The Evil (1978 film)

The Evil
Theatrical Poster
Directed by Gus Trikonis
Produced by Ed Carlin
Written by Galen Thompson
Gus Trikonis
Starring Richard Crenna
Joanna Pettet
Andrew Prine
Cassie Yates
Victor Buono
Music by Johnny Harris
Cinematography Mario DiLeo (as Mario Di Leo)
Edited by Jack Kirschner
Production
company
Rangoon Productions[1]
Distributed by New World Pictures
Release date
  • March 8, 1978 (1978-03-08)
Running time
 89 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $700,000[2]

The Evil (also known as Cry Demon[1] and House of Evil[3]) is a 1978 American horror film directed by Gus Trikonis and starring Richard Crenna, Joanna Pettet, Andrew Prine and Victor Buono.

Plot

Psychiatrist C.J. Arnold buys an abandoned mansion, which was built over hot sulfur pits, in order to set up a drug rehab center. He recruits a group of volunteers to help clean-up and renovate the large house. Almost immediately, C.J.'s wife, Dr. Caroline Arnold, starts sensing a strange and unusual presence that starts to manifest as a ghostly apparition. Soon thereafter, more strange and eerie things start to happen which start to agitate the volunteers, along with the resident dog.

Later on, C.J. discovers a trap door in the basement, which he opens up and unknowingly unleashes a menacing spirit. Suddenly, all of the doors and windows become locked, trapping everyone inside the creepy mansion. They soon discover that the trap door in the basement is actually a gateway into hell. Slowly, the evil force within the house starts to kill off the trapped occupants one by one through a series of bizarre deaths until only C.J. and Caroline remain to defeat the evil.[2][4]

Cast

Release

The Evil was released theatrically in the spring of 1978, with screenings beginning on March 8 in San Francisco.[lower-alpha 1]

Critical response

Variety reviewed the film favorably, writing that the film has a "psychological insight [that] is rare in suspensers, and is a credit to both Crenna, who delivers a strong performance, and director Gus Trikonis. Fulcrum of pic’s success or failure comes in final scenes, when Crenna and Pettet confront the devil himself, played with sinister angelicism by Victor Buono."[6] Linda Gross of the Los Angeles Times deemed the film "a scary and atmospheric thriller" with "excruciating suspense," also praising the performances and music.[7] Bob Keaton of the Fort Lauderdale News noted the plot as "familiar," but conceded that "for those who enjoy the genre, The Evil is just their cup of horror."[8]

Patrick Taggart of the Austin American-Statesman was less laudatory of the film, characterizing it as "yet another horror movie set in an old mansion...  The actors seem absolutely bored to death, as you likely will be after 20 minutes' worth of viewing...  Gus Trikonis directed with a flair that elevated tedium to the level of religion."[9] Daniel Ruth of The Tampa Tribune was also critical of the film, writing that "the film is about as original as a room at the Holiday Inn...  It is a film that stretches the limits of tastelessness with gratuitous displays of blood-letting for the sake of pursuing obtuse theological questions of right versus wrong, good versus evil."[10]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Several newspaper advertisements note the film as "starting today" on Wednesday, March 8, 1978.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 "The Evil (1978)". British Film Institute. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  2. 1 2 Trikonis, Gus (5 May 1978). "The Evil". Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  3. ↑ Maltin, Leonard (2005). Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide 2006. Signet. p. 398. ISBN 9780451216090. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  4. ↑ McCarty, John (2016-11-04). The Official Splatter Movie Guide, Volumes: 1963-1992: Hundreds of the Goriest, Grossest, Most Outrageous Films Ever Made. Crossroad Press. pp. 252–253. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  5. ↑ "The Evil trade advertisement". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. March 8, 1978 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Variety Staff (December 31, 1977). "The Evil". Variety. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  7. ↑ Gross, Linda (March 10, 1978). "'Evil': Exploitation of Supernatural". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Keaton, Bob (April 11, 1978). "Horror Film Fans Will Like 'The Evil'". Fort Lauderdale News. p. 10C – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Taggart, Patrick (April 15, 1978). "'The Evil' could put you to sleep". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, Texas. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Ruth, Daniel (April 5, 1978). "'The Evil' Uses Every Horror Plot Contrivance". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, Florida. p. 2-D – via Newspapers.com.
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