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The Evil (1977) Twice Dead (1988)
(aka "Cry Demon" or "House of Evil")
directed by Gus Trikonis
USA 1977
Psychiatrist C.J. (Richard
Crenna, JADE) obtains permission to transform an
abandoned mansion - built over desert sulfur pits - into a
drug treatment center. From the start, his physician wife
Caroline (Joanna Pettet, WELCOME TO ARROW BEACH) sees
strange things in the house. C.J. brings along some of his
former students and friends to help renovate the house.
Among them are former addict Felicia (Lynne Moody, SCREAM
BLACULA SCREAM), practical joker Pete (George O’Hanlon
Jr.), professor Ray (SIMON, KING OF THE WITCHES
himself Andrew Prine) and bubbly coed Laurie (Mary Louise
Weller, BLOOD TIDE), electrician Dwight (George Viharo),
Mary (Cassie Yates), and her dog Kaiser (which, of course,
notices strange phenomena before everyone else). Sudden
violent behavior from the dog leads to the discovery of a
trap door in the cellar bolted down by a metal cross (the
cross prop turned up in the later Carolco horror flick
SUPERSTITION also produced by THE EVIL's Ed
Carlin and writer Donald Thompson). C.J. removes the cross
and tries to open the door but the sudden discovery by Mary
and Felicia of the missing caretaker's charred corpse
distracts him. The pit opens itself and causes all of the
mansion's windows and doors to close themselves, trapping
everyone inside. One by one, a supernatural force stalks and
kills members of the group while Caroline follows
apparitions of the mansion's builder Emilio Vargas
(screenwriter Donald G. Thompson) who seems to be trying to
help her conquer THE EVIL. A New World Pictures
acquisition, THE EVIL is memorable little seventies
horror pic, restrained in graphic violence and deriving its
chills from atmosphere. The wonderful Las Vegas, New Mexico
location of Montezuma Castle (now a college) is a striking
sight. Cinematographer Mario DiLeo gets good mileage out of
the location (and provides some nice retro in-camera
effects, although the heightened clarity of the digital
transfer reveals wires in one memorable scene) while a
well-assembled cast (including 70's horror favorite Andrew
Prine) is put through their paces (including some
potentially dangerous bits with wire rigging while a lone
stuntmen gets to go up in flames twice). The
producer-imposed studio-bound ending is disappointing (the
original ending featuring a demon - who is still credited in
the cast crawl - was cut) after the great build-up but about
85% of the running time is one of the great underrated
haunted house gems of the 1970's. |
Posters
Theatrical Release: 5 May 1978 (USA)
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Shout Factory (Roger Corman's Cult Classics Double Feat) - Region 0 - NTSC
Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for the Review!
DVD Box Cover |
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Distribution |
Shout Factory Region 0 - NTSC |
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Runtime | 1:28:33 | |
Video |
1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Audio | English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono | |
Subtitles | none | |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Shout Factory Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 12 |
Comments |
Both films make their anamorphic widescreen debuts here (TWICE DEAD made it to fullscreen laserdisc) with clear Dolby Digital mono audio. THE EVIL looks perfectly framed (the cross on top of the mansion in the title shot is not clipped by the upper matte). It is brighter than the earlier cassette releases but the colors look about the same (the warm skin tones and some close-ups lit by the fireplace suggest the colors have not faded) but this has not undergone the sort of clean-up as Shout Factory's Corman Blu-Ray titles. Director Gus Trikonis, cinematographer Mario DiLeo, and writer Donald Thompson provide an audio commentary with only a couple long pauses. DiLeo speaks the most and is proud of what he achieved on the budget (and the limited amount of filmstock). An anamorphic theatrical trailer and fullscreen TV spot are also provided. TWICE DEAD has its share of speckling early on but looks good (it is likely that the print source has not been out of the vault since the original video/laserdisc master was struck). Director Bert Dragin and star Tom Bresnahan provide an audio commentary (Bresnahan reveals that he and co-star Christopher Burgard wrote and performed the theme song and that Bresnahan had an off-screen relationship with his on-camera sister Whitlow). A cheerful Whitlow appears in a 12 minute interview. Trailers for some other upcoming Shout releases (including an amusing and campy trailer for the NOT OF THIS EARTH remake highlighting Traci Lords' participation). The films can be watched separately or with "The Roger Corman Experience" which plays both films with the four extra trailers and some drive-in bits (like that now overly-used "Our Feature Presentation" clip) including a "lets all go to the lobby" bit between the features has the Something Wierd Video "SWV" watermark. |
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directed by Bert L. Dragin
USA 1988
Theatrical Release: 18 November 1988 (USA)
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Shout Factory (Roger Corman's Cult Classics Double Feat) - Region 0 - NTSC
Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for the Review!
Runtime | 1:26:45 |
Video |
1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate |
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Audio | English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono |
Subtitles | none |
Features |
Release
Information: Studio: Shout Factory Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 12 |
DVD Menus
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Screen Captures
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DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from:
|
Distribution |
Shout Factory Region 0 - NTSC |
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