Prophecy (1979) movie review - Sneak Previews with Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel

[@imbluz]

The 1970's brought us these 'Nature runs amok" films: Grizzly, The Day of the Animals, Food of the Gods, and then "Prophecy".

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Night of The Lepus. Giant bunnies ! 😂

[@rl1800]

The legendary sleeping bag scene. Still hilarious after all these years.

[@TheRivrPrncess]

Nothing hilarious about the death of someone in a movie when it is not played for humor. This definitely was not humorous. We owe it to our young people and others to act appropriately when bad things happen to a movie character. Doing so helps us and others feel for real life people in real life situations.

[@bobthebear1246]

​@@TheRivrPrncessAre you even serious?!? 😂🤣

[@davidterry4952]

The way they broke prolonged silence with terrifying payoffs were extremely effective. People would jump out of their seats today. Especially when Kataden emerges from the water.

[@kevint1719]

I love Prophecy. I don't care what's wrong with it. I could never get bored of watching it.

[@patricktownsend3474]

I agree; I like this much better than Alien. I can relate more to being in a forest than outer space.

[@DraketheHighlander]

Yeah

[@gallery7596]

Siskel criticizes this film for wanting to be both scary and profound, but "Godzilla" was a traditional horror movie that also had serious undertones concerning nuclear weapons and whether such weapons should've been used on Japan to end the second world war. It can be done.

[@connorbrennan4233]

But it needs to be done well. I think Prophecy was a bit preachy and had unintentionally hilarious scenes along with unnecessary "gross-out" scenes. Who wants to see a mutated bear cub get drowned? I think that was just included for shock value.

[@bobthebear1246]

I think this film should have started as a typical environmental disaster film with the second half being a courtroom legal drama involving the paper mill instead of some schlocky monster movie.

[@gallery7596]

@@connorbrennan4233 Yes, "Prophecy" was extremely uneven all right. A better script- and probably some re-casting- would've done it wonders. I just maintain that it's possible for a movie like this to be thrilling while having something important to say.

[@gallery7596]

@@bobthebear1246 That could've worked, too.

[@hungwilliam44]

at least give credit for the awesome part where the bear pulverizes the kid in the sleeping bag.

[@blackhawk32b4]

I loved it then and still do now.

[@babybird871]

I always liked the tag line "Prophecy the monster movie" but it was rated PG so kind of tame...

[@bobthebear1246]

It was definitely a hard PG. I mean one character even gets beheaded in this film. It probably would have gotten an R for that scene if it had not been done in such a shocky and unintentionally hilarious manner.

[@samuelstephens6163]

There seem to be certain years that have huge gaps on youtube for S&E: 1983, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996. Hope we get more to replace the "private video" marked entries.

[@FireTiger941]

This movie did for camping, what Jaws did for swimming in the ocean LOL

[@CaptGage]

I think Grizzly especially did.

[@connorbrennan4233]

@@CaptGage Grizzly was better.

[@brianvail9212]

I never camped near a paper mill.

[@dcsf1]

Well, kinda. But man, I was afraid of going to forests, even tho there are no bears in My country.

[@Reese2279]

what is the only liquid that isn't wet...…….mercury

[@twikirobot6897]

Great movie.....Blu-ray coming soon !!

[@dcsf1]

And Special Edition Blu-Ray coming soon now!

[@TobeyStarburst]

This scared the shit out of me!

[@LannieLord]

1979 was "Scary Summer" : Alien , Dawn of the Dead, Phantasm , Prophecy and Night Wing. Amityville Horror came out that fall . NOTHING can top Alien, Dawn of the Dead and Phantasm though. Halloween had a sketchy release in 1978. In 1979 it was playing on double bills with NEWER horror movies; as was Carrie.

[@bobthebear1246]

_Dawn Of The Dead_ was 1978, not '79.

[@gochem3013]

That thing almost killed me.

[@footofjuniper8212]

I got the feeling watching this that Gene bet Roger he couldn't say "Godzilla" ten times in one review.

[@haveanicedave1551]

I saw this at a theater, a double feature, Prophecy and Night Wings.

[@DixiePokerAce]

I don't know how you sat through that.

[@citygirl5705]

Jesus Christ, criticizing the movie because it reminds them of many other movies. Who cares????!!!!! If the movie is good, it doesn't matter if it's original.

[@nikosvault]

but it's not. And they compare to good pictures of its kind.

[@patrickriley674]

Well, they did mention that it was also “lousy,” “laughable,” “not interesting,” and many others. So....I’m thinking they’re saying it’s unoriginal AND it’s not good...🤷‍♂️

[@connorbrennan4233]

It really doesn't help when those other movies are way better.

[@TheRivrPrncess]

Lost all respect for those two with this review. Obviously they do not intelligently watch movies which means you care for the characters. Yes, the creature could have been better but the explanation for how it looks is acceptable. John Frankenheimer, the writers did their best to bring the movie to the screen. The sympathy the movie gave me for the monster makes me forgive the scale issues with it. They did well.

[@silversnail1413]

You lost respect for two men who have been dead for years? I'm sure they'll get over it.

[@ghostfacedude93]

Are the comments serious? lol

[@johnfitzpatrick3094]

Prophecy was probably the worst film of 1979. I thought it was so bad it was funny.

[@Blaqjaqshellaq]

That monster sounds like an obscene phone caller! One of John Frankenheimer's lesser movies...

[@chewybunz]

That silly review was beneath them, I must say.

[@josephedric4081]

00:36 Today Ebert would be accused of racism, for saying local Indians, instead of local native Americans.

