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A Distant Thunder
A Thief in the Night II: A Distant Thunder
USA 1978
produced by Donald W. Thompson, Russell S. Doughten jr (executive), Jack Thompson (executive) for Mark IV Pictures
directed by Donald W.Thompson
starring Patty Dunning, Sally Johnson, Sandy Christen, Thom Rachford, Maryann Rachford, Heidi Vaughn, Russell S. Doughten jr, Kent Wagner, Curtis Page, Jean Berg, Colleen Niday, Jim Ites, Tim Jackson, Tim Doughten, Herb Brown, Herb Brown jr
written by Donald W. Thompson, Russell S. Doughten jr, music by Richard A.Girvin
A Thief in the Night
review by Dale Pierce
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A Distant Thunder takes over where the fairly dreadful A Thief In The Night
leaves off, but with far better acting, an improved budget, and some genuine,
terrorfilled moents. Christians or all others who refuse to take the mark of
the antichrist are arrested, rounded up, and forced to wait in a room to think
about their choice. Beyond the door lies something that scares the living shit
out of people, so much that one saved teenybopper sees on the other side and
decides she is not so saved after all, opting for the mark instead.
Some of the same old faces from the last film are back again, this time with
improved performances all around. The heroine from the first film (Patty
Dunning) has
found Christ and is going to suffer for it, as she awaits her turn to go
beyond the door. When she does, she finds a guillotine waiting for her and
worse than that, some of her supposed friends are not believers after all, but
informants for the bad guys, who try one last time to get her to switch sides.
When she does not, the blade is positioned and it's cold cuts time. Well, she
gets to go to heaven at least, while these other bastards will get theirs
later on ... or so it seems.
(There's an odd twist in yet another sequel, Image
Of The Beast, that follows. This takes over where the presumed headchopping
left off and a massive thunderstorm erupts, followed by an earthquake that
sends the devil's minions scattering. The woman is left behind, but too late,
she has renounced her faith and claimed she'll take the mark. Left alone, she
tries to turn to God again, but the Big Guy is not fooled. An earthquake jars
loose the blade and she has no more worry about another sequel. That'll show
her for not having the faith to die for your cause.)
The curious thing is the Antichrist is never shown in this film, but you see
his handiwork everyplace, thanks to these assholes he has working for him.
Little reasoning is given as to who he is or how he has come to power, yet in
power he is and he's playing for keeps.
The film would have been much better and much more scary if they would have
given this man/devil a little screen time. Granted, the way he is presented
does work out, as an everpresent boogeyman who is somehow always around and
always watching, like the monster a little kid imagines hiding under his bed.
Still, it would have been more interesting and especially chilling had they
expanded this character and cast someone who could play the role with relish
for the part.
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review © by Dale Pierce
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Robots and rats,
demons and potholes, cuddly toys and shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill Your Bones to is all of that.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to -
a collection of short stories and mini-plays ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
from the post-apocalyptic to the weirdly romantic,
tales that will give you a chill and maybe a chuckle,
all thought up by the twisted mind of screenwriter and film reviewer Michael Haberfelner.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to
the new anthology by Michael Haberfelner
Out now from Amazon!!! |
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