SOMETHING EVIL

US, 1972, 73 minutes, Colour.
Sandy Dennis, Darren Mc Gavin, Ralph Bellamy, Jeff Corey, Johnny Whitaker, John Rubinstein, Margaret Avery.
Directed by Steven Spielberg.

Asking for the director of Something Evil would be a very good Trivial Pursuit question. In fact, Steven Spielberg had made a number of short films during the 1960s and directed Joan Crawford in an episode of Night Gallery in 1969. He also directed episodes from Marcus Welby, The Name of the Game, The Psychiatrist, Colombo and Owen Marshall. His first television film was the celebrated Duel. Something Evil came after. This was three years before Jaws.

The film is a simple story of the haunted house variety, like The Amityville Horror. Darren McGavin? and Sandy Dennis portray a couple who by a house which is allegedly possessed by the Devil. The expected consequences occur – although Spielberg, with his flair for direction and camerawork, makes this a slightly above average variation on this theme.

1. Was this a succesful telemovie? Comment on the use of television techniques, close-ups. Comment on the television style.

2. The portrayal of the house, the personalities, the editing?

3. How well did the film treat its theme? The theme of the occult and possession for home viewing for tele-viewers? Did this detract from the theme?

4. How successful was the impact of the opening of the film? The mystery, the occult, the death? How did this effect audience response and make them ready for the rest of the film?

5. How well did the film communicate the mystery of something evil? The devil, superstition? The evil as shown, the devices, the medallion, the eyes of the devil on the commercial? What is audience response to this kind of mystery and evil? How welldid the film utilise the response?

6. The solution was exorcism by love. As explained by Harry Lincoln? As plausable? The effect on the end?

7. How important was the house in the film? The initial seeing of it by the audience, by the Wardens? The design of the house, the barn? The strange design and the medallion? The visualising of the strange happenings within the house?

8. How ordinary were the Wardens? Our initial seeing them, Marjorie’s painting, the desire to buy the house, their New York background? Marjorie’s artistic work and its effect? Paul and his work in advertising? The children?

9. How interesting was the character of Marjorie as portrayed by Sandy Dennis? The visualising of her moods, the changes in her life and attitudes? Her love for Paul, her children? Her turning brutal against Stevie? Her fears and loneliness? Her not understanding what was happening? The suicide attempt parallel to the opentng of the film? The exorcism by love? Was she a credible character, that audiences could identify with? As woman, wife and mother?

10. Was Paul an interesting character? Typical advertising man, husband? His compassion yet his not understanding? The quality of the relationship of husband and wife? His involvement with his work? His role In the resolution of the film?

11. The portrayals of the children? The gradual possession of Stevie? Whose responsibility was this? Clash of son and mother? The dawning on the audience that the child was possessed? The dramatics in the room? The exorcism by love?

12. What did the character of Gehrmann add to the film? His explanation of past evil?

13. The character of Harry Lincoln? His explanations of the occult? His comforting of Marjorie, the horror of his death? The importance of his nephew in the film?

14. How did the world of advertising and the TV commercial contrast with something evil? The satire in the work, in the commercial and its filming? And yet the eeriness of the eyes in the film?

15. How satisfying was the resolution?

16. Why do films about the occult appeal to modern audiences?'Was this an a successful example?