• Release year: 1974
• Director: Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz.
• Producers: Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz.
• Screenplay by: Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz.
• Cinematography by: Stephen M. Katz.
• Music by: Phillan Bishop.

Shotgun Commentary: a Salem’s Lot (2024) type of film with that 70s nonsensical charm.

Review

Messiah of Evil is a horror film that hints at zombie invasion without quite becoming part of the genre. The commentary on consumerism, brought by the mindless consumption of brainless zombie-like creatures, is covered by a layer of horror that feeds off the paranoia with Satanism and cults that quickly spread over the US after the Manson case. In a moment in time when cults or, indeed, any other religion was regarded with alarm, this film taps directly into one of the biggest dreads at the core of American society.

Consuming flesh

The narrative is simple, much like the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode Special Delivery (1959), there is an entity of unknown origin taking over people slowly but surely. Amidst this takeover is Arletty (Marianna Hill), a young woman who unknowingly ends up in the lion’s den in her attempt to find her father. During her search, she finds her father’s diaries and meets a wannabe pimp who is accompanied by two stereotypes and a drunk vagabond. The last one is attacked almost immediately after telling Arletty the truth, leaving only the fancy man and his brainless companions to ignore the concept of private property and abuse Arletty’s hospitality.

The house where the protagonist is staying is her fathers. He is a painter and, as such, his whole property is covered with his works, most of them referencing consumerism, like the long queues that are drawn with the people watching over the bathtub of the house like it’s some kind of entertainment show. In addition to his works, there are two other obvious references which coincide with the two most memorable scenes.

Without revealing too much, one happens in a supermarket, where the connection between produce and women is made more than clear. The other, almost as obvious, connects entertainment with consumerism, in particular the pleasurable consumption of female pain and punishment that has fed a big current of horror.

Fun and lights

If you ignore the annoyingly clichéd women and their companion’s disgustingly sexist behaviour towards them, the film is actually quite fun. In addition to the innate charm of vintage horror, the low-budget visuals are quite the attraction. The use of lights and shadows to highlighting or conceal different elements of the image to control the narrative is quite simple, but very effective. As for the colours, they are also crucial for the narrative, both in the form of makeup and costumes, and in the lighting. From creating an eerie atmosphere, to huge Suspiria-like (1977) psychedelic contrasts where everything is blue but a bright, bold trickle of blood, the film plays with different colour palettes to deliver a visually engaging piece.

All in all, Messiah of Evil is a pretty interesting 70s horror feature that has served as inspiration for plenty of movies afterwards. It is a fun watch for audiences nowadays, and still relevant enough to be worth one or few rewatches if you are a fan of this era-specific type of horror. The ending is slightly anticlimactic, but it does leave you to tie the story by yourself, an easy Get Out of Jail Free card that works quite well nonetheless.

For all fans of 70s horror, Messiah of Evil now available for purchase in the UK through Radiance. Also available in USA/Canada from their partners MVD, Diabolik, Grindhouse and others.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• New 2023 restoration from a 4K scan of the best-surviving elements of the film from the Academy Film Archive
• Uncompressed mono PCM audio
• Audio commentary by critics and horror experts Kim Newman and Stephen Thrower
• Archival interview with co-writer-director Willard Huyck by Mike White from the Projection Booth Podcast
• What the Blood Moon Brings: Messiah of Evil, A New American Nightmare – A documentary feature which explores Messiah of Evil in the context of American independent cinema of the 70s, as well as examining the film’s allegiance to several subgenres of horror film through its underlying themes. Co-directed by Dima Ballin and Kat Ellinger; featuring film scholars Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Maitland McDonagh, Guy Adams, Mikel Koven and David Huckvale (2023)
• Visual essay on American Gothic and Female Hysteria by critic Kat Ellinger (2023)
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

Find the Radiance release right here!

Advice to take from this movie:

• If a village is way too creepy for its own good, move on and don’t look back.
• Don’t follow weird people into deserted supermarkets.
• You can never go wrong with bold colour contrasts.

What’s your take? Have you watched Messiah of Evil? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