Despite the sequences added in 1970 to pad the film to feature length (and to give it a slightly more professional gloss), the core of "Equinox" remains essentially intact. It's an amateur horror flick that's fun not just for the neat stop-motion effects, but because it was so evidently a labor of love. The characters are young and believably innocent, and the film actually conjures some sinister atmosphere when that innocence is threatened.
This is not the place to look for great acting, naturally, but Frank Bonner (Boers) of "WKRP in Cincinnati" has some screen presence in this very early performance. (So does co-director Jack Woods as a demon who takes human form to guard the entrance to his hellish realm.) The effects team of Dennis Muren (uncredited co-director), Jim Danforth and David Allen were destined for greater distinction in that field, and some of the stop-motion monster imagery is quite impressive.
"Equinox" is no classic, but it's a fine example of passionate low-budget filmmaking. And yes, of *course* it was the inspiration for Sam Raimi's "The Evil Dead"!
This is not the place to look for great acting, naturally, but Frank Bonner (Boers) of "WKRP in Cincinnati" has some screen presence in this very early performance. (So does co-director Jack Woods as a demon who takes human form to guard the entrance to his hellish realm.) The effects team of Dennis Muren (uncredited co-director), Jim Danforth and David Allen were destined for greater distinction in that field, and some of the stop-motion monster imagery is quite impressive.
"Equinox" is no classic, but it's a fine example of passionate low-budget filmmaking. And yes, of *course* it was the inspiration for Sam Raimi's "The Evil Dead"!