In celebration of its 50th anniversary, this horror picture is being given a “Limited Edition” Blu-ray by Radiance Films (there will only be 3000 copies made).
I’ll be frank here. While I’m quite familiar with the early 70s creeper Messiah of Evil, I had no idea that the movie has developed a fervent cult following over the past decade. Even though the movie has never really been my cup of tea, I will admit that it is hard not to be impressed by some of the chilling moments that occur late in the film. This small title has now developed such a following that Radiance Films are releasing a “Limited Edition” Blu-ray with a 4K picture restoration and a spectacular array of bonuses. Compared to the old VHS tapes with a cropped, darkened picture, this new transfer is a revelation. For the first time, one can really appreciate this unique chiller’s impressive cinematography. It’s an incredible Blu-ray release that will thrill those who already love the movie and likely earn it an even larger audience.
The story is very oblique and, in many respects, unclear. A young woman named Arletty (Marianna Hill) searches for her estranged father in his sleepy California seaside hometown. She finds bizarre diary writings and voice recordings from her dad that tells her that a darkness is consuming the area and not to look for him. Instead of examining all the material in full or taking it to the police, she decides to rush out and investigate his claims. Of course, the locals are not talking about what happened to her pop. However, Arletty does meet and befriend a visiting aristocrat named Thom (Thomas Green), who enjoys hearing about local myths. He and his concubines (Joy Bang, Anitra Ford) decide to assist Arletty and the group eventually discover that a supernatural “dark stranger” is expected to appear and turn the entire town into members of the walking dead.
There’s definitely a dreamlike feel to the proceedings, which helps cover for some of the plot holes. It does have to be watched as some kind of feverish nightmare, as the actions of the leads rarely make logical sense. But, when the attack scenes finally arrive (after the one-hour mark), they are quite chilling and memorable. One sequence involves a character wandering into a Ralph’s grocery store and witnessing shoppers devouring meats, only to have them come after her. Another memorable bit involves a person slowly finding themselves being surrounded by threatening figures while at a movie theater (just don’t ask why they needed to check out a movie given all the unsettling events occurring around them).
Yes, this is an odd one that doesn’t feature easily identifiable characters, nor does the movie offer a cohesive conclusion, but it has loads of atmosphere and there are plenty of chills during the final third that certainly make it worth a watch. As mentioned, this is the sharpest the movie has ever looked and the cinematography is very strong throughout. It’s an interesting and at times very effective attempt to combine elements of American horror pictures with artsier European arthouse fare.
Besides the fantastic picture, the disc comes with a great many bonuses. There’s an entertaining audio commentary by critics Kim Newman and Stephen Thrower that offers plenty of details about the production history, the cast and crew and their subsequent careers, as well as their own takes on what might be going on in the film. Additionally, there’s a visual essay on the picture in which the critic defines the movie as “American Gothic” and then sets out to define the term and how it applies to the movie itself.
But perhaps the highlights are a lengthy documentary. Viewers who don’t already know will learn about the creative team behind the picture, Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz. The pair co-wrote American Graffiti with George Lucas and this follow-up was intended to be their own calling card. It seems that they found investors who would allow them to make any picture they wanted, as long as it had horror elements. They later co-wrote Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and then co-wrote Howard the Duck (which Huyck directed).
The documentary also features many genre critics who have become admirers/defenders of the movie. They all offer their take on what’s happening and what the picture means to them, as well as it’s influences… filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni (Red Desert, Blowup, Zabriskie Point, The Passenger) gets referred to a lot. Some of the assertions do seem a bit much. There is plenty of bickering as to whether the townspeople are vampires or zombies, which seems largely based upon their own personal definitions of each monster (I suppose they can be interpreted as either, but the matter doesn’t really seem worth a big fight about). But then again, it’s definitely enjoyable to see how fans can really get behind a movie and interpret meaning as well as debate just about every aspect of it.
Perhaps the most insightful extra is an audio interview featuring co-writer/co-director Willard Huyck. He tells wonderful stories about his career and is very straightforward and honest about the movie. As it turns out, he had been watching a lot of Antonioni at the time and the movie was influenced by the filmmaker. But he notes that there were some problems during the production. They ran out of money before completing the movie, so it does make less sense than intended. Producers then took over the picture and recut sections without consulting them. Sadly, the movie also didn’t get much of a theatrical release. It took a few years for it to eventually play at a theater, before appearing on tape. Still, he is thankful that people do like the movie, even if it doesn’t quite meet his original vision.
Additionally, this release includes an 80-page booklet with essays on the movie and a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned art.
There’s enough eerie imagery and oddness present that Messiah of Evil does make an impression and stand out to some degree among the onslaught of titles being released at the time. Even though it isn’t a personal favorite, I enjoyed it much more with this new transfer. The Blu-ray from Radiance Films looks phenomenal and once can see how such an impressive looking low-budget movie could build a big following. This disc is worth checking out to see if it speaks to you too!