Now this is what a monster movie should be like: an interesting story that doesn't rely on the creature to keep things moving along; realism wherever possible; a decent cast of B-movie types who you can play "who's gonna die next?" with.
Much of the success of PROPHECY lies in the presence of director John Frankenheimer, who brings a sheen of professionalism to the proceedings that many other minor monster flick directors can't hope to equal. This is a film which inhabits the same ecological disaster type territory as LONG WEEKEND and FROGS, and proves to be just as entertaining: the story of a mutated bear-creature rampaging in the woods as a result of industrial pollution is a good one, and PROPHECY never disappoints.
Along with the interesting story, this film benefits from a strong leading cast who bring life to what could be otherwise rote characters. Robert Foxworth is the bearded, wild-haired leading man, but Talia Shire (riding high from the success of ROCKY) is of the most interest, facing a dilemma that is irritatingly never resolved. Armand Assante plays perhaps the world's most unlikely Native American and Richard Dysart bags the great role of the company man responsible for the pollution.
The monster effects are great – I'll forever take prosthetic and model effects work over CGI – and the horror scenes ultra effective, with the bit with the boy in the sleeping bag an example of 'one seen, never forgotten'. The most chilling thing, though, is is the implication of the environmental pollution, as evinced by the film's coda, with far more disturbing implications than an in-your-face out of control rampaging bear mutant.
Much of the success of PROPHECY lies in the presence of director John Frankenheimer, who brings a sheen of professionalism to the proceedings that many other minor monster flick directors can't hope to equal. This is a film which inhabits the same ecological disaster type territory as LONG WEEKEND and FROGS, and proves to be just as entertaining: the story of a mutated bear-creature rampaging in the woods as a result of industrial pollution is a good one, and PROPHECY never disappoints.
Along with the interesting story, this film benefits from a strong leading cast who bring life to what could be otherwise rote characters. Robert Foxworth is the bearded, wild-haired leading man, but Talia Shire (riding high from the success of ROCKY) is of the most interest, facing a dilemma that is irritatingly never resolved. Armand Assante plays perhaps the world's most unlikely Native American and Richard Dysart bags the great role of the company man responsible for the pollution.
The monster effects are great – I'll forever take prosthetic and model effects work over CGI – and the horror scenes ultra effective, with the bit with the boy in the sleeping bag an example of 'one seen, never forgotten'. The most chilling thing, though, is is the implication of the environmental pollution, as evinced by the film's coda, with far more disturbing implications than an in-your-face out of control rampaging bear mutant.