The Evil / Twice Dead (Roger Corman's Cult Classics)

I purchased this Corman double-feature for the movie 'The Evil'. I've always been a big Joanna Pettet fan (she appeared in four episodes of Rod Serling's Night Gallery). 'The Evil' is cut from the same cloth as 'The Haunting' and 'Legend of Hell House' -- a group of professors, students and technicians enter a house and use their abilities to determine if the house is haunted. Of course, the house isn't just haunted, it's VERY haunted, and before long, blood and flames and furniture are being tossed around and the body count rises. The physical house that is used in the movie is very effective -- large and spooky, even in daylight. Unfortunately, the goings-on in the house aren't that wonderful. To say that 'The Evil' moves slowly would be a disservice to slow-moving movies. At times, this movie seems to grind to a halt to let the pseudo-scientific, paranormal discussions take center stage. It could have been interesting, but really wasn't. Too many people scream and burst into flames for us to take the following "there's a logical explanation for all this" discussions seriously. The house is clearly haunted so why spend all that time talking about how maybe the house isn't really haunted? Yawn. Even the lovely Joanna Pettet is underused here. -- BUT -- the second feature, 'Twice Dead' (a movie I'd never heard of before now) is actually a highly entertaining movie about a haunted house. A very loving and well-manicured family move into a dilapidated house, seemingly in the middle of Watts during the famous riots, and not only have to contend with supernatural stuff, but a gang of thugs (oh, and very 1980s thugs, at that) who want to make life hell for the loving family. What makes this movie all that 'The Evil' wasn't is a smart script and solid acting. The two leads, who play a brother and sister (I can't remember the brother, but the sister is played by Jill Whitlow) are especially good -- you really end up rooting for them as they use their wits to outwit the witless thugs (whew). This feature, for me, makes up for the lacklustre 'The Evil'. While 'The Evil' is an interesting artifact left over from that bit of the late 1970s when haunted house movies were back in vogue, thanks to a little house in Amityville, 'Twice Dead' is good, Corman fun.

I GOT THIS BECAUSE THE MOVIE i seenat the drive in '' the evil '' was on here. in the days that movie scard the crapout of me !!! great haunted house ( i mean big house) story. the real hous e is a castle in NEW MEXICO. see it onmap google. its a college now,but it has a history toit as well. this movie is darkand cool. i love it. i wishthey do a remake and doit right. no rock music...noteeny boppers gettin drunk..stay with the story as this and i would go see it. th esecond feature has the star from the rookies tv show init.its good worth a view, 80's style horror. but for the price. i enjoyed it. the evil is a great story, the vhs went out of print. im so glad i could get this copy. haunted tale done with style and taste. little ones will get freaked out so beware..anyone under 10.

Finally THE EVIL has been released on DVD but only to be disappointed with THE DARK TRANSFER. Things that need to be seen are not possible due to this inferior transfer. I would expect better quality from SHOUT FACTORY (distributor) because all the items that SHOUT FACTORY releases are pretty good quality. The Evil has been one of my all time favorite horror flicks to hit the screen & this edition has been a sore let down. I own the original VHS copy of The Evil & the picture quality is FANTASTIC and supersedes this new DVD release!! The colors are balanced on the VHS original and i would expect a digital DVD transfer to be far superior. I can not recommend this DVD release by Shout Factory to anyone due to it's inferior transfer. I suggest you hang on to your old VHS copy until it's released again. The movie alone, "THE EVIL" deserves a 5 star rating but this DVD edition receives 4 stars due to its DARK TRANSFER and poor production release. Sorry SHOUT FACTORY, this is one production i can not recommend or give a shout out to. Will somebody else release this epic horror flick and do it right this time? There's one thing i know & know VERY WELL and that's HORROR MOVIES,. the eye should see what it has been meant to see. Schroeder (Publisher/Owner) of Cult Movies Magazine & Orbital Traxx Records.

