End of Days is a 1999 American supernatural action horror film directed by Peter Hyams and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gabriel Byrne, Robin Tunney, Kevin Pollak, Rod Steiger, CCH Pounder, and Udo Kier.[2] The film follows former New York Police Department detective Jericho Cane (Schwarzenegger) after he saves a banker (Byrne) from an assassin, finds himself embroiled in a religious conflict, and must protect an innocent young woman (Tunney) who is chosen by evil forces to conceive the Antichrist with Satan.
The film was released by Universal Pictures on November 24, 1999. It has grossed $66.9 million in North America and $145.1 million elsewhere, for a worldwide total of $212 million. The film received mainly negative reviews.
Cast
Arnold Schwarzenegger as Jericho Cane
Robin Tunney as Christine York
Gabriel Byrne as Satan (The unnamed banker)
Kevin Pollak as Bobby Chicago
CCH Pounder as Det. Marge Francis
Derrick O'Connor as Thomas Aquinas
Miriam Margolyes as Mabel
Udo Kier as Dr. Abel
Victor Varnado as Albino
Mark Margolis as The Pope
Rod Steiger as Father Kovak
John Timothy Botka as the Satanic police officer
Marc Lawrence as Old Man
Michael O'Hagan as Vatican cardinal
Denice D. Lewis as Emily Cane
Renee Olstead as Amy Cane
Jonny Bogris as Skateboarder
Mo Gallini as Monk (as Matt Gallini)
Plot
In 1979 a priest at the Vatican sees a comet arching over the moon (described as the "eye of God"), heralding the birth of one chosen to be the mother of Satan's child. The priest is sent on a mission by the Pope to find and protect the girl from Satan, although a few Vatican knights (led by a corrupt cardinal) insist that she must die. In New York a newborn girl, Christine York, is identified by Satanists (including her physician, Dr. Abel, and her nurse and future guardian, Mabel) as the person chosen to bear Satan's child on New Year's Eve, 1999. The Satanists perform occult rites on the newborn.
In late 1999, Satan possesses an investment banker in a restaurant; he then destroys the restaurant, killing many inside. Suicidal and alcoholic former police detective Jericho Cane, depressed since his wife and daughter's contract killings, works for a private security company and blames God for his plight. Jericho and co-worker Bobby Chicago are assigned to protect the possessed banker. A priest, Thomas Aquinas, unsuccessfully tries to kill the banker. Jericho captures Aquinas, who tells Jericho: "The thousand years has ended, the dark angel is loosed from his prison" and says that a girl is central. Jericho shoots Aquinas, who is arrested by the New York Police Department. Marge Francis, an NYPD detective and Jericho's former colleague, tells him that Aquinas has no tongue.
Jericho and Bobby investigate on their own, learning that Aquinas was trained at the Vatican and was sent to New York before disappearing. Jericho questions Father Kovak, a priest who knew Aquinas. Kovak asks Jericho if he believes in God; when he says no, the priest tells him that Aquinas was driven mad by forces an atheist could not understand. They go to Aquinas' apartment, where they find his tongue in a jar and messages and symbols written in apparent blood on the walls. Marge arrives, forcing them to leave. Satan infiltrates Aquinas' hospital, and crucifies him on the ceiling. Although he survives, he is shot by a Satanic police officer. Jericho and Chicago see Latin words and "Christ in New York" scratched into Aquinas' skin, and begin searching for Christine York.
Jericho and Chicago find Christine in her apartment, saving her from murderous Vatican knights, and Mabel refuses to bring her directly to Satan. Satan arrives and blows up Chicago's van, killing him and setting the house on fire, while Mabel attacks Jericho, nearly overwhelming him with sudden unnatural strength. Jericho is able to defeat her in a fight, and he and Christine attempt to flee the now burning house. Satan enters the house and kills Mabel for failing him; Jericho and Christine escape. Marge and another officer, both revealed to be Satanists, tell Jericho to surrender Christine. Jericho pretends to surrender to them, and when they try to execute him he kills them, escaping with Christine, but Satan soon resurrects Marge to rally the other Satanists in New York. Taking refuge in the church, Father Kovak tells Jericho and Christine that Satan must impregnate her between 11 pm and midnight on New Year's Eve to usher in the "end of days". Despite Jericho's skepticism, Christine accepts Kovak's protection, and Jericho departs back to his apartment.
Satan then infiltrates Jericho's apartment, showing him a vision of his family's murder, trying to tempt him into giving up Christine to him in exchange of having an illusion of his dead family back. Jericho resists his temptations and throws Satan through his apartment window. Treating an injury sustained to his hand, Chicago appears at his apartment not long after. Skeptical of his claims of survival, Jericho shoots Chicago in the arm to test if he is Satan in another disguise or not. Satisfied with the result when he bleeds normally, the two agree to retrieve Christine from the church and get her to safety.
At the church, the cardinal and his knights try to kill Christine, Jericho arrives in time to stop them, and Satan arrives and kills the Vatican clergy. Chicago kidnaps Christine and betrays Jericho, leaving him to be beaten by a mob of Satanists, revealing that he is in league with Satan. Satan then has Jericho crucified and left to live long enough to see the end of days firsthand. After Satan leaves, Kovak rescues Jericho, and Jericho arms himself and tracks down the Satanists to their lair. Jericho rescues Christine and again kills Marge. Chicago attempts to stop Jericho, who persuades him to fight off Satan's influence; Satan burns him alive for breaking their deal. Jericho escapes with Christine into a subway tunnel, Satan appears on the tracks and Jericho forces the conductor to run him over. It doesn't work, and Satan begins attempting to board the train, killing the conductor. Jericho separates the two train carts to get away from him. When Satan attempts to jump across a gap in the tracks to pursue Jericho and Christine, Jericho fires a grenade at Satan, destroying the train car he was in. As they flee, Satan is forced to shed the banker's now destroyed body for a new host.
Jericho and Christine escape to another church, where he renews his faith in God and prays for strength. Satan confronts Jericho as a massive, winged creature and possesses him. Satan in Jericho's body attempts to rape Christine, but Jericho still within is able to resist Satan long enough to tell Christine to flee him. Jericho then deliberately impales himself on a sword protruding from a statue, sacrificing himself to stop Satan's plan. At the stroke of midnight God frees Jericho's dying body, sends Satan back to hell and the world celebrates the new millennium. Jericho and Christine see his wife and daughter waiting for him in the afterlife. He dies in peace, and Christine waits with his body for the authorities.
Categories:
English-Hindi language films,1999 films,1990s action thriller films,1999 horror films,1990s thriller films,American films,American action thriller films,American supernatural horror films,American thriller films,Beacon Pictures films,Apocalyptic films,Films about cults,Demons in film,Dystopian films,The Devil in fiction,Films about widowhood,Films directed by Peter Hyams,Fictional portrayals of the New York City Police Department,Films produced by Armyan Bernstein,Films scored by John Debney,Films set in 1979,Films set in 1999,Films set in New York City,Films set in Vatican City,Films set in religious buildings and structures,Films shot in New York City,Films using computer-generated imagery,Incest in film,New Year films,Religious horror films,Satanism in popular culture,Films about spirit possession,Universal Pictures films,American action horror films,American horror films,1990s action films,American action films
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