Laramie Movie Scope:
Fallen

January 18, 1998 -- "Fallen" is a tale of demonic possession, murder and apocalyptic revelations that is very similar to the "X Files" television show, right down to the dim flashlights.

One woman wrote to the government several years ago and suggested, after seeing the "X-Files" that the FBI could solve a lot more cases if the government would buy their field agents better flashlights. That's what Detective John Hobbs (Denzel Washington) needed in this movie.

Our story begins with Hobbs witnessing the execution of a serial killer. It turns out that while the body of the killer dies, his spirit, that of a fallen angel, or demon, lives on. As the demon seeks his revenge on Hobbs, events quickly spiral out of control.

While the story does acknowledge the existence of God, it is only in a backhanded sort of way. Mostly it is just Hobbs and the demon in a one-on-one duel, with the demon holding all the cards, given his ability to shift from body to body at will.

This film follows modern Hollywood Biblical revisionist thinking very closely, that is, whenever the powers of darkness show up, in the form of Satan, demons, or black witchcraft, the powers of evil will prevail. Maybe Hollywood is the new Babylon after all.

Despite the dimly-lit scenes, I found the story intriguing right up until the very unsatisfying conclusion. Washington, of course, is a fine actor (much better than David Duchovny) and he is ably accompanied in this film by his partner cop Jonesy (John Goodman) and Donald Sutherland as Lt. Stan Stanton. This film rates a C+.

Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.