The Believers
Encyclopedia
The Believers is a horror
/neo-noir
film directed by John Schlesinger
, released in 1987 and starring Martin Sheen
, Robert Loggia
and Helen Shaver
. It is based on the 1982 novel The Religion
by Nicholas Conde.
) moves to New York City, where a rash of brutal, ritualistic child murders, supposedly committed by members of a Hispanic cult practicing a malevolent version of brujería have been confounding the NYPD. Things take a turn for the worse when the cult targets Jamison's son Chris (Harley Cross
).
-based cult established by serial killers Adolfo Constanzo
and Sara Aldrete
. The film led a few members of the cult to say that what was shown in the film was a misrepresentation of the real peaceful intentions of the religion and its meaning.
in June 1987. It grossed $18,753,438 at the box office.
The film was released on DVD
in the United States by MGM Home Entertainment
in 2002.
by J. Peter Robinson
was released on Perseverance Records
September 3, 2009.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
/neo-noir
Neo-noir
Neo-noir is a style often seen in modern motion pictures and other forms that prominently utilize elements of film noir, but with updated themes, content, style, visual elements or media that were absent in films noir of the 1940s and 1950s.-History:The term Film Noir was coined by...
film directed by John Schlesinger
John Schlesinger
John Richard Schlesinger, CBE was an English film and stage director and actor.-Early life:Schlesinger was born in London into a middle-class Jewish family, the son of Winifred Henrietta and Bernard Edward Schlesinger, a physician...
, released in 1987 and starring Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
, Robert Loggia
Robert Loggia
Robert Loggia is an American film and television actor and director.- Early life :Loggia, an Italian American, was born on Staten Island, the son of Elena Blandino, a homemaker, and Benjamin Loggia, a shoemaker, both of whom were born in Sicily, Italy...
and Helen Shaver
Helen Shaver
Helen Shaver is a Canadian actress and film and television director.-Early life:Shaver was born and raised in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, a small city located near London, Ontario, with five sisters...
. It is based on the 1982 novel The Religion
The Religion
The Religion is a horror novel written in 1982 by Nicholas Conde. It explores the ritual sacrifice of children to appease the pantheon of voodoo deities, through the currently used practice of Santería...
by Nicholas Conde.
Plot
After the accidental death of his wife by electrocution, Cal Jamison (Martin SheenMartin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
) moves to New York City, where a rash of brutal, ritualistic child murders, supposedly committed by members of a Hispanic cult practicing a malevolent version of brujería have been confounding the NYPD. Things take a turn for the worse when the cult targets Jamison's son Chris (Harley Cross
Harley Cross
Harley Cross is an American film and television actor. He appeared in the 1980s horror films The Believers and The Fly II; his most recent roles were in the 2004 film Kinsey and in 2000, "Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth". He is also the co-founder of Hint Mint, a candy...
).
Cast
- Martin SheenMartin SheenRamón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
as Cal Jamison - Helen ShaverHelen ShaverHelen Shaver is a Canadian actress and film and television director.-Early life:Shaver was born and raised in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, a small city located near London, Ontario, with five sisters...
as Jessica Halliday - Harley CrossHarley CrossHarley Cross is an American film and television actor. He appeared in the 1980s horror films The Believers and The Fly II; his most recent roles were in the 2004 film Kinsey and in 2000, "Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth". He is also the co-founder of Hint Mint, a candy...
as Chris Jamison - Robert LoggiaRobert LoggiaRobert Loggia is an American film and television actor and director.- Early life :Loggia, an Italian American, was born on Staten Island, the son of Elena Blandino, a homemaker, and Benjamin Loggia, a shoemaker, both of whom were born in Sicily, Italy...
as Lieutenant Sean McTaggert - Jimmy SmitsJimmy SmitsJimmy Smits is an American actor. Smits is perhaps best known for his roles as attorney Victor Sifuentes on the 1980s legal drama L.A. Law, as NYPD Detective Bobby Simone on the 1990s police drama NYPD Blue, and as Congressman Matt Santos on The West Wing...
