Demon

source: Demon

From Larry Cohen, director of several kitsch 'classics', comes this piece of kitsch: God Told Me To. The film starts with a sequence that sees a sniper pick off several people on a busy high street. When religious Detective Peter J. Nicholas tries to talk him down, the sniper plummets from the building to his death, but not before saying the words "god told me to" as an explanation for his crime. This is the first in a series of brutal murders, all of which were carried out by someone that claimed god told them to do it. Is god really to blame, or is it something more sinister? This is the question now facing Detective Nicholas he attempts to uncover the reason behind the killings... One of the first things that you will notice about God Told Me To is the incredibly bad acting. In a low budget film, you can't expect anything great from the acting department, but the acting here is a tad below the low quality that we've come to expect from films of this nature. Another negative aspect of the film is the plotting. The plot itself isn't too bad, it could and should have better as it gets a bit too silly at times, but it's imaginative and inventive enough to carry the film; but the way it's presented is largely uneven and it loses itself at times, making it rather boring. The film takes a Sci-Fi twist about half way through, and in my opinion this was a bad idea. The theological ideas in the film are far more interesting, and had it concentrated on those; it would have been a better film. The Sci-Fi twist is something of a cop-out, especially when you consider the title. The film does have some nice moments, however; my personal favourite is a scene that sees a man that has just murdered his family amorally state his feelings on what he just done. It's a shame that this film isn't better. I love low budget kitsch films, and I almost feel like I should have a higher opinion of this one; but due to silly plotting mainly, I find it hard to really like. I still recommend this movie to people that like low budget cult films, but if you want a really great horror film about god's will; you can't go wrong with Bill Paxton's 2001 gem; Frailty.

Peter (Tony Lo Bianco) is a detective brought in on a strange case. As the film begins, some guy with a sniper rifle starts killing people on the streets of New York. The killer is cornered and Peter tries to talk him down from the tower where he's been shooting. However the guy jumps...just after saying that God told him to kill these people. Soon, other such crimes begin springing up all around---and each killer attributed this to God telling them to kill. In each case, oddly, they also seem very calm...and Peter is perplexed. Where this goes next is NOT where normal folks would expect and I am sure many would find it all sacrilegious as Peter begins to realize the killings are being orchestrated by a modern day Jesus...another Son of God born of a virgin. But it gets MUCH weirder! I liked the first half of the film much more than the second. The second portion is strange and a bit confusing. This isn't necessarily all bad, as the filmmaker, Larry Cohen, does take a lot of risks and makes a truly unique film that is much like "The Omen" meets a detective film! My only complaint is just how odd and unsatisfying the ending was for me. By the way, if you do watch, look for Andy Kaufman playing a murderous cop early into the movie.

Usually, my opinion concurs with the majority. Not in this case. When I watch a movie, I want to be entertained, which EXcludes thinking TOO much or being downright confused. A little preaching and commentary is okay. If there's intelligent metaphor, so much the better. All of which exists here. But I think negatively about a flick if I couldn't overturn all of it's stones. Maybe I'm publicizing my ignorance, but this film - especially it's second half - is beyond my comprehension. I wish that someone would simply and unequivocally state the conclusion. I guess, though, that THAT's what the Larry Cohen Fan Club LIKES about his films: their complexity. I get the impression that they'd speak favorably about ANYTHING that he did. Here's what I THINK is correct: Numerous killings are investigated by a very religious police psychologist. As his interrogations deepen, they beget only more questions about the connectedness and perpetrator of the slaughters - even of the origin of the cop, himself. Trying to follow the previous sentence, however, is where I got lost. I guess that my imagination is just too dormant. MY motive would be different from the positive review which urged, "See this." I would add, "And then explain the events."

...Hated how it finished. Actually, after the first pretty solid and interesting 20 minutes, it went off the rails for the duration. It jumped ahead with events and situations that should have taken weeks and condensed it into a few hours. I mean, what the F was up with the interrogation of the girlfriend halfway through by the cops who are about to suspend the main detective? Then, rioting. Then he is back on the force. Meets the alien eunuch, starts a building fire, then shows up in the next scene like nothing happened. wtf. It is definitely a mish mash of good and bad..... The acting by the main characters was quite good. Some cool supporting actors but most with nothing to do. The acting was better than this movie deserved. The story was original, but the script and directing, ugh. Poor execution. And the editors who spliced this thing together should never have worked again. It was a mess. It kind of reminded me of a David Cronenberg movie before he started making David Cronenberg movies. Don't believe me...check out the eunuch played by the always creepazoid Richard Lynch in the final reel exposing a * on his stomach and telling the main character to f#ck him. That wackiness was probably the highlight of the film.

Wow! I have to agree with Ebert about this one. If I were seeing this in a theater, I would strongly suspect that the reels were being shown out of order. However, that would last only halfway through the movie, as it quickly becomes obvious that this movie wouldn't make sense with the reels in ANY order. The subplots alone, which go absolutely nowhere, are enough to have you leaving the theater in confusion. A totally confusing mish-mash of juvenile ideas and lousy acting by people who should know better. It really isn't worth your time. It's not outright harmful, but it is certainly not any sort of "lost gem". My advice is to just skip it and watch something else. You will not have missed anything.

