Monday, August 5, 2024

Cataclysm, The Omen on Steroids

Today we have Richard Moll's magnum opus! Yep, that guy on "Night Court." What! You didn't know he had a magnum opus? Well...he does. He'll play the author of the great bore-athon of a best-seller God is Dead.  Yawn.  You ever meet these atheists? Sanctimonious bores...there I go again, passing judgment. Back to the matter at hand. A few years after "The Omen" made the 666 tattoo famous, no one really tried to copy it until this 1980's film. So let us look at a film about Satan and that silly 666 tattoo. Our feature today is "Cataclysm," directed by the unholy trinity of movie making, Phillip Marshak, Tom McGowan, and Gregg G. Tallas.

Okay, babe Claire (Faith Clift) is the sultry wife of atheist author James (Moll). Claire is such a devoted Catholic that she marries an atheist...I won't pass judgment here. Meanwhile, Nazi hunter Abraham Weiss (Marc Lawrence) sees the SS officer who machinegunned a bunch of babe Jew violinists...don't ask...but massacre scenes are always appreciated. Problem is, this Nazi, named Olivier (Robert Bristol) has not aged a day in decades.  Because of this Detective Sterne (Cameron Mitchell) does not believe Abraham. Olivier will turn into a demon and eat Abraham's face. What does Claire have to do with this? She has visions of this massacre and of demons coming for her. Enter a defrocked monk called Papini (Maurice Grandmaison). He will try to warn Claire that Olivier is Satan and she needs to kill him. Oh yeah, all of Olivier's victims have developed a 666 tattoo at death.

Okay...let's talk about Ann.  Ann is the real babe in this film. She will be violated and dumped, then enslaved by Olivier.  In fact, her performance is so trying, two actresses will play her (Elizabeth Martin and Christie Starley). Anyway...are you keeping up? Sterne turns into a believer when he confronts Olivier at his mansion.  Olivier seems unstoppable as he murders anyone who gets in his way. Now he wants Claire. I don't know why, Ann is a more impressive babe and Claire's voice would cause anyone to gag her during the throes of passion. There I go again, being judgmental. Oh...that's enough...this is a wild one. I should say the ending is absolutely amazing!  Think of Dr. Giggles meets Lancaster Merrin! Don't tell me you are not intrigued.

Will James find out the hard way that if Satan is not dead, then either is God? Will Claire hire a voice coach and stop being shown-up by Ann and her slinky evening disco gowns? Will this film offend the atheist community?  This one is quite unbelievable...you won't believe the ending...though you should believe in God (author's note). Faithful to the book, "Cataclysm" is a film you need to see. 

  

No comments:

Post a Comment