GOD TOLD ME TO (1976)

The Burgomaster · October 01, 2009, 08:54:23 AM

This was a "surprise" feature in Mill Creek's CHILLING CLASSICS 50 MOVIE PACK. It was a surprise because the DVD box and the sleeve for the DVD both say the movie is THE BLOODY BROOD with Peter Falk . . . but GOD TOLD ME TO is actually on the disc.

Anyway, this is one of those movies I have wanted to see for many years . . . only to be disappointed. It starts off pretty good with a sniper picking off New York City pedestrians. When religious cop Tony LoBianco asks the sniper why he did it, he says, "God told me to."

Without giving too much away, the movie includes more killings, an alien abduction, and plenty of boredom and confusion. However, I was sort of surprised by the cast:

* Tony LoBianco
* Mike Kellin
* Sandy Dennis (what the heck is she doing in this movie?)
* Andy Kaufman (as a cop!)
* Deborah Raffin
* Sylvia Sidney
* Richard Lynch (he fits in very well in this movie . . . but he isn't in it very much).

After about 90 minutes, you'll reach the asinine ending.

It was written and directed by Larry Cohen (in case you happen to be a fan).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asVxZ5wO_GE

Raffine · October 01, 2009, 10:35:59 AM

It can be quite surprising to find what's on the DVD is quite different than what's listed on some of these Mill Creek collections. I'll have to check mine to see if this is included rather than THE BLOODY BROOD.

I believe there was quite a bit of last minute tampering with this one, making it into an incomprehensible mess. I haven't seen it in years but I remember it pretty much like you described it: some great scenes and ideas but I had absolutely no idea what was going on most of the time.

FUN FACT: This film, along with Brian DePalma's CARRIE, was the next film slated to be scored by Bernard Herrmann (he and Cohen were unlikely buddies) before his untimely death just hours after fhe finished recording his score for TAXI DRIVER.

Jack · October 01, 2009, 02:31:24 PM

I've got this on some 10 movie set. Didn't really think much of it either. The premise was only vaguely interesting and, well, that was the best part.

Sleepyskull · October 01, 2009, 05:11:11 PM

I saw this and I have to agree that the premise was great but it was very confusing. Also my DVD (rented from Netflix) seemed to have poor audio quality. Did anybody else have poor audio quality?

Raffine · October 01, 2009, 05:49:06 PM

Quote from: Sleepyskull on October 01, 2009, 05:11:11 PM
I saw this and I have to agree that the premise was great but it was very confusing. Also my DVD (rented from Netflix) seemed to have poor audio quality. Did anybody else have poor audio quality?

Yeah , I could hear every woid of the dialogue!

Ozzymandias · October 01, 2009, 08:34:36 PM

Ozzymandias speaks: Must be your box, because Bloody Blood is in mine.

Ozzymandias has spoken!!!

The Burgomaster · October 02, 2009, 05:28:47 AM

Quote from: Sleepyskull on October 01, 2009, 05:11:11 PM
I saw this and I have to agree that the premise was great but it was very confusing. Also my DVD (rented from Netflix) seemed to have poor audio quality. Did anybody else have poor audio quality?

The audio quality on mine was okay.

Javakoala · October 02, 2009, 05:09:52 PM

The novel of this was actually fair good. And to honest, I think there was some serious editing on this film, as in scenes were shortened and removed all together. It seems more disjointed than your average Larry Cohen film. The novel was more graphic and it seemed as though it made far more sense.

This is one that could stand a slight reworking and a remake. Another good one for a remake would be THE PYX.

the ghoul · October 02, 2009, 08:55:55 PM

I liked it. I don't remember anything about the audio quality of my copy, or even very much about the movie. I only remember that I liked it, and that Andy Kaufmann was in it. It's been a couple years since I watched it.

Sleepyskull · October 03, 2009, 09:29:01 AM

Javakoala: Was the movie based off the novel? Or was the novel based off the movie?

Either way, I want to read it!

Javakoala · October 03, 2009, 02:13:21 PM

Quote from: Sleepyskull on October 03, 2009, 09:29:01 AM
Javakoala: Was the movie based off the novel? Or was the novel based off the movie?

Either way, I want to read it!

To be honest, I don't recall. I found it at a used bookstore when I was in high school and I read it, liked it and put it back. But it went away in the Great Book Purge of 1995. No, I didn't destroy the books; I sold them because I was homeless and couldn't keep hauling 20 boxes of books from one friend's home to another.

I'm sure the cover will pop up somewhere if you dig around the internet. It seems like it was mostly yellow. But I could be wrong. Not that it matters.

What was the question, and where the hell am I?

Jim H · October 04, 2009, 02:29:02 PM

Some vaguely similar material is covered much better in Frailty. I suggest seeing that one instead.

The Burgomaster · October 04, 2009, 06:38:00 PM

Quote from: Jim H on October 04, 2009, 02:29:02 PM
Some vaguely similar material is covered much better in Frailty. I suggest seeing that one instead.

Oh, yeah. Good call. FRAILTY is much better than this turd.