Featuring not one but two of the great film prologues of the 1970s New Hollywood era, the high-minded horror classic Messiah of Evil (1973) is the latest release from independent Blu-ray distributor Radiance Films. Earlier this year a limited edition of the release with an 80-page booklet of literature on the film was a blink-and-you-miss-it sold out drop. This week, the special edition of the film released, and reader, it is excellent.
“I can’t understand why anyone would want to visit Point Dume.”
Messiah of Evil is written and directed by married filmmakers Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, college friends of George Lucas (Star Wars, THX11), who wrote the screenplay for The Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and directed Howard the Duck (1986). This was their first feature, taken away from them in post-production and released multiple times under different names and ownership. Despite this, its influence and legend has only become more self-apparent as the VHS and DVD eras have been examined, and now it is introduced again in the Blu-ray era.
The film wears its influences on its sleeve like many fresh-from-film-school debut features, from Edward Hopper paintings to Roger Coreman films such as House of Usher (1960), but none are so apparent as the Lovecraftian construction of its plot. Arletty Long (played by Marianna Hill (The Godfather: Part II, High Plains Drifter)) arrives in the beach town of Point Dune searching for her father, a famous painter, whose letters have become mysterious. Finding only his cryptic journal inside his mural-covered house, Arletty seeks out the sparse population of the town, where she encounters three more visitors, a polycule, who have come to research the mystery of Point Dume. The films is punctuated by her father’s letters as these four searchers come closer and closer to the danger he warns of.
Bathed in gorgeous reds, blues, and blacks, Messiah of Evil is set the largely in isolated night and abandoned city streets. A great variation on the lost city sub-genre, its monsters challenge our relationship to consumerism and its violence. Full of beautiful people getting very scared, it’s easy to see why it’s a favorite among horror fanatics who can now see even more detail than they did before. The film’s relationship to the painted picture is intense, from the compositional influences to the actions of characters. The centerpiece of the relationship, the murals by Arletty’s father, are clear and legible for the first time since the initial theatrical run, an improvement discussed in the audio commentary. Now, you can kind of see how the people of the paintings were based on the Supreme Court of 1973, staring in judgement as our hapless heroes succumb to the evil of the blood moon.
“It was like the town was festering with an open sore.”
If you’re already feeling FOMO for missing the limited edition like I have, the special edition is available now. If you wait, it will be gone, though Radiance is known for eventually releasing standard editions as well if you delay further. But be warned, this one’s going to be in high demand. Here’s what else is in the box:
Audio Commentary with Kim Newman and Stephen Thrower
A great commentary by a film critic and a horror historian, it’s informative and engaging. Topics range from the film being taken away from its directors to casting for florid dialogue, and peer influence versus shared influence.
Archival Interview with Willard Huyck (37 mins)
An excerpt from the Projection Booth podcast hosted by Mike White (not that Mike White), the interview’s menu text acknowledges audio issues that you hear at the beginning of the clip, but, given the rarity of interviews with Huyck, particularly about Messiah of Evil, these brief audio pops are more than forgivable. Topics include meeting Gloria Katz in a mini skirt, the film’s botched release, and adapting Howard the Duck (1986). Huyck also finally makes the definitive statement on what archetype of monster features in Messiah of Evil.
What the Blood Brings: Messiah of Evil (58 mins)
A new, very well-done talking-head documentary about Messiah of Evil’s production and cultural importance. Notable topics include the era of “suitable money” that brought about New Hollywood, avant-garde film, the moral panic over cults, and the grocery store sequence.
Video Essay by Kat Ellinger (18 mins)
An essay largely focusing on Messiah of Evil’s relationship to the American Gothic movement in art and literature. Has great audio.
SPECIAL EDITION EXCLUSIVES
Some People Do Like His Brand of Art by Bill Ackerman
Included in the booklet insert, this impressive piece of scholarship traces the artistic and thematic influences of Messiah of Evil.
Reversible box art and removable OBI strip on a full-height case
While the producers of Messiah of Evil famously didn’t even shoot the film’s ending, it has one now. It’s beloved in the horror community for it’s unique tone and look, and it’s remembered as a significant enough artifact of New Hollywood to get a great boutique release. That sounds like a pretty good ending to me.
Available on Blu-ray standard edition November 28th, 2023.
For more information, head to the official Radiance Films Messiah of Evil standard edition webpage.
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Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews
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