Throw money at a ham-handed director, add a lousy script, mix in ludicrous acting and ho-hum special effects and you get "End of Days." I never thought I'd leave a film missing Tom Arnold, but after enduring a lifeless Kevin Pollak as Arnold's sidekick, I sure did. Gabriel Byrne was even worse, playing Satan with a palooka NY accent. Someone should teach his agent the word "No." And poor Rod Steiger! His decline continues with another bald caricature role. Has it really been 35 years since "The Pawnbroker" was released?
Arnold is, well, Arnold. Without competent direction and a decent story, he's just a pumped-up Austrian peasant lost in the big city. You get what you pay for with Arnold, but you'd better make sure the vehicle can carry his weight, or he'll collapse with everything around him as he did here.
I don't usually draw far-reaching conclusions from films, either good ones or lousy ones, but "End of Days" is clear evidence that something's rotten in Hollywood. Everyone involved in this monstrosity should be ashamed of themselves.
Arnold is, well, Arnold. Without competent direction and a decent story, he's just a pumped-up Austrian peasant lost in the big city. You get what you pay for with Arnold, but you'd better make sure the vehicle can carry his weight, or he'll collapse with everything around him as he did here.
I don't usually draw far-reaching conclusions from films, either good ones or lousy ones, but "End of Days" is clear evidence that something's rotten in Hollywood. Everyone involved in this monstrosity should be ashamed of themselves.