Set during World War II, a German army garrison is sent to guard a mountain pass in a village in Romania's Carpathian mountains and sets up barracks in an ancient stone fortress. Two of the soldiers unwittingly release a mysterious entity that kills or corrupts those within its influence, drawing the attention of a Gestapo commander, a Jewish scholar, and a mysterious traveller.
Score
Tangerine Dream's synths haunt harder than the actual demon.
Production
Practical effects and sets that look expensive and cheap simultaneously.
Direction
Mann's visual style fighting the budget like Glaeken fights Radu Molasar.
Director
Michael Mann
Scott Glenn
Glaeken Trismegestus
Alberta Watson
Eva Cuza
Jürgen Prochnow
Captain Klaus Woermann
Robert Prosky
Father Mihail Fonescu
Gabriel Byrne
Major Kaempffer
Ian McKellen
Dr. Theodore Cuza
William Morgan Sheppard
Alexandru
Royston Tickner
Tomescu
Michael Carter
Radu Molasar
John Vine
Lutz
Wolf Kahler
S.S. Adjutant
Rosalie Crutchley
Josefa
Frederick Warder
Border Guard 1
Bruce Payne
Border Guard 2
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Mann disowned the theatrical cut after Paramount slashed 30 minutes and ruined his edit. The original negative was reportedly lost in a fire.
This bombed so hard it nearly killed Mann's film career, forcing him into television where he created Miami Vice. We got Crockett and Tubbs because of a demon movie.
US
GB
