God Told Me To

Rating:
Summary: More Cohen weirdness
Review: "God Told Me To" is in many ways Larry Cohen's best picture, which probably isn't saying all that much to people unaccustomed to the confines of schlock cinema. Viewers who never watch anything that doesn't play at the local Cineplex will look upon this picture with a sense of mounting dread over the low production values and haphazard plot lines. I, however, am the King of Bad Cinema, and my realm contains a round table where Sir Cohen sits with Lord Herschell Gordon Lewis, Baron William Castle, and Sir Roger Corman of New Concorde. I can take the offering that is "God Told Me To" and pronounce it good and godly. And I will because Michael Moriarty appears nowhere in this film. Cohen seems to have a thing for the squirrelly actor of "Law & Order" fame, casting him in at least three of his major works--"The Stuff," "Q: The Winged Serpent," and "It's Alive." After anxiously looking around for Moriarty's name anywhere near this film and not seeing it, I settled in for what I hoped would become a wonderful experience. Although far from perfect, "God Told Me To" is immensely entertaining. Did I mention I don't care much for Michael Moriarty?

Here's a movie any B-movie fan can really sink his or her teeth into. Imagine New York City in the 1970s (I know, it's unpleasant, but do it anyway). The streets bustle with activity as people drive, walk, and ride their bikes to various destinations. Why, look there! Here comes a chap peddling along without a care in the world! Then we hear a shot ring out and the poor guy does a header into the pavement. Do angels ride bicycles? Anyway, more shots ring out and more people tumble to the pavement, presumably incapable of ever rising again. It looks like some guy channeling Charles Whitman is up on a wooden water tower playing target practice. Fortunately, tough cop Peter Nicholas (Tony Lo Bianco) assumes the highly dangerous task of talking the hunter down. He fails spectacularly, but before he does the gunman tells Nicholas that "God told me to" murder all of these people. This cop will continue to hear this phrase in the coming days after a devoted father slaughters his family, after a police officer (Andy Kaufman!) goes off the deep end during a parade, and after a few other highly unpleasant incidents unfold in the Big Apple. In other words, what we see happening here is just a typical day in New York City. What's the big deal?

Well, Larry Cohen isn't content to merely let his movie founder in the degradation of the typical police thriller genre. No sir! What starts out as a series of seemingly unconnected crimes turns out to be something so sinister that the human mind boggles while attempting to conceive of it. Turns out Nicholas is a highly devote Catholic with a wife (Sandy Dennis) and a young girlfriend (Deborah Raffin) who feels as though he's different from everyone else. The whole "god told me to" thing finds the detective discovering exactly why he never seemed to fit in. His investigation into the crimes turns up reports of an immaculate conception years before, a shadowy cult that worships some nut named Bernard Phillips (Richard Lynch), and Mason Adams playing an obstetrician. Then things get really weird. Nicholas tracks down a woman who tells him a story he would rather not hear, complete with onscreen flashbacks, about an alien abduction that took place years ago. Again, this type of stuff is par for the course in New York City, but you wouldn't know it by watching Detective Peter Nicholas's reaction. He races out of the building on a quest to track down the enigmatic Bernard Phillips, with good reason. The very future of the human race could well depend on our hero putting a stop to the supernatural shenanigans going on in his beloved city. Wow!

I'm not quite sure what to make of "God Told Me To." The film doesn't fit in any single cinematic genre, so I'm not sure it would appeal to fans of pure cop dramas, or pure science fiction, or pure apocalyptic films. You sort of need to transcend boundaries with this movie or you'll only end up liking chunks of it. I do think that Tony Lo Bianco did a wonderful job as the conflicted and tormented Detective Peter Nicholas. As proof of this assertion, I ask that you view closely the scene where he listens to the father talk about butchering his family. The rage slowly building in every fiber of Lo Bianco's being as he digests this string of spoken atrocities appears so genuine that I thought he was really going to deck that guy when he finally blows. So I guess you can say the acting isn't too bad. The special effects, on the other hand, ain't that great. You get a cheesy showdown between Phillips and Nicholas at the end involving a lot of camera shaking, collapsing walls, and flashing lights--hardly the stuff of big budget effects teams working with state of the art equipment. But ultimately, "God Told Me To" is entertaining because it's creepy and offbeat.

