A novelists christopher walken wife lindsay crouse and son joel carlson see him changed by an apparent encounter with aliens in the mountains. Supposedly based on true events yeah right but walken as always is very intense and watchable. Nov 10, 1989 communion is based on the whitley strieber book, whose story is a reallife account of his own encounter with visitors. Coincidentally, the movie communion, starring christopher walken and based on author whitley striebers account of his abduction by aliens. I acknowledge that he has gone some flanderization over the years, but that doesnt mean that he doesnt give it all when he shows up in front of the camera to work. Communion is a film based on a book by whitley strieber, supposedly, the book is based on real life experiences about an alien abduction that strieber suffered from while vacationing with his family in the woods. The authors real encounter with aliens happened on december 26, 1985, when he was sleeping alone in his cabin in the woods, upstate new york. Christopher walken stars as the quirky writer who at first denies his alien encounter and subsequently wrestles with his sanity as his life and family threaten to fall to pieces. Christopher walken stars as whitley, a writer that is having a difficult time gaining any momentum in the writing of his new novel. I really struggled with this book, which is a shame as i enjoyed reading communion as well as still having fond memories of christopher walken in the 1989 movie in which he seemed stranger than the aliens. Vacationing at his familys home in the woods, whitley is awakened one night by bright lights outside his window. The war for souls are both being made into films, and his web site, is the largest of its kind in the world.
Christopher walken stars as novelist whitley strieber, who says he based the story on his reallife experiences. However, the cassette audio book of communion, read by roddy mcdowell and produced by a hertfordshire company called redback, simply has the word fiction on the back of the inlay. Top 11 most awkward christopher walken moments channel. Walken is an arresting presence although perhaps too close to an extraterrestrial himself to evoke maximum empathy, and mora creates a predictable yet solid atmosphere. The film is based on whitley striebers book of the same name, which is a personal account of striebers experience being abducted. I was big into aliens and alien abductions when i was growing up and communion was a great book on the subject. Im an unabashed fan of philippe mora, i absolutely adore the beast within and i have a soft spot for howling ii, so when i saw he had also directed a film with aliens and christopher walken, it was added to my watchlist right away and there it sat for a ridiculous amount of time everything about communion is so weird, alien and otherworldly. Alan tudyk on kissing heath ledger and how resident alien. Communion author whitley strieber has written science fiction and nonfiction best selling books about experiences with alien abduction. Great moody film with the excellent christopher walken being abducted by aliens. Christopher walken, lindsay crouse, joel carlson, frances sternhagen. With christopher walken, lindsay crouse, frances sternhagen, andreas katsulas.
Communion is a 1989 american science fiction horror film based on the book of the same name by whitley strieber. Whitley striebers alien contact books are usually cataloged as psychical. Communion is a 1989 dramathriller film based on the book of the same name by whitley strieber. The resulting book, communion, reached the top of the new york times. Feb 11, 2019 communion, too, was adapted into a film, starring christopher walken, portraying the mildmannered and urbane strieber as, well, christopher walken. The great christopher walken was in rare form for this one. Most people who have read the book do not like this film, but i found the book unreadable, and gave up halfway through. Synopsis the true story of one mans terrifying journey into the unknown. Freidman basil hoffman, he describes the visitors while watching a salamander frolic in the physicians aquarium. Communion author comes to california dont bring aliens, please. A movie based on the communion book was created in 1989, starring christopher walken and lindsay crouse. Decided on movie forum because communion was made into a movie after all starring christopher walken, even if this bust is based on the original book cover.
A true storythe 1987 book written by ufologist and horror author whitley strieber, who claims to have. Before the infamous book cover, the cliched grey alien with bulbous head and. What is so campy about this film is how serious it is trying to be, but. There is no evidence of kidnappingin fact, everything indicates that she left on purpose. Whitley strieber is the bestselling author of the horror novels the wolfen and the hunger, and this memoir, communion all of which were made into feature films. Communion is a flick that i wanted to see for a long time but, for some reason, never got around to seeing until now. Jun 15, 2010 adapted by whitley strieber from his book about his alleged contacts with aliens, communion dramatizes a story all the more compelling for the authors insistence that it is true, complemented by christopher walken s enigmatic performance as strieber. It is based on true events, written by the dude that said aliens cornholed him. Communion as a camp masterpiece camp is a sensibility, a way of viewing the garish and bad as an aesthetic. A novelists wife and son see him changed by an apparent encounter with aliens in the mountains. Communion author whitley strieber sums up his life with. Apr 03, 2020 christopher walken played whitley strieber in the 1989 movie based on striebers book communion. Communion by philippe mora, christopher walken, lindsay crouse. Christopher walken s first significant appearance in a movie, annie hall, may have been brief but it was certainly memorable he played annies possibly psychotic brother so memorable that studios began casting him in seemingly everything that possibly could.
