Révélations

REVIEW: Wed + Sun 9pm NBC: "It's as probable for a tornado traveling through a junkyard to produce Buckingham Palace than for life to emerge from the Big Bang," says the teacher at the start of Revelations… and he's the scientist. The series, produced by Omen maker David Seltzer is relatively well done, with the likable Bill Pullman playing a scientist whose daughter has been kidnapped and murdered by a Satanist who excised her heart in a ritual sacrifice. Pullman goes to Chile and helps capture the fiend, and later is confronted by a Nun (the other-worldly Natasha McElhone – the wife in Solaris) whose sister has died in an apocalyptic cult in Africa, and who drags him to the bedside of a young brain dead Florida girl who was hit by lightning. Of course, this girl is talking.. in Latin, and it's about the end of the world. Evil secular doctors are eager to harvest her organs while the Sister's foundation staves them off (doctors love to pull the plug on speaking patients). The girl draws a stick figure (with ancient writing) that is the same as Pullman's daughter used to. The parallels with the Florida Schiavo allow-to-die circus are probably coincidental, but jarring. Signs abound: a shadow of Jesus on the cross on a Mexican cliff, a lone child pulled from floating wreckage of a Greek ferry, the Satanist chopping his finger off without bleeding.

I personally love these apocalyptic movies, but feel this is in so many ways a sop to the religious right, whose penetration into government is alarming. It feeds the creationist fervor, the cheap exploitive political acts behind the Schiavo carnival of fools. At the first meeting the Sister wisely advises the dubious Pullman to start contributing to religion. "All the signs and symbols are currently in place for the end of days." They allow Pullman to visit the killer of his daughter in prison, dubiously unmonitored, who chops his finger off in the feeding slot, and doesn't bleed. This sends Pullman on a quest for the Answers, being dragged kicking and screaming towards the Truth, like Gregory Peck so long ago in The Omen (actually saw that world premiere in LA). Portentous Bible quotes start each section. When the girl dies, Pullman holds her hand, and she.. awakes. Personally I don't think we should rush this apocalypse business- some nightmare virus may make it real for hundreds of millions soon enough. Not as intense as I thought, but then NBC isn't cable. Rating: 6 out of 10

What is it about David Seltzer that he can so touch the innermost bogeyman of Christian nightmares? The Omen, then Revelations! While Revelations is scary for anyone, of any religion or none at all, it is particularly so for Christians. Seltzer finds the most potent images of evil and gets one on a roller-coaster ride that is mystery, detective story, theological and he amazes, thrills, terrifies. Also there is hope in each of these two productions. Talented people doing good work, well worth watching.

The performance by Michael Massee is stunning, truly scarier, for this viewer, than that of the great Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Hannibal Lecter. Massee has to be seen as Isaiah Haden words are not descriptive enough to convey the malevolence of his characterization.

Seltzer creates an alternative Christian apocalypse however its plausibility is no less credible than the orthodox rendering. I do know that after viewing the Omen and Revelations I was on my best behavior for several weeks afterward.

Why do people always use a forum like this to vent their frustrations over religion, politics, science, history, etc.? COMMENT ON THE MOVIE!!! Okay, I'm done preaching.

I like what I've seen of Revelations, so far, having seen 2 episodes. Bill Pullman and Natasha McElhone are believable in their respective roles, and the story-line is interesting and suspenseful. While the Biblical accuracy may be lacking, that's not the point of a movie like this. This is a DRAMA, loosely based on a Biblical theme. Don't like it? - Change the channel. It's not like you paid 8 bucks plus parking to get in. For the most part, atheists and other religions will hate it for being too Christian, Protestants will hate it for being too Catholic, and Catholics will hate it for being too non-Biblical. Hey, folks, it's just a movie!!!

I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the mini-series, but don't think I'll read anymore comments. Too many people commenting on God, the Big Bang, etc. Would you guys get a life?

Revelations could just be the show that viewers will watch to escape from their everyday lives. I don't believe that we should over intellectualize movies, mini-series, or television programming. I like both main actors and I believe like most suspenseful/thriller shows that it will hook its audience but will need a strong conclusion. I am generally hooked by the strong opening but also easily disappointed by lame endings. Revelations needs to prove that it can answer the questions it asks in a creative manner. There has been plenty of movies about the end of the world and of mankind as we know it, but nothing new ever seems to be brought forth. I love shows like Revelations and I seek them out, I love that "genre". I love to be terrified and the idea of the end of our civilization mixed-in with religion is thoroughly entertaining and fascinating. I will be watching and I hope not to be disappointed!

We are very sorry to find out that the series will not be continued. The only thing we can think of as to why, is that maybe it wasn't advertised enough. I think most anyone would enjoy this mini-series. There is a fair amount of violence, and the wanton killing is difficult to take, but the overall series is well worth it. It is basically a tale of good versus evil. The characters, I believe, do an excellent job. Michael Massee, as the "bad guy", does an especially great job. No wooden performances here - an overall great job by everyone. It is refreshing that the two "good guy" leads are a professor and a nun, so there is no romantic interest possible; seems like about every time I see a movie, there must be sex involved. It's nice that they didn't stoop to that level in Revelations.