The Evictors

Then, this is a good one for you. I actually liked it, and I originally saw it at the theater when I was a kid. There are some truly eerie characters and the plot is kinda spooky, so it's worthwhile. If you dig dusty, Southern related horror flix set in the backwoods, rent this baby....

As horror films go, THE EVICTORS is slightly above the usual stuff that was released back then. The acting and production values are good. The cinematography is gorgeous. The Vestron VHS tape I watched had the film in an uncompressed anamorphic transfer. Everything looked squished but my TV has a 16x9 option and when I activated it, the VHS image was widescreen and beautiful. I loved the sepia toned scenes (they are flashbacks). They give the film a distinctive quality. The film's biggest weakness is the story. It sorta comes into its own by the end of the film but even so it's still pretty weak.

The story is about a couple who are terrorized by a mysterious man who lurks around a house they recently moved in, a house with a long history of suspicious violent deaths. The wife (played by the wonderful Jessica Harper) is repeatedly terrorized by the lurker when the husband is away. This storyline works on a certain level but the character who plays the lurker/murderer is no Michael or Jason. That aspect of the story was severely underwritten and when the revelation of who this lurker is and why he's terrorizing the couple, what gloomy & mysterious atmosphere the film so meticulously created vanished in a blink of an eye. But the revelation is not bad enough to destroy the whole film. It's just too corny, too a la Scooby Doo.

The other annoying thing about this film is the pacing. It's a tad slow going. The action eventually picks up in the second half but the first half was very casual.

Even with all its faults, I still enjoyed THE EVICTORS. It's a gorgeous looking horror film and there's Jessica Harper, which always makes anything worth watching.

I saw this move when I was 15 yo and found it rather atmospheric and creepy. The main actors are good, Jessica Harper and Michael Parks especially, but there are a few amateurish performances as well. The flashbacks to the murders of the past were nicely done too, they are quite tense and suspenseful actually, and the main characters in this flick behave in a manner that I at least found plausible. It's not a "no-holds-barred" terror movie or some "Friday the 13th"-clone, just a handsomely put together, semi-independent movie. Nice cinematography also and beautiful locations. However, the claim that this is a true story, is ridiculous and, considering the ending, not something even the filmmakers believe in.

In 1942, a couple moves into an old farm house in Northern Louisiana only to discover all the previous tenants have met with sinister fates. But does this eerie history have anything to do with the ominous stranger that's now terrorizing the young wife?

Director Charles B. Pierce may be best known for his docu-chillers The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972) and The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976), but The Evictors may just be the over-looked gem of his film career. Like his previous films The Evictors has a splendidly gritty, rural atmosphere that gives it a raw believability. This becomes all the more effective when the story builds to some strong tension as our heroine is stalked by a phantom prowler. There are also a number of flashbacks, shot in stylish black and white, that have a chilling creepiness.

The story is fairly well-written, as the plot takes a few unexpected and surprising turns. Its only real flaw is a final revelation that's a bit improbable. Pierce does well at creating a 40's era atmosphere, much like that of The Town That Dreaded Sundown. The camera work is nicely done and the music score solidly spooky. The biggest highlight here may come from star Jessica Harper's understated performance. Harper (best known as the heroine of Suspiria and Phantom of the Paradise) makes a truly convincing role here.

Over all, The Evictors is definitely a film worth checking out for horror fans, particularly those who are fans of Pierce or Harper. This is an underrated effort in need of a new audience.

*** out of ****

The Evictors, like Charles B. Pierce's other efforts (The Legend of Boggy Creek and The Town That Dreaded Sundown) is a spooky story based on actual events. This story centers around a house with a violent past. That past, however, does not stay dead. Instead it comes back to terrify any new occupants seeking to live in that same house. There are fine performances, some truly spooky scenes, and several twists towards its conclusion to keep the viewer entertained. Fans of this film should definitely seek out Pierce's other titles mentioned above. Happy Hunting!