The energy of this film is insane and because of that its not just a great film about aliens which based on a great book about aliens and making bold use of popet iconography, it is but also a great film of a very different kind thanks to a manic free jazz performance by christopher walken and a production doing everything it can to. Communion has a very arty new york feel theres surrealist art in the strieber apartment, tribal art in the psychiatrists apartment, plus theres a scene towards the end shot in whitney art museum. Christopher walken in communion 1989 christopher walken stars in a film about a man suffering from alcohol and hallucinogen abuse who undergoes hypnotherap. If you have even a passing interest in the alien abduction phenomenon or in the permeable veil between sanity and insanity, you will enjoy communion. See more ideas about christopher walken, walken, christopher. Communion author whitley strieber sums up his life. Of course, alien abductions had already been explored by cinema, most famously in steven.
His book details his terrifying experience with extraterrestrial beings. It stars christopher walken, as whitley strieber, who gives the most walken. Christopher walken stars as strieber himself in the film. Feb 03, 2016 i also watched the film version of communion with christopher walken playing strieber. A true story is a book by american ufologist and horror author whitley strieber. Communion by philippe mora, christopher walken, lindsay.
The movie was a box office flop and destroyed by critics who were critical of walken s performance. A truely creepy film starring the wonderful christopher walken. Communion 1989 a novelists wife and son see him changed by an apparent encounter with aliens in the mountains. The next morning he believes he dreamed of being taken by aliens to a spaceship. Whitley strieber born june, 1945 is an american author best known for communion, a nonfiction account of his alleged contact with nonhuman entities. Adapted by whitley strieber from his book about his alleged contacts with aliens, communion dramatizes a story all the more compelling for. Christopher walken portrays whitley stribers adventures into the unknown as he struggled to keep himself from falling over the edge of reality. After reading and cataloging hundreds of thousands of letters written to him in response to his book communion, she was the first person to realize that the appearance of what she termed the visitors was associated with the simultaneous appearance of ghostly apparitions. I am also a huge fan of lindsay crouse house of games, the verdict. Jul 26, 2020 the unnerving movie adaptation of whitley streibers unnerving book, communion, starring christopher walken at his most unhinged.
Communion the 1989 horror occult movie featuring christopher walken and lindsay crouse at the award winning 80s movies rewind. May 15, 2001 christopher walken in mid alien abduction he way strieber writes the picture of himself and the way christopher walken plays it, the character is blank, all the emotions and reactions to the events happen externally, never seem to be felt by the character. This ufo classic and the basis for the cult film starring christopher walken, communion is one of the most thoughtprovoking books of the twentiethcentury. Christopher walken, lindsay crouse, frances sternhagen. Well, a new york city writer had a similar experience and wrote a book about it. Communion 1989 30 years later by kim vertue frame rated. Jan 12, 2014 directed by philippe mora, communion is an adaptation of striebers 1987 book communion. Starring christopher walken and frances sternhagen, it tells a story of a family that experiences an extraterrestrial phenomenon while on vacation at a remote home in the wilderness during which the father is abducted and all of their lives change.
These are the questions streiber raises in his book, probably the alltime definitive book about alien abduction. Plus, it stars one of the most bizarre and haunting actors of all time, christopher walken, in the main role. He related how christopher walken once sang mac the knife for him in yiddish as they waited between shoots. He talks to himself, acts goofy, and still screams a lot and cries. I have to say that this was one of the few cases in which i far preferred the movie to the book. Nov 10, 1989 walken tries everything from dancing to wearing his glasses upsidedown to turning up in a wolf mask and cowboy boots an homage to the wolfen, one of mr. The book was later made into a movie in 1989 called communion, directed by philippe mora and starring christopher walken as strieber and lindsay crouse as his wife, anne.
