‘The Prophecy’
Dimension Films, 1995

starring: Christopher Walken, Elias Koteas, Eric Stoltz and Virginia Madsen
written and directed by: Gregory Widen

the plot: There’s a war between two rival factions of angels brewing in heaven, with earth selected as the battleground. On one side is the angel Simon (Stoltz), intent on protecting the human soul that can end the war. On the other side is the archangel Gabriel (Walken), eager to retrieve the soul and win the war, all so that God will acknowledge the angels, and not man, as His greatest creation. Caught in the middle is Tom Daggett (Koteas) a former priest turned cop investigating a string of mysterious murders perpetrated by the warring angels. The three men converge in a small desert town, where Simon has hidden the prized soul in the body of a young girl. Daggett joins forces with Simon, but even their combined efforts may not be enough to stop Gabriel. However, God, and Lucifer, have other plans that may affect how the battle is fought.

why it’s good: What’s not to love about “The Prophecy”? It’s a strange little action/black comedy/horror film with a neat apocalyptic plot, courtesy of writer/director Widen (who also created the “Highlander” franchise). In fact, Widen almost overstuffs the film with Revelations-style concepts, with so many angels, demons and dark souls running around that the story is a little hard to follow. It doesn’t matter, though, because when the angels aren’t having all-out slugfests, Christopher Walken is on hand to deliver one of the quirkiest, weirdest performances of his career. He dominates the film, gesturing grandly, snapping off one-liners and demeaning humans (“talking monkeys” he calls us). Koteas also has a nice turn as a grizzled, hard-boiled cop, and Adam Goldberg has a fun bit part as Jerry, a neurotic dead guy reanimated by Gabriel. Viewers should also keep an eye out for Viggo Mortensen, who makes a cameo appearance as Old Scratch himself.

why you should own it: “The Prophecy” is a prime cult-film worth owning, whether you’re a fan of apocalyptic horror flicks or a Walken maniac. Unfortunately, Dimension’s DVD doesn’t have any extras. However, there are two direct-to-video sequels (also starring Walken) that are worth a rent.