Cohen's films are seeing a big resurgence on DVD thanks in large part to Blue Underground. Included as extras on the disc are a commentary with Cohen, a poster and stills gallery, a trailer, a Cohen biography, and seven television spots. I learned by watching these extras that "God Told Me To" also went by the name of "Demon," which often means that the movie tanked under its original title so the distribution company slapped a new moniker on it in order to release it somewhere else. If you want to explore the Larry Cohen canon, this picture is a great place to start.






Rating:
Summary: God Told Me To....Kill! that sounds fun!
Review: A New York City policemen investigating a series of particularly brutal homicides discovers an eerie link between the cases - when the murderers are asked why they committed the crime they all claim, "God Told Me To."

A Very Strange Movie!

Rating:
Summary: It's no "It's Alive..."
Review: Cheapo horror director Larry Cohen followed up his modest success with the monster-baby classic "It's Alive" with this weakly realized ultra-cult flick. The main attraction is, I suppose, Cohen's apparent attempt to co-opt and cash in on every single type of '70s exploitation trend he could think of: demon movies, anti-establishment political paranoia thrillers, blaxploitation, cop flicks and sci-fi, flying saucer conspiracies. If he could have afforded an actor who knew how to high-kick, it probably would have been a kung-fu action film as well. Trouble is, even though there are interesting elements to the script, the film is so appallingly low-budget, sketchily written and poorly acted that it's difficult, in all honesty, to recommend it to any but the most devoted fans of trash culture. The strident antireligiousness and misogyny are both remarkable, particularly Cohen's graphic inserts of female genitalia that are as grotesque as they are gratuitous: no wonder you never heard of this film. There are a couple of choice cameos, though, particularly from actors who play various blank-brained murderers. Most significant celebrity sighting: Andy Kaufman as a robotic, hypnotized killer cop, and Sylvia Sidney as a traumatized retiree. Sleazy, semi-middle/lowbrow and resolutely trashy.

Rating:
Summary: It's no "It's Alive..."
Review: Cheapo horror director Larry Cohen followed up his modest success with the monster-baby classic "It's Alive" with this weakly realized ultra-cult flick. The main attraction is, I suppose, Cohen's apparent attempt to co-opt and cash in on every single type of '70s exploitation trend he could think of: demon movies, anti-establishment political paranoia thrillers, blaxploitation, cop flicks and sci-fi, flying saucer conspiracies. If he could have afforded an actor who knew how to high-kick, it probably would have been a kung-fu action film as well. Trouble is, even though there are interesting elements to the script, the film is so appallingly low-budget, sketchily written and poorly acted that it's difficult, in all honesty, to recommend it to any but the most devoted fans of trash culture. The strident antireligiousness and misogyny are both remarkable, particularly Cohen's graphic inserts of female genitalia that are as grotesque as they are gratuitous: no wonder you never heard of this film. There are a couple of choice cameos, though, particularly from actors who play various blank-brained murderers. Most significant celebrity sighting: Andy Kaufman as a robotic, hypnotized killer cop, and Sylvia Sidney as a traumatized retiree. Sleazy, semi-middle/lowbrow and resolutely trashy.

