1973 Directed by Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz
A young woman searching for her missing artist father finds herself in the strange seaside town of Point Dune, which seems to be under the influence of a mysterious undead cult.
Revenge of the Screaming Dead, Messiah of Evil: The Second Coming, Blood Virgin, Deep Swamp, Dead People, Zumbis do Mal, Ο Μεσίας του Διαβόλου, Ο Μεσσίας του Διαβόλου, Messiah of the Evil Dead, Blood Busters, Messias des Bösen, 邪魔的弥赛亚, Messia del diavolo, Месията на злото, Мессия зла, 데드 피플, メサイア・オブ・デッド
USAR
Germany18
Germany
USA
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Like a spaced-out & supremely haunted West Coast, left-shoe drop to Romero's 'Night of the Living Dead', 'Messiah of Evil' is a wholly singular film which occupies a wholly singular era. There is no other film which feels like this: like the whole world has been hollowed-out and made into a barely convincing deathtrap constructed by death itself for those still alive. The Revolution has failed. The Establishment is entirely discredited. All of Western Civilization is a rudderless ghost ship, a Marie Celeste awaiting its Captain of the Damned, its Nightmare Messiah. The only other film which really captures the spooky isolation of small towns along the California Coast is John Carpenter's 'The Fog', but that is a localized apocalypse. 'Messiah…
The plot, what little there is of one, is very Lovecraftian - endless flight through a seaside town, followers of an obscure sect pursuing you even in your sleep, locked up safe in your motel. But there's an overriding voice that is reminiscent of Shirley Jackson - events taking on intimate, sinister undertones that echo and echo through claustrophobic domesticity just starting to sprawl out into a post-war infinity.
Here, we arrive at that same gas station twenty some odd years later, and the landscape is exhausted, ghostly and abandoned, all darkened window displays, parking lots and all night supermarkets. The pursuit continues, though, and nothing that has been erected can comfort you. Every scene in this movie either gives…
An unsung classic of 70's horror, Messiah of Evil is an ultra eerie and unsettling nightmare—a grimly fiendish offbeat art horror masterpiece that oozes the kind of succulent dream dread slathered atmosphere that drives me wild. This is a hazy transmission from another world that’s equal parts Romero's Dead universe and say… Carpenter’s Antonio Bay, both by way of Lovecraft and Carnival of Souls… which is probably one of the most appealing things ever for me. Discovering movies like this is why I watch movies—this is essential 70's horror with unmatched tone and easily one of my favorite films of any genre.
Some sort of nightmare world.
Velvet Vampire goes Pop Shopping. Too drunk on red vodka cocktails to know it's a zombie movie. What's a zombie movie? figures in the landscape, where the beach is one endless oil painting and Dad's paint cool murals all over the beach house walls. This movie is made out of cinnabar and jade women who shop at supermarkets during the Anti-Christ apocalypse. Dawn of the Dead walking along the beach at night, holding hands with Jean Rollin.
At first, I was put off by the lack of a reveal (of what, I fittingly won't say! sooo myster--no, I just don't want to spoil it), but as I listened to the closing moments repeat the opening narration, it all clicked. The filmmakers took to heart the fear of the unknown idea and suffused their entire film with it. They're not going for shock (though some moments are shocking) or gross-out (though some moments are gross); they're going for unnerving, creepy, and mysterious. While some explanations are given, there's still lingering questions when it all comes to a close, by design.
For me, the most unnerving moment came early on at the gas station. The world is completely black…
This was highly recommended by bloodydisgusting.com. They compared it to a cross between The Wickerman and a David Lynch movie so for me the bar was set pretty high! As I watched it I noticed right off the production quality was not that great! I also didn’t like the sound track! But I couldn’t keep from watching! The story is quite odd but very interesting! There are two scenes that to me are awesome! It lost a few points at the ending because I felt it was quite week! But I enjoyed it very much! Check it out when you get a chance!
I said it with Alice, Sweet Alice and I’ll say it again here: when you film your horror movie on film that looks like you bought it with saved up cereal box tops, you’ve got a three lap head start in terms of tone.
Ultimately the plot of this movie (some models have a bad one) takes a major backseat to the tone and sense of dread. All but the dumbest of us can agree that it’s scary to feel alone in a dark open space and one guy is also there and he’s looking at you. I don’t know that a more technically precise film would’ve been able to capture that feeling of “did they mean to have so much…
When asked what attracts people to 'Messiah of Evil' in an interview on Code Red’s Blu-ray release, Willard Huyck says it’s an “odd film,” which he believes allows audiences to interpret what it’s “about” in a variety of ways. But its appeal for me is actually the opposite — the “about” is the least important part. In its released form, the story of 'Messiah of Evil' is, by any Screenwriting 101 professor’s account, a total mess. But the lack of a cohesive and complete narrative works in the film’s favor. It denies us the chance to orient ourselves within the film. The lack of definition and not being able to piece it all together makes it so much more unnerving.…
76
A ceaseless nightmare. Each step, each turn of the corner, every look and glance. It's all directed at you. The protagonist of your own doom.
File under: How Did I Not See This Until Now?
Genuinely CREEPY and unusual horror film that plays in its own dream logic and basks in plenty of nightmarish imagery.
The first shot in particular is truly stunning.
Not sure if “From The Makers of HOWARD THE DUCK” would entice anyone but this sea-town-set creepshow but it’s definitely a discovery for me.
The score sounds like it was done by Chris Sarandon’s rapey character from LIPSTICK.
Would actually make a great double feature with SUITABLE FLESH (or DEAD AND BURIED).
Film 1/15 for BB and BC Podcast Movie Challenge November 2017
1/3 of 3 films from 3 different decades
If Kill Baby, Kill is one of the greatest examples of 60’s gothic horror then this film is one of the greatest examples of 70’s surreal nightmare horror and, yeah, I totally love it.
The plot (which it should be noted that plot is very much a secondary...or tertiary...component in these movies) is about a woman who goes searching for her missing father in a seaside town only to find out the whole place has been taken over by, I suppose, zombie vampires. It’s never fully explained what they are (which is fine) so that’s my best guess. This film has…
