Evilspeak
(1982)
review by Krug Stillo

“One of the best worm-turns horror movies since Carrie.”
Aurum Film Encyclopaedia

This is an impressive and imaginative debut from director Weston and stars Clint Howard (brother of Ron), who has contributed to over a hundred projects. The film at first seems like a weird hybrid between An Officer and a Gentleman (Taylor Hackford, 1982), Carrie (Brian De Palma, 1976) and Wargames (John Badham, 1983), but EvilSpeak maybe one of the better horror films included on the infamous ‘Video Nasties’ list.

Stanley Coopersmith, (Howard) has a nightmare life that sucks in every department! After his parents are killed in a car wreck, the state sends the chubby orphan to a military academy where not only is he frequently harassed by his classmates, but also the teachers, the academy Reverend and even the lush caretaker, Sarge (played menacingly by R. G. Armstrong). After proving his incompetence on the football field, Coopersmith is forced to clear out the chapel basement as punishment. Here, in the dirt and shadows he discovers a hidden chamber that once was the sanctuary of the ancient
satanic priest, Esteban (played by Richard Moll, who can be found as the Vet Zombie, Ben, in Steve Miner’s ‘House’). Using his computer (a machine that really shows how dated this film is) Coopersmith awakes the evil of Esteban and unleashes the wrath of hell, destroying his worthy tormentors and then the academy.

What put this film on the ‘Video Nasties’ list? There’s a scene involving a horde of wild pigs invading a naked lady’s bathroom and eating her alive; later they return to chow down on some of Coopersmith’s obnoxious peers; a teacher gets decapitated via sword; a bolt shoots from the crucified statue
of Christ and imbeds itself inside the reverend’s skull…etc. The scariest scenes in EvilSpeak involve the cruel practical jokes committed on the helpless Coopersmith. The worst of these involves his only true friend, the little sick puppy he confides in, being stabbed by the leader of the bullying group. A scene that, stated in the book ‘Video Nasties’, ‘makes the film dubious viewing for animal lovers’.

Most of these scenes were removed from the British print when the film was re-released. The full-uncut version remains banned in the UK to this day.