Rating:
Summary: A confusing but amazingly good low-budget thriller
Review: God Told Me To (also known as Demon) is probably the most powerful B-movie I have ever seen; writer and director Larry Cohen had me mesmerized from the start yet more and more confused by the end. This isn't the kind of movie you sit and watch drone-like; this is a complex film that revels in mystery, flirts with apocalyptic notions, and incorporates elements sure to make you question what you think you believe the movie is about. The action begins with a sniper perched on a water tower in New York City, killing a number of people on the street with uncanny accuracy. Tony Lo Bianco plays detective Peter Nicholas, who climbs up and tries to communicate with the sniper; he is surprisingly jolted when he hears the guy say that he committed mass murder because "God told me to." From there we encounter several other bizarre and deadly crimes, the perpetrators of which all tell Nicholas that God told them to do it. One truly memorable scene features a seemingly normal man explain how and why he killed his wife and children with no remorse; in fact, he feels better than he has ever felt because he suddenly knows God and has done what He asked him to do. Nicholas eventually finds out that a weird young guy was seen talking to each murderer shortly before he snapped, and this is where the story starts to get a little weird. The guy's mother is a virgin, as Nicholas finds out after she attempts to kill him. Having now come to believe that the religious aspect of the murders is actually real, Nicholas leaks the hidden confessions to the press after being shunned by his fellow detectives. A devout Catholic, Nicholas now begins to change, and one is hard pressed to figure out what exactly is going on with him. He learns a secret of his own birth and seeks out the Messiah figure who has set such incredible forces in motion.

This movie is not as simple as a Christ-Antichrist type of motif. The virgin mothers were seemingly abducted by aliens and impregnated artificially, and this throws a definite monkey-wrench into how one should interpret the two central forces at work here. The Messiah figure, radiating a golden light that makes him almost impossible to really see, is both a counterpart and a completely opposite entity than that of Nicholas, and the possible fusion of the two primal forces betokens powers and realizations one is hard pressed to understand. In the end, I was left rather confused but deeply impressed by this movie. One very unfortunate aspect of the low-budget film is the fact that some of the incredibly important dialogue at the end was impossible for me to understand as it was drowned out by the ever-present and generally very effective music. Knowing everything that was said would still leave me somewhat confused about the immense complexity of the story, but I would certainly have had a better grasp of Cohen's unique vision. I would hope that religious people would not shun this movie as sacrilegious; I certainly have no problem with it. It does, however, force one to ponder incredibly deep thoughts, such as the total abnegation of God and the difficulty posed by a God who perhaps truly does seek to get the attention of his children by means of random terror.

I would make special mention of the special effects, which are really very good, especially for a low-budget movie. The Messianic incarnation is otherworldly and rather incomprehensible, but I was most impressed by the shooting scenes. I've never actually seen a bullet wound, but the wounds in the movie struck me as quite impressive. These victims don't just fall down and play dead; we actually see the bullet's impact with each victim's body. At one point, we watch from behind a victim while the killer shoots him from in front, and we see the exit wound in his back explode with the force of the bullet. I found that amazingly effective. One trivial fact here is also worth noting; Andy Kaufman actually appears in the movie as one of the God-inspired mass murderers. Overall, I would like to understand this movie much more than I do, but I cannot question the power and hypnotic effect it had on me. You might walk away from God Told Me To shaking your head, but I can almost guarantee you will know you have watched a darn good movie.

Rating:
Summary: A confusing but amazingly good low-budget thriller
Review: God Told Me To (also known as Demon) is probably the most powerful B-movie I have ever seen; writer and director Larry Cohen had me mesmerized from the start yet more and more confused by the end. This isn't the kind of movie you sit and watch drone-like; this is a complex film that revels in mystery, flirts with apocalyptic notions, and incorporates elements sure to make you question what you think you believe the movie is about. The action begins with a sniper perched on a water tower in New York City, killing a number of people on the street with uncanny accuracy. Tony Lo Bianco plays detective Peter Nicholas, who climbs up and tries to communicate with the sniper; he is surprisingly jolted when he hears the guy say that he committed mass murder because "God told me to." From there we encounter several other bizarre and deadly crimes, the perpetrators of which all tell Nicholas that God told them to do it. One truly memorable scene features a seemingly normal man explain how and why he killed his wife and children with no remorse; in fact, he feels better than he has ever felt because he suddenly knows God and has done what He asked him to do. Nicholas eventually finds out that a weird young guy was seen talking to each murderer shortly before he snapped, and this is where the story starts to get a little weird. The guy's mother is a virgin, as Nicholas finds out after she attempts to kill him. Having now come to believe that the religious aspect of the murders is actually real, Nicholas leaks the hidden confessions to the press after being shunned by his fellow detectives. A devout Catholic, Nicholas now begins to change, and one is hard pressed to figure out what exactly is going on with him. He learns a secret of his own birth and seeks out the Messiah figure who has set such incredible forces in motion.