[@bobthebear1246]

Give it a rest, TrumpTard. Your boy's going down in November.

[@deckofcards87]

When the stupid pink manbearpig shows up is when ironically the movie lost me. Couldn't believe how silly it was. Ruined potential.

[@robertchambers6344]

The creature designs were changed at the last minute by the director. The creature from what ive read was supposed to be very different and much closer to the poster art.

[@dcsf1]

I don't know how can it be silly (aside from the sleeping bag thing).

[@TheOverlordOfProcrastination]

Alien? It’s nothing like bloody Alien.

[@derekp308]

"Prophecy" was fun for what it was, a B-movie "Don't go in the woods" film.

[@BigNoseBob]

Prophecy: is nothing like ALIEN Ebert: yah so this is basically ALIEN

[@connorbrennan4233]

Well, the poster for Prophecy is similar to the one for Alien, for starters. As for the film itself, I think it's a mix of Jaws, King Kong '76, and Alien.

[@TeamsterHDQS12]

More like Grizzly 1976 than alien.

[@MultiSuperguy101]

It’s similar. Definitely not exactly the same but similar. I’d agree it’s more like Jaws, Grizzly, and King Kong (1976) then Alien.

[@bobthebear1246]

_Alien_ is way better.

[@1wickedgroove]

Loved this movie! My best friend and his mom and dad took us to see this when it came out. Afterwards,i was scared 💩less i would have to walk home in the dark. And we lived in the mountains around Cd'A Idaho... luckily, i was able to spend the night! 🤪

[@TJTurnage]

I liked the book, but then I was probably only about 12 years old when I read it. Never saw the movie and wondered how it could ever be true to form with all the graphic descriptions in the book.

[@dcsf1]

Well, the movie is a similar but totally different experience to the novel. They are the same for the most part but with their changes. I personally enjoyed the movie more, which despite having a lot of bruh moments and not being as terrifying as the novel, has a lot of points that make it more enjoyable.

[@ThomasSellers]

Siskel and Ebert dare to laugh! Today Prophecy is a cult classic still watched around the world. As for the comparison to Alien: sorry, Ridley Scott, but the Man Bear Pig tore the Xenomorph Alien a new one.

[@bobthebear1246]

I only gave your comment a Like just because it's so intentionally absurd. 😂

[@ricardocantoral7672]

This was from Frankenheimer's weak period of lame, B grade films. He got out of his slump when he did 52 Pick-up.

[@bobthebear1246]

This was most definitely NOT a big-budget film, that is, unless 90% of the budget went-up John Frankenheimer's nose. Aside from the beyond laughable effects, the screenplay is actually fairly decent and both Robert Foxworth and Armand Assante do what they can in their respective roles. But it's still not enough to save this schlock horror fest. I especially agree with Gene here: I think this film would have worked much better as an environmental disaster / courtroom legal drama. Films like that do well. See the 1998 film starring John Travolta titled _A Civil Action._

[@computerpurple]

6/6/23 No it's not a Academy Award. But it does the job of being entertaining . These 2 deceased hoity toity critics where to snobbish to like anything. I remember watching this show with my mom. My mom always sided with Gene point of view. I always gravitated towards Ebert . Gene was more conservative in his point of view. Ebert was more liberal. Although i wasn't like todays version of liberal i did go with Ebert. Today i am very conservative .. I still stand by my siding with Ebert.

[@l.salisbury1253]

I recently located a DVD of "Prophecy"- while not a masterpiece it did get better with age. Problem was it had to compete with "Alien" and the incredible "Dawn of the Dead" when it was released.

[@crystalshaw8744]

Don't cha hate when you have a "controversy " with monsters !?...lmbo...giggle...smile

[@jamesmatthewneeland5707]

David Seltzer's script for "Prophecy" is nothing at all like Dan O'Bannon's script for "Alien." I'm not making a quality comparison, merely by premise, plotting and characterization. The two are distictnly different films, each standing on its own merits. "Ooey, gooey monster..." That's the connective tissue between the two films? Whoa. Surprised each studio/screenwriter didn't sue the other for theft of intellectiual property.

[@thiscorrosion900]

I thnk I read the novelization of Prophecy but never saw the movie. By the time I read it, I heard the movie was bombing and I lost all interest. The book kinda sucked, too.

[@ameliawarfield5637]

Wow 😲.

[@reneedennis2011]

I saw this movie a long time ago! 😁

[@CCCFlemishGiants]

Prophecy scared me then and still gets me now. I thought the Boogens was scary too... I read the book Alien before I saw the movie. I was 9 yrs old. The book is way scarier than the movie. And the movie was great. (Alien).

[@bobthebear1246]

LOL @ *The Boogens* 🤣

[@stiffrichard2816]

Man, these guys ruin everything. Can't you just have a good time at the pictures?

[@silversnail1413]

If you had to sit through tons of forgettable monster movies for a living then it probably wouldn't be much fun for you either.

[@connorbrennan4233]

Maybe the worst '70s monster movie I've ever watched. And I've seen Night of the Lepus, Frogs, and The Swarm. Odd directorial choices, preachy with its themes, bland characters and acting, a subplot about Talia Shire being pregnant that's used for cheap drama, unintentionally hilarious scenes, scenes that are just too horrible to put on film like the drowning of a mutated bear cub, disappointing monster attack scenes, and so many other things to criticize. Gene was laughing a lot during the review, I noticed. At least he had fun.

[@tentcater4710]

Even at 14 I knew this was a POS! It’s alarming how many here are praising it!