Face of Evil

"Face of Evil" features Tracey Gold as an amoral psychopathic painter wreaking havoc on the campus of a posh New Hampshire liberal arts college. If that premise doesn't grab you, then I don't know what will! Ms. Gold puts poor Shawnee Smith, her timid roommate, through absolute hell over the film's 90 minutes. No one escapes scot-free: there's acid poured in eye drops, a car window used as a vice, a house sparrow tempted to its near demise, and much more merry mayhem along the way.

This isn't mere trash, though. It's a surprisingly sturdy movie, thanks to its increasingly recognized director Mary Lambert. This is much better than "Malicious", the similar Molly Ringwald vehicle that came out a year earlier. That one is silly fun, but "Face of Evil" has a genuinely nasty and discomforting underbelly that stays with you. The morbid but quite beautiful artwork painted by Gold's character is a nice bonus.

Couldn't finish this one. I made it through about half but... its just too cringy. The writing is also quite terrible. The college-aged women were written so completely out of touch.

I don't think Tracy Gold is really that great an actress. Her performance in this movie didn't change my opinion. She overacts and her portrayal of a deeply disturbed sociopath is just downright campy at times. Luckily, the storyline and supporting cast are excellent and we're all just waiting for "Brianne/Darcy/whatever her name is" to get her just desserts -- does she? You'll just have to watch and find out! Tracy looks very skinny in this movie, evidence no doubt of her battle with anorexia. They needed a voluptuous blonde vixen for this role. It's a bit hard to swallow Carol Seaver substituting sulfuric acid for eye drops. Shawnee Smith sports a super-short hair-do which I didn't really like. If you're a Shawnee fan, she undoubtedly looks her best on "Becker". Great actress!

Tracey Gold plays a what I can only term a "psycho", who seems to kill anyone that can help her get ahead. This is creepy stuff and no doubt benefits from the skills of director Mary Lambert. Tracey Gold plays a what I can only term a "psycho", who seems to kill anyone that can help her get ahead. This is creepy stuff and no doubt benefits from the skills of director Mary Lambert. Gold does some pretty scary stuff (but seems to be still suffering the effects of anorexia, as she's mighty thin in this) and is very effective and Shawnee Smith plays her roommate who's cottoned on to her plans. The ending is quite climactic for a telemovie thriller, however the very end piece (before the credits) is mighty lame, I mean would you let someone accused of at least three murders, be led away in a police car with one driver?? Despite this, it's worth watching for the beautiful location shots (the cinematography is good too), and Gold's performance.

Tracey Gold,(Darcy Palmer),"A Crime of Passion,TV",'99, showed her great acting abilities and was able to have the audience actually hate her for this role in which she plays a very BAD BAD GIRL! The real star of the film is Shawnee Smith,(Jeanelle Polk),"Never Get Outta the Boat",'02, who plays a very rich boring and depressing rich girl who has everything and a dad who lives in a home like the White House! Perry King,(Russell Polk),"Her Married Lover",'99, plays the role as a depressed man who lost his wife and at the same time loves his daughter Jeanelle who becomes friends with Darcy. Don Harvey(Quinn Harris),"She Hate Me",'04, plays a mean bad guy who has great interest in Darcy Palmer. All the actors gave great performances and made this TV film very entertaining.