On December 31, 1999, a lot of people were scared of what might happen when the clock struck midnight. Some were concerned that Y2K was going to wipe out technology and drop us back into the Stone Age. Others were expecting a massive religious event, the end of the world in some supernatural way.
Y2K was no problem, and of course the religious apocalypse didn't happen either. And the latter was averted because of one man: Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Cashing in on the fears people had about reaching the year 2000, Universal released the film END OF DAYS in November of 1999. Directed by Peter Hyams from a screenplay by Andrew W. Marlowe, END OF DAYS has the following synopsis:
All hell breaks loose when Arnold Schwarzenegger battles the ultimate evil in this chilling supernatural action thriller. When a burned-out former New York City cop named Jericho is assigned to security detail for a mysterious and foreboding stranger (Gabriel Byrne), Jericho thwarts an incredible assassination attempt. During the ensuing investigation, he and his partner (Kevin Pollak) save the life of the beautiful and terrified Christine York (Robin Tunney), whose destiny involves death, the devil and the fate of mankind. Now it's up to Jericho to save the girl, the world and his own soul as he comes face to face with his most powerful enemy ever!
Clearly Arnold's Jericho was successful, because we're still here twenty years later.
Filled with gunfire and explosions, featuring appearances by Udo Kier and Rod Steiger, boasting a very 1999 soundtrack (Limp Bizkit, Korn, Everlast, Rob Zombie, Powerman 5000, Eminem, Creed, Guns N' Roses), and giving us the chance to watch Arnold Schwarzenegger fight the devil, END OF DAYS isn't a great movie, but it's a fun flick. The twentieth anniversary seems like a good time to revisit it.
The trailer for the 1999 release can be seen below. The movie can be found on Amazon.