Marco Castellini
•A casket containing a strange liquid, sealed for many years in the tomb of an ancient church in Los Angeles, is reopened. While a group of young researchers hurry to study the ancient inscriptions on the casket, demonic forces seem to awaken, attracted by the strange substance... A horde of zombies and demons attacks the church where the scholars have barricaded themselves, who, in the end, manage to save humanity but at the cost of an extreme sacrifice... Another excellent film by John Carpenter, a real and political horror, an "assault cinema," not at all ironic, hard, pure like almost all of Carpenter's work. Despite a not very original plot - with too many debts to "Zombi" by Romero and especially to "Demons" by Bava - and clear references to a couple of his previous films (the siege of the church is reminiscent of that seen in "Fog" but also the assault on the police station in "Assault") Carpenter manages to direct a film full of suspense, with a sordid and unsettling atmosphere, thanks above all to the effective soundtrack (composed by him) and several high-impact splatter sequences. "The Lord of Evil" is almost a kind of experimental film, at least on the narrative-stylistic level, which mixes typical elements of horror with those of science fiction, but at the same time an interesting film also from the content point of view, offering several food for thought. In the cast, the presence of the great Donald Pleasence is notable, and a brief appearance, in a supporting role, of the dark rock star Alice Cooper. Not the best Carpenter but certainly of great level. Worth watching!
Comments