Reviews
Wuchak

Wuchak

April 18, 2022
5.0
_**Richard Crenna has no sympathy for the devil**_ A formidable psychologist (Richard Crenna) purchases a veritable castle in the mountains of the Southwest and plans to refurbish it into a drug rehab. After hiring several students & colleagues, the team sets about their challenging task when paranormal things start happening and people begin dying in shocking ways. "The Evil" (1978) is haunted house horror in the mold of "The Legend of Hell House" (1973), "The Devil's Nightmare" (1971) and the soon-to-come "The Amityville Horror" (1979). While it’s not great like “Devil’s Nightmare” or as good as “Amityville Horror,” it’s pretty much on par with “Legend of Hell House” and would influence future ghostly flicks, like “Ghost” (1990). Crenna is perhaps best known as Col. Trautman from the Rambo series and does a fine job as the main protagonist. Meanwhile Victor Buono shows up for an interesting role (you might remember him as King Tut on the campy Batman TV series). On the feminine front you have Joanna Pettet, Mary Louise Weller, Cassie Yates and Lynne Moody. Pettet and Weller are stunning, but not very voluptuous. It’s interesting to see the styles from the mid-70s wherein women wore pants so tight they revealed every crevice. Let’s just say they’re not very flattering. People complain about the ending, yet at least the flick doesn't cop out but rather plainly reveals the source of "the evil." C.J. Arnold (Crenna) is a respected and successful psychologist who admits he made jokes about the concept of God and the devil at cocktail parties. The climax conveys the awful truth. Of course they could've depicted things in a more conventional manner, but they evidently didn't have the budget to pull it off (think 1985’s “Legend”). So they went with something alternative. At the end of the day, this is a decent but underwhelming haunted house flick. The shocks are overdone to the point of amusement and it needed more human interest. The best thing about it is the castle-like mansion, which reminded me of my visit to Mansfield Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio, the prison used for “The Shawshank Redemption.” The film runs 1 hour, 29 minutes and was shot at Montezuma Castle in northern New Mexico, and nearby Las Vegas (which is different from the more famous city in Nevada, 500 miles further west). GRADE: C+

Recommendation Movies

5.8
Crime
View
5.8
Reasonable Doubt
Reasonable Doubt2014
5.3
Horror
View
5.3
Nina Forever
Nina Forever2016
4.6
Horror
View
4.6
The 13th Floor
The 13th Floor1988
8.1
Animation
View
8.1
Soul
Soul2020
8.4
Adventure
View
8.4
Interstellar
Interstellar2014
7.4
Comedy
View
7.4
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood2019
7.2
Action
View
7.2
Tenet
Tenet2020
7.6
Horror
View
7.6
Halloween
Halloween1978
8.1
Drama
View
8.1
Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer2023
7.9
Animation
View
7.9
Inside Out
Inside Out2015
7.9
Mystery
View
7.9
Gone Girl
Gone Girl2014
7.7
Science Fiction
View
7.7
The Avengers
The Avengers2012
8.1
Crime
View
8.1
Joker
Joker2019
7.6
Science Fiction
View
7.6
Avatar: The Way of Water
Avatar: The Way of Water2022
7.7
Action
View
7.7
Deadpool & Wolverine
Deadpool & Wolverine2024
8.7
Drama
View
8.7
The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption1994
8.1
Drama
View
8.1
Django Unchained
Django Unchained2012
7.6
Drama
View
7.6
Drive
Drive2011
8.5
Comedy
View
8.5
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump1994
7.9
Crime
View
7.9
No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men2007
© 2024 MoovieTime. All rights reserved.Made with Nuxt