Evilspeak (1981) - Blu-ray Review

Details: By Loron Hays; 16 May 2014

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Evilspeak - Blu-ray Review

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The passing of time favors 1981’s Evilspeak, a film a little too late to ride the whole Satanic scene of the late 1970’s but way in front of the curve as far as computers are concerned. Starring Clint Howard as a military cadet so bullied that he turns to Satanic forces via a Radio Shack TRS-80 computer for help enacting his revenge, Evilspeak, upon its release, was no stranger to controversy. It features a moving embryo kept inside an antique jar, beheadings aplenty, kills by wild hogs, moving Jesus statues, and a flying Clint Howard.

This horror film is written by Eric Weston and Joseph Garofalo, and directed by Weston. Unfortunately, its release history kept it from bigger venues and its VHS release was handled rather poorly. Imagine that. If you know of the movie, then you know that it starts with Satanic leader Father Estaban (Richard Moll of Night Court fame) being banished from the shores of Spain during the Dark Ages.

Don’t worry, the prelude to the 1981 happenings ties in to Howard’s story quite nicely with a gnarly computer-guided possession. This is pre-Ice Cream Man Howard and, unfortunately, everything is played straight which means - when Howard starts lobbing off heads as he flies around the room - you have to accept the gravitas of the situation without laughing. You will; you will do both actually. The things Howard goes through – teasing, taunting, name calling, and the mutilation of his puppy – are enough to have everyone in the room cheering on his revenge.

Of course, there will be blood. There has to be. And Evilspeak doesn’t disappoint in the category of gore. A woman is violated by a gang of satanic boars in her shower; another victim has his heart ripped out of his chest. And then there are the beheadings. From the beginning to the ending, heads go flying through the air as if they were merely soccer balls. Ironically, this metaphor is one of the sharpest cuts in the movie. Yes, from a beheading to a soccer ball kicked. One cut. Genius.

This low budget affair doesn’t sport the finest of young actors. But, in the days of Rock and Roll High School, neither really mattered as long as you had strong character actors. Evilspeak has that in spades. From R.G. Armstrong to Charles Tyner, the older characters dance circles around the younger cast but it helps solidify some of the more desperate acts in the film.

Pick your poison because Evilspeak has plenty of bloody treats.

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MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 89 mins
Director: Eric Weston
Writer: Joseph Garofalo, Eric Weston
Cast: Clint Howard, R.G. Armstrong, Joe Cortese
Genre: Horror
Tagline: Evilspeak
Memorable Movie Quote: "I take it we can rule out extraterrestrial interference?"
Theatrical Distributor: Mereno Films
Official Site:
Release Date: February 26, 1982
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: May 13, 2014
Synopsis: A military cadet who happens to be a social outcast taps into a way to summon demons and cast spells on his tormentors through his computer.

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Evilspeak - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - May 13, 2014
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD)
Region Encoding: A

Courtesy of Scream Factory (an imprint of Shout! Factory), Evilspeak has been given a HD treatment better than many of its contemporaries. The AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1 is quite crisp, even if the picture is a tad on the dark side (likely due to the cinematography, though). The picture has been newly minted from an original 35mm print and it shows. No scratches and no damages at all. The color levels are bright and consistent and never fall short of the blu-ray format. While facial features are crisp and textures in book covers and clothes strong, much of the film takes place in a basement and things get too dark, making it almost impossible to see clearly. A lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono mix rounds out the remastering.

Supplements:

Commentary:

Director Eric Weston provides a new and often hilarious commentary moderated by Bill Olson.

Special Features:

One of the reasons Scream Factory has such a success with their releases is the fact that they tend to have fun with their titles. They know their limitations and they know the fans of these cult classics are sick and twisted souls. There is a bit of tongue and cheek hilarity to all of the featurettes – a funny making of and a series of interviews with the cast and special effects handler - which makes the viewing so dynamite.