This movie is not as simple as a Christ-Antichrist type of motif. The virgin mothers were seemingly abducted by aliens and impregnated artificially, and this throws a definite monkey-wrench into how one should interpret the two central forces at work here. The Messiah figure, radiating a golden light that makes him almost impossible to really see, is both a counterpart and a completely opposite entity than that of Nicholas, and the possible fusion of the two primal forces betokens powers and realizations one is hard pressed to understand. In the end, I was left rather confused but deeply impressed by this movie. One very unfortunate aspect of the low-budget film is the fact that some of the incredibly important dialogue at the end was impossible for me to understand as it was drowned out by the ever-present and generally very effective music. Knowing everything that was said would still leave me somewhat confused about the immense complexity of the story, but I would certainly have had a better grasp of Cohen's unique vision. I would hope that religious people would not shun this movie as sacrilegious; I certainly have no problem with it. It does, however, force one to ponder incredibly deep thoughts, such as the total abnegation of God and the difficulty posed by a God who perhaps truly does seek to get the attention of his children by means of random terror.

I would make special mention of the special effects, which are really very good, especially for a low-budget movie. The Messianic incarnation is otherworldly and rather incomprehensible, but I was most impressed by the shooting scenes. I've never actually seen a bullet wound, but the wounds in the movie struck me as quite impressive. These victims don't just fall down and play dead; we actually see the bullet's impact with each victim's body. At one point, we watch from behind a victim while the killer shoots him from in front, and we see the exit wound in his back explode with the force of the bullet. I found that amazingly effective. One trivial fact here is also worth noting; Andy Kaufman actually appears in the movie as one of the God-inspired mass murderers. Overall, I would like to understand this movie much more than I do, but I cannot question the power and hypnotic effect it had on me. You might walk away from God Told Me To shaking your head, but I can almost guarantee you will know you have watched a darn good movie.

Rating:
Summary: Pulls you in more and more..
Review: I remember seeing this film for rent at the local store when I was little and being enthralled by the box... it looked so freaky! Of course being so young, I was never allowed to watch it. However, I recently found this again at another store and snatched it up. There's some action right off the bat (the first sniper shooting), then things build a bit slowly from there, but I must say that as the movie went on I had to know what was coming next. The lo-fi look can be gotten past, but there are a few pleasant surprises out of left field... Examples being the previously mentioned Christ figure scenes that actually look great. Very well done. Also, there are flashback sequences done in early film-style brown tone and some legitimately old-school sci-fi alien abduction (immaculate conception?) scenes out of nowhere. This is the type of thing that would throw off many everyday viewers, but I found it thrilling! If you're into quirky, adventurous, original films, then give this a chance!

Rating:
Summary: What the hell is going on here?
Review: If you enjoy movies with random terrorist executions, religious cults, Andy Kaufman as a mass murdering cop, alien abductions, bizarre sexual anatomies, etc (Don't we all?), you will LOVE this one. Alone in its genre!

Rating:
Summary: What the hell is going on here?
Review: If you enjoy movies with random terrorist executions, religious cults, Andy Kaufman as a mass murdering cop, alien abductions, bizarre sexual anatomies, etc (Don't we all?), you will LOVE this one. Alone in its genre!

Rating:
Summary: Seriously Potent Stuff!
Review: Larry Cohen's GOD TOLD ME TO is one of the most intelligent, gritty horror/thrillers ever made! In New York, a series of mass murders occur with each perpetrator saying the title phrase. But is there something more going on here? Tony Lo Bianco is excellent as the devout Catholic policeman who is investigating this bizarre phenomenon and discovers something really shocking about himself along the way! As with most cult movies, GOD TOLD ME TO must be seen to be believed; it's a genuinely thought-provoking and scary thriller that raises interesting questions about religion. The visual style is amazing; it inspired the look of shows like NYPD BLUE and 24. In the tradition of the best science fiction movies, GOD TOLD ME TO raises more questions than answers, and very important questions at that. Don't miss it!