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Messiah of Evil (1973)

 -  Horror | Thriller  -  1973 (USA)
6.2
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Ratings: 6.2/10 from 1,089 users  
Reviews: 62 user | 48 critic

A young woman goes searching for her missing artist father. Her journey takes her to a strange Californian seaside town governed by a mysterious undead cult.

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Title: Messiah of Evil (1973)

Messiah of Evil (1973) on IMDb 6.2/10

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Greer ...
Thom
...
Arletty (as Mariana Hill)
Joy Bang ...
Toni
Anitra Ford ...
Laura
...
Joseph Long
...
Charlie
Charles Dierkop ...
Gas Attendant
Bennie Robinson ...
Albino trucker
Morgan Fisher ...
Unknown
Emma Truckman ...
Unknown
Dyanne Asimow ...
Unknown (as Dyanne Simon)
Herb Margolis ...
Unknown
Alex Michaels ...
Unknown
Laurie Charlap-Hyman ...
Unknown
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Storyline

A young woman goes searching for her missing artist father. Her journey takes her to a strange Californian seaside town governed by a mysterious undead cult.

Add Full Plot | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Terror reigns when he returns. See more »

Genres:

Horror | Thriller

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

1973 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Dead People  »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Arletty is named after the french actress best known from Children of Paradise (1945). See more »

Goofs

When Arletty is tending to Thom towards the end of the film, Thom is on his back and has some blood on his face from his ear, which she wipes away. In the next shot, the blood is back. See more »

Quotes

Arletty: [narrating] They're coming here. They're waiting at the edge of the city. They're peering around buildings at night, and they're waiting. They waiting for you! And they'll take you one by one and noone will hear you scream. Noone will hear you SCREAM!
See more »

Connections

References The Birds (1963) See more »

Soundtracks

"Hold On To Love"
Music and Lyrics by Eliane Tortel
Sung by Raun MacKinnon
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Aesthetic and unique, in good ways
27 December 2004 | by (South Dakota, U.S.) – See all my reviews

Virtually all of the praise I've ever seen for this film comes with the word "but", followed by a list of flaws. This is undeserved. True, the film (in its DVD double-bill with The Devil's Nightmare form) has some minor editing issues; true, it has cheesy pop music you'd never find if you search for years (I personally consider this a GOOD thing); true, the film is not a fast paced zombie-action flick with grue and butchery (in fact, it's more cult than zombie film). BUT, what the movie does have going for it is an original edge and some sharp, moody scenes that are rare for the era. Some comments say it is slow ...my view is that the authors of such comments are simply more used to modern, faster-paced cinema. The scenes are aesthetically delightful but certainly not as artsy (negatively so) as some commentors claim (the artsy-ness doesn't really go beyond the story itself: DO NOT fear this is comparable to the so-called artsy-ness of, say, a Jess Franco film ...it is not). The actors have been attacked by other commentors, but this is one of the things I was more impressed with considering the seemingly meager budget. I thought the male lead did a much better job than, say, the female lead. The two girls who are traveling with the male lead are also surprisingly human and real for a film like this, and there is obviously some chemistry in the cast (but for the female lead: she's a bit too dreamy). The albino and the Richard Wagner music-scene felt out of place but perhaps worked with the disorientation of the film as a whole. In all, comparing this film to its genre and period, it really can't be dismissed. A little indecisive, but not nearly enough to detract from the bounty of great scenes and sensations.


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Anyone get the DVD yet? westing000
talk about a gem westing000
Where was this filmed? scarpred
is there a version that looks good? crunkyshines
It's THE Walter Hill In The Movie retrogames
See the original theatrical poster art HERE tabbycat
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