Messiah Of Evil (1973)

A bit of a cult favourite nowadays amongst horror fans who are aware of it, Messiah Of Evil is certainly worth a watch if you're after something atmospheric and very different from the norm but it's also a highly flawed movie almost undone by the weaker aspects (the acting isn't all that great, the script is often full of random exclamations and numerous plot holes and the visual style veers from drab and lifeless to eye-catchingly brilliant).

Marianna Hill plays a woman who travels to a small seaside town to find her artist father. The few locals that talk to her include a number of people denying any knowledge of her father, a man and a couple of women living free and easy and a number of oddballs who just proceed to get stranger and stranger in their behaviour as the movie progresses.

Director Willard Huyck (who also co-wrote the movie with his wife Gloria Katz) may not be completely to blame for the final result because, apparently, the money ran out and this was what could be put together from the material already in the can. This explains the fact that the movie doesn't quite make sense but that adds to the wonderful strangeness of it.

Marianna Hill is okay in the lead role and Elisha Cook Jr. is always good to see onscreen but nobody else (Michael Greer, Joy Bang, Anita Ford, Royal Dano, etc)  makes an impression at all, at least not in a speaking part. The people who do make an impression onscreen are the people who play the more unusual, and possibly dangerous, characters inhabiting the town. In every sequence it's the mood and atmosphere that takes precedence over the acting of the leads or the quality of the dialogue. One scene in particular, set in a cinema, is particularly effective, reminiscent of a classic moment from The Birds.

Undeserving of its obscurity, Messiah Of Evil isn't an easy horror movie to recommend to everyone but the good news is that it's available to view for free here so you can always make your own mind up about it. Give it a watch and let me know what you think.

6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Devils-Nightmare-Messiah-Region-Import/dp/B00005Q63Z

So, You've Downloaded A Demon (2007)

A low budget horror comedy that's more about the laughs than the scares, this little movie is one of those enjoyable films that makes up for many failings by just trying so damn hard to be likeable. It may not have the sharpest script, tightest editing or best cast but it still does enough to raise itself just above the desolate middle ground where 1001 decidedly average slasher/vampire/zombie movies reside.

The premise is covered by the title. A couple of goth gals (Miranda, played by Casidee Riley, and Cat, played by Sommer Lynn Fain) stumble across a website that offers them plenty in exchange for their soul. They decide not to risk accepting the offer but get a couple of nice men they know (Dave, played by Zak Kreiter, and Brian, played by Daniel Paul Schafer) to have a look. One bit of cyberhacking later and Dave has been possessed by a demon. This means that he speaks in amusingly melodramatic fashion, vomits on people as he tries to win the position of student president and aims to collect the one or two more souls that will make him pretty much all-powerful. It's up to Miranda, Cat and Brian to overcome the demon, preferably without killing Dave. They may also receive some help from the informed Dr. Malcolm (Todd Livingston) but removing the demon from Dave may not be the end of the matter.

Todd Livingston, as well as giving himself a supporting role in the movie, also directed the thing and co-wrote the screenplay with Nicholas Capetanakis. If it was a terrible movie then we could easily point the finger and call for a swift end to his career. But it's not that bad. So, You've Downloaded A Demon contains many of the mis-steps often seen in amateur fare (such as repetitive sequences, inconsistent audio levels, not-so-special special effects) but it also has an enthusiasm and sense of fun that makes up for a hell of a lot.

The cast have fun, even if they're not necessarily destined for greatness, and the vibe of the whole movie was vaguely reminiscent of some crazy John Hughes comedy in my opinion. That, to me, is no bad thing. Perhaps they should have put everyone in detention and called it The Exorcist Club.

You won't want to rush out and spend a lot of money on this movie but I do recommend it as a potential viewing when you've exhausted many other possibilities and I'd also recommend that you pick it up if you ever see it going for a bargain price. Those involved deserve to know that the film is reaching some kind of audience, even if it's just people as easygoing with their viewing material as I am.

6/10

http://www.amazon.com/Youve-Downloaded-Demon-Xenia-Seeberg/dp/B001GJ4U82

Or watch it for free here.