as Tom Lopez - Malick BowensMalick BowensMalick Bowens is an American actor who is known for several roles in many movies such as Out of Africa produced by Sydney Pollack. He played the ex president of Zaire Joseph Mobutu for the autobiographic film in tribute to Muhammad Ali realised in 2001 with Will Smith, and was also known too for...
as Palo - Elizabeth WilsonElizabeth WilsonElizabeth Welter Wilson is an American actress. She was elected to the Theatre Hall of Fame in 2007.-Life and career:Wilson was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the daughter of Marie Ethel and Henry Dunning Wilson, who was an insurance agent...
as Kate Maslow - Harris YulinHarris YulinHarris Yulin is an American actor who has appeared in dozens of Hollywood and television films.-Life and career:Yulin was born in...
as Robert Calder - Lee Richardson as Dennis Maslow
- Richard MasurRichard MasurRichard Masur is an American actor who has appeared in more than 80 movies during his career. From 1995-1999, he served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild . Masur sits on the Corporate Board of the Motion Picture & Television Fund.-Biography:Masur was born in New York City to a...
as Marty Wertheimer - Carla Pinza as Carmen Ruiz
- Janet-Laine GreenJanet-Laine GreenJanet-Laine Green) is a Canadian actress, director, producer and teacher, active for over 25 years. Best known for her roles in She's the Mayor, Seeing Things and This is Wonderland, this Toronto-based film and television personality has also been a voice actor for animated series such as Jacob...
as Lisa Jamison - Raúl DávilaRaul DavilaRaúl Dávila was an actor, who is best remembered for his role of Hector Santos in the American soap opera All My Children.-Early years:...
as Oscar Sezine - Geoffrey Kellett as Paramedic
Controversy
The film was in large part an influence on the SanteríaSantería
Santería is a syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin influenced by Roman Catholic Christianity, also known as Regla de Ocha, La Regla Lucumi, or Lukumi. Its liturgical language, a dialect of Yoruba, is also known as Lucumi....
-based cult established by serial killers Adolfo Constanzo
Adolfo Constanzo
Adolfo de Jesús Constanzo was an American serial killer, drug dealer and cult leader. His nickname was El Padrino de Matamoros .- Early years :...
and Sara Aldrete
Sara Aldrete
Sara María Aldrete is a multiple murderer known as "La Madrina". She attended high school in Brownsville, Texas, United States, while still living south of the border, and gained resident alien status so she could attend Texas Southmost College. She was known among her peers as a good student...
. The film led a few members of the cult to say that what was shown in the film was a misrepresentation of the real peaceful intentions of the religion and its meaning.
Release
The film was released theatrically in the United States by Orion PicturesOrion Pictures
Orion Pictures Corporation was an American independent production company that produced movies from 1978 until 1998. It was formed in 1978 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and three former top-level executives of United Artists. Although it was never a large motion picture producer, Orion...
in June 1987. It grossed $18,753,438 at the box office.
The film was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in the United States by MGM Home Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment is the home video and DVD arm of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.-History:The home video division of MGM started in 1979 as MGM Home Video, releasing all the movies and TV shows by MGM. In 1980, MGM joined forces with CBS Video Enterprises, the home video division of the CBS television...
in 2002.
Soundtrack
The film scoreFilm score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
by J. Peter Robinson
J. Peter Robinson
J. Peter Robinson is a composer whose works include Nightmare Cafe, Wes Craven's New Nightmare, Return of the Living Dead Part II, Vampire in Brooklyn , The World's Fastest Indian, and The Bank Job.He also composed some music for the English version of Godzilla 2000...
was released on Perseverance Records
Perseverance Records
Perseverance Records is a record label which releases film scores on CD and online. Releases are usually accompanied by extensive, well-researched booklets...
September 3, 2009.