''Salvation!'' (also known as ''Salvation!: Have You Said Your Prayers Today?'') is a 1987 American

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discu ...

film directed by Beth B, and starring

Viggo Mortensen Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. R (; born October 20, 1958) is an American actor, writer, director, producer, musician, and multimedia artist. Born and raised in the State of New York to a Danish father and American mother, he also lived in Argent ...

Exene Cervenka Exene Cervenka (born Christene Lee Cervenka; February 1, 1956) is an American singer, artist, and poet. She is best known for her work as a singer in the California punk rock band X. Music career The 21-year-old Cervenka met 23-year-old ...

, and

Stephen McHattie Stephen McHattie Smith (born February 3, 1946)Other sources cite 1945, 1947, and 1948. is a Canadian actor. Since beginning his professional career in 1970, he has amassed over 200 film and television credits. He won the Genie Award for Best Sup ...

. The film is a

parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...

televangelism Televangelism ( tele- "distance" and "evangelism," meaning " ministry," sometimes called teleministry) is the use of media, specifically radio and television, to communicate Christianity. Televangelists are ministers, whether official or self-pr ...

, and was released right after the real-life

Jim Bakker James Orsen Bakker (; born January 2, 1940) is an American televangelist and convicted fraudster. Between 1974 and 1987, Bakker hosted the television program '' The PTL Club'' and its cable television platform, the PTL Satellite Network, with ...

and Jimmy Swaggart scandals. The film was released on VHS, but not as yet on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

Plot

McHattie plays Reverend Randall, a Staten Island-based televangelist who has been bilking his flock and secretly watches pornography while he is rehearsing his sermons in his stately home. Cervenka plays Rhonda Stample, a

born again Christian Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sep ...

who watches his programs and regularly sends him money, to the irritation of Rhonda's non-believer husband, Jerome (

). Shortly after Jerome loses his factory job, his sister in-law Lenore ( Dominique Davalos) comes to Rev. Randall's home in a rainstorm, claiming car trouble. He reluctantly lets her in, and the two take turns seducing and then retreating from each other, until they finally engage in violent lovemaking. Jerome shows up later that evening, along with two boorish neighbors, and beat him for what they believe is an unwanted encounter with Lenore. All of them contemplate the possibilities of blackmail against him with a sex scandal, but Randall manages to escape his home. That morning, he is picked up hitchhiking by Rhonda, who pitches him on the notion of bringing her into his ministry. In order to avert the intentions of her husband and sister, he agrees to her idea. Later, Rhonda's addition to Randall's program has become a huge success, with Jerome, Lenore, and the neighbors all enjoying a higher standard of living. But Rhonda gets drunk with power, and makes increasing demands on Randall, first to boot all the other parties from their ministry, and then for a bigger share of their proceeds. Randall resists the latter option, but ultimately gives in. The film finishes with Rhonda performing a heavy-metal inspired song of faith, "Destroy All Evil", with imagery associated with tropes of the musical style.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack album was released on Factory Benelux/

Les Disques du Crépuscule Les Disques du Crépuscule is an independent record label founded in Belgium. The label was founded in 1980 by Michel Duval and Annik Honoré. It also had a prominent associated sublabel, Factory Benelux. Both are now run by former employee Ja ...

(catalogue TWI-774)Discogs.com
/ref> and Factory Australasia (catalogue FACT-182)
in February 1988.

Track listing

Side A: # New Order: "Salvation Theme" - 2:14 #Jumpin' Jesus (Arthur Baker and Stuart Kimball, vocals by Stephen McHattie): "You Can't Blackmail Jesus" - 4:26 # Cabaret Voltaire: "Twanky Party" - 4:17 #New Order: "

Touched by the Hand of God "Touched by the Hand of God" is a song by English band New Order, released as a single on 7 December 1987. The song was originally recorded for the soundtrack to the film '' Salvation!'' and the version released as a single was remixed by Arthu ...

" - 5:02 #Dominique* (Dominique Davalos): "Play The Beat" - 3:24 #

The Hood The Hood (Parker Robbins) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan, and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character was introduced in his own self-titled limited s ...

: "Nightmare" - 1:54 Side B: #New Order: "Let's Go" - 3:44 #The Hood: "Salvation! Have You Said Your Prayers Today" - 4:10 # Arthur Baker: "Come On" - 2:45 #New Order: "Sputnik" - 2:31 #Cabaret Voltaire: "Jesus Saves" - 4:02 #New Order: "Skullcrusher" - 2:52 #Dominique*: "Destroy All Evil" - 3:33

Charts

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control 1987 films 1980s black comedy films 1987 independent films 1980s parody films 1980s satirical films American black comedy films American independent films American parody films American satirical films Factory Records compilation albums Films about evangelicalism Films about television Films shot in New York City Parodies of televangelism Religious comedy films 1987 comedy films 1980s English-language films 1980s American films