User reviews

The end of the world is always intriguing subject matter, for the religious and non-religious alike, and with cinematic explorations of the Apocalypse such as the Omen it's themes are at least vaguely familiar to even those of us not raised in Christianity. Revelations does not stray far from the formula in that respect- the birth of the anti-Christ, the second coming of Jesus, it's all handled or hinted at in ways that will not wow us with originality, but it does manage to place them in a contemporary context without alienating the audience- we are drawn into the story, and it is believable to us.

Bill Pullman and Natascha McElhone play the spiritual equivalents of Mulder and Scully, but with the gender roles reversed. It's a well-worn concept- the believer and the pessimist having to work together to achieve a common goal, but credit has to be given to the actors, who do bring something new to the roles, and make them characters we can acre about easily. Natascha McElhone conveys the wide eyed Sister Josepha Montafiore with such conviction that you find yourself envious of her sense of almost child-like wonder. Bill Pullman also shines as a jaded man who has lost so much.

Revelations also follows the recent trend of focusing on family- it's something I noticed recently in the cancelled sci fi show Invasion. I think it's an effective way of bringing the events occurring around the characters home, quite literally, for the audiences, and for a theme as huge as the world ending, it's a way of not overwhelming the audience with ideas- this is not a cinematic epic, it's very much about the central characters.

There are of course weaknesses with the show also. Prisoners who share a jail with Satan worshipper Isaiah Haden are very easily "converted to the dark side" and it's not completely believable because they are treated as a homogeneous group- they are in jail therefore they must all be unrepentant people who will side with Satan in order to feel good about themselves. It just doesn't work, and considering the depth in writing in some aspects of the show, it's a stark contrast. Similarly, the brief references we get terrorism are handled in a very Christian-centric manner. In a show that deal with God and faith, you would expect some exploration of different religions, and the different forms in which faith and a belief in God can manifest itself, but instead I felt we were being spoon-fed things that boiled down to "good" and "bad@ and that's not what an adult audience wants.

Despite these weaknesses, it's unfortunate that the show was not given an opportunity to grow- I would have been very curious to see the direction the show would have taken, particularly with more episodes per season to really explore the themes laid down in these 6 episodes.

I would certainly recommend this to people who are interested in the subject matters stated earlier, and for those in the mood to get into a story that won't take weeks to see through.

If they were better, Bill Pullman, Natasha McElhone and Michael Massee, it would have been a very good mini-series. Basically every actors and actresses did too much 'acting' they shouldn't have. I am convinced it wasn't their mistake, rather the director's. An intriguing story spoiled by overacting. Somehow, everyone in the story is too much. Natasha with her big eyes all the time, Bill with his fairly inappropriate 'don't give a damn' half-smiles, Michael with his way too much enjoyment of being the bad guy.

And that's why I said bad directing. These actors are first class, all of them, yet in the story they are like cartoon figures. Darkness and deep emotions are badly missing.

Good story wrongly executed.

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.

A ridiculous poorly made mini-movie about Revelations and Science. It's poor science fiction, if that what intended. Direct portrayal of contention between Religion vs. Science is in poor taste for a national network even if done vaguely or for fiction. But there is nothing vague about Religion vs. Science in this mini.

My first instinct was that NBC has gone evangelical. But then reason took over. No… NBC is pandering to the religious and religious right for ratings. Shame on NBC anyway for a bad plot and schlock! The only thing NBC has going for it are all the L&O's. NBC's High Definition is the best but is wasted on Leno.

There seems to be a common dislike in the public for this miniseries, for any number of reasons. Therefore, the majority of people out there seem to be influenced by these opinions rather than their own. I watched every episode starting at the premiere, and I can say that while I was rather alarmed at the constant misquoting of scripture (which is really the only true negative I had regarding this show), overall it was an engaging show. This show seemed to be honestly striving to have a purpose on television, to tell people about what is inevitable, though likely not in the way it is being described in the show itself. This, in a world where religion is so controversial that the very mention of God can spark heated debates between opposing sides. There are always going to be people offended by the mention of religion (but why they bother watching the show in the case, I don't know). With subject matter like the Apocalypse, in which every side has a different idea of how it's going to come about, there will always be sides unhappy with the way it is presented. Instead of focusing in on all the little things that conflict with your own personal beliefs, watch the show for its entertainment value, which I found to be rather high compared to most of the stuff on television nowadays. I would highly suggest that people give it a fair shot, get rid of all your biases, and watch it for its purpose: to serve as entertainment for religious and secular audiences alike.

Last night, my cable box cut out before "The L Word" - why did it have to play up during a good TV show and choose to work perfectly throughout all six hours of "Revelations"? Six hours. Six of the dullest, least invigorating hours I've ever spent in front of a television screen.

