EVILSPEAK

US, 1982, 89 minutes, Colour.
Clint Howard.
Directed by Eric Weston.

Evilspeak is one of the many horror films deriving from The Exorcist combining with the multiple murder genre of the late '70s early '80s. It is different insofar as Clint Howard is the chubby schoolboy who is victimised and is able to wreak a satanic revenge on his companions and his teachers. The film is interesting in its use of computers - as translators of Latin, as indicator of what is needed for the completion of spells and curses! The computer is an important character in the film. With the characterisation of the hero, the film has more quality than many of its equals. However, in exploitation and violence, it ranks alongside with many of the ugly films of the time.

1. The popularity of occult films? Satanic possession? Violence? The climate of the '70s and '80s fostering this kind of film? A piece of Americana? Satan in America? A good example of the genre?

2. The importance of clever special effects? The prologue in Spain and the atmosphere of the Inquisition? The transition to 20th. century America? The atmosphere of the Military Academy, the crypt? The trappings of the occult? The computer and its being introduced into this atmosphere? The increasing violence and gore - especially the deaths and torture? The atmospheric score?

3. The prologue and the Inquisition? The Satanism of the 16th century? The atmosphere of the occult, sex and violence? Its being transported to the United States? Its being underground ready to erupt? The symbolism of it erupting in the chapel of a Californian military academy? The background of the oppressive regime?

4. The importance of the American male macho image? Sport, military, dating? The military cadets dramatising this? The contrast with Cooper Smith and his awkwardness, fat? The background of his being an orphan, poor by clever? His becoming the victim - and the credibility of his wreaking revenge on others?

5. Cooper Smith as an American boy, persecuted at sport. in the shower block, in classes. his being forced to do so much work, put on duty. the many dressing-downs he received? The contrast with the kindness of the cook and his giving him the meal, the dog? The loner? His discovery of the book? His reaction to the spells and feeding them into the computer? The warnings of the Sergeant. the Chaplain. the Commander? The result of the spells, his getting the ingredients. stealing the Host, the blood from the teacher? The mad monk incarnate in him? His wreaking of his revenge? Supernatural powers? The ending and his madness? How well drawn the character?

6. The authority figures as stereotypes and as differing personalities: the Colonel, the Chaplain and his religiosity. the Coach and his vindictiveness. the Latin teacher. the secretary - and her stealing the book. the ugliness of her death from the pigs?

7. The presentation of the boys: wealth. the Senator's son, skill in sport, the beauty queen competition? The callousness? Their being trapped and the ugliness of their deaths?

8. The use of pigs for the horror and gore?

9. To what purpose this kind of horror story? Picture of the occult? Satanism in contemporary America? Critique of the American image?