Anne strieber is referring to joseph campbells fourvolume compendium of world mythology with her masks of god observation. Christopher walken played whitley strieber in the 1989 movie based on striebers book communion. Director philippe mora wanted star christopher walken involved in the casting of whomever played anne strieber. The 1989 movie adaptation starred christopher walken in a compellingly manic performance as strieber, and lindsay crouse as his late wife, anne. Communion 1989 philippe mora synopsis, characteristics. In this film, we dont have only talk about aliens such as in fourth kind and dark skies, we actually see them as the reallife writer reportedly saw them. The film begins in october 1985, as strieber is living in new york city with his wife anne. Much of the horror genre fits perfectly into the idea of camp as horror films are often thought of as over the top and tasteless, particularly the slashers of the 1970s and 1980s. Christopher walken portrays whitley stribers adventures into the unknown as he struggled to keep himself. Alien hunter is a searing new novel from new york times bestselling author whitley strieber.
Nov 10, 1989 when whitley christopher walken visits dr. The book was later made into a film directed by philippe mora and. A true story is a book by american ufologist and horror author whitley strieber that was first published in february 1987. A young wife disappears in the night, never to be seen again. Thoughtprovoking sequel to striebers book, communion, which i just finished reading. The book was later made into a film directed by philippe mora and starring christopher walken as strieber and lindsay crouse as his wife, anne.
Communion is a 1989 drama horror film based on the book of the same name by whitley strieber. But being the horror novelist who meets aliens and gets played by christopher walken in a movie has its price, and that price is relegation to the fringes of society. Christopher walken pulp fiction plays strieber as if strieber was not a person, but a conceptspecifically the concept of insanity. Communion 1989 whitley striebers 1987 book about his claimed encounters with nonhuman entities was an instant bestseller, and, to date, has sold more than two million copies worldwide. From the international bestseller, comes communion, the gripping and compelling story of a novelist whose recurring nightmares of alien encounters prove to be a terrible reality. Christopher walken stars as whitley strieber, a man fraught with dreams and visions linked to a possible alien abduction from his past.
The film has pretty bad ratings according to what i have seen, but i thought it was as good a movie as could possibly be made of this rag. Strieber was born and raised in san antonio, texas. Superb alien abduction film among many like the intruders because of its excellent cast and because walken portrays a wellknown fiction writer who actually suffered through this experience. Communion is based on the serious account of striebers abduction. He is also an advocate of alternative sciences through his bestselling nonfiction books, his website unknown country, and his internet podcast, dreamland. Adapted by whitley strieber from his book about his alleged contacts with aliens, communion dramatizes a story all the more compelling for the authors insistence that it is true, complemented by christopher walken s enigmatic performance as strieber. Communion stars christopher walken as novelist whitley strieber. Its fascinating stuff done with an arty edge blending in hallucinations and walken s receptive performance. Jan 24, 2021 on resident alien creator chris sheridans recommendation, he pored over communion. When people like me read et alien books, we are looking to learn more about the. After vacationing in the woods with his family, strieber sees weird lights in the sky at night.
The scene where whit first sees the alien in his room behind his door has creeped me out my whole life just like the bearded ghost in shaft alley on the escalator on the unsolved mysteries queen mary segment. Communion is surely the most throughtprovoking book on ufos and alien visitation published so far. Confirmation, a 1999 nbc special, was based on one of whitley streibers books about his close encounters with alien visitors. After vacationing in the woods with his family, strieber sees weird lights in the sky at. Whitley striebers alien contact books are usually cataloged as psychical research or paranormal. Lorey sebastian new line cinema home video entertainment show more show less. Five ufo movies based on real events mysterious universe. All christopher walken movies ranked mar 31, 2021 photo by cbs filmscourtesy everett collection all christopher walken movies ranked. There is so much great walken in this movie that there is barely any room for the almondeyed extraterrestrials. Nov 25, 1989 coincidentally, the movie communion, starring christopher walken and based on author whitley striebers account of his abduction by aliens, recently opened in area theaters. Starring christopher walken and frances sternhagen, it tells a story of a family that experiences an. The book is based on the experiences of whitley strieber, who experiences lost time and terrifying flashbacks, which hypnosis undertaken by budd hopkins later links to an alleged encounter with aliens.
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