Evil Spirits (1990)

A strange woman runs a boardinghouse whose tenants--mostly misfits and others who won't be missed--begin dying off or simply disappearing. She still cashes their government benefit checks ... See full summary »

Director:

Gary Graver

Writer:

Mikel Angel

Stars:

Karen Black, Arte Johnson, Virginia Mayo

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Karen Black	...	Ella Purdy
Arte Johnson	...	Lester Potts
Virginia Mayo	...	Janet Wilson
Michael Berryman	...	Mr. Balzac
Martine Beswick	...	Vanya
Bert Remsen	...	John Wilson
Yvette Vickers	...	Neighbor
Mikel Angel	...	Willie
Debra Lamb	...	Tina
Robert Quarry	...	Doctor
Anthony Eisley	...	Detective
Hoke Howell	...	Mailman
Sam Menning	...	Hans
Dori Courtney	...	Bank Teller
Larry Biedes	...	Mr. Stevens

Storyline

A strange woman runs a boardinghouse whose tenants--mostly misfits and others who won't be missed--begin dying off or simply disappearing. She still cashes their government benefit checks even after they're gone, and it turns out that disappearing tenants aren't the only weird things that are going on in that house.

---

Plot Keywords:

tenant | boardinghouse | welfare fraud | low budget | b movie | 

---

Taglines:

Madness. Murder. Mayhem.

---

Genres:

Horror

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 October 1991 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The interiors were shot in a dilapidated old house that served as a home for recovering drug addicts and alcoholics.

---

Connections

Referenced in Invasion of the Scream Queens (1992)

User Reviews

a masterwork of mediocrity.

"So-so" sums it up...simply marginal on every level, with ensemble "anything for a paycheck" cast the only redeeming quality. Karen Black is her usual hammy self as the psychotic landlady of a rooming house for various misfit characters. They mysteriously disappear at random, while smiling Ms. Black continues collecting on their monthly government checks. She converses with an unearthly male voice from time-to-time...a spirit from beyond the grave, or just a madwoman's rambling dementia?

Not many great thrills to be had in this, but not bad enough to be harshly criticized, either...EVIL SPIRITS is a take-it-or-leave-it crap shoot- some may find this one entertaining(and gore mongers should find it acceptably gross), but I personally was left underwhelmed and rather put off by it's occasionally over-the-top comical silliness.

Hmmm.... 4.5/10, coulda been worse.