Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

God Told Me To 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 25, 2022

Larry Cohen's "God Me Told Me To" (1976) arrives on 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio commentary with film historians Steve Mitchell and Troy Howarth; multiple featurettes and interviews with cast and crew members; various promotional materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

When a sniper on a rooftop water tank in New York City kills fourteen pedestrians, veteran NYPD detective Paul Nicholas (Tony Lo Bianco, The French Connection) is called to help disarm him. Nicholas quickly climbs to the top of the tower, but when he faces the sniper, he calmly confesses to him that God told him to do it and jumps off to his death.

Soon after, a middle-aged man kills his entire family and a police officer (Andy Kaufman, TV's Taxi: The Complete Series) opens fire during the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The two men also willingly confess that God told them to do it.

Nicholas begins investigating the cases and quickly discovers that at some point before the murders each of the three killers met a mysterious figure with a long blond hair (Richard Lynch, Invasion U.S.A.). While trying to track him down, Nicholas then learns about a woman -- supposedly his mother -- who had an equally strange experience years ago while she was still a virgin.

Larry Cohen’s film God Told Me To unquestionably deserves its cult status. It is one of those very odd projects that makes perfect sense if seen during the wee hours of the night but looks utterly confusing when one attempts to attach some logic to it when the mind is fresh and rested. Indeed, the film seems to be heading in all sorts of different directions at the same time and does not appear to be concerned with the fact that eventually it would become impossible to come up with a reasonable finale that could somehow properly arrange all of its scattered themes and pieces.

But the peculiar chaos and ambiguity are precisely what give God Told Me To its identity and make it worth seeing. They force one in a guessing mode and effectively mask its budget limitations, making the inconsistencies look intriguing and the wacky subplots a lot more exciting than they would have been in a bigger and better scripted film with similar ambitions.

The atmosphere and attitude of God Told Me To remind of Abel Ferrara’s work -- The Addiction, New Rose Hotel, and Mary embrace chaos and ambiguity with exactly the same enthusiasm -- but Cohen isn’t as good of a stylist as Ferrara is. This is particularly obvious when one compares how the two directors see and use New York City to infuse their work with a special atmosphere. What the two directors do equally well is give one the freedom to absorb and interpret the chaos and ambiguity without insulting one’s intelligence. As repeated viewings of God Told Me To, as well as Ferrara’s films, reveal, this makes a crucial difference.

Lo Bianco is very good as the religious detective who makes a shocking discovery while searching for the man with the long blond hair. The great Sylvia Sydney plays an elderly woman with a secret. Sandy Dennis is the detective’s bitter wife, while Deborah Raffin is his younger lover.

Cohen teamed up with cinematographer Paul Glickman and shot the overwhelming majority of the film in New York City. Despite the fact that the budget was small, the end result is quite wonderful.

The soundtrack was created by Franck Cordell (Mosquito Squadron, Cromwell) and recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Initially, Cohen had arranged for Bernard Herrmann to score God Told Me To, but he passed away shortly after completing the soundtrack for Martin Scorsese’s classic film Taxi Driver.

God Told Me To 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Blue Underground's release of God Told Me To is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack.

The following text appears inside the leaflet that is provided with this release:

Please note that some of the screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and are downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Screencaptures #1-22 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #26-38 are from the 4K Blu-ray.

I had a very difficult time forming an opinion about the new native 4K and 1080p presentations of the 4K restoration of God Told Me To. I had planned to publish our review earlier, but took an extra day to reexamine various areas so that I can be comfortable with my final scores for the 1080p and native 4K presentations. In the process, I did plenty of comparisons with Blue Underground's previous Blu-ray release of God Told Me To from 2015.

4K BLU-RAY DISC

With Dolby Vision enabled, trained eyes will immediately recognize that in native 4K the visuals have a stronger dynamic range. In native 4K a stronger dynamic range usually translates into obvious improvements in terms of delineation, clarity, and depth, but I was very surprised to discover that this was not the case here. Why is that? I suspect that the new color grade introduces some anomalies. For example, it produces various new small but noticeable contrasts and highlights, and after examining them in 1080p and native 4K, I was left with the impression that quite a few interfere with the meaningful improvements that are present on the 4K restoration. What does this mean exactly? It means that in certain areas, mostly darker but surprisingly in some well-lit ones as well, the dynamic range of the visuals from the previous Blu-ray release is better. If you compare screencapture #4 with the corresponding screencapture from our review of the previous release, you should notice that in darker areas now the 4K restoration begins to minor lose nuances (see bottom left corner). This effect is present in 1080p and native 4K, but it is a lot more pronounced in 1080p. Furthermore, there are lighter nuances that begin to struggle as well. If you examine closely screencapture #7, you should be able to recognize the same effect there, too. Interestingly, in other areas the visuals clearly reveal superior characteristics related to the dynamic range, but always in native 4K. Why is this happening? As mentioned above, there is a new color grade and some key primaries and nuances are a bit too aggressive. For example, blues tend to welcome potent tealish nuances and acquire a borderline neon-esque quality (see screencapture #8). I thought that in native 4K this was an odd development. Whites become a lot more subdued and in some areas flatten details (you can compare screencapture #7 with the corresponding screencapture from our review of the previous release). As result, from time to time it looks like the dynamic range of the visuals fluctuates a bit too much. Density levels are excellent, but they were just as impressive on the previous Blu-ray release. Image stability is outstanding. Ultimately, I think that the final verdict on the new 4K presentation of God Told Me To will be determined by personal preferences at the center of which will be the new color grade. I personally find the previous color grade more consistent and convincing in some key areas. (Note: The 4K Blu-ray release is Region-Free).

