Prophecy 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.0

Prophecy 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 26, 2025

John Frankenheimer's "Prophecy" (1979) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include archival program with screenwriter David Seltzer; archival program with actor Robert Foxworth; archival program with actress Talia Shire; new audio commentary by critics Bryan Reesman and Max Evry; vintage promotional materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Several films John Frankenheimer directed can best be described as fascinating enigmas because they are a million years away from his masterpieces, The Manchurian Candidate and Seconds. Indeed, they are not just bad films. They are strange films, mixing up incompatible material that one can rather successfully argue no one dared questioning only because Frankenheimer was associated with it. Toward the end of his career, Frankenheimer began admitting the obvious, but frequently shifted the blame away from himself, suggesting that often the films he wanted to make were not allowed to materialize for various terrible reasons.

Prophecy is one of these bad and strange films that remains a fascinating enigma. It does not work for so many different reasons that it is virtually impossible to tell what Frankenheimer was trying to accomplish with it. It is not a serious horror film. It is not a campy horror film. And it definitely does not work as a serious environmental thriller. It is effective only as a head-scratcher, which is obviously not the film Frankenheimer wanted it to be.

It tells the story of a government health inspector (Robert Foxworth) who agrees to travel to Maine, where members of a local Indian tribe and corporate lumbermen have started clashing over a massive piece of land that both sides want to control for different reasons. Because the leaders of the Indian tribe have accused the biggest lumberyard in the area of poisoning the land, and the corporate lumbermen have dismissed the accusation and instead accused them of sabotaging their work, the health inspector is asked to run tests, whose results would bring clarity and calm the situation. However, shortly after the health inspector lands there with his wife (Talia Shire), he learns about a mythical Indian monster that has been causing damage too, and despite trying to brush it away, he begins bumping into evidence that it might be real. As the health inspector’s tests reveal that the nearby river has been contaminated with mercury released by the lumberyard, the Indian monster steps out of the shadows.

Frankenheimer worked with a screenplay penned by David Seltzer, who had done the first and second Omen films just a few years earlier. It is not unrealistic to speculate that Frankenheimer may have wanted Prophecy to be as atmospheric as the Omen films and ultimately thrill as a serious horror film. However, in its current form Prophecy is neither an atmospheric nor an even remotely serious horror film, and the closer one examines it, the more difficult it becomes to determine what Frankenheimer’s intentions for it may have been.

The narrative is broken into three big but uneven acts, each working with contrasting material. In the first, the focus is on the animosity between the Indians and the corporate lumbermen, and for a while, there is a buildup that prepares for a winner-takes-all battle. It is just unclear whether it will be fought in the nearby forest or a large courtroom somewhere in Portland. In the second, the focus shifts to the health inspector and his pregnant wife, and for a while, as the former begins to realize that he has uncovered a massive environmental catastrophe, it seems like the unborn baby will somehow shift the entire film to a creepy, dark territory like the one the Omen films visit to impress. (The large shadow of Rosemary's Baby can be felt, too). In the third act, all characters of some importance from the previous two acts are chased by a disappointingly goofy-looking creature in the forest. Frankenheimer moves from the first to the second to the third act quite well, but they all head in opposite directions and produce a completely different atmosphere.

When the final credits appear, it is impossible not to declare that Prophecy is a failure. It wants to be an eye-opening messenger, but easily leaves the impression that it is just another badly conceived preachy Hollywood project disguised as a horror film. It attempts to thrill as a serious horror film, but it self-destructs with third-rate material that would have been questionable even in a campy horror film.

Prophecy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of Prophecy is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. However, Prophecy is made available only on the 4K Blu-ray disc. The Blu-ray disc has only bonus features.

Please note that all screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. They do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray.

In America, Prophecy made its high-definition debut with this Blu-ray release, produced by Shout Factory, in 2019. I have it in my library and used it to do various comparisons. This combo pack introduces a new 4K restoration of Prophecy, sourced from the original camera negative and finalized at Paramount. The 4K restoration can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with Dolby Vision.

