Horror comes in different shapes and forms. To some, Horror is a gruesome monster lurking in the shadows, a ghost haunting them in the night, or a masked killer stalking without remorse. Then there is the type of Horror that is different, touching on humans’ careless disregard for nature.
What some like to refer to as Eco-Horror, a list of films emerged in the 1970s, making it one of the most popular sub-genres of the decade. Each feature had a different take, some shone a lot on the terrorizing effects of mutation, like 1976’s The Food of the Gods, 1977’s Empire of the Ants, but also 1979’s Prophecy.
A title that perhaps suggests something more supernatural, Prophecy encompassed a diverse range of concepts, all combined into one cohesive plot. Touching on pollution, human indifference, and the mistreatment of others, one could chalk Prophecy up to a silly mutated animal movie. Still, given a chance, it has the potential to be far more. Written by David Seltzer (famously recognized as the writer of 1976’s classic film The Omen), Prophecy was directed by Emmy-winning Director John Frankenheimer (who worked on such other big films as 1962’s The Manchurian Candidate and 1977’s Black Sunday).
By the time production came around in 1978 for Prophecy, Frankenheimer had long been established for his telling of Political Thriller feature films. With that in mind, it is said that he had envisioned Prophecy becoming an impactful film, but sadly, that did not exactly come to pass.
The story revolves around the conflict between a paper mill up in Maine run by Bethel Isley (played by the Emmy-winning Richard A. Dysart) and a Native American settlement headed by John Hawks (portrayed by the esteemed Armand Assante) under the guidance of elder Hector M’Rai (George Clutesi).
Entering the equation is an out-of-town Dr. Robert Verne (played by Robert Foxworth, known for everything from 1977’s Ants! to the voice of Ratchet in the modern Transformers films), hired by the Environmental Protection Agency to see exactly what is transpiring along the local river systems. Sent in as a bi-partisan third party, soon Dr. Verne and his wife Maggie Verne (brought to life with a stunning performance by Talia Shire, who is known for 1974’s The Godfather Part II and the Rocky film series) quickly realize that something is certainly not right. In fact, their discovery is monstrous and extremely hazardous to the surrounding environment.
The boldest point of the story, Prophecy, is effective in drawing out this beautiful natural landscape, which is being carelessly forested. In the process, particular agents are being used in processing by the paper mill, and this irresponsibility on their part has resulted in horrifying mutations within the area’s ecosystem. While some may find the creatures in Prophecy a bit amusing to look at, it is really about getting past this to get to the root of the message here. What exactly is that message? It is careless pollution, driven solely by profit, that can indeed damage the planet.
Nonetheless, when Prophecy arrived on June 15, 1979, it had a substantial theatrical debut as a Paramount Pictures release and performed decently on its opening weekend. Although other huge films like Alien and Rocky II (also featuring Talia Shire) overshadowed it. It also did not help that critics were less than kind to Prophecy. Unfortunately, sometimes you need to look beneath the surface to appreciate something.
In the end, Prophecy is one of those Horror films you have seen the promotional poster for, but just maybe, have never actually seen. Fortunately, the treatment it received in theaters did not leave it completely behind, as it arrived on DVD in 2002 and on Blu-ray through Shout Factory in 2019. Then, on May 20, 2025, Kino Lorber stepped in to release it on 4K Ultra HD.
The first time Prophecy is being offered in a 4K Ultra HD disc format, this new release is a two-disc set, featuring the feature film in 4K Ultra HD on the 4K disc and a substantial portion of special features on the Blu-ray disc. Giving you Prophecy with a brand new 4K scan from the 35mm original camera negative (with enhancement from HDR and Dolby Vision Master), the image and sound quality are stunningly improved, and even a notable step up from the 2019 Blu-ray.
Additionally, the special features align with those of the 2019 Blu-ray edition. Not a negative, these bonuses include a great interview with Talia Shire, Robert Foxworth, and David Seltzer, among others. All worth watching, the set also includes a nice slipcover and reversible artwork that provides for two classic artworks.
Overall, Prophecy is a Sci-Fi Horror film that should not be forgotten. Just remember, no matter how emotionally invested you are in the environment, humans are the guardians of the earth, so let’s do our best to treat it with some respect. A great addition to your collection, Cryptic Rock gives Kino Lorber’s 4K Ultra HD edition of Prophecy 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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