BLU-RAY DISC

I mentioned above the major similarities and discrepancies between the native 4K presentation and old 1080p presentation of the film. At least on my system I think that the old 1080p presentation reveals some small details that the new color grade flattens. Will you be able to tell if you have not seen the previous release or do not have it with you to make direct comparisons with the new release? Probably not because virtually all of these details are very subtle, but it is also very possible that trained eyes will recognize the small fluctuations in the primary colors and the effects in the darker areas. The rest is basically the same, so the comments I left above sum up nicely the quality of the new 1080p presentation as well. One last thing. In a few areas the grain tends to become a tad too loose, so some minor encoding optimizations should have been made (see screencapture #20). (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

God Told Me To 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are four standard audio tracks on this release: English: Dolby Atmos, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and French: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono. (The new Dolby Atmos track is included on the 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray discs). Optional English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not have any complaints when I tested the previous Blu-ray release of God Told Me To and I have not changed my mind. I viewed the new 4K restoration with the new Dolby Atmos track that was prepared for it and my general impression is that this track makes the sound design 'bigger and wider'. This is the only way I can describe what I heard. It feels like the Dolby Atmos track expands the audio field in all directions, so in some areas the dynamic intensity is a bit better and elsewhere the audio is just fuller and wider. Clarity and sharpness are outstanding, but they are just as good on the original Mono track. So, as far as I am concerned, you have another very good audio option to explore when you sit down to view the film.

God Told Me To 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary One - this audio commentary with writer/producer/director Larry Cohen initially appeared on Blue Underground's DVD release of God Told Me To.

• Commentary Two - in this brand new audio commentary was recorded by critic and filmmaker Steve Mitchell (King Cohen) and author and critic Troy Howarth. I listened to the entire commentary and thought that it was outstanding. Obviously, the bulk of the information that is shared is about God Told Me To and how Larry Cohen improvised so much of his work during its production, but there are some fantastic -- and absolutely true -- observations about the director's personality and general attitude toward genre films. (Mr. Mitchel describes the latter as "charge-forward" type of attitude, which was in fact what defined Cohen's work). So, I urge you to find the time to listen to this commentary in its entirety as well. It is one of the best I have come across in recent years.

• God Told Me To Advertising - in English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Theatrical Trailer (2 min).
  2. TV Spot 1 (1 min).
  3. TV Spot 2 (1 min).
  4. TV Spot 3 (1 min).
  5. TV Spot 4 (1 min).
  6. TV Spot 5 (1 min).

• Demon Advertising - in English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Theatrical Trailer (2 min).
  2. TV Spot 1 (1 min).
  3. TV Spot 2 (1 min).

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary One - this audio commentary with writer/producer/director Larry Cohen initially appeared on Blue Underground's DVD release of God Told Me To.

• Commentary Two - in this brand new audio commentary was recorded by critic and filmmaker Steve Mitchell (King Cohen) and author and critic Troy Howarth. I listened to the entire commentary and thought that it was outstanding. Obviously, the bulk of the information that is shared is about God Told Me To and how Larry Cohen improvised so much of his work during its production, but there are some fantastic -- and absolutely true -- observations about the director's personality and general attitude toward genre films. (Mr. Mitchel describes the latter as "charge-forward" type of attitude, which was in fact what defined Cohen's work). So, I urge you to find the time to listen to this commentary in its entirety as well. It is one of the best I have come across in recent years.

• Featurettes -
  
  1. Heaven & Hell On Earth: Interview with Star Tony Lo Bianco - in this video interview, Tony Lo Bianco discusses his contribution to God Me Told Me To, Larry Cohen's directing methods, and the somewhat controversial sequence towards the end of the film (the close-up of the vagina on the man's rib cage). The actor also recalls a rather unusual experience the film crew had while shooting in Little Italy. The interview was produced by Blue Underground in association with Red Shirt Pictures. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).
  
  2. Bloody Good Times: Interview with Special Effects Artist Steve Neill - in this video interview, special effects artist Steve Neill explains how he entered the movie business and how he was approached by Larry Cohen and invited to contribute to God Told Me To. The interview was produced by Blue Underground in association with Red Shirt Pictures. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).
  
  3. God Told Me To Bone: New Beverly Q&A with Larry Cohen - in this filmed Q&A session, director Larry Cohen recalls how God Told Me To came to exist, and discusses the casting process, shooting process, the scoring of the film, etc. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).
  
  4. Lincoln Center Q&A with Larry Cohen - presented here is archival footage from a Q&A session with director Larry Cohen which was held after a screening of God Told Me To at New York's Lincoln Center on Saturday, October 19, 2002. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• God Told Me To Advertising - in English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Theatrical Trailer (2 min).
  2. TV Spot 1 (1 min).
  3. TV Spot 2 (1 min).
  4. TV Spot 3 (1 min).
  5. TV Spot 4 (1 min).
  6. TV Spot 5 (1 min).

• Demon Advertising - in English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Theatrical Trailer (2 min).
  2. TV Spot 1 (1 min).
  3. TV Spot 2 (1 min).

• Poster and Still Gallery - an excellent collection of archival posters, production stills, photographs, lobby cards, VHS covers, DVD covers, and LD covers.The gallery was compiled by Gregory Chick.

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art.

God Told Me To 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I had a very difficult time forming an opinion about the new 4K and 1080p presentations of the 4K restoration of Larry Cohen's God Told Me To. The two presentations feature a brand new color grade which produces some minor inconsistencies in key areas, so I personally find the overall appearance of the previous presentation with the old color grade from 2015 slightly more convincing. However, you may very well discover that the new 4K presentation of God Told Me To has additional smaller improvements that are of greater importance to you. This upcoming 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo release also has a brand new Dolby Atmos track as well as a very good newly recorded audio commentary. RECOMMENDED.