I saw the Sign; it opened up my eyes, I saw the Sign. I then saw the next 5 of them too.
Will the final one be better?
This is The Seventh Sign, a 1988 Thriller about the End of the World. It all comes down to one lady having a baby. All those people talking about 'Breeders' were right all along!
No, there's obviously more to it than that. It is Demi Moore having a baby.
This one also features Michael Biehn, who I guess has a 50-50 track record with kids affecting all of humanity. His previous one- John Connor- is the key to saving mankind from the robot apocalypse. The third kid better be a real winner is the point, I guess.
Is this not-so-well-remembered Film one to look up for any reason other than to leech off of some that sweet The Substance clicks?
To find out, read on...
Strange things start happening around the World as the year 1987 ends.
This includes water boiling and killing fish in one place, while a desert becomes much more like a dessert when it is covered in inexplicable snow.
Our Heroine- Moore- is expecting her child on February 29th, since this is a Leap Year.
Good news, fans of a once-every-four-years event, you get a Film for your Holiday!
Also worth noting- can you really nail a delivery down to a single day? I don't think so...
A stranger- Jurgen Prochnow- is going to all of these sites, picking up an envelope from there and then burning it.
Naturally, it is a bit strange when he shows up to rent the adjacent Apartment at Moore and Biehn's house then.
The former can't help but snoop (because the Plot demands it) and we see another envelope.
She starts to see weird things, hear voices and have strange dreams.
She seems to follow Jurgen to a Synagogue and then has a panic attack...or something.
When she recovers, she looks into a connection from the envelope.
It all relates to Jewish folklore involving a Hall of Souls. Somehow when that one runs out, the World will end...because reasons.
She gets the help of a young guy there, who, shockingly, is not killed for dramatic effect.
I was betting he wouldn't make Act 3, so what do I know?
She eventually figures out the strange truth. Bear with me...
This Priest in the area is actually Cartaphilus, the Porter who stabbed Jeus during the crucifixion.
He was cursed to walk the Earth until humanity ended...and he's going to make it happen.
Prochnow is actually the Second Coming of Christ (!!!) and Moore is the reincarnation (which is part of Jewish folklore?) of Seraphia, the woman who offered Jesus water.
Alright then.
The Priest tries to make the Fifth Sign- the death of a Down Syndrome man who killed his evil parents- happen to ensure that he's finally freed.
According to Wikipedia, he does so...but he looked fine to me.
He does shoot Moore while trying ot hit him though.
She is taken to the Hospital and gives birth early, her vitals not looking good thanks to, you know, the bullet wound in her.
The child is born dead (or something) and we're all doomed!
She remembers Prochnow's words, however, and gives her soul to the baby and it lives.
The Hall is refilled and we're all going to be alright (relative to current events, mind you).
The End.
A Film that is perhaps less interesting than it thinks it is.
This is another one of those Films about people uncovering a religious conspiracy that will, in some way, possibly end the World. That could be with an evil Child being born like Damien or some other event.
The fact that a kid being born without a soul is your apocalypse trigger is a bit odd, no?
This one frontloads some weird stuff, but none of it happens in really dramatic fashion.
We don't see the water boil- we just see the fish.
We don't see the snow/ice storm- we just see the results.
Would it have killed them to show one?!?
The one we do get is an earthquake, which is mostly just shaking the camera and set. Kind of a letdown, if you ask me.
As a Character Piece, it works better. Moore is good here, while Biehn and Prochnow pull their weigh nicely as well.
Ultimately, with its different focus, the Film is sadly less memorable than others in the Genre. Not bad- just unremarkable in many ways.
The Music does make me want to philosophize for some reason though...
Next up, I might as well dig into my Digital Library again for some topical stuff. See what happens when you turn a Fairy Tale into an Action Film. Stay tuned...
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