PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Long given the reputation of being a little viewed classic of 70’s occult horror, Messiah of Evil gets a “everything and the kitchen sink” release from Radiance. Does it deserve the hype?
Synopsis
“A young woman goes searching for her missing artist father. Her journey takes her to a strange Californian seaside town governed by a mysterious undead cult.”
Check out the trailer!
Ahhh…California’s Pacific coast! Home to sleepy little towns, where nothing happens. Unless, of course, you’re a horror fan, then you know all too well what’s simmering under the surface. Especially when there’s a gang of artsy hippies in residence!
Young Arletty (Marianna Hill; The Godfather Part II) is investigating the disappearance of her artist father (Royal Dano; Killer Klowns From Outer Space) at his remote beach house in quiet Point Dume. On her way there, she (of course!) doesn’t heed an ominous warning at a gas station, and careens headlong into the artsy culture of the very strange seaside town.
Hooking up, and shacking up, with a trio of mysterious hippy types, Thom (Michael Greer; The Rose) and his female companions Laura (Anitra Ford; The Big Bird Cage) & Toni (the impossibly perfectly named, for the times, Joy Bang; Play It Again, Sam), Artletty soon discovers that, aside from the occasional rat eating albino dude, there’s something really sinister going on, what with the local cult engaging in “the waiting” and holding bizarre rituals on the beach and whatnot.
Drawing equally from both Carnival of Souls and Night of the Living Dead, with some very giallo-esque lighting thrown in, the writing/directing team of William Huyck and Gloria Katz (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) managed to create a profoundly Lovecraftian film, with more atmosphere and creepy set pieces than you can shake a dead rat at! Surprisingly gory and violent (Laura’s doomed visit to the supermarket stands out), with some truly striking visuals, the viewer is immersed in the odd setting, and the unsettling vibes throughout the film are masterfully effective.
A grim, methodical pace lets the audience know right away that there won’t be a happy ending with the resident doomsday cult (with ties to the cannibal Donner Party!) preparing for the return of the Messiah of Evil, and chomping down on raw meat, some of it living, for sustenance.
The Radiance Blu-ray of Messiah of Evil is epic! A gorgeous, minimalist art, box/slipcase with the disc proper, and a 80 page booklet with several essays on the film, striking new artwork, with a reversible sleeve featuring the original look make for a visually pleasing package. Extras include: commentary from horror critics Steven Thrower & Kim Newman, an archival interview with Huyck, a feature length documentary about the film, and a visual essay on the American gothic film from Kat Ellinger. The new 4K scan of the film looks amazing, with both bright colors and foreboding shadows rendered in a sharp, precise look on a hi-def screen, and its region free!
Dark, doomy, and creepy as fuck, Messiah of Evil deserves all of the hype you may have heard about it. And with this release, Radiance has served up a quality, reverent collector’s “must have” for fans of moody, cerebral, occult horror. I, for one, will never feel safe in a cinema again…
Radiance Films’ Blu-ray release of Messiah of Evil is available now from fine retailers.
