A Taste of Evil

In case you want to watch a horror movie for the first time and need to be sure from beforehand that you won't be disappointment with the outcome, it always helps to research the names that are involved. For example, in the case of "A Taste of Evil", I felt pretty comfortable thanks to the involvement of three reliable names (excluding the cast). The film comes from the nearly inexhaustible stable of producer Aaron Spelling. Long before he produced sappy TV- series like "Beverly Hills 90210" and "7th Heaven", Spelling was responsible for a large number of genuinely tense and spine-chilling TV-thrillers, including this one. The man in the director's chair is named John Llewellyn Moxey and his repertoire is also quite astounding, with legendary titles such as "Horror Hotel", "The Night Stalker", "Nightmare in Badham County" and about three dozen of other worthwhile titles. Then, last but certainly not least, the script was penned down by Jimmy Sangster. He was one of the creative masterminds behind the awesome British horror studios Hammer and wrote some of their greatest classics ("Horror of Dracula", "The Curse of Frankenstein") as well as some of their underrated but ingenious gems. How could "A Taste of Evil" possibly go wrong, especially if you also take into consideration that cast features a few impressive names like Barbara Stanwyck, Arthur O'Connell and Roddy McDowall?

Well, "A Taste of Evil" certainly doesn't disappoint and I won't hesitate for one second to recommend it to fellow horror fans, but still one of the aforementioned prominent names cheated a little bit… As the story slowly unfolded and tension mounted, I suddenly became more and more conscious that the plot felt familiar. Poor Susan Wilcox returns home to her mother Miriam and the parental house, after she spent seven long years in a Swiss mental hospital to recover from the trauma of getting assaulted in her garden playhouse at the tender age of 13. Although her mother and Susan herself are determined to get her life back on track, Susan's tangled nerves are soon put under pressure again since she repeatedly spots the corpse of Miriam's second husband Harold all around the estate. She must somehow suffer from hallucinations, as Harold is very much alive, although on a business trip and corresponding with his wife and stepdaughter via the phone. Now, where have I seen this plot before? Oh that's right… it's as good as identical to that of the unsung Hammer treasure "Taste of Fear / "Scream of Fear". Sneaky Jimmy Sangster must have thought that nobody in the United States ever saw or even heard about this film that already got released in 1961, so if he changed a few details left and right and gave different names to the main characters, he could cash a quick and easily earned paycheck!

And yet, I certainly don't blame Jimmy. The story is still solid as a rock and capable of evoking a handful of genuine scares and mild shocks. The build-up takes quite long and feels overly derivative, because you know of course that somebody is deliberately trying to push Susan into another mental breakdown and that her hallucinations are staged. But then the script offers not one but two twists that are surprisingly effective and quite unconventional for a made-for- TV flick. "A Taste of Evil" touches upon a few sensitive themes, like child molesting and family rivalry, and the extended climax (taking place during a good old-fashioned pouring rain thunderstorm) is action-packed and wild.

I just found a copy of this classic 1970's chiller on ebay. To my surprise, it is just as effective watching today as I remember seeing it as a child. There are many genuine thrills and chills as Barbara Parkins plays a young woman returning to the creepy mansion where she was traumatized as a child. Barbara Stanwyck plays her mother. Both actresses, fresh off their respective 1960's TV series' "Peyton Place" and "The Big Valley," give excellent performances. Parkins was an underrated actress and is truly memorable in her role of the terrorized girl. She is also very beautiful. Stanwyck is dignified and elegant and this film is a reminder of the great talent that was hers. This movie is a forgotten gem. It would be great to see it released on DVD someday.

I was finally lucky enough to find an excellent copy of this film. I fell asleep watching this movie late one night and woke up assuming I would one day get the opportunity to see it again. Sure,they will show it again,it was a great movie. Eleven years later I found it. Very few people seem to know about this film,it is indeed one of the hardest to find. It was produced by Aaron Spelling,back when he was young and still had some good ideas. Barbra Stanwyck and Roddy McDowell star in this chilling sleeper about a woman who return home to a country estate after spending years in a mental institution after being abducted there as a child. Some truly scary scenes with some great plot twists that always keep you guessing. Atmospheric and very strong for television in those days,maybe thats why it has been forgotten but that's exactly why it should have a strong cult following but as you can see by the reviews(or lack thereof)it seems pretty lost. I'm pretty picky when it comes to movies and I would highly recommend it to any horror/suspense/mystery buff. Two scenes that stuck with me all those years were the shadowy figure entering the child's playhouse and the main character looking out a second story window and seeing someone standing on the lawn watching her on a dark and windy night. That's what it's all about! They were still as I remembered them all those years ago. Alot like a Kubrick image,these never left. GET A COPY IF YOU CAN!

A Taste of Evil is a very interesting movie that tackles a pretty big issue for it's time. It involves the sexual assault of a young girl, and for 1971 I'm sure the topic was not as talked about as it is today. Anyways, the film starts with the young girl who is alone in her playhouse when a man (who we don't see) enters and attacks her off-screen. Fast forwards years later to when she is an adult. After spending years in a psychiatric institution, Susan travels home with her mother Miriam to tackle her demons. We meet some potential suspects of the rape; the mother's boyfriend Harold and a long time groundskeeper John. While at the family home, strange things start to happen. Susan sees someone lurking in the shadows, she feels someone following her in the woods, and a very dead looking Harold keeps popping up around the house.

The imagery of this movie is amazing. The usage of dark shadows in the house adds a very spooky feeling to it all. About halfway through the film we discover what/who is causing these strange occurrences, and I must say I was surprised by what it was and who assaulted Susan years ago. We then get another twist that leads us to a satisfying ending. It's a typical 1970's made for television thriller which I love, but this one adds a lot more such as the shocking storyline of the rape.

The acting was alright, Barbara Stanwyck was the best part about it. Overall a very satisfying TV movie that is impossible to purchase on DVD or VHS. Best thing to do is search it out online or hope for it to pop up on TV one day.

8/10

A Taste of Evil is a 1970's Made-For-TV film that had some very serious and dark themes for a movie at that time. It's plot revolves around the rape of a young child, and the discovery of who her assailant really was.

After being assaulted by someone she couldn't identify, Susan spent years in an institution trying to revere the trauma. We meet an adult version of her who is returning home for the first time since the attack many years prior. Her mother Miriam (played by Barbara Stanwyck) has since married a family friend that Susan used to call an uncle after the passing of Susan's father.

As soon as she settles in at home, she begins to think she is being stalked by someone she can't see. First she is chased by a man in the woods, and then she believes hears someone breathing in the darkness and the shadows in her large family house. The question is has the rapist come back to silence Susan or is she simply imagining someone coming after her. All is revealed in an explosive second half to the story.

A Taste of Evil is a VERY spooky and well done made for TV film from ABC. Terrific acting from legend Barbara Stanwyck and Barbara Parkins. She plays the trauma riddled Susan extremely well. We get all the beats of Susan's trauma of the rape and coming home. We also get the creepy mystery of who the assailant was years ago. There are some twists and turns throughout the film, and some eerie stalking scenes when the attacker comes for Susan. Overall, a great little horror gem from the 70's that deserves a proper DVD release.

7/10