Wurzeln des Bösen

Gary Graver was a pretty talented and definitely very prolific cinematographer who did everything from hardcore porn to collaborations with Orson Welles(!). In his few efforts as a director, however, he proved to be pretty much cursed. This is definitely NOT a good movie. The plot, as others have said, was borrowed from a hardcore flick (a genre not exactly known for its great plots). It has a police detective couple (Alex Cord and Jillian Kesner)carrying on two separate investigations which have nothing to do with each other (other than they're both very lame) and will really confuse the few viewers who don't just fall asleep out of sheer boredom. The acting is terrible, even that of relatively talented thesps. like Cord. And there are bizarre throwaway scenes and bits of dialogue such as when Cord's characters gives an Asian hooker his card, but it isn't his card, it's the card of a bar he hangs out in a lot, which is apparently soaked in urine because he got it off the men's room floor(?!)--but then she takes it anyway(?!?).

I suspect Graver was not taking this movie all that seriously. The serial killer they're chasing ,for instance, not only chews the scenery like a rabid beaver, but Graver then has him making a tearful phone call to his mom after each murder! There is some pretty gruesome violence--a prostitute getting her finger cut off, a vagrant who witnessed a murder getting his tongue cut out. This may bother some, but it does make this slightly less boring than most 90's "erotic thrillers", which were rarely "erotic" or "thrilling" but were lousy with too-long sex scenes and bad saxophone music.

This movie also boasts an impressive female cast (not necessarily talented but impressive). Jillian Kesner had been a popular jiggle-queen since the early 70's (mostly on television). Deanna Lund, who had provided cheesecake in 60's TV show "Land of the Giants", was even older (and has even more nude scenes) than Kesner. She would marry CNN's Larry King(!) shortly after appearing in this. Both women still look pretty good, but if they're a little too ripe for your taste, there's also the voluptuous Delia Shephard from "Rocky IV" as a stripper who, thankfully, does a lot of stripping and not much acting. The movie also features two of the more talented (relatively speaking) of the 80's "scream queens", Brinke Stevens and Jewel Shephard.(Jewel Shephard gives perhaps her best acting performance ever as a near-sighted hooker--unfortunately it was in this dim-bulb movie). There's certainly no lack of T and A (although a lot more T than A). None of which is to say I would in any way recommend this, but if you just have to see it. . .

No review books or Cult Movie books ever mention this, so I will let the cat out of the bag on this one. This is a remake of a 1981 adult film called "trinty Brown" (starring John Leslie/Sharon Kelly). They once advertised this to be a Michael Pare lead action film, then a year later Reb Brown was supposed to replace Pare. But finally the finish the film and it stars ex-leading man turned supporting actor Alex Cord, in his first lead in longtime! The film did change some of the plot lines to make it run longer than the original adult film script, but it's just another standard unrated direct to video cop film. If you want to see sex and "B" movie action, this is your film. But it's good to see Alex Cord in a lead. I wasn't going to review this, but I wanted to be the first to point this remake fact out.

This movie puts the fun in sleaze, one strip scene, that leads to the bedroom, especially, truly hot. An absolute youtube watch. Our nutter here, turns out to be of L.A's finest, where off hours, he's slicing up strippers and prostitutes, one witness, losing his tongue at one awful affair. A catchy phrase of dialogue comes minutes later, with a cat roaming the crime scene. Even the trashy mother disowns this poor 40 plus sob who keeps a furry toy animal for company. But in this flick that's very entertaining, you can't deny, we have two sets of action. We have an infamous mob guy, mowed down by a faceless assailant, the wife, (sexpot Deanna Lund) once a working girl, has an affair with a young stud, who if you can believe was once her pimp. He's in that hot sex scene. Alex Cord, a cop who cares, is great, perfect for this vehicle, who lays some of his words on thick. He knows Lund's history as well as her younger movie star, lesbian lover, Candy. Cord's partner, sexual and working is "Firecracker's" Jillian Kessner with the big, you know. Here again, in one scene she uses her smooth killer charm, at first playing a wannabe actress friend of Candy's, but things take a more serious turn at the flash of a badge. The plot sounds like some unrated police cop show, but Roots Of Evil is so much fun. Too the shocking turn when the bad guy is revealed as a cop, as a questioned stripper recognizes him, lucky enough to escape his clutches, minus a finger, intensified it. The hottie from the sex scene is used as a patsy to catch the psycho, after pimp, Johnny Collins is busted, where Cord has a word to him, on the dangers of smoking and littering. And too the revelation of the mob killer was a lovely surprise, literally. If sleaze and nudity is your thing, this isn't a bad one to check out. As to the thriller element, this film could leave your mind pondering as to if these two stories are connected, if judging by it's title. Loosely remade from an old adult film "Trinity Brown", starring adult great, John Leslie.

ROOTS OF EVIL's chief claim to fame (?) is that it may be the only "legitimate" movie remake of a porno flick (TRINITY BROWN, 1984 CalVista, starring Colleen Brennan and John Leslie in the Jillian Kesner and Alex Cord roles respectively as the cop duo/lovers). Both movies were helmed by director Gary Graver.

While TRINITY BROWN was an earnest effort to make a XXX hardcore detective drama, ROOTS OF EVIL started at the other end, sleazing-down the gritty, L.A. cop story. The plot and characters are mostly the same, just a slicker re-telling the second time around.

Jewel Shepard is hilarious as the near-sighted stripper who can't recognize the killer. Delia Sheppard gets back to her own (real) roots as a nude dancer. Brinke Stevens as (what else?) a B-movie queen and older rich bitch Deanna Lund set up a few surprises.

The plot twist at the end of ROOTS OF EVIL is the more effective of the two because it is more shocking.

If you see one, you should see the other, if for nothing else, Gary Graver's maturing as a director. ROOTS OF EVIL and TRINITY BROWN are both recommended for lovers of sleazy cop dramas.

I only wish that I could relive the first time I saw this movie. I was 17, and my father innocently rented it thinking it was a routine crime drama. Neither of us had any idea what we were in for. We only made it through the first 15 minutes, which may be the most preposterous 15 minutes ever committed to celluloid. Later, with friends, I watched the rest of the film. The whole remainder of it proved to be utterly boring and worthless, characterized by unrestrained sleaze, incomprehensible plot twists, lengthy irrelevant portions, and an entirely unsatisfying and pathetic climax. I have watched the first section perhaps 20 times. I have viewed the entire film maybe twice. "Roots of Evil" is truly one of the worst films ever made, and I don't mean that in an exaggerated way. The production values of even "Plan 9 From Outer Space" are superior to those of this low-budget, no-value thriller. Nonetheless, it is so completely awful that it is genuinely entertaining.

The highlight of this film is Alex Cord, who attempts an over-the-top performance like that of Jack Nicholson in "The Shining." I actually find Alex Cord to be a highly likable, though not necessarily a highly skilled, actor. In fact, he is less an actor than a unique and inimitable screen presence. If you appreciate his physical mannerisms and the unusual cadence of his voice, as I do, then you will enjoy watching him perform regardless of the poor quality of the film in which he appears. But if you expect compelling drama or gritty realism, you will be disappointed beyond comprehension.

"Roots of Evil" is also notable for featuring dialogue so atrocious that a friend and I once planned to make a concept album about the movie in which we included parts of the actual dialogue between songs. We abandoned that plan, however, when we determined that our effort might actually compel people to view the film. I cannot recommend that particular course of action. But I realize that some, upon reading this review, may choose to do so anyway. Such individuals do so at their own risk.