PRIME EVIL
(director: Roberta Findlay; screenwriters: Ed Kelleher/Harriette Vidal; cinematographer: Roberta Findlay; editor: Roberta Findlay; music: Walter E. Sear; cast: William Beckwith (Thomas Seaton), Christine Moore (Alexandra), Max Jacobs (George Parkman), Tim Gail (Bill), Mavis Harris (Sister Angela), Gary Warner (Detective Dan Carr), George Krause (Ben); Runtime: 87; MPAA Rating: R; producer: Walter E. Sear; Starmaker (Crown Pictures); 1988)
“It’s a horrible film about Good vs. Evil, that suffers because of a confusing story, trite dialogue, poor visualization and weak performances.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Roberta Findlay(“Glitter”/”Blood Sisters”/”Tenement”) helms this dumb horror pic. It’s written by Ed Kelleher and Harriette Vidal.
A prologue relates how in the mid-1300s the Black Plague swept over Europe. This gave Lucifer a chance to recruit disciples by offering them a chance to be devil-worshippers and beat the death from the plague. To join, the recruit must sacrifice a family member to Satan. Brother Thomas Seaton (William Beckwith) is the stern monk who is chosen to be Lucifer’s right-hand man. He rules his order with an iron-hand.
In contemporary NYC, the renegade and lecherous Father Seaton heads the Catholic Church where his believers secretly operate a coven. They search for sacrificial relative vics to the Devil to be used during their special rituals that take place every 13 years. The vic chosen by George Parkman (Max Jacobs), in his obligatory sacrifice to renew his contract with Lucifer, is his virgin grand-daughter social worker Alexandra (Christine Moore). The only one older in the coven is Seaton, and George aims to be his replacement. But George’s sacrificial plans are opposed by Sister Angela (Mavis Harris), a spy from the regular Catholic Church who infiltrated the coven. The two get into a wicked spiritual fight, as she plans on stopping all future sacrifices.
Tim Grail plays Alexandra’s suspicious boyfriend, whose concerns are ignored by her.
It’s a horrible film about Good vs. Evil, that suffers because of a confusing story, trite dialogue, poor visualizations and weak performances.
REVIEWED ON 7/28/2015 GRADE: C