Review of Fear No Evil (1981) by Michael W — 02 Feb 2013

Lucifer is reborn in modern times as Andrew Williams, a lonely teen who is rejected by his peers. Andrew lashes out against his tormentors with his newfound powers of darkness, and it is up to three warrior angels to stop his unholy reign of terror! An ambitious horror fantasy to be sure, FEAR NO EVIL unfortunately suffers from an uneven story structure and subpar acting, but that does not stop it from becoming one of the more atmospheric and evil films of the decade. At a time when the teen slasher was in the height of its popularity, FEAR NO EVIL comes as quite the surprise, combining elements of CARRIE and ROSEMARY'S BABY in equal measure. It opens and closes in a misty castle setting, where Lucifer looks to open the gates of hell using human sacrifices. Here, Laloggia drapes the sets in dangling bodies and desecrated statues for a frightening overall effect. In the thrilling climax, a live re-enactment of The Passion ends in a bloody crucifixion and the mass-murder of several audience members before legions of the undead set in on the town. The major problem with the picture is that the audience is left with no one to side with at any point. The archangel Gabrielle is introduced too late in the story to have an impact, and while Andrew is portrayed in a sympathetic light, we are not given enough time to truly bond with his character. Interestingly enough, the homoerotic undertones also lend to an alternate interpretation of the film. Andrew's budding homosexuality can be seen as a reflection of evil in the eyes of his repressive Catholic community. The scenes where he is found giving in to his dark desires can be seen as his "self-discovery," and a rejection of society's morals. For a first-time director working on an independent budget, Frank Laloggia displays a great amount of promise that would be fully realized in his next picture, LADY IN WHITE. FEAR NO EVIL, on the other hand, is a severely flawed film, but one that provides plenty of haunting imagery to drive home its supernatural terror.

-Carl Manes.

I Like Horror Movies.