The Evil

1978

The Evil

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TOMATOMETER

Total Count: N/A

30%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 88

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Movie Info

This superbly chilling haunted-house opus stars Richard Crenna as a therapist who, with wife Joanna Pettet, selects a lavish mansion for use as a drug rehab clinic. No sooner have the staff and their assistants set up housekeeping when a nightmarish force emerges from a trap door in the basement, and the house begins preying on the occupants in horrendous ways, from freak electrical bursts to sudden flash fires (leading to some extremely graphic scenes of people being burned alive). Director Gus Trikonis keeps the tension unbearably high and drives the plot on the strength of an excellent cast -- especially Victor Buono in a magnificent but brief role as the Devil himself. Amazingly, some prints of the film deleted his appearance altogether. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Rating:

R
Genre:

Horror
Directed By:

Gus Trikonis
Written By:

Donald G. Thompson
On Disc/Streaming:

Sep 28, 1988
Runtime:

89 minutes
Studio:

New World

Cast

Richard Crenna
as C.J. Arnold

Joanna Pettet
as Dr. Caroline Arnold

Andrew Prine
as Prof. Raymond Guy

Richard Prine

Cassie Yates
as Mary Harper

Lynne Moody
as Felicia

Victor Buono
as The Devil

George O'Hanlon
as Pete Brooks

George O'Hanlon Jr.
as Pete

Mary Louise Weller
as Laurie

Robert Viharo
as Dwight

Milton Selzer
as Realtor

Galen Thompson
as Vargas

Emory Souza
as Demon

Ed Bakey
as Sam

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Critic Reviews for The Evil

All Critics (3)

Risible in a few spots but competently presented most of the time.

Apr 22, 2019 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
A good haunted-house movie with some inventive death scenes.

Jan 30, 2006 | Rating: 3/4

Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily

View All Critic Reviews (3)

Audience Reviews for The Evil

Feb 20, 2014

The Evil wasn't as good as I was hoping or thought it would be.It's still worth watching if you haven't seen it already.It started off good & spooky with the haunted mansion & creepy atmosphere but as it went on epecially the ending it just turned into another horror flick.I was enjoying the movie up until the scene with the Devil & I was thinking OK, That's it?! It seemed more funny than scary & that 1 scene ruined the entire movie for me.It's not that bad a movie except for that 1 part & like I said before, It's worth a watch if you haven't seen it already

Brody M Super Reviewer
Jul 21, 2012

Fine low-budget haunted house film, The Evil is surprisingly good with telling a creepy tale of ghosts. Effectively well directed by Gus Trikonis, this is a film that works well due to its unique twist on the traditional haunted house film. It uses the same formula, but it has enough originality to make it different and fun for the viewer. As far as low-budget horror films are concerned, this one is quite impressive. I enjoy haunted house films; I've always loved the idea behind such films. This is a film that shows its age, but works nonetheless because of its atmosphere, good cast and effective directing. This is one of the lost gems of the genre. Fans of haunted house films should definitely check this one out. The film navigates similar ground that previous genre films have, but it also provides something different. The lack of any true back story of what happened in the house to make it really evil is a good thing, something that leaves you interpret and guess what really happened. Sure, there's an explanation, but a mediocre explanation at that, almost silly. However that's what makes this film good and watchable. As far as haunted houses are concerned, you may want to visit this one, it has all the elements necessary to chill you and provide you with effective entertainment. As a horror film, this one succeeds very well, even if it's not that scary, it relies on tone and atmosphere, which is an integral part of making a horror film work. The Evil is a must see for fans of the genre.

Alex r Super Reviewer
Oct 26, 2011

I really don't know how to describe this film at all. I will admit to how terribly put together and how incredibly schlocky it is, but damn is it ever enjoyable. It is definitely not boring, that's for sure. Characters makes bad decisions, continuity is all over the place and the story itself makes little to no sense. I spent half the time watching it screaming "LOOK OUT RICHARD CRENNA!" - much to the amusement of my girlfriend. I can't say I'd recommend it to everybody but definitely pick it up if you're in the mood for an unintentionally funny horror film.

Tim S Super Reviewer