Evilspeak – also known as Evilspeaks and Computer Murders – is a 1981 American supernatural horror film written by Eric Weston and Joseph Garofalo, and directed by Weston.

Main cast:

Clint Howard, R.G. Armstrong, Lenny Montana, and Haywood Nelson.

Plot:

Life is not good for Stanley Coopersmith (Howard ), a teenage outcast who’s bullied by everybody at the strict military academy he was sent to after his parents died. But when Stanley discovers the crypt of a 16th Century Satanist beneath the school’s chapel, he creates a computerized Black Mass that unleashes unholy revenge upon his tormenters. Now, all Hell is breaking loose… and Stanley’s flesh eating demon-pigs are only the beginning!

In the UK, the film was cited as a video nasty following its release on the Videospace label. It remained banned for a number of years as part of the Video Recordings Act 1984, thanks to its gory climax and themes of Satanism.

The film was reclassified and re-released in 1999 but with over three minutes of cuts which included the removal of most of the gore from the climax. It was then subsequently passed complete by the BBFC in 2004 and is now available in both an uncut form and a version re-edited by the distributors to tighten up the dialogue.

Actor Clint Howard said that director Eric Weston’s original version of the film that was submitted to the MPAA was longer, and contained more blood, gore, and nudity than the unrated version of the film. Especially during the shower/pig attack scene, and the final confrontation.

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

On 25 January 2016, 88 Films released Evilspeak on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK with the following extras:

• Audio Commentary with Producer / Director Eric Weston
• Interview with Cast Members Joseph Cortese, Clint Howard, Haywood Nelson, Claude Earl Jones, Richard Moll and Don Stark
• Theatrical Trailer
• Intro by Eric Weston
• Stills Gallery
• Newly Commissioned Artwork by Graham Humphreys
• Reversible incorporating original artwork

Reviews:

‘If you want to take a walk down that home video memory lane, that avenue lined with VHS variations of the old demonic possession/dolt’s revenge cinema, then give Evilspeak a spin. But beware! There is a lot of padding in this paranormal davenport, but if you stick with it long enough, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful torrents of red spurting torment. After all, how can you dismiss outright a film featuring SATANIC PIGS OF HATE!?’ Bill Gibron, DVD Verdict

“Evilspeak is definitely classic ’80s trash, and worth your time if you’re in a nostalgic mood for silly horror, or want to remember when we thought our Apple’s were magix boxes that could do anything, if we could only program it (and give it human blood.” Thomas Pluck, Pluck you, Too

Buy: Amazon.com

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

“What I always forget is how damn gory Evilspeak is. First of all, the decapitations – these must be the uncleanest and most brutal ever filmed. Good old Coopersmith have a hard time aiming them right and often ending it all with destroying the heads completely. Everything shot in glorious slow-mo and tons of blood.” Fred Anderson, Ninja Dixon

Wikipedia | IMDb | Thanks to Museu do VHS for the Brazilian video sleeve image and The Horror of Truant! for gory gif | Related: Horror High

Crawlspace is a 1986 horror thriller film starring Klaus Kinski as Karl Guenther, the crazed son of a Nazi doctor, who is psychotically obsessed with using an air duct to spy on, trap and then slowly torture young women to death.

The film was produced by Roberto Bessi, written and directed by David Schmoeller (Tourist Trap) and also stars Talia Balsam, Barbara Whinnery, Carole Francis, Tane McClure and Sally Brown.

Karl Guenther (Klaus Kinski) is an apparently conscientious landlord who looks out for his young and attractive tenants. Jessica (Carole Francis), the rising young soap opera star, Harriet (Barbara Whinnery), a sensuous and vivacious secretary secretary, Sophie (Tane McClure), an accomplished pianist who enjoys wild affairs with her boyfriend, and Lori (Talia Balsam), a young college student who has just moved in a recently “vacated” apartment: all live in Karl’s well kept apartments. The only discord is the “tap, tap, tap” sound at night from the crawlspace above their rooms. Karl tells them it’s only rats, but in reality it is Karl spying on them. One by one, the tenants (and a Nazi hunter named Josef Steiner), become his victims… each one put to a gruesome test. Only Lori remains alive to disclose the diabolical Karl…

Wikipedia | IMDb

If the idea of Klaus Kinski crawling around in the recesses of your house doesn’t chill you to the bone then you’ve probably come to the wrong website. Naturally, he was a nightmare on-set, as director, David Schmoeller, recalls:

“Oh, I have a lot of stories about directing [him]. I don’t know if I can get away with saying things for print that I would really like to say. He’s really out of control as a human being, and that creates a lot of problems on the set. He wouldn’t show up, or he would leave, or he would just… well, he got into fist fights with the crew from the very first day. It was sad, because he really does have a lot of talent, and ultimately did give himself to the role. But he just made it very unpleasant for everybody”.

Buy autobiography Kinski Uncut from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Crawlspace is throughly enjoyable and is one of Kinski’s most immediately accessible films. It was very popular amidst the vast video rental market of the 1980s. The film is entirely Kinski’s, the character’s dementedness being completely suited to the iconic actor. The distinctive score is by Pino Donaggio, a stalwart of the Italian film music world but one of the few who broke into Hollywood with the likes of Carrie and Dressed to Kill.
Daz Lawrence, Horrorpedia

New Audio Commentary by director David Schmoeller
“Please Kill Mr. Kinski” –- a short film by David Schmoeller
Interview with Make-up effects artist John Vulich
Theatrical Trailer

Buy Crawlspace on Blu-ray from Amazon.com

Dr. Hackenstein is a 1988 comedy horror film written and directed by Richard Clark and distributed by Troma Entertainment. The film’s obvious influences include Young Frankenstein, Murder by Death and Re-Animator. Comedienne Phyllis Diller has a small part in the movie.

In 1909, after the death of his wife, Dr. Elliot Hackenstein (David Muir) concocts the seemingly fiendish perfect plan: with the help of two useless graverobbers and a three lost girls, he can use the spare parts to reanimate the disembodied head of his dead spouse Sheila and build a better woman. His supervisor, Dean Schlesinger, is appalled and soon offed by Hackenstein. Meanwhile, three attractive young sisters become stranded and therefore would-be victims of Hackenstein…

Dr. Hackenstein has production values that are better than many of its cheap counterparts. Initially, it’s a passable 80s take on Young Frankenstein with some titillation but the feeble humour soon becomes risible. It’s ok for free — as Troma — seem to have decided (with ads) if you are in a charitable mood but don’t pay for this. Adrian Smith, Horrorpedia

“Well, points for trying, but about 12% of the movie is actually intentionally funny and not nearly enough is unintentionally funny. The film plays more like a zany romp, especially as Dr. Hackenstein pursues the girls. The cheesy music plays and he’s sneaking up behind the one girl with his syringe and just before he plunges it into her neck she turns and he hides the needle and smiles sheepishly, as if to say “Oh! Hi, how you doing?” That kind of stuff. Clark includes some breasts, mainly because I think he felt he absolutely had to, and the gore—primarily Dr. Hackenstein operating off camera as blood is squirted into his face—is minimal (except for a jarring eye-ripping scene toward the end.) … Dr. Hackenstein is a horror comedy that’s neither gory nor terribly funny.” DVD Verdict

Wikipedia | IMDb

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