| End of Days | |
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| Directed by | Peter Hyams |
| Produced by | Armyam Bernstein Bill Borden Thomas Bliss |
| Written by | Andrew W. Marlowe |
| Starring | Arnold Schwarzenegger Gabriel Byrne Robin Tunney Kevin Pollak Rod Steiger Udo Kier CCH Pounder |
| Music by | John Debney |
| Distributed by | Universal Studios (USA) Buena Vista International (non-USA) |
| Release date(s) | November 17, 1999 (USA) |
| Running time | 122 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $100,000,000 USD (estimated) |
| Gross revenue | $211,989,043 (worldwide) |
End of Days is a 1999 action/horror film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by Peter Hyams. It also featured Robin Tunney, Rod Steiger, Kevin Pollak, CCH Pounder, Udo Kier, and Gabriel Byrne as Satan. Schwarzenegger received a salary of $25 million for his role in the film.[1]
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In 1979, a newborn girl named Christine York is identified by Satanists—including her doctor, Dr. Abel, and her guardian, Mabel—as the one chosen to bear Satan's son during the last hour on New Year's Eve, 1999, due to a symbol on her arm. As she is being born, a priest in the Vatican witnesses a comet, described as the "Eye of God", heralding the birth of the one chosen to be the mother of Satan's child. The priest is then sent on a mission by the Pope to find and protect the girl from Satan's presence at all costs. However, a group of a few Vatican Knights (led by a corrupt cardinal) insist that she must be killed to prevent Satan's plans, to which most of the clergy (including the Pope) opposes, as they state that taking a life in an attempt to stop evil is sinful.
Twenty years later, near the end of 1999, retired cop Jericho Cane, in a constant state of depression since his wife and daughter were murdered by a hitman, is assigned to protect a Wall Street banker; Cane now works for an elite security and protection company. They are attacked by a priest named Thomas Aquinas, who is eventually captured and taken to a hospital. Unknown to Cane, Aquinas somehow knew the real identity of the banker—he has been possessed by Satan and now wields great powers. Satan locates Aquinas and brutally murders him, crucifying him on the ceiling. Cane and his co-worker/friend Bobby Chicago see a name amongst many other things scratched into Aquinas's skin, and after some guesswork, begin searching for Christine York.
Cane and Chicago find the now-adult York in her apartment and save her from the Vatican Knights (sent by the corrupted cardinal) who attempt to assassinate her. That evening, Chicago waits in a van while Cane discusses the recent happenings with York. Satan arrives and blows up the van, killing Chicago. As Cane and York try to flee, they are apprehended by Mabel, but Cane manages to overpower her. Outside, Marge, Cane's superior from his days in the police force, and another police officer—both Satanists—confront Cane, demanding York. Cane kills them both and he and York escape to a nearby church, seeking answers from a priest, Father Kovak.
Kovak soon realizes York and the banker's roles, and describes how at the end of every millennium, Satan will possess a man's body to consummate with the flesh of a preordained woman. If he succeeds in taking York he will have free rein over the world. After hearing that the only way to defeat Satan is to "have faith", Cane tries to persuade York to go into hiding with him but she prefers to stay with Kovak. Frustrated, Cane returns to his apartment and it is there that Satan meets with him and tries to tempt him with his lost family in order to make him reveal York's location. Cane resists and manages to throw Satan out of his apartment window. Chicago soon shows up, alive and well. Despite Cane's initial suspicion, they make a plan to retrieve York.
At the church, where Kovak and his clergy informs the Pope of York's location, he orders them to hide and protect her at all costs. Unfortunately, the Vatican Knights arrive again, holding Kovak and his clergy into custody while they try to kill York again. Before they could do it, Cane comes by and stops them, saving York and the clergy. Satan then appears and Cane runs away safely with York. The clergy, in an act of bravery, confronts Satan and trying to sent him back to Hell by using exorcism, but he pushes them off his way in a fury, as well as killing the Vatican Knights (including the corrupted cardinal) for trying to kill Christine. As Cane and York arrive outside, Chicago then betrays the two; he leaves with York while Cane is beaten by a mob of Satanists and left for dead. The next morning, Cane is found and rescued by Kovak (who actually survived from Satan's wrath, along with his clergy (except for one of his clergymen, who was impaled on the head with a cross by Satan while trying to repel him with it), due to having strong faith) and immediately arms himself heavily to resume his search for York. He notices a resurrected Marge and tails her to Satan's hideout. There, he manages to rescue Christine and kill Marge for the second time. Chicago steps in to stop Cane, revealing that Satan resurrected him in exchange for his help in capturing York. He manages to fight off Satan's influence after some persuasion by Cane; in retaliation, Satan burns him alive. Enraged, Cane opens fire on Satan and escapes with York in the ensuing chaos.
The two make their way through Satan's hideout and into a subway tunnel. They board a train and attempt to escape. Satan catches up with them and kills the conductor. In the ensuing fight, Cane launches an M203 grenade at Satan's body, buying time for him and York to escape. The banker's body is now irreparably damaged, and so Satan leaves it to find a new host.
Cane and York escape to the streets and into another church, where, he prays to God. Satan smashes through the floor and confronts Cane in his true form: a massive, demonic creature. He enters Cane's body and possesses him. Now controlled by the Devil, Cane attempts to rape York, but with the help of her begging words, he is able to fight Satan's control for a few seconds. Using what may be his only opportunity to redeem himself, Cane impales himself on the sword protruding from a fallen statue of Michael the Archangel, thus disabling his body for the few remaining seconds before midnight. At the stroke of midnight, the will of God frees Cane's body from Satan's control and sends Satan back to the depths of Hell forever. After being granted a vision of his wife and daughter smiling at him, Cane dies shortly thereafter peacefully. York thanks the deceased Cane for saving her life as New York celebrates the start of the year 2000.
End of Days received mixed but mostly negative reviews with usually one positive point.[2][3][4] The reviews had no points in common, other than about 30% panning Schwarzenegger's performance.[2][3]
"End of Days" keeps asking whether faith or force will save the human race, before hedging its bets and insisting on both."[4]
It grossed $66,889,043 in the U.S. and around $212,000,000 worldwide[5], against a budget estimated to be between $80 million and $100 million. The film was slightly profitable because of its strong international numbers and DVD sales, but its final numbers were not what Universal Studios had hoped for.
The movie received Razzie nominations for Worst Actor (Schwarzenegger), Worst Director (Hyams) and Worst Supporting Actor (Byrne, also for Stigmata). It was a pre-nominee finalist for Worst Picture.
| End of Days OST | |
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| Soundtrack by Various Artists | |
| Released | November 2, 1999 |
| Genre | Alternative metal, industrial rock, nu metal |
| Label | Geffen |
| Professional reviews | |
The soundtrack to the film contained, for the most part, tracks by alternative metal and industrial rock bands. It also contains, the first single to be released by the "new line-up" of Guns N' Roses, the industrial rock track "Oh My God".
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