El bien contra el mal

Following his move to the United States, Hammer scribe Jimmy Sangster found steady work in TV where thrillers and horrors could be turned out cheap and fast. Having made a mint back home with a mix of DIABOLIQUE (1955) and PSYCHO (1960), Sangster now turned his attention to two major diabolism films of the era: ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968) and THE EXORCIST (1973). The result, however, is a dismal failure – for which his own, frankly, lousy screenplay is largely to blame!

For the record, I have watched countless rip-offs of both films by this point but I do own at least one virtual copy of the former (THE STRANGER WITHIN {1974}, coincidentally also a TV-movie) and as many as 5 other 'possession' films – ABBY (1974), THE EERIE MIDNIGHT HORROR SHOW aka THE SEXORCIST (1974), THE POSSESSED aka DEMON WITCH CHILD (1975), THE EXORCIST III: CRIES AND SHADOWS aka NAKED EXORCISM (1975) and THE POSSESSED (1977; TV). By the way, director Wendkos had earlier helmed a stylish diabolic chiller himself i.e. THE MEPHISTO WALTZ (1971) but, here, he is cramped by the under-lit TV look (even if the film frequently changes locale for the sake of variety – starting in 1955 New York, then cutting to present-day San Francisco and moving to New Orleans for the climax) and, as I said, a plot that is half-hearted, under-nourished and downright confusing! What is more, the whole works its way to a major cop-out of an abrupt ending – having been intended as a pilot to a prospective series but it was understandably not picked up – so that the central premise is pretty much left hanging!

The notion of having upper-class types revealed to be Satanists is a pretty tired one by now: meeting every once in a while – here to present the Devil with the child that, upon growing up, is to bear his offspring – to honor their master (whose disciples conveniently keep a statue of the Horned One secured in their private place of worship). That said, after the opening sequence (which recalls Hammer's own TO THE DEVIL…A DAUGHTER {1976}, albeit not Sangster-related), the horror element is so underplayed that it seems to interrupt the blossoming romance between the girl (Elyssa Davalos, who looks too sweet to suggest the evil that is supposed to lurk underneath!) and hero Dack Rambo. Interestingly, having preceded this with THE LEGACY (1978) – another Sangster-scripted mix of diabolism hits – it was amusing to note the interchange of components between them (for instance, horses and cats are involved in both, the girl is unaware of who she is while the boyfriend is an interloper, etc). Another moment that harks back to the Hammer legacy (pardon the pun) is the death-in-the-belfry of the priest (from Dracula HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE {1968}) – which follows one of the few effective moments in the film under review as Davalos throws an instant and unexplained chilly darkness over a church upon entering.

Richard Lynch is always good value for money in this type of fare, but he is given little of substance to do except look sinister and make the occasional invocation to the dark forces (at one time, this occurs inside a cave!) – curiously enough, while he plays the leader of the cult here, he had also been a Christ-like alien in Larry Cohen's GOD TOLD ME TO aka DEMON (1976)! Still, why he seems so reticent to eliminate Rambo's character is baffling – he attempts to make the hero forget Davalos by throwing him back into the lap of a former girlfriend (a young Kim Cattrall): the fact that this leads directly to the introduction of Dan O'Herlihy's exorcist figure (since Cattrall's child is decreed as possessed simply for having drawn the sign of the demon Astaroth) seems to me a gross miscalculation on the villain's part! O'Herlihy's sudden appearance – in a state of agitation to boot – in the last act takes the film into its obvious center-piece, which is the battle for the soul of a little child: it does not matter that she has little to no bearing on the main plot but, then, the staging is so tame (indeed lame) that one is amused by the entire scenario, especially as the girl remains calm and composed all the way through it! I was literally thrown into fits of hysterical laughter when Rambo goes up to check on the priest and finds him at the mercy of an invisible hand suffocating him with a pillow!! With Lynch admitting defeat soon after the Devil is expelled and the unlikely team of Rambo and O'Herlihy keeping up the search for Davalos (while Cattrall offers herself in case the hero just happens to fail in his ultimate quest!), the film just ends: had one been completely unaware of its pedigree, we could say that the script was suggesting that the fight between Good and Evil is a continuing struggle and not easily won...