I find Larry Cohen movies are difficult to hate, but also difficult to love. This one is a prime example. Cohen has a knack for big and clever ideas, and for somehow convincing some of the best New York character actors to be in his films. Despite this his films never seem to gel quite as well as his premises suggest they should. Maybe it is his uneven directing style, or the one-take ultra low budgets. Whatever it is they always seem to me like I'm watching a first draft screenplay, lots of promise and no polish. This film is a prime example. Certainly what hollywood wheelers and dealers used to call a "high concept" picture. The premise, as I'm sure you are aware, involves a police detective (Lo Bianco) investigating a series of senseless murders in the big apple. The first of which evokes (likely intentional) echoes of Charles Whitman's infamous rampage from the U of Texas clock tower. When the detective asks the killer the inevitable question "why'd you do it", all he can answer is "God told me to". As the body counts mount, (and Lo Bianco becomes more unhinged) the titular refrain is repeated by perpetrators of various atrocities across the city. As we delve deeper into the mystery, the film takes an extremely unexpected though not wholly unpleasant turn into science fiction, as the cop finds an unearthly explanation for the killings-- just not the one the title might suggest. Unfortunately this is where the film completely falls apart. What should be the climax of the movie comes about 1/3 of the way in. The plot quickly degenerates into a quagmire of nonsensical sub-plots from which it never really recovers. Ebert famously opined that he thought for sure the reels were being shown out of order. I felt more like watching someone flip the channels on a tv through several different movies as the various subplots unfolded. First you get a scene of a police procedural, then a science fiction scene, then a scene out of a blaxploitation/gangster film, then back to the police subplot. Genre bending can often be a benefit of b-movies in this case its a determent. It left me consistently saying "who is that again? Whats going on here". The subplots sort-of come together but the story is told so incoherently I could not help zoning out. When the twist ending came (was it a twist? Im not exactly sure), I was too confused to be surprised. I even rewound the last 10 minutes a few times and still could not figure out exactly what the hell i had just seen. Many seem to consider this Cohen's best film, I would say its actually one of his worst. The shame is the concept is actually very good and the first third is really well done. It is just a shame he seemingly ran out of ideas before he ran out of film. I'd certainly rank this as much inferior film to "Q" , "The Stuff", or even his Blaxploitation pictures. Overall I recommend this to Larry Cohen fans or b-movie completists. I doubt many others will bother sitting through the entire thing.

Demon aka God Told Me To is extremely strange and weird film by the legendary director/screenwriter. His films are always unique and have a message which has to be found in the core of the film. Some of his films are "easier" to understand (The Stuff, Blind Alley) while others, like Demon, are far more difficult to see through. Strange killings committed by usual people start to take place, and all the killers have the same line/justification to say to police questioning. Policeman starts to investigate the cases and soon he's too deep in it to get safely back.. I'm not sure if I can actually say what the film's about because it has to be seen many times before it can be fully understood. Main themes are at least duality in everybody's personality (good/bad) and the question that which part is the dominating one. Cohen wants people to stop and think and it is great that that kind of directors exist. He would never do just entertainment without brain. The weirdness of this film comes close to Lynch, but Cohen's work isn't as surrealistic as Lynch's. Demon and other Cohen flicks are highly recommended if you like independent cinema and intelligent and "difficult" films which are not so often produced nowadays. 7 out of 10.

I detested this film. I admit that the idea of people with no criminal records suddenly committing random murders and a supernatural force deceiving them was intriguing. But after beginning as an OK police procedure film, it becomes muddled, illogical, and finally completely unpleasant and even gross. Guest stars come and go, the plot twists become more and more unbelievable, and at the center of it all is a barefoot actor with a tunic and bad wig. The ending is completely lame and the closing line will be seen by astute viewers long before the film actually ends. This film was such a letdown, I threw it in the trash after it was over.

Trust something this darkly warped to come from the creative juices brewing from the mind of Larry Cohen. The 70s through to the mid 80s was the pinnacle for Cohen, and "God Told Me to" would have to be ranking at the top of his greatest achievements. With a limited budget, Cohen resourcefully constructs a fascinatingly chilling, bewildering and off-kilter little winner. Talk about the strangest film Cohen has ever done, and probably his most ambitiously versatile in the story's ever-changing format of genres! Subtexts aplenty. And they manage some depth too. The cryptic story is cleverly utilized, as the mystery holds together and the fearful psychological undercurrents of repressed faith make it rather interesting. Though it's so hard to follow due to that fractured story-telling. It shifts from grounded reality to utter weirdness, which has you totally feeling the confusion and frustration that the main protagonist would be going through trying to come to terms with what's going on. So does it make sense? I'm not quite sure, but hell it's entertaining and bizarre. Too much for me to worry about thinking of the bigger picture. But hey it makes great for repeat viewings! Some sequences can unsettle, while others thoughtfully delve into the characters at hand. A compact, but involving script is complicatedly put together and drives hard with an audaciously literal sense. Some of the dialogues actually raise most of the tension than some visual set-pieces involving violence and shocks. Cohen's capably understated direction is well presented and shines with his own distinctive personality, as he ably uses the authentic New York Locations with the use of intimately taut cinematography. He manages to install a haunting air throughout the whole feature, and Frank Cordell's dreamily sombre music score largely complements the atmospheric awe. A quality cast lend solid performances. Tony Lo Bianco is undeniably excellent in the lead role of a religious NYPD detective. Sandy Dennis and Sylvia Sidney offer strong support. Sam Levene, Al Fann and James Dixon (a Cohen favourite) are also good. Richard Lynch appears in a small, but unusually striking part and Andy Kauffman in an out-of-the-ordinary performance. Cohen's "God Told Me To" is a loopy, but challenging b-grade exploitation of the highest order. An unforgettable cult gem!