Messe noire

Evilspeak is great flick. :-) It was very hip for its time. I loved the hell out of this movie. Coopersmith is totally the MAN. Clint Howard definitely showed his range here. If you like scary movies for the fun of it, this is the one. Remember, COOPERSMITH... WILL... RETURN!

I found Evilspeak to be quite a weird sort of horror film but also a good film. A clumsy military cadet called Stanley Coopersmith who happens to be socially outcast at the West Andover Academy, and is an orphan. He is always abused and humiliated by four despicable friends, and even has bad treatment from his teachers, the coach, the colonel and even the local reverend. When Coopersmith finds a book of black mass that belonged to the evil medieval Father Esteban, he uses a computer to conjure Satan and revenge his harassers. He finds a way to tap into a computer to summon demons and cast spells on his tormentors. that involves man eating pigs and Satanism. this ended up being a very good horror movie towards the end. 5/10

An army cadet is bullied by four other students and some authority figures. One day he is sent to clean the old church basement as a punishment and, while there, he finds a secret room which contains an ancient Satanic Mass book. He discovers that passages from it can reincarnate a 16th century Satanist called Esteban. Using a computer, he revives Esteban and has bloody revenge on all those from the academy who have wronged him.

Evilspeak was another early 80's horror movie that found itself onto the UK video nasty list. These were the films considered so offensive that they threatened the moral fabric of Britain back in the day. As a result it was banned and, naturally, has benefited ever since from the notoriety. Like most on that list it's difficult to understand what all the fuss was about with this one. If anything it proves that the censors back then were a spectacularly over-sensitive and humourless group of people. Because it's well-nigh impossible to see how they could have thought anyone could have taken this film seriously enough to then go out and commit acts of violence. This is a film about a possessed computer after all. It features a horde of man-eating pigs and has a climax where the hero floats through the air wielding a big sword. To my knowledge, none of these things has ever cropped up in the news in the years since Evilspeak was released.

How is it as a film? It's fun, if nothing too impressive. It takes it's time to get to the horror stuff to be fair, although this does allow for more character development. The main guy Clint Howard (Ron's brother) is pretty decent and is a guy that's easy to root for. The film is essentially a nerd revenge flick and the bullies are an appalling bunch of cretins. So you are willing them to be dispensed with in as nasty a way as possible. And to be fair, the climax is pretty good with all manner of gory mayhem ensuing. Evilspeak is kind of a hybrid of Carrie with early 80's computer technology...with demon pigs thrown in for good measure. It's one of those horror films from the time that is kind of crazed but pretty imaginative, so it's easy to get onside with this one.

Stanley Coopersmith (Clint Howard) is a young cadet at a military academy. Unfortunately, he's also an orphan and a total clod, both of which make him easy prey for a clique of sadistic idiots. Stanley is tormented without mercy.

Serendipitously, he happens upon a dark secret beneath the academy's church building, where he acquires arcane knowledge. Stanley then uses a computer to allow a long-dead Satanist named Esteban (Richard Moll) to possess him.

From here on, it's payback time!

Behold! A nosy secretary being eaten by savage swine! See! A Colonel's head popped like a bulging pimple! Watch! As craven thugs are exterminated in grisly ways! If you've ever been the victim of mindless bullies and longed for satisfaction, this is the movie for you! EVILSPEAK is also a showcase for Howard, who makes it a true uber-nerd triumph!

Co-stars R.G. Armstrong in another disgruntled role as Sarge...

An orphaned boy at a military academy in SoCal (Clint Howard) is harassed, so he uses a computer in the dark basement of the citadel to conjure up evil power for succor.

The curious title of "Evilspeak" (1981) was derived from the phrase "computer-speak," obviously because the kid uses an old computer to work his black magic. The flick attempts to be the male version of "Carrie" (1976) just switching from telekinetic powers to devilish witchcraft. Unfortunately, it lacks the coherence, weightiness and power of that 70's horror hit.

There's something about the storytelling that holds it back. The basic plot of a youthful outcast getting even with his/her tormentors is a surefire foundation, but the way it's told is not very compelling, which I suppose isn't helped by the muddled diabolic gobbledygook and the hint of cheesy bemusement.

The stunning Lynn Hancock stands out in the feminine department as a secretary at the school, Miss Friedemeyer. Lynn experimented with acting a handful of times in 1980-1982 before leaving the profession for other pastures. A few other notable lasses appear during a beauty contest for the cadets.

The movie officially runs 1 hour, 37 minutes, but there are several cuts of the film available. It was shot at Saint Anthony Seminary in Santa Barbara, California, as well as Chatworth, which is about 55 miles east in northwestern Los Angeles.

GRADE: C.