This film begins much like "Rosemary's Baby", though in this case Beelzebub apparently got a girl--a girl who grew up and had no idea she was the child of pure EVIL!! During much of the first part of the film, she is wooed by a creepy suitor (Dack Rambo)--who is supposed to be romantic because he won't take NO for an answer (I sure was getting rapist vibes from this!). Then, abruptly, the film switches and you hear nothing more about the lady after she is hypnotized! The plot changes to a child who is possessed and her mother (a young Kim Cattrall)--and the viewer is left wandering what happened to the Devil's daughter?! And, by the end of the film, you have absolutely no idea whatsoever! The film just abruptly ends!

"Good Against Evil" was apparently a failed TV series pitched by ABC. It's hard to imagine now, but with the popularity of books and films such as "The Exorcist" and "The Omen", someone at the network thought it would be a good idea to create a TV series about the fight between the followers of Satan and God. The problem is that although this MIGHT have worked, the DVD for this is amazingly unsatisfying to watch--it's not really a movie but PART of a plot for a film that was never completed. What they did show really isn't very good and since there is no ending or even a reasonable stopping point, I can't see any reason to recommend it. It literally stops as if they just ran out of film!! Not worth your time.

"A young couple is forced to confront the ultimate horror when Satan decides to claim the young woman as his own. The boyfriend consults with two priests in the hopes of getting guidance on his spiritual dilemma. The two priests in turn decide to perform an exorcism in order to rid the woman of her possession. The boyfriend and the exorcists are pitted in a battle for the woman's soul with Satan and his clan of worshipers," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

This television movie has its strengths; however, the story is very weak, and the production values do not entirely satisfy the need for horrific moments. For example, the cats perform well -- but, they are not very scary. Still, writer Jimmy Sangster and director Paul Wendkos handle the assignment well. The reason the Satanists could not simply kill the hero was one of the nicer touches (though, arguably, it's inconsistent). The unsatisfying ending suggests a sequel or series was planned. There are several fine performances.

Dack Rambo (as Andy Stuart) is quite likable in the lead role; he is very appealing as the persistent, romantic magazine writer who meets fashion designer Elyssa Davalos in San Francisco, after denting her car. Due to an opening prologue, we know Ms. Davalos is likely the woman chosen to birth the "Anti-Christ". Davalos provides the "Rosemary's Baby" recall, and Kim Cattrall (as Linda) helps add "The Exorcist" to the proceedings. Thankfully, Mr. Rambo and his co-stars stay focused on their characterizations, and don't venture "over the top".

Priestly John Harkins (as Father Wheatley) is always a welcome supporting player; he was unforgettable on "Dark Shadows", blackmailing Chris Pennock and frightening Joan Bennett; and, of course, Mr. Harkins delivered the eulogy for the dearly departed "Chuckles the Clown", causing Mary Tyler Moore's laughing fit. Priestly Dan O'Herlihy (as Father Kemschler) was a part of the "Shadows"-swipe "Dark Mansions" and essayed many memorable characters; his supporting roles in "RoboCop" and "Twin Peaks" are memorable. Devilish Richard Lynch (as Rimmin), meddling Erica Yohn (as Agnes), and resolute Peggy McCay (as Irene) are also appealing.

If only the story were better…

***** Good Against Evil (5/22/77) Paul Wendkos ~ Dack Rambo, Elyssa Davalos, Richard Lynch

This is actually a really good TV horror movie. I viewed it in a cheap DVD horror set i found recently. It could be compared to the Exorcist with Linda Blair in some respects, but the plot is quite unique and interesting. It gets much better in the second half of the film and makes you wonder what's coming next in the story line. I hated when the movie ended since it left the doors wide open for a TV series. It could very well have been a great supernatural based TV drama series and it's a shame that it obviously never came to fruition.

This was clearly a pilot for a proposed TV series, but it seems all three American TV networks passed on making it a series. Watching it, it's pretty easy to see why there were no takers. The producers probably thought they were on a hot trend, since the movie takes elements from the recent and popular movies "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Exorcist". But this execution is sorely lacking in thrills and coherence. After an okay five minute opening taking place in the past, the movie proceeds to focus the next forty or so minutes on a romance between Elyssa Davalos and Dack Rambo, which is utterly boring when the two actors are not acting extremely obnoxious. Then the movie abruptly changes track, so much so that I was often bewildered - it seems that A LOT of key scenes of explanation are missing in the movie's second half! B movie fans will probably be disappointed that Richard Lynch is given almost nothing to do in the entire running time. It's no surprise that the movie is apparently in the public domain, since I can't see any strong fan base for this movie that would keep it in the conscious of the copyright holders.