Something Evil (TV 1972)

A young couple moves into a farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania. What they don't know is that there is an unseen presence in the house, and that it wants to take possession of the wife.

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writer:

Robert Clouse

Stars:

Sandy Dennis, Darren McGavin, Ralph Bellamy

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sandy Dennis	...	Marjorie Worden
Darren McGavin	...	Paul Worden
Ralph Bellamy	...	Harry Lincoln
Jeff Corey	...	Gehrmann
Johnny Whitaker	...	Stevie Worden
John Rubinstein	...	Ernest Lincoln
David Knapp	...	John
Laurie Hagen	...	Beth
Debbie Lempert	...	Laurie Worden
Sandy Lempert	...	Laurie Worden
Herb Armstrong	...	Mr. Schiller
Margaret Avery	...	Irene
Norman Bartold	...	Mr. Hackett
Sheila Bartold	...	Mrs. Hackett
Lois Battle	...	Mrs. Faraday

Storyline

Sandy Dennis, Darren McGavin, and their kids move into a possessed Pennsylvania farmhouse occupied by the devil himself, eager to assert his powers on new tenants. This early Steven Speilberg TV movie comes on the heels of his classic "Duel" and shares some similarities with his later production, "Poltergeist". Speilberg's camera trickery makes this entry much better than the usual made-for-TV ghost-story movie at the time and the director even makes a cameo appearance.

---

Plot Keywords:

farmhouse | house | possession | pentagram | supernatural power | 

---

Genres:

Horror

---

Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 January 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Presença do Mal

Filming Locations:

Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Belford Productions, CBS Entertainment Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Steven Spielberg puts in an appearance as one of the Worden's party guests, along with Carl Gottlieb and Michael Macready.

---

Goofs

The shadow of the cameraman can be seen on Marjorie's red robe when she walks out to the yard on their first night.

---

Quotes

audition girl: Apples come in taffy gold, mmm-mmm, they're scrump-tu-ous! Scrump... they're... they... mmmm, they... mmmmm.
Paul Worden: Thank you, erm, thank you very much, my dear. We're looking for a singer.

---

Connections

Spoofed in Reflections of Evil (2002)

---

Soundtracks

"APPLE BAR CANDY SONG"
by Charlie Marie Gordon

User Reviews

DECENT FILM. ONE OF SPIELBERG'S WEAK EFFORTS!

SOMETHING EVIL is as good as you could make that film. You couldn't have done it better, however it's still a slow film. Directed by the world-famous Steven Spielberg, you'd expect this film to be much better, however add awful writer Robert Clouse who wrote three mystery films but dozens of kung fu films, you can see why this isn't top quality. Since I am a Spielberg fan I had to get this gem and I am glad I did, it's rare.

SUMMARY: Marjorie [Marge] Worden (Sandy Dennis) and her family which includes: husband Paul (Darren McGavin), son Stevie (Johnnie Whitaker) and daughter Laurie (Debbie & Sandy Lempert), move into a brand new country estate only to find that a demon lurks there. Marge investigates and slowly goes insane, while her skeptic husband carries on his advertising business. She learns about the demon haunting the house from neighbor Harry Lincoln (Ralph Bellamy). The ending is a battle of good vs. evil.

I love the setting in the countryside. You'd think it was all innocent, especially since the majority of the film takes place in daylight. The ending is still a shock. I enjoyed this movie. The acting is great, even from Johnnie Whitaker, who has a smaller role. RECOMMENDATION: The Amityville Horror. ** 1/2 stars, 7/10. SEE THIS MOVIE IF THE CHANCE COMES UP!!!!!!