Looking for an engaging 70s flick that may have flown under the radar? Look no further, but be warned: The Sentinel is no schlocky bloodbath. It’s a genuine buildup, skincrawler that will having you checking for your Baptism records. It’s no party flick though. There’s too much nuance, which would be lost in side conversations, and the performances/plot are a blast for any half serious cinephile.
Allllisssssoooonnn…..
Director Michael Winner came blasting out of the oppressive fog of the Hays Code with Charles Bronson. He cements his commitment to the edgy, boundary pushing vision he should be remembered for with The Sentinel. Priests at the pulpit had to brimming with damnation for anyone in the pews who went to see it, and teenagers everywhere had a brand new morality tale to guide the decisions of their youth (can’t spoil it here). Suffice to say, The Sentinel has moments that make you feel awkward and a few that might even keep you up at night pondering. Some would argue it has one of the top five jump scares of all time.
It’s based (verbatim) on a novel of the same name from 1974 (one year after The Exorcist was released). I found it in a dollar bin of my local Top’s grocery store and blew through it in few days. It was creepy. I couldn’t imagine the film topping it, but Christina Raines brings Allison to life beautifully, and the events that unfold in and around her apartment manage to leave you curious and revolted. And if that’s not enough Christopher Walken manages to drop a few lines. Skip the book, watch the movie (first time I’ve ever said, honestly.)
Whereas The Exorcist is a good vs evil struggle for power, The Sentinel is more of a conspiratorial, darker side of repenting. It struck me as creepy and more personal. The interconnected nature of good and evil in this film don’t battle. Rather, they create a symbiotic union that forges fodder for the other, and which seems to have endless implications. Personally, I’d pick this one over The Exorcist, but it’s certainly worth the watch so you can make your own decisions…
Goodnight Moon.
4/5 shaking chandeliers
What it has: models, crucifixes, confessions, cat and a canary, daguerreotypes, cryptic latin passages, zombies, hallucinations, affairs, cheap New York apartments, a blind priest, a birthday party for a cat, and masturbation
What it’s missing: a seal of approval from the Catholic church, rodents, and a higher rating on IMDB
Brains, Blood, Boomsticks, & Broods 