God Told Me To (1976)

Director:

Larry Cohen

Writer:

Larry Cohen (writer)

Release Date:

11 July 1979 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Horror | Sci-Fi | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Don't let it control you!

Plot:

A New York detective investigates a series of murders committed by random New Yorkers who claim that "God told them to."

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Sniper | Catholic | Mass Murder | Police

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

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

Also Known As:

Demon

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:R16 | Australia:R | France:-16 | UK:18 | USA:R | Australia:MA (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Jewish Press Building - 1309 44th Street, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

New World Pictures

Trivia:

The newspaper scenes were filmed in the newsroom and press room of the Jewish Press in Brooklyn, NY.

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.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Mad Ron's Prevues from Hell (1987) (V)

Another highly original piece of work from Larry Cohen.

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