Every few years the idea of ‘the end of the world’ starts running around in people’s minds. Well, actually it seems to be there all the time, but only occasionally does it become a major part of everyday water cooler talk. When this happens, you’ll see some of the documentary channels running various shows about the book of Revelations or the writings of Nostradamus. You can tell you’re at the peak of these times when they start running them on the three major networks (usually hosted by David McCallum, no less…). What you rarely see are actual series or mini-series devoted the subject. The closest ones that come to mind (and feel free to email me if there are others in the Dead Zone of my brain) are some of the story arcs in “The X-files”, and to a greater degree, “Millennium.” A few weeks ago however, NBC aired a 6-episode mini-series event entitled (oddly enough) “Revelations.” It starred Bill Pullman as a Harvard scientist named Bill Massey who spends much of his time debunking the supernatural aspects of the Bible.

After the brutal murder of his daughter, he is located by a Sister Josephina, played by Natasha McElhone, who believes that she is on the fast track to finding the newborn Christ (as well as the Anti-Christ). Hmm, skeptic and believer… I’m reminded of the aforementioned “X-Files.” Together, they travel all over the world, as the world speeds towards the End Times.

I only caught part of one episode when “Revelations” originally aired, which surprised me since the End Times has always been one of the many subjects that fascinated me. I was born a Catholic, but later opted to become a non-denominational Christian… though not necessarily a card-carrying, go to church on Sunday sort of Christian. (I could wax rhapsodic about my particular beliefs, but it would only get me into trouble…) What I saw intrigued me, more so because the production value seemed very high and the visuals were quite striking. It wasn’t until a few days ago that I had the opportunity to see the entire 6 episode run thanks to the recent DVD release from Universal.

Without question, based on my limited knowledge of the Bible, “Revelations” is certainly a Hollywood-ized version of what events might transpire to bring about the End times. The production value was indeed quite high, so much so that combined with the script, it came across as a bit pretentious at times. That said, I found the limited run series to be an entertaining watch. It started out a bit slow, but with each episode, the pace sped up and became more frenzied. I thought Bill Pullman did a great job with his role as the disbelieving scientist, but I might be a bit subjective since I’ve always found him to be a likable and charismatic actor. McElhone, on the other hand did an okay job. She just came on too strong, and I found it difficult to buy the fact that she was a nun.

Michael Massee stars as Isaiah Haden, the maniacal killer responsible for the death of Massey’s daughter. What comes into question is whether or not he is actually maniacal. He leads a group of Satanists and truly believes that he is chosen to bring the Anti-Christ into the world. We very quickly learn that he may not only have evil residing inside of him, but may actually BE evil incarnate. Massee turns in a chilling performance and quite literally steals the show most of the time. I still remember him form the 1994’s “The Crow”, where he played Funboy.

I found myself enjoying most of the episodes of “Revelations”, in spite of the heavy-handed approach the script took. (Though I guess you really can’t have a light-hearted comedy about the End Times, can you?). As I mentioned, it started off a little slow, but quickly pulled me into the story. It became a little convoluted along the way, but if you pay attention, you’ll get what’s going on. There were also no easy answers to be found by the last episode. It is left rather open-ended, which I’m hoping will mean a return visit to the story with another batch of episodes.

The 2-disc DVD set offers up all 6 episodes, but only a little in the way of extra features. You’ll find a few deleted scenes, and a very short interview segment with the production’s three main stars.

Like any movie or TV series that finds its roots taken from a book, “Revelations” needs to be watched with an open mind. Those familiar with the Book of Revelations will be able to pick out the truck size plot holes and discrepancies from the source material. Those who know little need to remind themselves that what they are watching is a piece of fiction and not start getting all worked up into the belief that the End Times are really here.

Starring: Bill Pullman, Natasha McElhone, Michael Massee
Extras: On-Set Interviews with Bill Pullman, Natasha McElhone, Michael Massee and writer/producer David Seltzer
Specifications: Widescreen (1.78:1), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Universal
Release Date: 6/28/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
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We'll give Revelations a B-.