Pretty Good

Good concept, poorly executed.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

In the end, it has nothing to do with God. Back up to the beginning of the film... Peter J. Nicholas is a New York detective he begins to investigate a series murders where each of the murderers would confess what they did willingly and when asked why the answer is "God told me to". During one of the investigations he hears the story of a woman who was abducted by aliens, he finds this woman, goes to see her and the truth is revealed about her alien abduction and the "God told me to" series of murders. God has nothing to do with these murders in New York.Spoiler: Nicholas meets the woman abducted by aliens to speak with her. She was impregnated by the alien/false God, gave the child up for adoption. Nicholas is that child today - part man/part alien (or false God).There is an shiny golden alien (or a false God) with long golden hair that Peter meets who says "I can bear your child. Together we can start a new species." That is a clue as to what is going on here.Several murders took place, each of the murderers confessed to their crimes saying "God told me to". Each were happy, pleased that they have appeased their God (or what they think is God).In the end: That spaceship abduction showed me it as aliens and not a God. A God would not need a spaceship nor would it have a need to create a new race with a half man - a God would create the way he/she creates. ALIENS wanting to take over and create a new species (that would be half alien). Why speak the name of God? It's easier to say "God told me to" than explain the truth... in a way, Aliens could be their Gods.Pretty good movie - I enjoyed watching.8.5/10

God Told Me To (1976) ** (out of 4) New York detective Peter Nicholas (Tony Lo Bianco) begins to investigate a strange string of mass homicides where the murderers claim that they are doing the crimes due to God telling them. Soon the detective learns of a woman who while still a virgin gave birth to a boy after an apparent alien abduction.GOD TOLD ME TO is a low-budget thriller from writer-director Larry Cohen who is best remembered for the string of pictures he made in the 70s including IT'S ALIVE. This film here has some interesting ideas behind it but for the most part it doesn't completely work, although there's still enough interesting stuff here to make it worth watching.I think one of the best things going for the film is the lead performance by Lo Bianco. The character actor certainly does a nice job in the role of the detective as he looks and sounds the part. He brings a certain authentic feel to the part. Deborah Raffin and Sandy Dennis are good as well and it was fun seeing Sylvia Sidney in her small role. Mike Kellin and that great voice are also on hand.The direction is good throughout and there's no doubt that Cohen handles his screenplay just fine. I think the lack of any real suspense is the biggest deal-breaker for the picture as well as the fact that it runs out of gas around the fifty minute mark and it takes a while to finish. There's no question that the first half of the film is much more entertaining than the second.

One morning a sniper opens fore on pedestrians in New York City . Detective Peter Nicholas talks to the sniper who tells Nicholas that God told him to carry out the murders before he jumps to his death . Later on Nicholas receives a phonecall from someone saying that they're going to kill five people and that God has told them to do it There's something intriguing about this premise . People go on killing sprees in New York and the common denominator is that they've all been sent on a mission by God . I spent the early half of the film rubbing my chin wondering how writer/director Larry Cohen would reveal how a bunch of strangers with nothing in common would be connected in to going on an ecclesiastical mission of murder and mayhem . When it is revealed as to why people are doing this it's not exactly a cheat but it's not something this audience member expected or could take entirely seriously Apart from the denouement there's a bit of the problem with the pacing . It gets off to a great start by being incredibly mean as innocent passer-bys are shot down by a mad sniper similar to the Peter Bogdanovich film TARGETS . Shortly after we see a massacre at a NYC Irish parade which is good news if you know how the provisional IRA got its funding in those days , but then the film slows down greatly and we get a large number of scenes composed of characters talking . That's the problem with this slightly bonkers film in that it's a bit too talkative to be considered a forgotten classic

I detested this film. I admit that the idea of people with no criminal records suddenly committing random murders and a supernatural force deceiving them was intriguing. But after beginning as an OK police procedure film, it becomes muddled, illogical, and finally completely unpleasant and even gross. Guest stars come and go, the plot twists become more and more unbelievable, and at the center of it all is a barefoot actor with a tunic and bad wig. The ending is completely lame and the closing line will be seen by astute viewers long before the film actually ends. This film was such a letdown, I threw it in the trash after it was over.