MESSIAH OF EVIL

U.S.A. | 1973 Directed by Willard Huyck Starring Michael Greer Marianna Hill Anitra Ford Color | 90 Minutes | Not Rated Format: DVD (R0 - NTSC) Code Red Releasing

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		Review by Rod Barnett Film:8 DVD:9

Messiah of Evil has been called by no less a cult film authority than Tim Lucas "the American Suspiria" and I have to agree. Since its abortive release in 1974 the movie has been misunderstood, maligned, poorly represented on video, and generally overlooked for what it is — a full-throated horror-nightmare-art film made with real skill and craftsmanship. This may be one of the best and most underappreciated cinematic scare films of the 1970s. Much in the vein of Let's Scare Jessica To Death, the movie mines the slippery boundary between reality, fantasy and madness to bring the viewer into its strange world and tease you forward with subtle and not so subtle flashes of what the events on display might mean. If most horror movies are short stories, Messiah of Evil is a long form poem — a tone poem with splashes of blood across the page bisecting the verses.

The film begins in a way that establishes its bona fides as a horror story and also gives the first hints as to the off-kilter style that will be used throughout. A man (played by future director Walter Hill) is running away from some unseen pursuer or pursers on a residential street at night. Near collapse he is beckoned into a gated backyard by a pretty young girl but as soon as he enters the enclosed area she is suddenly far from the gate and sitting alone yards away. Rattled but too terrified to question events he silently implores her for help only to have her slice open his throat with a straight razor. Once inside the backyard the scene is lit in unreal reds and blues giving everything a nightmarish tinge. As the blood starts to flow the image shifts completely into bright red for the title card and we're off on this surreal journey.

In voice-over we're introduced to Aletty (Mariana Hill) as she travels to the strange little California town named Point Dune to check on her missing father. He is an artist who moved to this out-of-the-way place to be alone with his work but his regular letters to Aletty have stopped and she is concerned. In the town she's greeted with indifference by the locals, who seem not to care about her or her problems. Indeed, they seem to care little about much, affecting an attitude of detachment that's creepy in its consistency. She then meets Tom, a European fellow travelling with two constant female companions played by Joy Bang and Anitra Ford. Tom offers Aletty vague information about her father's whereabouts, but he too seems indifferent to her and everything else. She sets up house in her father's abandoned seaside home, even allowing Tom and his ladies to stay as well in the hopes that the missing man will eventually return. She finds his diary, in which he relates how there is some kind of darkness over Point Dune and that he fears he's going through some unexplained bodily changes. As the four of these mismatched people spend more time around the nearly vacant town, the sinister nature of why the place is so desolate slowly begins to clarify.

It would be tempting to call Messiah of Evil a zombie film as it definitely has some of the standard elements of that now shopworn sub-genre. But that designation is far too limiting for what the filmmakers had in mind and what they managed to create onscreen. Rarely has a movie so perfectly captured the ennui that would have to be a part of an undead existence and the accompanying dread of the possible victims always fearing something that may never happen. The tension between the mystery of what might be happening and the dawning horror of events blends together in a way unique to the genre. This film stand well above similar efforts from the 1970s and plays like a variant on Carnival of Souls by way of Night of the Living Dead. Almost every shot seems perfectly chosen to take advantage of some detail to one side of the widescreen image. Shot with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and bright, sharp colors it hovers on the edge of looking unreal while retaining a sense of place and solidity that the comparably toned Lemora (1973) lacks. Even as the mad evidence piles up and a series of attacks begin the feeling that it may all be some misunderstood scenario floats over things making Aletty's choices seem more normal that they really should. The choice to give the not-quite-abandoned town a veneer of continuing normalcy makes two terror set-pieces in public places (a supermarket and a movie theater) all the more creepy because there are reasons for the characters to think things are OK. The slow build of tension is simply fantastic in these moments with nary a misplaced shot or sound. It's chilling stuff!

The art direction adds to the movie's effectiveness immeasurably. The artist's walls are covered with huge canvases/murals that, at every opportunity take up a lot of the frame. Characters are leered at by these painted images and at times appear to be commenting on what they see. The house's master bedroom has a huge bed suspended from the ceiling that gently rocks back and forth as people recline upon it. It's in this room where the film's climax begins and the implication is that it is also where Aletty's father's sad journey began.

Code Red has done the film and horror fans a great service by releasing this DVD. It is what amounts to a complete restoration of Messiah of Evil after decades of awful, cropped, colorless video presentations. Looking bright and beautiful the movie was taken from a 35mm print and aside from some fleeting damage is in great condition. The original mono soundtrack is strong, bringing the eerie score into play very well. This version of the film eliminates a song that was placed over the opening credits against the creator's wishes, so this can also be seen as a director's cut.

A raft of extras are included starting with a great interview with Gloria Katz and William Huyck, the writers, producers and director of the film. They recount the film's creation in 1971 and its eventual release in 1973. Glad to finally have the movie presented with some fidelity to their vision and with the wisdom of years of experience behind them, they are engaging and blunt in their comments. They continue in this vein on the disc's commentary track, where they're joined by moderator Lee Christian. Actress Joy Bang is heard in a separate piece via telephone interview. Her comments are spotty and she seems less impressed with the film then most other participants. Two 1960s-era black & white short films by Katz and Huyck are included for the curious. A few trailers for other Code Red DVDs round things out for a very good package indeed. This is one film I'm glad I got to see this late in the game so that I could appreciate its high quality without a crappy presentation destroying the effect. This is a great movie and should be seen by any self-respecting horror aficionado. 2/22/10

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