Not since the making of Legend Of Hell House have the real honest to goodness, or should I say badness, CHILLS come from the movie screen. I prefer this one, however, because the chills evoke feelings of entrapment, possession, escaping from a wild beast, self infliction, slowly sinking into the earth, frying while still alive, electrocuted while alive, and generally caught up in stormy house with a mad temper. Through it all there is a good spirit that lurks to provide aid to those entraped in the haunted house of pure evil.In all this seems to be a much longer version of any episode of Night Gallery with an unusual climax that is borderline comical in concept. The journey, however, is tremendously serious with no comical edge, which makes the ending so far off in left field, you will either like it or hate it.The movie has many chills and eerie scenes of trying to bust out of a determined house to possess its hostages, making each one face a horrible traumatizing end, until the friendly presence sways the leads to uncover the key that was so simple to begin with.There is no light hearted humor as in Poltergeist, and watching this next to any other rather light hearted halloween movie will only boost its intention to scare the you know what out of you!

THIS REVIEW IS ABOUT THE EVIL ONLY!A psychiatrist, his wife and a group of eight others go out to remodel an abandoned mansion, the wife immediately senses something is very wrong with the house and soon events turn and people's lives are threatened by a force coming from the house.A suspenseful, creepy and scary but ultimately silly supernatural horror/chiller. For the first hour or so this contains some very well crafted scare scenes and builds tension very strongly, however when ghostly visions start appearing it loses something and at times becomes a bit silly, and when Victor Buono appears it feels like a completely different film. Cast is good, Crenna, Pettet are both very good in the leads but everyone does a good solid job, director Trikonis builds the tension well and creates some very well staged shock sequences although the Buono scenes at the end let down the earlier strong horror moments. This isn't an exceptionally violent or disturbing film, so its a surprise that it was included on the section 3 nasty list, but because of it some will go get it and might be pleasantly surprised.Coming in at under 90mins its a brisk picture, the pacing never lets up so it is a very easy, undemanding movie to watch, its just a shame the final 10mins have a silly plot twist. An often scary, suspenseful & well made little 70's haunted house horror that'll surprise with how watchable it really is, just don't expect too much.

been looking for this film for years - very good quality

Very good. Thanks.

I am so pleased The Evil has now been released in a professional way with an amazing picture & sound quality. It had different titles: "The House of Evil", "Evil Below" and "Cry Demon".I will now watch Twice Dead. Very good quality of picture and sound too.I just hope they will release my other favourite Horror/paranormal movie in the same way and that is Satan's Triangle (1975) starring Doug McClure & Kim Novak.

Available now for the first time on DVD, Gus Trikonis' "The Evil" was released in 1978 and has remained a favourite among haunted house movie lovers for decades. Even though there is little to the film that is original, it's cast, location and direction lift it out of the realms of its low budget origins and have made it a memorable favourite.A psychologist (Crenna), his wife (Pettet) and their student assistants gather at a vacant house to begin some experiments of a nature that is only vaguely suggested in the script and, of course, never developed. But as soon as they arrive, apparitions appear, furniture moves, and people start to die. As in many horror films, there is some deathless dialogue and gaping holes in the plot and characters' logic.Many viewers have commented on the camp value of o the film's ending, where Crenna's character battles with the devil himself (played by "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" veteran Victor Buono). My opinion is that it is in keeping with the film's themes and story structure, and, since it takes place in the basement of the house, probably within its budget too.After having watched the film on DVD since it arrived last week, I am still not sure exactly why I have enjoyed "The Evil" so much after all these years, but I still do. Maybe it's in seeing a rock that, with a little more polishing, could have been a gem. Cheers to Roger Corman's company for resurrecting it out of its tired and worn (and pan/scan) VHS oblivion and allowing old fans to see it like new, and new ones to discover it.1978; 89 minutes; Horror/Thriller, Writer: Galen Thompson; Director: Gus Trikonis; Cast: Richard Crenna, Joanna Pettet, Andrew Prine, Cassie Yates, George O'Hanlon Jr., Lynne Moody, Mary Louise Weller, Victor Buono.