Beyond Evil
Director- Herb Freed
Cast- Lynda Day George, John Saxon, Michael Dante
Country of Origin- U.S.
Distributor - Vinegar Syndrome
Number of Discs - 2
Reviewed by - Richard Glenn Schmidt
Date- 11/12/2019
John Saxon and Lynda Day George play Larry and Barbara Andrews, a married couple who head off to a Hawaiian island for a fresh start because reasons. Larry’s friend and business partner Del Giorgio (Michael Dante) -who also happens to be Barbara’s ex- claims to have gotten them a swanky apartment. Instead, Del is doing some vaguely illegal dealings on the side with a shady doctor who wants to unload a haunted mansion on the unsuspecting couple. Don’t worry if this sounds convoluted, all you need to remember is the phrase “haunted mansion”.
The ghostly shenanigans begin almost immediately as Barbara is possessed by the spirit of a witch who was murdered by her unfaithful husband. All kinds of strange accidents begin to occur and a statue of Satan with glowing eyes goes flying. Though wary at first, Larry enlists the help of Dr. Solomon (character actor, David Opatoshu), a local healer to exorcise the witch and say once and for all, “Not today, Satan”.
When you cast Lynda Day George (Pieces) and John Saxon (A Nightmare on Elm Street) in the same movie, you’ve already got my attention. Throw in a score by Pino Donaggio and you might as well pat yourself on the back. Who am I talking to? Director Herb Freed, of course. He directed the sports-themed slasher Graduation Day and an odd little favorite of mine called Haunts. Not surprisingly, He brings his reliably eclectic charms to Beyond Evil, a spookified melodrama so freakin’ drenched in 1970s kitsch that I swear its 1980 release date must be a red herring.
In spite of a brief smattering of nudity and bloody gore in a couple of scenes, Beyond Evil has a TV movie vibe to it and that’s not a criticism. I genuinely really dig that feel and my green glowing laser eyes eat it up. The obtuse plot and the pitifully low budget are just icing on the cake. The back story of the witch and her bizarre powers more than make up for whatever the heck is happening in the present-day parts of the story. Plus, Saxon is so ripped and George is so charming that I don’t really give a dang what’s going on.
I enjoyed this nearly forgotten and rather sleepy little treat and I’m so happy that Vinegar Syndrome has worked their magic to bring it into my home. The print looks and sounds great though some of the stock footage used in the film looks a little worse for wear. In the extras department, there’s the original theatrical trailer for the film and two interviews, one with Freed and another with producer/writer David Baughn. The interview with Freed is good if a little too philosophical for me. Baughn is much more informative about the genesis of the story and the production. Good stuff.
