A Second Look: End of Days

Arnold and director Peter Hyams breathe new life into a tired concept

by Jason Elizondo

As much as I've been a die-hard fan of both Arnold and writer/director Peter Hyams nearly all my life, End of Days has always been a film that I didn't care too much for. In fact, I maybe have only seen it less than a handful of times. It just never really connected with me in any way that I could enjoy. I always felt that it was a weird choice for Arnold, and that Hyams was capable of better, which he had proven to me over and over again throughout the 80's and 90's. And though I actually took the time to watch End of Days a few times, I just could never get into it.

Flash forward many, many years and here I am in yet another one of my Peter Hyams binges. I tend to go through these about once every year or so (he really is one of the best directors ever). So I decided to give this one another shot, because I've noticed this past year I tend to change my mind drastically when I revisit a film, which is what kickstarted my new "A Second Look" series of reviews. Raw Deal, Licence to Kill and Waterworld are some solid previous examples. So let's dig in.

When Satan takes over the body of a local New York businessman, he sets his sights on a new bride at the turn of the century. Local ex-cop Jericho (Schwarzenegger) works as a security expert who stumbles upon this plot and vows to protect the woman Satan plans to marry at all costs.

Despite my previous experiences and feelings about this film beforehand, End of Days managed to turn all of that completely on around this time out. This time it managed to keep my attention, and I noticed things I hadn't either taken the time to before, or just flew right over my head. For starters, this is surprisingly one of Arnold's best performances. I know, I know. It's crazy to even think that, but it's true! As crazy as it sounds, Arnold gave one of his most heartfelt and strongest performances as a man struggling with the loss of his family, and finding a way to continue, always close to falling over the edge.

The always reliable and "busy" Gabriel Byrne turns in another fantastic devilish performance here as Satan himself. Sure you could argue that his accent comes and goes (I honestly have no idea what type he was going for; Irish, English, Chicago?), but he sure has a helluva lot of fun doing it. Plus, he just looks fucking cool drenched in all black. Oftentimes, it's the moments when he doesn't say a word, but just gives you that devilishly fiendish look that makes him the most chilling.

As strong as the performances are, Peter Hyams, once again working as his own cinematographer, is the main reason the film works as well as it does. While it's a familiar story told many times, Hyams' magic with the camera is what makes this one a standout. Much like his previous effort The Relic, and totally unlike most of his other films, this film is dark. Not only in tone, but in it's aesthetic and use of shadows and blacks instead of natural light. This particular moment in his career saw him using a lot of muted colors of browns and gold, bathed in darkness. In fact, with The Relic and End of Days, there was hardly a moment that took place during the day or in sunlight. Purposeful of course, but not entirely unnoticeable either. Still, his particular sensibilities behind the camera work wonders with the visuals here. With this film in particular, there's no surprise that there's little action, because it's not an action film. Yet, despite it's horror/thriller genre, screenwriter Andrew W. Marlowe (Air Force One, Hollow Man) can't help but infuse "some" action because it is an Arnold Schwarzenegger film after all. And this is where Hyams blows nearly every other director out of the water in the action genre with his deft use of precision editing and camera setups. Once again, the legendary writer/director/cinematographer proves, rather flawlessly, why he was one of the best filmmakers working.

If you were wondering why Arnold was noticeably thinner and less bulky this time around, it's because he had just had heart surgery after a scare, and this was his first film in 2 years. Of course, thinner Arnold is still a much bigger version of any normal human being, even the ones in excellent shape. It's interesting that his first collaboration with such a legendary filmmaker was a horror/thriller rather than a straight-out action flick. It's amusing to think of what they could have made together in that genre, a genre that Arnold personally dominated for a number of years, and one that Hyams delivered the goods in with classics such as Sudden Death and Timecop.

One of the films most interesting positive attributes is it's stunning use of practical effects work. Believe me, I'm as surprised as you are. The 90's isn't generally regarded as a good moment in effects history, but the effects team here was on point and through the use of limited CGI, old fashioned model-work, and Hyams ability to mix it all together effectively, End of Days surprised me at every turn with it's stellar effects work.

Is it perfect? Certainly not. There are a few moments that trigger a response that you don't expect. Like the sequence when Jericho (Arnold) fights with an old heavyset lady and she actually gives him a run for his money. Or the moment when Christine (a sexy Robin Tunney), the object of Satan's desires and pursuit, claims she's been dreaming of him all her life, yet he just barely took the form of his new host a few days before. Minor issues of course and nothing that takes away from the enjoyment of the film in general.