The folks at Paramount that prepared the 4K restoration did fantastic work. While the previous presentation of the film on the Blu-ray was also very attractive, some of its visuals did not have a consistently vibrant and healthy organic appearance. It was not because the presentation was not done right. Rather, it was because in 1080p some visuals simply could not impress as well as they do in native 4K. Virtually all of these visuals are from the wider panoramic footage in the forest. Now, clarity, sharpness, and depth are outstanding there. Color reproduction is excellent. However, if viewed with Dolby Vision, some darker areas tend to flatten select nuances. I think that this is the only weakness of the native 4K presentation. Some viewers who have seen the previous presentation will probably notice that in select darker areas several density fluctuations become more prominent as well, but I do not see this as a weakness of the presentation that could have been handled better. Image stability is excellent. The surface of the visuals is very healthy, too. On the previous presentation, small nicks could be seen popping up here and there. Ultimately, fans of the film should consider an upgrade if they wish to have its best home video presentation. The 4K Blu-ray brings a decent and easy to appreciate upgrade in quality.

Prophecy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The previous Blu-ray release had only the original 2.0 track, which was excellent. So, I decided to revisit the film with the 5.1 track. I did not switch to the 2.0 track at all. All of the footage where the monster attacks sounds terrific. However, it is very well optimized on the 2.0 track as well. There is some additional surround activity now, but I would not describe it as an upgrade. Rather, it is an option that some viewers can take advantage of. Also, the music sounds great throughout the entire film, so whenever it enhances the action, there is more to be potentially impressed with. The rest I would describe as identical.

Prophecy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Bryan Reesman and Max Evry.

BLU-RAY DISC

• All of Our Sins - in this archival program, actress Talia Shire explains how John Frankenheimer offered her a part in Prophecy and clarifies why he was a special director who emerged from the TV business and successfully applied the experience he had gained there in his feature films. Shire then discusses the production and shooting processes of Prophecy and her character. The program was produced for Shout Factory in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Bearing Up - in this archival program, actor Robert Foxworth recalls his audition for John Frankenheimer, why the story of Prophecy appealed to him, and why he thought that the monster was not right for it. Foxworth also discusses his interactions with Frankenheimer and several other cast members during the shooting of the film. The program was produced for Shout Factory in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Bear and Grin It - in this archival program, screenwriter David Seltzer explains how he was contacted by John Frankenheimer with an offer for a collaboration on a horror film, and why Rosemary's Baby was an inspiration for it. Seltzer also clarifies how he incorporated various contrasting ideas into the screenplay that was used to shoot Prophecy, and addresses some disagreements he had with Frankenheimer and the film's underwhelming reception in the late 1970s. The program was produced for Shout Factory in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (13 min).

• Hard to Bear - in this archival program, make-up effects designer Tom Burman explains how he became involved with Prophecy and dicusses his work on it and interactions with John Frankenheimer. The program was produced for Shout Factory in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• Prophecy Prodigy - in this archival program, make-up effects artist Allan Apone discusses his work with Tom Burman and other artists during the production of Prophecy. There are some interesting comments about the creation of the monster and the stating of some of the more graphic killings that are seen in the film. The program was produced for Shout Factory in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• The Man Behind the Mask - in this archival program, mime artist Tom McLoughlin recalls how he was hired to be part of Prophecy and discusses the exact work he did, under Tom Burman's supervision, to help the monster look as good as it can. The program was produced for Shout Factory in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• Radio Spots - presented here are a few vintage radio spots for Prophecy. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Trailer - presented here are is a vintage trailer for Prophecy. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Cover - a reversible cover for Prophecy.

Prophecy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Even people who were directly involved with the conception and production of Prophecy, like screenwriter David Seltzer, knew that the film John Frankenheimer was shooting will fail to meet expectations. The sad part of this revelation is that if they had tried to intervene and demand changes that may have helped, nothing would have changed because of Frankenheimer's reputation as a great director. I think that for this exact reason several other films Frankenheimer directed after The Manchurian Candidate and Seconds turned out poorly as well. This combo pack should be on the radar of Frankenheimer completists, but if you are one of them, keep in mind that Prophecy is presented only in native 4K on the 4K Blu-ray. The Blu-ray has only a selection of archival bonus features, which Shout Factory produced for its Blu-ray release of the film in 2019.