Wuchak Released to video in 2002 and directed by Andre Van Heerden, "Deceived" is a sci-fi/drama in the mold of 1997's "Contact" or 2003's "Alien Hunter" except that it's decidedly a 'B' production with several comic book caricatures rather than characters. Although, thankfully, there are a few likable and realistic characters, like the ones played by Michelle Nolden and Judd Nelson. The story centers around seven people who meet at a remote observatory in the mountains after contact from (presumably) space has finally been made. But something weird and eerie is going on and they might not make it out alive. While this is a Christian production, the ideology doesn't become a factor in the story until the third act and it ties into the reality behind the strange phenomena happening at the observatory. The production quality is akin the the typical comic booky Syfy movie, but without any palpable monster. As noted above, at least three of the characters are over-the-top caricatures -- the new ager masquerading as a reverend (Jefferson Mappin), the colonel (Louis Gossett Jr.) and the hot reporter (Deborah Odell). Stewart Bick and Ramona Milano complete the main cast.There are kinks in the script that needed worked out and so the story flow is uneven at times and lacks suspense build-up. But I liked the confined environment and the interplay between the characters. All the main actors (not the peripheral ones) take the material seriously and give their best, despite some campy elements, which was the script's issue, not the actors.Several other things impressed me. For one, this ain't no conventional Christian movie. Despite its low-budget, it's ambitious and has a unique plot. The three females cast members are all beautiful in their own way, with Ramona standing out, but they're each exquisite. The images of Kara (Odell) holding a candle in the dark tunnel are striking. Then there's the interesting way the Reverend is depicted: At first glance you'd think he's a Southern Baptist preacher, but it becomes clear that this isn't the case. He's a New Ager, but he's not really a hypocrite in that he really believes what he says and is even shown practicing what he preaches, which isn't to say that he's without flaws. He's obviously a glutton, for instance. Speaking of which, it seems like the screenwriter tried to implement the seven deadly sins into the story but, if so, it was half-hearted. Lastly, as cited above, the character of Smitty and her possible relationship with the computer geek, Jack, is compelling. Smitty is the sole Christian character and I like the way she's portrayed as sincere, but flawed; and walking in some morally-conflicting situations, like working for Shaw (Bick), a company whose goal contradicts her belief system. The movie runs 95 minutes and was shot in Toronto, Canada, substituting for the Sierra Nevadas in California.GRADE: C+ (5.5/10)

mike-ryan455 I am a Christian. I believe Jesus is the son of the living God, the only begotten of the Father and the only name whereby we can be saved. And I believe this movie stank!The movie's theme was the broadcast from the pseudo-extraterrestrial source that really was evil. Strange and horrible things happen. We see the evil of government, the evils of telepathy and mind control and the evil of phony religion and the evil of phony news broadcasters, and in the end the cute couple are saved (physically as well as spiritually) and make it through just fine. They even make a convert.And it was still BAD.Lou Gossett was just utterly wasted. I do hope they paid him double. The rest were cheap Canadian actors.

sl7lg25 This is a good movie. The ending is a little too simple but overall it is a decent revealing of an indescribable force in the universe. It was nice how all the characters, except for the Christian girl deceive themselves about their own worth by their worldly success. The casting is excellent but the special effects could use some help. It was also interesting to show the military trying to use it as a weapon kind of like what they did with LSD. Not being a hail and brimstone Christian myself I think the reviewers are overreacting in their condemnation. When you look at revelations in the bible it does present such a black and white unforgiving idea of the future that you can see how easy some horrible event like the Inquisition could happen.

kevino-4 Well, it can be truly horrifically bad, as in "Battlefield Earth". Or it can be stupidly cheaply exploitatively bad, as in "Attack of the Giant Leeches". Or, it can be painfully embarrassingly bad as in "Face the Music". "Deceived" is innovative in that it creates a new kind of bad, cheap certainly but in a preachy posing altruisticaly bad way. It's as if the actors, most of whom are at least competent, sacrifice themselves for the good of the cause, saying words and performing actions that must have caused their thespian guts to wring themselves inside out. Still they trooped on and we have the result. There's enough camp to make it watchable, sort of, and of course with this kind of thing there's always curiousity about just how far down the road to "Plan 9..." it will go. The answer is quite a ways.