Released in 1999, End of Days would mark the last good/great Peter Hyams film. His 2001 followup The Musketeer was met with dismal returns and universally panned by critics and moviegoers. 2005's A Sound of Thunder and 2009's Beyond a Reasonable Doubt followed suit. When it was declared that Hyams would return to the directors chair and the action genre and re-team with Jean-Claude Van Damme for 2013's Enemies Closer, I was over the moon excited. Until I saw the film, which I just did not like.....at all, for a number of reasons. Gone was the visual stylist I adored for so many years through many, many films, and Van Damme just seemed both exhausted and far too over the top for my taste as the villain. It was a sad closing chapter for Hyams career as a strong director, but if End of Days can prove anything, it's that even as late as 1999, Peter Hyams proved that he was the best and delivers the goods in the most unexpected ways. It might not be considered a highlight in his career, but it should be. If it's been a while since you've seen it, or if maybe you've never seen it period, give it a shot and keep an open mind. It might surprise you with how great it is.

How to see it:
Released on DVD in 2000 and Blu-Ray in 2008, they run fairly cheap. While I didn't watch it on Blu Ray myself, I can say that the DVD is a pretty solid source. But having finally revisited and loving it, a Blu-Ray upgrade is definitely in order for the near future.

Total Recall (2012) trailer hits the net! What do you think?

I know this is a week old, but thought I'd start a dialogue here in regards to Len Wiseman's remake of the Paul Verhoeven directed Arnie classic Total Recall. I recently posted this new trailer of the remake that hit the internet last Sunday on my Facebook page and got a "lot" of response, with the majority of the opinion swinging towards indifference. What do you think?

VS. 

I'm actually really curious to see the remake. In a lot of respects, you just can't touch Paul Verhoeven and Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1990 original. In that films case it seems like all the right talent came together at just the right time. You have director Verhoeven at the height of his career after knocking our socks off with Robocop. Then you also have Schwarzenegger reigning supreme at the box office with one monster hit after another. He hadn't made Last Action Hero (which I actually like, to some degree) or Junior yet. But wait! There's also makeup wiz Rob Bottin handling the physical makeup effects and it being 1990, the minimal use of CGI and an awesome amount of old fashioned model and effects work. In the writing department you have a couple of my favorite old school pro's in Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett.

But Philip K. Dicks "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale"  is such an interesting story and I'm curious to see someone else's interpretation, even if that person "is" Len Wiseman who didn't impress me at all with his entry in the Die Hard series. Don't even get me started with that one. I can go on and on. I just might have to do an entirely separate post one day on Live Free or Die Hard on all the things I find wrong with it. But who knows? Maybe he can make something out of this story, something fresh. In any case, Total Recall (1990) will always be an awesome untouchable piece of 90's Sci-Fi Cinema. 

The Terminator Original Japanese Poster

Just came across this browsing eBay recently and thought it was too badass "not" to share. 

While I LOVE this movie, at $325 on a "buy it now" listing, it's just way too steep for my blood. 

But hey, it really is a badass poster. 

You can check out the listing over on eBay by going here. 

This same seller also seems to be selling two other posters of the same image, but of lesser quality with one having a light tri-fold and the other with a full blown tri-fold and both going for less than $325, but still not cheap by any means. 

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with this seller, eBay or the film. Just a badass product I wanted to pass along. Enjoy!

Expendables 2 Teaser Trailer is up!

Not much of a trailer as it is more of a confirmation of who's actually in it this time around. 

First thing extremely noticeable is that the camera actually stays still, as opposed to Stallone's overly used shaky cam method in the first one. The action fan in me is still pretty excited about this one though. 

Review: Raw Deal

Raw Deal original HBO/CANNON VIDEO VHS

1986
Directed by: John Irvin
Category: Badass Cinema

This was one of Schwarzenegger's early films that I never really gave too much credit. My main beef is that I just can't help but feel how Schwarzenegger was just horribly miscast here. Especially when you consider the film he made the year before this was Commando, and the film after this was Predator. It just doesn't make any sense. It feels so wrong for him and the kind of films he was trying to do. You have to also consider at this time he was going head to head with Stallone and both of them were the two biggest action stars of the decade and to have this oddly out of place film smack in the middle of his one-two punch of Commando and Predator, well it just feels oddly out of place in his filmography.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad film by any means. It just doesn't feel like an Arnold picture. This seems like it would have been more suited for someone like Burt Reynolds. Now that I think about it, he would have been perfect for this role because at the time this film was made, he wasn't exactly knocking them out of the park anymore and probably could've used modest hit. In either case, Arnold does the best he can with the role and even though he looks and sounds completely out of place in this Italian mob world. The main thing the big guy has going for him is an amazing aura of confidence. He might be miscast in this film, but he's gonna give it his all anyway and the film's all the more entertaining for it.

