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

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

film directed by

Beth B Scott B and Beth B (also known as Scott and Beth B, Beth and Scott B or The Bs after B Movies) were among the best-known New York No Wave underground film makers of the late 1970s and early 1980s. They went on to form an independent film ...

, and starring

Viggo Mortensen Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. (; born October 20, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received nominations for three Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Mortensen made his film debut with a small role in ...

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 m ...

, and

Stephen McHattie Stephen McHattie Smith (born February 3, 1947) 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 Supporting Actor for his performance in '' ...

. The film is a

parody A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satire, satirical or irony, ironic imitation. Often its subject is an Originality, original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, e ...

televangelism Televangelism (from ''televangelist'', a blend of ''television'' and ''evangelist'') and occasionally termed radio evangelism or teleministry, denotes the utilization of media platforms, notably radio and television, for the marketing of relig ...

, and was released right after the real-life

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

and

Jimmy Swaggart Jimmy Lee Swaggart (; born March 15, 1935) is an American Pentecostal televangelist and gospel artist. Swaggart is one of the most well-known televangelists in America. During the 1980s, Swaggart's crusades were a major part of his ministry� ...

scandals. In the film, a televangelist in

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

has a one-night-stand with a woman during a

rainstorm Rain is a form of precipitation where water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. ...

. He then finds himself accused of

sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...

by the woman's brother-in-law, and is pressured into entering a working relationship with his lover's sister. The televangelist finds himself increasingly dominated by his new business partner, and keeps giving in to her demands.

Plot

McHattie plays Reverend Randall, a

-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 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 An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized ente ...

(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 (comics), Eric Powell, the character was introduced in his own sel ...

: "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 1987 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 set in Staten Island Films shot in New York City Parodies of televangelism Religious comedy films 1980s English-language films 1980s American films English-language black comedy films English-language independent films