Screenwriter David Seltzer went on record as not really believing in the stuff when he wrote "The Omen," but this tale of the End of Days is truly lacking in conviction from Joseph Vitarelli's clichéd choral theme onwards (whatever you might think of "The Passion of the Christ," you can't deny that Mel Gibson genuinely put his money where his mouth is); instead of being thought-provoking and chilling, the first four hours are nothing but build-up with nothing going anywhere, and when it's not teasing you it's being ridiculous (ominous supermodels dressed in black hanging around? Ooooh, scary).

The miniseries also lands us with two main characters - a relentlessly serious professor and a nun who would make Mother Teresa seem like a hedonist - who simply don't register (pity Bill Pullman, if not Natascha McElhone), leaving Michael Massee as a Satanic mass-murderer to prove that the Devil gets, if not the best tunes, at least the best lines; the dire job "Revelations" does can be summed up by a failure to care when our villain, having launched the plot by kidnapping and murdering Professor Pullman's young daughter, lures his unlikeable teenage son into his clutches (by way of a webcam fronted by a Christina Aguilera-type). And any series that casts John Rhys-Davies and fails to turn his entertaining pompousness to advantage is beyond hope; though you have to give them credit for casting Christopher Biggins as a Cardinal. (What with this and Hugh Laurie in "House, M.D.," NBC Universal wins the Most Unusual Use Of British Actors Award by a mile.)

Sadly, such little plusses are cancelled out by all the minuses - following the endless teasing, the last two hours try to crank up the action, but it's all for naught; and the abrupt, anticlimactic, cop-out of an ending just in case enough Bush voters tuned in to make an ongoing series viable will irritate the converted and atheists alike. (Fortunately, US audiences tuned out in droves from hour one onwards, meaning that the story will never be either drawn out endlessly or continued. No wonder they say "God bless America.") For a truly powerful look at the Apocalypse coming to pass today, see "The Rapture" - "Revelations" is not only not as effective as "The Omen," but it's not even "Omen IV: The Awakening." If nothing else, this does prove once and for all that when it comes to standing in for other countries, the Czech Republic is the Canada of Europe.

Father, forgive Stillking Films, Pariah and NBC Enterprises, for they know not what they do.

I know there are a wide range of tastes in entertainment out there, but this show is PAINFULLY bad. It is the writing, acting, and direction that make this so awful. In any given year there has to be one show that is the worst of the lot, but this show may well hold that distinction for the entire decade. I stumbled onto this while trying to find something that was similar to other shows that I do like, such as Carnivale, which is also an apocalyptic tale with overt religious content. I also LOVE David Selter's "The Omen" and one or two of its sequels. Plus I have enjoyed Bill Pullman's work in other programs and movies. Sadly, neither Seltzer or Pullman seemed to have exerted any special effort on this throw-away. "The end is Here," to which I add "and not soon enough!"

I have read a lot of bad reviews for this show, and I honestly think people who say it was stupid or (and I quote) "a piece of crap", are weak minded. Look beyond what you are seeing on television and think about how true it is to our world today.

I was born and raised a Christian, but by the time I was in tenth grade, I was sick of hearing about God this and God that- I have even stopped going to church because it's become so repetitive. Making me feel guilty for being who I am, and I just didn't want to live that way. As someone said one, "I believe In God... I do not believe in rules that tell me how to live my life." The truth behind this show is someone thought to bring science and religion together (something that many have made to contradict each other for thousands of years), despite the fact that they facts may be wrong- Who cares? It's beyond that. Here is something that is fact- there really are people who worship Satan, and there is violence and murder going on in this world- Watch CNN if you think that's a fabrication in this show as well.

My last word on this show is that even though a lot of people say it's a waste of time, the end of the world will come- Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not in one hundred years, but eventually it will- and it will be caused by the human race... whether you believe in God and Satan or not.

I began watching Revelations with a bit of a cynical stance but the more I watched, the more I was pulled in. Prior to watching the first and second episodes, I hadn't bothered to note who had written Revelations but the episode that revealed that "Anna Theresa" was the virgin mother of a newborn infant hooked me and I noticed that David Seltzer was the writer.

So here we go....and all of this is true and can be documented....my name is name is Therese Ann (I will withold my last name for privacy)....my grandmother was a Catholic nun for 10 years prior to deciding that her "calling" was to be a mother. St. Therese was her patron saint and I actually had to "race" against my girl cousin for the name and was born two weeks prematurely to earn it. As a teenager, I taught swimming lessons to David's children...Emily and Timmy...and also to his two adopted Vietnamese children, Phuong and Trung as well. It turns out that "The Omen" was written in the town that I live and, to top it all off, it was written in the very house that I bought six years ago!! Talk about strange circumstances!

I do have to agree with Don that this movie was bad but since I'm a firm believer of the second coming Christ and have been a born again Christian all my life you'd think I'd really love this movie guess what NOPE I DIDN"T IT FREAKING SUCKED COW BALLS!!! I was really hoping this movie was going to be about revelations and go with the story exactly with action none of these movies ever have action or major apocalyptic war scenes.

