Posted on 04/06/2005 5:19:55 PM PDT by Momaw Nadon
(New TV Series Examines The Apocalypse)
“AND THE SUN WILL TURN TO DARKNESS AND THE MOON WILL TURN TO BLOOD…”
"Phenomena Magazine" was very pleased to have recently received a review copy of the pilot episode of a great new series that premieres on NBC on Wednesday 13 April (9.00 to 10.00 p.m. Eastern Time/Pacific Time).
Titled "Revelations" and from the team of executive producer Gavin Polone (“Panic Room”) and writer/creator David Seltzer (“The Omen”), this six-hour “event-series” stars Bill Pullman (of “Independence Day”) as Harvard professor Dr. Richard Massey, an astrophysicist whose certainty that all worldly events can be explained by science, and Natascha McElhone (from the movie “Solaris”) as Sister Josepha Montafiore, a nun who challenges Massey’s beliefs and his worldview, and who leads him on a journey through uncharted waters and amazing beliefs.
Drawn inexorably together by personal tragedy, these distinctly unlikely partners - one who has given her life to the God she believes in and one who strictly adheres to the world of Science - are propelled into an ever-deepening mystery, finding disturbing evidence that our world, as predicted in The Book of Revelation, has reached the so-called “End of Days.”
Not only that: the time of miracles is once again at hand - both Heaven sent, and Hell sent. Satanist Isaiah Haden (chillingly portrayed by Michael Massee of the acclaimed series “24”) has answered the calling of the Lord of the Underworld to ensure that the Armies of Darkness will triumph in the apocalyptic battle that is to come.
Those who have not yet had the benefit of seeing the show might imagine that the scenario of a man-woman team investigating unsolved mysteries would conjure up Mulder-and-Scully style imagery. However, this would be very wide of the mark: "Revelations" is no cheap re-make of "The X-Files."
It is a unique entity in its own right and is refreshing in its originality, subject matter, and style. Not only that: it raises thought provoking questions about ourselves as a species, the human spirit, the nature of life and death (and, of course, the possibility of a life after death) and what might actully occur in a real-life Armageddon-style scenario.
I will not reveal the intricacies of the apocalyptic plot. I will say, however, that it is superbly produced and the team behind "Revelations" successfully conveys a dark and overwhelming air of menace and apprehension, as well as the brewing trouble that ensues as storms batter the planet and escalating violence becomes commonplace as the overwhelming cataclysm looms.
I would also say that you do not have to be a firm believer in the teachings of religion, biblical prophecy and end-of-the-world-style scenarios to appreciate the theme of - and be entertained by - "Revelations." Some will doubtless view the series as an insightful and foreboding picture of the potential disaster and chaos that awaits us in the near future unless we change our ways. Meanwhile, others will see it (as I did) as a highly entertaining and thought-provoking work of fiction to be enjoyed and mused upon. In other words, there is something in this series for everyone.
Filmed largely in a suitably dark and moody atmosphere and amid seemingly-ever-present thunder and lightning, as "Revelations" unfolds we see our formidable duo heading to the Greek Islands in search of a mysterious child, to the Sea of Galilee and its rich biblical history, and even employing the skills of NASA as Earth’s endgame nears.
Armageddon has never looked so good!
Notable guest stars in the pilot and future episodes include John Rhys-Davies (“The Lord of The Rings”), Tobin Bell (“Saw”), Fred Durst (lead singer of the rock band Limp Bizkit) and Mark Rendall (“The Interrogation of Michael Crowe”).
The pilot episode of "Revelations" was directed by David Semel of NBC’s “American Dreams,” and the series itself is directed by Academy Award-winner Lili Fini Zanuck (“Driving Miss Daisy”) and Leslie Linka Glatter (“Law & Order: SVU”). It is produced by Pariah.
Don't tell anyone.....but NBC spelled one MAJOR word wrong.
Color me skeptical!!
"Those who have not yet had the benefit of seeing the show might imagine that the scenario of a man-woman team investigating unsolved mysteries would conjure up Mulder-and-Scully style imagery. However, this would be very wide of the mark."
Yeah, this is way different. This time the man is the skeptic.
Ping!
The previews look like a cross between Left Behind and Stephen King's The Stand. And since it's Wednesdays I'll be in church. Or work.
I'm tired of all these "gripping end times thriller" books and movies. What we need is a "rollicking End-Times Tour-de-farce".
Thanks much.
Should be interesting. As much for the reactions to it as anything.
You seem to be well in charge of that dept.
But some of us think that 2 Billion+ people dying
is not exactly farcical guffaw material.
I nominate Mel Brooks to produce it!
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