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976-EVIL

  • 1988
  • R
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
5.1/10
5.6K
YOUR RATING
976-EVIL (1988)
Trailer 1
Play trailer1:53
2 Videos
99+ Photos
ComedyHorror

People who dial 976-EVIL receive supernatural powers and turn into satanic killers. When Spike dialed 976-EVIL, he knew it was an expensive toll call, but he didn't know that he'd have to pa... Read allPeople who dial 976-EVIL receive supernatural powers and turn into satanic killers. When Spike dialed 976-EVIL, he knew it was an expensive toll call, but he didn't know that he'd have to pay for it with his soul.People who dial 976-EVIL receive supernatural powers and turn into satanic killers. When Spike dialed 976-EVIL, he knew it was an expensive toll call, but he didn't know that he'd have to pay for it with his soul.

  • Director
    • Robert Englund
  • Writers
    • Rhet Topham
    • Brian Helgeland
  • Stars
    • Stephen Geoffreys
    • Patrick O'Bryan
    • Jim Metzler
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.1/10
    5.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Robert Englund
    • Writers
      • Rhet Topham
      • Brian Helgeland
    • Stars
      • Stephen Geoffreys
      • Patrick O'Bryan
      • Jim Metzler
    • 64User reviews
    • 63Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos2

    976-EVIL
    Trailer 1:53
    Watch 976-EVIL
    976 Evil: You've Found Her
    Clip 0:45
    Watch 976 Evil: You've Found Her

    Photos153

    Stephen Geoffreys in 976-EVIL (1988)
    Stephen Geoffreys and María Rubell in 976-EVIL (1988)
    976-EVIL (1988)
    976-EVIL (1988)
    976-EVIL (1988)
    976-EVIL (1988)
    976-EVIL (1988)
    Darren E. Burrows in 976-EVIL (1988)
    Patrick O'Bryan in 976-EVIL (1988)
    Sandy Dennis and Stephen Geoffreys in 976-EVIL (1988)
    Patrick O'Bryan in 976-EVIL (1988)
    Sandy Dennis in 976-EVIL (1988)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Stephen Geoffreys
    Stephen Geoffreys
    • Hoax
    Patrick O'Bryan
    Patrick O'Bryan
    • Spike
    • (as Pat O'Bryan)
    Jim Metzler
    Jim Metzler
    • Marty
    María Rubell
    • Angela
    • (as Maria Rubell)
    Lezlie Deane
    Lezlie Deane
    • Suzie
    J.J. Cohen
    J.J. Cohen
    • Marcus
    Sandy Dennis
    Sandy Dennis
    • Aunt Lucy
    Darren E. Burrows
    Darren E. Burrows
    • Jeff
    • (as Darren Burrows)
    Gunther Jenson
    Gunther Jenson
    • Airhead
    • (as Gunther Jensen)
    Jim Thiebaud
    • Rags
    Robert Picardo
    Robert Picardo
    • Mark Dark
    Paul Willson
    Paul Willson
    • Mr. Michaels
    Greg Collins
    Greg Collins
    • Mr. Selby
    Joanna Keyes
    • Suzie's Mother
    J.J. Johnston
    J.J. Johnston
    • Virgil
    John Currie Slade
    • John Doe
    • (as Jon Slade)
    Demetre Phillips
    • Sergeant Bell
    Don Bajema
    • Deputy
    • Director
      • Robert Englund
    • Writers
      • Rhet Topham
      • Brian Helgeland
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Robert Englund met his wife, set decorator Nancy Booth, while making this film.
    • Goofs
      When Spike is dialing from a phone booth outside the auto parts store, his is instructed to dial "666." He pushes three buttons, but the final tone is a different frequency than the first two. If he dialed three sixes, all three tones should have been the same.
    • Quotes

      Hoax: Once you've been to hell, everything else pales in comparison!

    • Crazy credits
      Mindy Seeger is credited in opening credits but not in the final cast.
    • Alternate versions
      Video contains footage cut from theatrical version
    • Connections
      Featured in Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010)
    • Soundtracks
      I'm a Wild One
      Written by Stephen C. Marston, Jill H. Roberts, Thomas Chase, and Steve Rucker

    User reviews64

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    5/10
    Average horror but unsatisfying
    Well I personally found the film about average. The story centres around cousins Spike (Patrick O'Bryan) and Hoax (Stephen Geoffreys). Also in the picture is Hoax's religious nut mother Lucy (Sandy Dennis), who wins my award for the most annoying character I've ever seen in a movie, and that's not a good thing.

    At the start of the movie Spike loses a game of poker to a gang and as a result must give up his motorcycle. Not really seeming too bothered by it all he phones up a number, 976-EVIL, which puts him through to some cheesy sounding "horrorscope" service. Paying some attention to what he hears Spike finds a way of getting the money for the gang so he isn't required to give up his bike. Hoax, who is basically a nerd, the subject of constant bullying also in turn phones the number and starts to hear the twisted horrorscope's advice...

    The film itself is ok. Nothing special at all, but fun in it's own little way. O'Bryan and Geoffrey's performances were quite good, unlike the majority of the cast. 976-Evil is badly made in my opinion. The acting is bad and the direction is lacklustre...but lets give Rob some credit, at least the film wasn't too bad. The major problems with the film lie in the screenplay, acting in horror can be forgiven occasionally, and sometimes shaky direction can actually be of benefit to horror, but the screenplay needed to be solid and it wasn't.

    The plot evolves far too quickly in some places and not near fast enough in others. After a particular incident in the film involving fish falling from the sky Jim Metzler is introduced as Marty, a journalist for a religious magazine, or at least I think he was, at one point he did pass himself off as a private investigator! Considering the rather small amount of information Marty was given throughout the film he certainly seems to trace the problems to the '976-EVIL' number rather quickly, this to me was a major plot fall.

    Also some characters in the film just seemed to appear, while others disappeared for a while then came back with no explanation for their absence or why they've chosen to suddenly show up. The whole story seems very inconsistent on the speed at which it moves. To watch this film and fully enjoy it I think you need to keep concentrating which unfortunately in a film like this can be quite difficult to do now and again, but I think that's the only way for the whole film to make sense.

    All in all a quite enjoyable, yet unsatisfying horror film, don't expect too much gore though there were some quite cool special effects and make-up and don't expect a masterpiece. Also, as the story is rather weak don't expect too much from that either, otherwise you will be disappointed. It's the type of horror film I'd probably watch again on sleepless nights.
    helpful•18
    10
    • Snake-666
    • May 16, 2003

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    FAQ1

    • What are the differences between the Theatrical Version and the Extended Cut?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 24, 1989 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Dial the Devil
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Cinetel Films
      • Horrorscope Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,955,917
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $794,049
      • Mar 26, 1989
    • Gross worldwide
      • $2,955,917
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 32 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Ultra Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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