Instead it was the producers and director's ideas that made this movie turn into another full piece of crap Movie. Just like the 7th sign with Demi Moore GOD OH GOD Why does Hollywood always have to change things for what they believe is the better way make a film about the end times WHY? In the long run no matter what! If you don't go by what the story exactly like the book it's going to be a flop or a piece of CRAP! P.S.: How about Peter Jackson directing a movie about Revelations man that would be amazing with his studios talent behind him with the story they could make a big awesome Action/Drama I know Action/Drama you say? It could be done heck anything can be done now a days the 2005 movie year was one of Hollywood worst years! I have to stop talking or I'll never hit the hay.

Having actually seen the first installment, I can say I didn't miss the bloated 40 minutes of "American Idol" commercials mixed with 20 minutes of overwrought "you are safe, you are in the bottom 3" hyperbole in order to rid the field of wannabes of one more person.

Instead, I was mesmerized by the first one-hour installment of an intriguing story about people being brought together to consider a proliferation of unexplainable signs and events that might mark the end of the world.

Unless America is simply brain dead, this extremely well-produced limited series should rack up good numbers in the ratings.

Bill Pullman plays a Harvard professor who has recently seen the murderer of his teen-aged daughter captured and imprisoned. Not giving any credence to this man's claims that he can never be killed and will never bleed, he sees one of the man's fingers sliced off...and the non-bleeding hand is raised defiantly.

A nun who is part of a research foundation is an investigator checking out unexplained phenomena with religious connections. One is the appearance of a shadow on a mountainside. It appears to be the shadow of a cross upon which a man has been nailed. The shadow of the head moves as if the victim were alive. There were neither clouds,nor trees, nor anything else between the sun and the mountain that could have cast that shadow.

Another phenomenon is a girl, declared brain dead, after being struck by lightning. Now in a hospital bed, she speaks Biblical verses in Latin. And on one occasion, she was given a pencil and pad and began auto-writing, drawing a map....which linked, it was revealed, to Bill Pullman's daughter. These miraculous goings-on only happen during storms with lightning and thunder.

As hokey as I make it seem, it was beautifully done; the acting is first-rate. I am eager for part 2.

I'm getting frustrated that so many people are complaining that this show is propaganda for the Christian religion. I watched the first few episodes of this miniseries and I can tell you that it's not religious at all, except for the quotes of the bible. All things that happen are just over the top and not believable at all. If they used the real story of revelation for the show, it would have been so much better. This show feels like another Dan Brown book. It doesn't help religion at all and just makes Christians look like fools. And to all people who think that Christians are just making propaganda, you should just watch TV once and see how much crap Christians have to watch because of you. Temptation island is just one small example. If you don't like Christian shows, then do not watch them. I don't watch yours! The only shows I like are Lost and 24, even though they aren't Christian.

Anyway, not only is this series not accurate to the bible AT ALL, but it is also pretty boring to watch. I'm still waiting for some good movie or show about the revelation. Time will tell...

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?

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.

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!

Did I miss some key part of this mini-series? I watched all 6 parts. Granted, I missed a few minutes of some of the parts, but at the end of Part 6, I had no clue what happened.

I have liked Pullman in other things, and he may be the only reason I followed this mini-series, but even he could not pull it out.

This movie was the worst TV mini-series I have ever seen. I kept waiting for some interesting, thrilling epiphany, but it ended in such a whimper that I was left shocked.

Maybe they should do a Part 7, if for no other reason than to explain why they did the first 6.

This film was such a heap of flushable waste that I suggest all who view it wash their hands afterward. If someones wants to make this kind of story into film and broadcast it on a big network they should stick to full fiction rather than try to make it look like it has a credible fact base. This has no such base, anyone who has read the Bible can tell you that. I will not make myself a preacher here, but I really am offended by this thing and am sorry it was given such a large audience. Just let me say this, the true translation of the word Antichrist in the Bible book Revelation (not plural, it's one vision John had), that word means "instead of Christ", as in someone who will pretend to be Christ. This entity will not reveal himself as an evil being, he will try to convince the populace that he is good in order to draw away the true followers of the true Messiah. I hope that people are not convinced by this garbage and should watch carefully as they will be fooled by those pretending to be good, not someone who shows their true evil nature. Also please note, I know people who were in prison and those institutions are not full of people who will go against Christ in some awful army. Most of them are sorry about doing wrong and many are repentant people who would rather do good with their lives if given the chance. This movie is crap!

i thought this movie was really stupid and the acting to be really bad. It just seems like some quickly put together trash, trying to tie in religion in such a brainless way. What is John Ryes Davies , a great actor doing in this garbage? as Far as bill Pullman, well he lost it years ago. i feel like the television companies take us for fools, like why cant we have a well thought out, well constructed, good acting etc. It is like so much money goes into making such a trivial mini series when there are so many more interesting topics, or even ways of dealing with the films religious themes. Boo to the makers of this so called movie. Lazy.