Something Evil (1972 TV Movie)
3/10
Something Unnecessary
13 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
A fed-up farmer not producing crops resorts to suicide as his European farming methods never worked in the States.

Elsewhere, a family from New York City steals property designs from rural Georgetown landscapes.

Who any of the actors are in this movie, you'll have to reference in the archives of an early 1970s census test somewhere.

I don't know what happens to Sam Elliot's voice at the 8:18 minute mark. It's like Satan hijacked it, as it certainly ain't a helium voice. Earlier in the movie, the sound was like a radio dial in need of tuning to fix the static.

I was going to call this unknown actress Penelope Pitstop, but she's not blond so I don't know what to refer to her as. Her name's Sandy Dennis, and her acting is substandard, and she sure as hell is no Shelley Duvall.

Her and her father and two brothers move into a rural farm house, where the failed suicide farmer jumped out of the 'Friday the 13th 3' barn, even though all their commitments lie in New York. They're way too young for retirement, so who knows what the purpose of this weekend retreat really is?

The father in this resembles Steve McQueen at first, but then changes and looks and sounds like Richard Crenna.

There is not much evil going on in this movie.

What "was" evil and barbaric though was sitting in the dentist chair about 30 minutes ago and having what feels like getting a tattoo on your teeth with the soft mode Ultrasonic Scaler.

I got 70s commercials inserted into my copy of 'Something Evil.' Is that Agent 99 playing Pam and promoting Salvo low suds power tablets? "Real help for the busy working woman." Are the commercials going to be more entertaining than this movie? It's doing nothing for me.

I think it's about satanic nonsense.

Okay, so McQueen is a TV exec who makes commercials for laxative energy bars that "make you go all the way," according to the singing Dixie Chick. As if McQueen's work would come to him at his weekend retreat farm. Yeah right.

Not happy with the singing takes, the Dixie Chick and her agent are fired and later attacked by an Atari boss with horrible graphics. (I thought she sang just fine.)

What's her name? Penelope Pit Stop or Sandy Dennis, whoever she is, sits at home reading the book of the dead while the kid who looks like Ralph Malph is in need of a haircut as it's been blown in every direction bar decent. If anyone's a rughead, he's it.

Little Red Riding Hood keeps hearing baby voices crying from the 'Friday the 13th 3' barn and discovers untold amounts of fluorescent Gatorade in there, unclaimed.

THE RED GOO! I've never seen text splashed across a movie like that before.

The demonic voice of a record being played backwards becomes irritated when the Gatorade is discovered, so we've got a poltergeist on our hands here.

More commercials consisting of Woolworth's and Aero Wax with 50% more plastic are added to liven up this somewhat lame movie that's not even scary in the slightest. "Ladies, we heard you," said the narration of the Aero Wax commercial. Apparently housewives weren't satisfied with the standard stuff, and this new 50% more liquid makes your floorboards more slippery. Lord knows they were using Aero Wax for more than just rejuvenating their floors.

The Carpenters are appearing in March, some time in 1977, at 8pm at Eagle Rock Town Center. Reserve your tickets at JC Penny. Karen and Richard appeared in a later commercial promoting lime pop for Japanese TV. She looked so happy.

Protective child services should be called. What's her name? Sandy Dennis forgets to down some evening primrose oil, and her psychosis rises to the surface, where she terrorizes Ralph Malph as a demon wind airs out the wax in her ears. In her delusion, an Amish kid shows up, grabbing Tabitha in her play pen.

Sandy Dennis leaves welts all over Ralph Malph, but denies the assault when confronted.

She's just a neglected housewife who should consult that Aero Wax stuff to lubricate corn or something if she's lonely and in need of companionship.

These commercials are better than the feature. A flaky upside-down Crisco pie will turn your world upside down with all the inverted, bursting flavors. Or Zip-Quick cherry crisp Thank You brand and Charlie Briggs chops up only the finest prairie-fed beef to serve starving 70s citizens. These commercials are from '73.

'Something Evil' is straight up boring.

This is what country living can do to a person: either drive them to drink, drugs, religion, or insanity, as there's nothing to do out in the sticks. Not to mention how everyone turns on each other in the community.

It turns out Ralph Malph is some sort of 'Exorcist' fan club member who subscribed to Possession Weekly, followed all the classified ads with a passion, and signed a contract with the devil to receive free vials of sacrificed Gatorade concoctions made up of more than just electrolytes and sugar, but this movie's as weak as water.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed