A choice example of the horror film during the early '80s, EVILSPEAK is a wacky and delightful mumbo-jumbo shocker which boasts a sterling performance from weirdo Clint Howard (TICKS) in one of his few leading roles. The clichéd plot instantly rips off CARRIE with a gender-bending variation on the central theme: a boy at military school is tormented and abused by fellow pupils and teachers alike, so takes revenge by summoning down the wrath of Satan upon them. The best method to do this? By using his badly dated '80s computer, of course! One of the few films to contain an evil computer as one of the leading characters, EVILSPEAK makes great and cheesy use of this premise to spread some maximum mayhem come the finale.
Before the gory conclusion we are treated to a fairly slow-paced film which attempts to be serious – making it all the more amusing to watch. Enjoyment is heightened by the over-the-top efforts of a cast all striving to outdo themselves – from the Nazi history teacher to the cruel P.E. coach and the dumb jocks who make Clint's life a misery. Two genuinely good performances are given by the underused old-timer R.G. Armstrong as the drunken "Sarge" and Howard himself as Coopersmith, the put-upon orphan who finds himself possessed by Satan. Howard's acting is damned good and he holds interest during many of the slow spots. Keep your eyes out for creepy Richard Moll in another effectively evil performance. The music score, kind of an over-the-top variation of the music from THE OMEN, adds to the entertainment value immensely.
EVILSPEAK's off-kilter approach to the material makes it more entertaining than many similarly low-budget slasher films doing the rounds at the time. This is a film where evil is pixelated on a computer screen in many colourful and cool interludes. Where an attractive actress is gored to death by killer hogs in her bathtub after a gratuitous nude scene. Where a man is thrown vertically upwards to be impaled on a chandelier. Where a guy's head twists around back to front in a cheap EXORCIST imitation. On top of this we get some cheesy gore scenes involving people being decapitated by swords, a heart ripped out of a chest and much much more, scenes which have been jarringly cut out of the film in even the US version – the only flaw the film contains. I would pay good money to watch the uncut Canadian release of this cheese classic. EVILSPEAK is an always-involving "possession" style horror film, worth watching alone for the fiery climax in church which has to be seen to be believed.
Before the gory conclusion we are treated to a fairly slow-paced film which attempts to be serious – making it all the more amusing to watch. Enjoyment is heightened by the over-the-top efforts of a cast all striving to outdo themselves – from the Nazi history teacher to the cruel P.E. coach and the dumb jocks who make Clint's life a misery. Two genuinely good performances are given by the underused old-timer R.G. Armstrong as the drunken "Sarge" and Howard himself as Coopersmith, the put-upon orphan who finds himself possessed by Satan. Howard's acting is damned good and he holds interest during many of the slow spots. Keep your eyes out for creepy Richard Moll in another effectively evil performance. The music score, kind of an over-the-top variation of the music from THE OMEN, adds to the entertainment value immensely.
EVILSPEAK's off-kilter approach to the material makes it more entertaining than many similarly low-budget slasher films doing the rounds at the time. This is a film where evil is pixelated on a computer screen in many colourful and cool interludes. Where an attractive actress is gored to death by killer hogs in her bathtub after a gratuitous nude scene. Where a man is thrown vertically upwards to be impaled on a chandelier. Where a guy's head twists around back to front in a cheap EXORCIST imitation. On top of this we get some cheesy gore scenes involving people being decapitated by swords, a heart ripped out of a chest and much much more, scenes which have been jarringly cut out of the film in even the US version – the only flaw the film contains. I would pay good money to watch the uncut Canadian release of this cheese classic. EVILSPEAK is an always-involving "possession" style horror film, worth watching alone for the fiery climax in church which has to be seen to be believed.