheimer wasn't exactly at his peak here, but he still managed to generate a lot of intensity and dread with Prophecy.  There are also a few pertinent themes interwoven with the screaming and the bloodshed, to include ruminations on humanity's crimes against the environment and futility born of bureaucracy, but Frankenheimer doesn't let these elements get in the way of a good time.  The cast, including Talia Shire, Robert Foxworth, and Armand Assante, among others, make the most of the material.  Surprisingly enough, the three capable leads I just mentioned offer up some of their best work in a movie that requires them to square off against a dude in a rubber suit in the closing reel.  The score is perfect for a horror flick like this one and there's a lot of gore sprinkled throughout the proceedings.  True story: I have a crazy uncle (doesn't everyone?) who has dubbed Prophecy his favorite movie.  Now, I can't go nearly that far, but I do enjoy it and I'm certain that anyone else who responds to phrases like "creature feature" or "monster movie" the way that I do will have fun with this one as well.  Truthfully, if Katahdin (the beast of legend/freakish mutation that hunts our merry band of heroes) was a bit more convincing, this movie might have achieved epic status.

Final Grade: C+

Despite being a beast born of folklore, Katahdin is having a less than stellar day.

Oh Glorious Sunday!

It's Sunday evening, and even though it got dark way too early I'm sporting a smile thanks to sports.
Yes, I'm a Seattle Seahawks fan, and the Beast and the rook both played well.

Wilson continued his effective rookie campaign by completing 16 out of 24 passes for 173 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions.  He added 27 yards on the ground and was only sacked once.
Marshawn contributed 124 yards on 26 carries with a single score, and he also caught 2 passes for 26 yards.
The Seahawks defeated the Vikings at home to move to 5-4.
After nearly three decades of rooting for Seattle, I've really learned to cherish every victory, so I would be on cloud nine right now anyway, but it gets better.
I've got Doug Martin on my fantasy team.

He's just some rookie who carried the ball 25 times for 251 yards and 4 touchdowns.  He probably scored more points than some of the teams in my league managed this week.  Well, maybe not, but the kid went off and I should certainly win my game as a result.  I'll keep you in the loop.

Now, it's time to settle back, watch a few highlights, and then . . .
The Walking Dead!