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Left Behind
Canada 2000
produced by Joe Goodman, Ralph Winter, Paul Lalonde, Peter Lalonde, Ron Booth (executive), Bobby Neutz (executive), André van Heerden (co) for Cloud Ten, Namesake Entertainment
directed by Vic Sarin
starring Kirk Cameron, Brad Johnson, Clarence Gilyard, Janaya Stephens, Gordon Currie, Colin Fox, Chelsea Noble, Daniel Pilon, Anthony DeSantis, Jack Langedijk, Krista Bridges, Thomas Hauff, Neil Crone, Sten Eirik, Raven Dauda, Marvin Ishmael, Philip Akin, Christie MacFadyen, Jay Manchester, T.D.Jakes, Mairon Bennett, David Macniven, John Hagee (cameo), Jack Van Impe (cameo)
screenplay by Alan McElroy, Paul Lalonde, Joe Goodman, based on the novel by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B.Jenkins, music by James Covell
Left Behind
review by Dale Pierce
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The biblical end times begin with all the Christians
vanishing from the face of the earth, (effectively shown in midflight on
an airplane, where people open their eyes and see a load of passengers
gone, with only their clothes left behind). Thus the age of the Anti-Christ is about to be ushered in, as dealt with in one form or
another in numerous films from the past (Rosemary's Baby, The
Chosen,
The Antichrist, Rapture, The Omega Code, the Omen-series,
A Distant Thunder, Sign of the Beast, etc...). Only in this film, it is a question
of who. Two corporate executives seem the likely candidates for
Antichrist and False Prophet, but this is the proverbial red herring. In
the end, the real AntiChrist emerges in the form of a Romanian named
Nicolai Carpathia, previously masquerading as a man of peace in order to
gain control over the United Nations, then finally, the world.
In a closed door meeting, Nicolai reveals himself, exercises mind
control over the people who will soon become his board of directors,
then pops both corporate villains with a gun borrowed from a security
guard.
Of course the new villain is not going to have an easy go of things,
because at the very end there is a hint some people on earth (recently
reborn Christians who found God after the big vanishing sequence, hence
the title of Left Behind) have discovered exactly who this
dynamic world leader really is and will be forming some sort of
opposition to him. This of course proves true in subsequent sequels and
in the series of books the movies have been based upon.
Kirk Cameron and wife Chelsea Noble seem to literally relish their roles
and before this film, I admit I was never much a fan of either of them.
Being real "reborners" (Cameron and associate Ray Comfort
actually operate a ministry titled aptly enough "Way Of The
Master") these two jump into their characters with the utmost
enthusiasm. They are so good at it, one cannot picture anyone else
playing either role.
Likewise, Gordon Currie (Blood &
Donuts, A Crime of Passion, Dog Park, Outlaws Of
Missouri, Highwaymen, a couple of the later Puppetmaster
films, etc...) comes across as the smoothest and
most menacing Antichrist ever. Reportedly, he had very little time to
prepare for the role, had not read the book on which the film was based
and had little dialouge coaching to create a Romanian accent. His
portrayal of Nicolai might be considered a little bit of Lugosi's Dracula, a bit of Henry Kissinger and some stand up comic who finds
black humor in his entire situation.
Brad Johnson, best known for the Ned Blessing TV show some years back,
makes a convincing character as the skeptical pilot in mid-air when the
great vanishing takes place, as does Canadian actress Janaya Stephens
(who carries a striking resemblance to Marie Osmond, so much she was
actually placed in this role in a TV movie called Inside The Osmonds)
as his grief-stricken daughter. Others within the cast measure up
to the task as well, plus there is a good musical score and an ample
amount of special effects.
Though intended as a tool to win nonbelievers over to the side of the
Christians - hence the religious elements that are scattered in tactical
positions throughout the film - the movie also runs enough like a good
horror story to make it appealling to horror fans who could care less
about seeing the light. Real-life evangelists John Hagee, T.D.Jakes and
Jack van Impe make brief cameos in the movie as well. If you are one of
the religious right, then praise God, this is the movie for you. If you
are not, then praise Nicolai, the devil, The Frankenstein Monster or
whatever suits your fancy and view it as a decent horror flick because
it still could be the film for you, just to see evil turn on and
doublecross itself in one of the final scenes, where Nicolai turns on
those who helped him rise to power.
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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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