Equinox (1970)

Director:

Jack Woods
(more)

Writers:

Mark Thomas McGee (story)
Jack Woods

Release Date:

October 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Adventure | Mystery

Tagline:

Supernatural Color by De Luxe

Plot:

Four friends are attacked by a demon while on a picnic, due to possession of a tome of mystic information. Told in flashbacks by the sole survivor.

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Book | Necronomicon | Forest Ranger | Scientist

Cast

Edward Connell	...	David Fielding
Barbara Hewitt	...	Susan Turner
Frank Bonner	...	Jim Hudson (as Frank Boers Jr.)
Robin Christopher	...	Vicki
Jack Woods	...	Asmodeus
James Phillips	...	Reporter Sloan (as Jim Phillips)
Fritz Leiber Jr.	...	Dr. Arthur Waterman (as Fritz Leiber)
Patrick Burke	...	Branson
Jim Duron	...	Orderly
Sharon Gray
Louis Clayton
Norvelle Brooks
Irving L. Lichtenstein
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Forrest J Ackerman	...	Doctor on tape recorder (voice) (uncredited)
Jim Danforth	...	Extra (uncredited)
Jack H. Harris	...	Detective Harrison (uncredited)
Chuck Niles	...	Voice (uncredited)
R.J. Robertson	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Jack Woods
Mark Thomas McGee		(co-director) (uncredited)
Dennis Muren		(uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mark Thomas McGee		story
Jack Woods

Produced by
Jack H. Harris	....	producer
Dennis Muren	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jaime Mendoza-Nava		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Mike Hoover

Film Editing by
John Joyce

Makeup Department
Robynne Hoover	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Sam Altonian	....	production manager

Sound Department
Bradley Lane	....	sound mixer

Visual Effects by
David Allen	....	special photographic effects
Jim Danforth	....	special photographic effects
Dennis Muren	....	special photographic effects
Jim Danforth	....	cel animator (uncredited)
Jim Danforth	....	matte artist (uncredited)
Jim Danforth	....	special equipment (uncredited)
Ralph Rodine	....	animation camera (uncredited)
David Stipes	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ed Begley Jr.	....	assistant camera
Joel Chernoff	....	gaffer
Ben Harwood Jr.	....	grip

Music Department
John Caper Jr.	....	music supervisor (as John Caper)

Other crew
Jill Murphy	....	script supervisor
Bob Woods	....	production assistant
Conrad Buff IV	....	production staff (uncredited)
Bill Goodwin	....	production staff (uncredited)
Alan Gould	....	production staff (uncredited)
Chris Koppel	....	production staff (uncredited)
Lin Kroll	....	production staff (uncredited)
David Stipes	....	production staff (uncredited)
Susan Turner	....	production staff (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Tonylyn Productions Inc.

Distributors

• Jack H. Harris Enterprises (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• Wizard Video (1981) (USA) (VHS)
• Wizard Video (1985) (USA) (VHS) (as "The Beast")
• Criterion Collection, The (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (????) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2012) (Australia) (DVD)
• VIP Distributors
• Vogue Video (????) (Canada) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Glen Glenn Sound Company  sound (as Glen Glenn)
• Edit International  sound effects
• Howard Anderson Company, The  opticals (as Howard A. Anderson Co.)

Also Known As:

"The Beast" - USA (video title)
"The Equinox... A Journey Into the Supernatural" - USA (restored version)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:15 | USA:GP (original rating) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Germany:16 | UK:X (1971) | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

St. Luke Medical Center, 2632 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Tonylyn Productions Inc.

Trivia:

Originally a student film project by Dennis Muren.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Support wires are visible on the Taurus figure and rocks during the rock-throwing sequence.

Quotes:

[first lines]
David Fielding:Susan? Susan! Su - !

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dennis Muren Interview (2006) (V)

Check Out The Criterion Edition

Bad, good, it doesn't matter. This is one of the great film labors of love. Rent the criterion edition and do as I did. Listen to the commentary over the Muren cut of the film. Then Switch to the Jack Harris, Jack Woods commentary over their cut. I was under the false impression as I watched the kids cut that Woods did not add much when he made his cut. Watching Woods cut you see how much effort went into shaping the final theatrical cut. It's amazing that the actors, unpaid for 2 years, already constantly returning to remote sets to incrementally add to to the shot count, would ALL reassemble for the extra shots that Woods would want to add. Listening to Muren, Danforth and McGee knock their own acting and talent is a real crack up. Everyone involved obviously loved the doing of this film. I am still impressed by the high quality of illusion achieved, especially the forced perspective work and the matte painting by Danforth.