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"Messiah of Evil" (this movie's video title) has gotten some good press lately. I have read in several fanzines and on several websites how this movie is a forgotten classic in the vein of "Night of the Living Dead". Well, it is in the vein of "NOTLD", but is NOT a forgotten classic. Despite two well-done pre-credits sequences and a few memorable scenes halfway through the movie, "Messiah of Evil" is a large disappointment. Given the talent here, including Marianna Hill and Joy Bang (two personal favorite genre stars), Elisha Cook, Jr., and surprisingly good Anitra Ford, you would think they could carry such a weak script and shoddy direction. True, the cast is the saving grace of the film, but sadly enough, they get tired after a while. The script, to repeat, is weak and meandering, giving the characters no motivation, no depth, and certainly nothing to do. Contrary to popular belief, the film is not that attractively filmed. The editing is the worst in memory, continuity is a huge problem, and only two sequences stand out that could be hailed as classics: the market stalking scene and the movie theatre entrapment. Otherwise, just expect to see badly-shot stuff throughout. Not to mention a pathetic title song ("Hold On to Love") warbled by a Joan Baez wannabe! To be honest, "Messiah of Evil" is at least worth seeing once for the two scenes mentioned above and the excellent ensemble cast. But this was the first time I have EVER fallen asleep during a horror movie, so expect a slow pace and sadness at seeing a great cast wasted.
score 8/10
Casey-52 12 March 2000
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0134798/ |
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4-4-2021 11:20:35