Episode XXXIV: The Sentinel – June 11th, 2014

“She was young. She was beautiful. She was next!”

On this 34th podcast the Horror 101 crew highlight a 1977 film by Michael Winner called The Sentinel. Based on the novel by Jeffrey Konvitz, The Sentinel reflects the spirit of Rosemary’s Baby where Armageddon is just around the corner and a hapless, unsuspecting heroine becomes an integral part in the ancient battle of good versus evil. The Sentinel is a who’s who of some of our favorite actors before they became huge stars. A big part of it’s appeal is spotting all the known faces throughout. We’ll discuss it’s similarities to other films but also how it retains it’s own story. We’ll talk about why the director was shunned for using a certain tactic that led to the demise of Tod Browning’s career over 4 decades before. With memorable performances by Chris Sarandon and Burgess Meredith, The Sentinel includes one of the most unnerving haunting sequences ever filmed. It’s a well crafted thriller that deserves to be seen by any fan of religious horror.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:
1:00 Welcome to a battle of Good vs. Evil…
2:15 Putting The Sentinel to the test…
4:00 Falling in love with the apartment (too good to be true)…
5:35 “Chazen is the name, Charles Chazen….”
6:39 Beverly D’Angelo wears RED…
8:10 “Black and white cat….black and white cake!”
10:20 The Spectre!
13:15 Do we see any similarities yet?
14:00 Chris Sarandon is on the case…
17:30 “Welcome home…don’t be afraid…”
19:00 A bold casting move…
20:10 “Now you must destroy yourself…KILL yourself…”
21:20 The Biblical relay…Holy Prophecy!
25:30 Christina Raines is friggin HOT! (natural beauty)
26:30 The Burb’s reference (Joe Dante is a fan)…
27:19 Final Thoughts, Scoring the film and Conclusion…

The Sentinel (1977)
Directed by Michael Winner
Based on the Novel by Jeffrey Konvitz

Starring:

Chris Sarandon as Michael Lerman
Cristina Raines as Alison Parker
Burgess Meredith as Charles Chazen
Eli Wallach as Detective Gatz
Martin Balsam as Professor Ruzinsky
John Carradine as Father Halliran
Arthur Kennedy as Monsignor Franchino

Music by Gil Melle
Cinematography by Richard C. Kratina

All video, pictures and audio used from The Sentinel is copyright © 1977 by Universal Pictures and Jeffrey Konvitz Productions.