IMDb > God Told Me To (1976)
God Told Me To
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God Told Me To (1976) More at IMDbPro »


IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
6.3/10   1,080 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 61% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Larry Cohen (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for God Told Me To on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
11 July 1979 (France) more
Tagline:
Don't let it control you! more
Plot:
A New York detective investigates a series of murders committed by random New Yorkers who claim that "God told them to." full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
1 win & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
God Told Me To
 (From LateFilmFull. 11 November 2008, 12:19 PM, PST)

User Comments:
Another highly original piece of work from Larry Cohen. more (41 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Tony Lo Bianco ... Det. Lt. Peter J. Nicholas

Deborah Raffin ... Casey Forster
Sandy Dennis ... Martha Nicholas
Sylvia Sidney ... Elizabeth Mullin
Sam Levene ... Everett Lukas
Robert Drivas ... David Morten
Mike Kellin ... Deputy Police Commissioner
Richard Lynch ... Bernard Phillips
Sammy Williams ... Harold Gorman
Jo Flores Chase ... Mrs. Gorman
William Roerick ... Richards
Lester Rawlins ... Board chairman
Harry Bellaver ... Cookie
George Patterson ... Zero
Walter Steele ... Junkie in Harlem pool hall
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Demon
more
Runtime:
91 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Black and White | Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The newspaper scenes were filmed in the newsroom and press room of the Jewish Press in Brooklyn, NY. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: The car in the flashback scenes was a 1951 Chevrolet, with post-1973 New York State license plates and registration. Briefly, it also turns into a 1939 Plymouth, when it hits a pothole. more
Movie Connections:
Edited into Mad Ron's Prevues from Hell (1987) (V) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful.
Another highly original piece of work from Larry Cohen., 1 September 2007
8/10
Author: Scott LeBrun from Winnipeg, Canada

Deeply religious police detective Peter Nicholas (Tony Lo Bianco) investigates bizarre incidents in which seemingly normal people embark on violent rampages, after which they always make the same dying confession of "God told me to". The investigation leads Nicholas on an increasingly odd journey, not only towards probing the mystery, but learning something about himself.

Similar to Alfred Soles' much-acclaimed shocker "Alice, Sweet Alice" in its heavy accent on Catholic imagery, I can certainly say that any Larry Cohen film is going to be an entertaining, intriguing, thought-provoking film no matter what its flaws may be. I haven't seen anything quite like "God Told Me To", and don't expect I will again. Not limiting itself to any one genre, whether it be cop drama, science-fiction, or thriller, the film maintains a suitably ominous mood, helped considerably by Frank Cordell's eerie music.

The excellent cast was a big asset, with Sandy Dennis and Sylvia Sidney contributing standout moments, although Lo Bianco does a respectable job in the lead. Other familiar faces like Mike Kellin, Richard Lynch (whose two scenes are a fantastic study in stylish, surreal strangeness), Deborah Raffin, Al Fann, and Cohen film regular James Dixon can be seen, with the late, enigmatic, eccentric comedian Andy Kaufman in a rare dramatic turn as an NYC cop.

I definitely enjoy this film, and I can genuinely say that I won't be likely to forget it. Worth catching, not just for a Cohen fan like myself, but anyone looking for something very atmospheric (Cohen once again infuses a movie with great NYC flavor) and strikingly offbeat.

8/10

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (41 total)

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