Mark Kaminsky (Schwarzenegger) is a small town backwoods country sheriff after being kicked out of the FBI for improper treatment of a suspect. When his old friend and FBI chief Harry Shannon (Darren McGavin) asks for his help after his son is killed by the Italian Mob in a botched raid, he promises Mark re-enlistment into the bureau if he can infiltrate the Italian mob and take down everyone that had anything to do with his son's death. For Harry, it's all about revenge. For Mark, it's a chance to get his old job back and a chance for him and his wife to get out of the sticks where they clearly don't belong. 

More than anything, this is a crime drama/action film that only offers any real action here and there. We're introduced to a bloody shootout and a car chase right from the get go, but it's a while before any other type of action comes into play and when it does, it's a few fist fights here and there and a pretty cool car chase later on. It's not until the last 20 minutes or so where we're given two big action sequences but even then, they pale in comparison to any of his other films from this era. Also, during one of these big action sequences towards the end of the film, Mark aka Joseph P. Brenner takes down a bunch of guys at a gravel pit while he's simultaneously driving his car and shooting at guys a hundred yards away, but not before he pops in The Rolling Stones "Satisfaction" into his tape player. I don't know, that seemed like such a weird song choice for a big action scene and for me, just didn't work.

The system gave him a Raw Deal. Nobody gives him a Raw Deal.

One of things I'll always remember about this film is that I saw this at my local drive-in theater back in '86. I remember that they showed a trailer for Stallone's Cobra before this film and I remember thinking that I couldn't wait for that film to come out. Just one of those random thoughts that pop into my head whenever I think of this film.

Thankfully, Arnold is given a really solid supporting cast to flesh out the Italian mob world. The always reliable Robert Davi has a pretty big role as mafia heavy who he's forced to work with under head mob boss Luigi Patrovita's orders, and they do not get along. Darren McGavin (A Christmas Story) is great as Mark's FBI mentor, friend and cohort Harry Shannon and Kathryn Harrold does a good enough job as the seductress who you can never figure out which side she's on.

It's not a bad film, but in a time when Schwarzenegger was making a name for himself and dominating the action genre with films like The Terminator, Commando and Predator, Raw Deal is probably (next to Red Sonja), one of his most forgettable and most underrated films of the 80's. If IMDB is to be believed, then Arnold only agreed to star in this film as more of a compromise to fulfill his contract with Dino De Laurentiis, whom he still had one film left under there agreement. That makes sense since this doesn't seem like the kind of film that he would have actively sought out to star in at this period in his career. If you can get past the presence of a huge Austrian with a thick accent who's twice the size of everybody else playing a back woods country sheriff and then goes undercover as an Italian heavy by wearing nice clothes and slicking his hair back knowing full well that it would be a hell of a lot more plausible and believable with "anybody" else in that role, then you'll have a good time with it because underneath all that, it's a really well made crime film with a decent amount of action and a few moments of brilliance.

VHS Cover Of The Day - The Terminator 1985 Thorn EMI VHS

Original Thorn EMI June 1985 VHS release of James Cameron's The Terminator. 

I've always loved this version of the VHS cover art as opposed to all the later slightly altered versions where they seem to have used art school rejects who used some kind of Photoshop filter to give it a different look. Ugh, I hate those covers. This is the original, how the image looked on the theatrical release posters. I'll always remember this mainly for one thing. Back when it was first released into the theaters, I remember for some odd reason they had this poster in my local convenience store. I don't know why. Maybe there was some kind of tie-in with a specific soda or something, but I remember this poster being on the wall. Weird. 

Most people forget that at it's heart, this is a straight up B-Movie. What ultimately made it stand out from the crowd is having all the right talent at just the right time. James Cameron hadn't yet proven himself a director until this. Stan Winston knocked the practical effects work out of the part here. And Schwarzenegger, though having starred in two Conan films by this time, solidified his career with his no holds barred approach to a cybernetic killing machine. Cameron, Winston and Schwarzenegger created an icon in sci-fi cinema and with this being the first time uttering the now famous catchphrase "I'll be back", made movie history.