Main Cast: Clint Howard, R.G. Armstrong, Claude Earl Jones, Haywood Nelson
Release Year: 1982
Country: US
Run Time: 89 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Professional weirdo Clint Howard plays one of his more interesting oppressed-geek roles in this occult revenge thriller about a tormented military-school nerd (apparently in his mid-thirties!) whose personal computer provides the only solace from the endless taunts and pranks of his fellow cadets. He also has an intense fascination with the occult, leading him to investigate an arcane tome secreted within an ancient, crumbling chapel. In an attempt to decipher the text, he feeds it into the computer, which translates the writings into actual working spells. As Clint's mind reels with the possibilities of sweet revenge against his cruel classmates and teachers, the demonic forces once trapped within the book begin to exert control over his mind and body. Before long, he is able to summon an army of snarling devil-pigs (no, that's not a misprint) to do his evil bidding. Though this is essentially a gender-bent rip-off of Carrie, there is enough in the way of spooky atmosphere and well-staged shocks to keep less discriminating horror fans interested. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
Review
Evilspeak is a film that is impossible to take seriously. All of the teenagers look like they are in their late twenties, the story shamelessly manipulates the audience by making Stanley's antagonists a bunch of one-dimensional cretins, and the concept of communing with Satan via a computer is more likely to provoke laughter than chills. Despite all these artistic roadblocks, Evilspeak remains interesting thanks to a surprisingly high level of craftsmanship, both in front of and behind the camera. Clint Howard may be too old for his role, but he delivers a surprisingly earnest and sincere performance that makes Stanley easy to root for. Also notable are Joseph Cortese and Charles Tyner, who bring an amusing tongue-in-cheek edge to their performances as corrupt authority figures. The script is contrived in the extreme, but it also slickly paced and punctuated with plenty of memorable set pieces. Director Eric Weston piles on the spooky atmosphere and delivers plenty of effective knee-jerk shocks, the best example being the pull-no-punches finale that depicts all of Stanley's tormentors getting their comeuppance in a spectacularly gruesome fashion. In short, no one will ever mistake Evilspeak for a classic, but it delivers enough cheap thrills to make it worth a rental for cult movie addicts. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
Don Stark - Bubba; Charles Tyner - Col. Kincaid; Lynn Hancock - Miss Freidermyer; Hamilton Camp - Hauptman; Sue Casey - Mrs. Caldwell; Joe Cortese - Rev. Jameson; DeForest Covan - Janitor; Lou Gravance; Jim Greenleaf - Ox; Loren Lester - Charlie Boy; Richard Moll - Father Esteban; Lenny Montana - Jake; Nadine Reimers - Peasant Girl; Robert Tafur - Old Priest; Katherine Kelly Lang - Suzie Baker; Bennett Liss - Captain Merrill; Jane Bartelme - Girl Student; Alan Harris - Cadet
Credit
George Costello - Art Director, Gerald Hopman - Associate Producer, Eric Weston - Director, Roger Kellaway - Composer (Music Score), Dena Roth - Production Designer, Irv Goodnoff - Cinematographer, Sylvio Tabet - Producer, Eric Weston - Producer, John Carter - Special Effects, Harry Woolman - Special Effects, Eric Weston - Screenwriter, Joseph Garofalo - Screenwriter
Stanley Coopersmith (Clint Howard), a young cadet at an Americanmilitary academy, is a social outcast bullied by his fellow classmates. After discovering the Book of Satan and establishing communication with the Devil through his computer at a catacomb below the academy church, he plots his revenge on them using black magic.
Production
The story was originally titled The Foundling - a script written by Joseph Garofalo. Garofalo later reworked it in conjunction with actor Eric Weston who tightened up the storylines and added the computer elements.
A budget of $1,000,000 was raised, half from Lebanese producer Sylvio Tabet (who had made the Beastmaster series of films) and half from a group of doctors looking to invest some money.
The film was shot in three weeks, using locations in Santa Barbara and a condemned church in South Central Los Angeles.[1]. According to DVD commentary the dilapidated church was superficially renovated for the movie shoot, confusing a priest who previously worked there and causing him to get on his knees and pray to God. The church was burned to the ground some 3 days later.
The movie was once cited as a video nasty in the UK following its release on the Videospace label. It remained banned for a number of years as part of the Video Recordings Act 1984, thanks to its gory climax and themes of satanism.
The film was reclassified and re-released in 1999 but with over three minutes of cuts which included the removal of most of the gore from the climax. It was then subsequently passed complete by the BBFC in 2004 and is now available in both an uncut form and a version re-edited by the distributors to tighten up the dialogue.[2]
Actor Clint Howard has said that director Eric Weston's original cut of the film that was submitted to the MPAA was longer and gorier then the uncut version. It also included a longer shower scene/pig attack scene which showed more nudity, and gore. To date this version of the film has never been released on VHS or DVD.
