Plot: What’s it about?
Stanley Coopersmith (Clint Howard) is enrolled at one of the nation’s toughest military schools, where the rules are enforced without fail. Or at least, they’re enforced when someone like Stanley breaks the rules, someone who isn’t rich or related to someone in power. While most problems are indeed punished, poor Stanley is abused and tormented by his fellow students and no consequences at all are handed down. He was sent to the school when his parents died, so he started off life at the school on a downward turn. But what should have been a strong, supportive environment proved to be a cruel, violent one instead. Until now, Stanley has taken the verbal abuse, pranks, and even beatings without incident, as he lived in total fear. Now however, he has found a tool that could allow him to fight back, on a grand, supernatural scale. As he explored the school’s darkest corners, he found his way underneath the chapel. He found a crypt, what he assumed was a normal one, but in fact belonged to a powerful Satanist from the 16th Century. In this tomb he finds all kinds of artifacts and markings, as well as some dangerous incantations. Stanley returns to his room, but has plans to use his computer to bring some evil to life and get some revenge. But will his plan work, or will he be even worse off than before?
The man has countless cameos and bit parts, yet few audiences could tell you his name. I am speaking of Clint Howard, the brother of famed director Ron Howard. Clint has been in an endless chain of films in his career, including numerous smash hits, yet he remains an unknown, despite the fact that viewers always remember his face. But in Evilspeak, Howard was given the chance to shine in the lead role, even if it was in a low rent horror picture. Evilspeak is a bad movie, but it never fails to entertain, in that special way only bad horror flicks can do. This uncut edition has a lot of over the top violence and bloodshed, whereas the shorter cut seemed rushed, with all kinds of jump cuts and sudden movements. The unintentional laughs still roll in however, thanks to some hilarious lines and performances. Howard is priceless here, with a no holds barred turn that is a blast to watch, even if not an exercise in thespian dos and don’ts. So the movie is well worth a look, if you’re a fan of horror cinema. The version released in the UK seems to be superior however, with two cuts of the movie and new 5.1 remixes in Dolby Digital and DTS. That edition is handled by Anchor Bay too, so I have no idea why we were stuck with this inferior version. The movie is solid fun, but fans will want to nab that import release, not this version.
Video: How does it look?
Evilspeak is presented in 1.77:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a low rent 80s horror movie, so we can’t expect the world here. As expected, the print shows some debris and in truth, is sometimes smothered in grain. In darker scenes, this causes some real problems, as detail is hampered and black levels are somewhat compromised. The lighter scenes look solid however, though the grain never lets up too much. The colors look good however, with bright hues and flesh tones are natural, so this isn’t a total lost cause. In the end, this looks better than expected, so I see no reason why fans won’t be pleased.
Audio: How does it sound?
The mono track included here has some problems, but manages to be on task most of the time. The volume balance seems a little off at times though, as the music tends to overpower the other elements, which isn’t good. But the sound effects come across well enough, save for the lack of range allowed by the mono format. I was let down a little by the dialogue, which wasn’t as crisp and distinct as I had hoped. But when you consider the film’s low budget origins, I suppose this track isn’t too bad, though a new remix would have been welcome.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release had to offer audio comments from Clint Howard, or else fans around the globe will protest in violent fashion. Howard sits in with director Eric Weston to provide a solid and well crafted session. Weston is talkative and discusses the production at length, while Howard chimes in with his actor’s perspective, as only he can. This disc also includes some still photos & poster artwork, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
