Messiah of Evil: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1973
Directors: Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz
Writers: Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz
Cast: Michael Greer, Marianna Hill, Joy Bang, Anitra Ford, Royal Dano, Elisha Cook Jr., Charles Dierkop, Bennie Robinson

Release Date: October 23rd, 2023 (UK), October 24th, 2023 (USA)
Approximate running time: 89 Minutes 48 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), R (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: OOP

"A woman arrives in a sleepy seaside town after receiving unsettling letters from her father, only to discover the town is under the influence of a strange cult that weeps tears of blood and hunger for human flesh." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "The only surviving element of Messiah of Evil is a 35mm print in the collection of the Academy Film Archive. The Archive created the 4K scan at Roundabout Entertainment. The film was restored using Digital Vision's Phoenix Finish and color correction was carried out using DaVici Resolve."

Messiah of Evil comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.9 GB

Feature: 24.6 GB

Messiah of Evil is a solid example of why all transfers should not be graded equally. For this release, the only surviving source was a 35mm print, and it is not going to look as good as the original negative or an interpositive. That said, Radiance Films has done an amazing job with this transfer.

When compared to Code Red’s Blu-ray release, there are a few areas where Radiance Films release differs, notably colors and black levels, and some moments look brighter on Radiance Films release. And though there are those who will prefer Code Red’s transfer, it is hard to overlook Radiance Films releases solid encode, which is vastly superior to Code Red’s encode.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. This audio track has been cleaned up and is in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, ambient sounds and the score sound appropriately robust.

Extras: 

Extras for this release include an archival audio interview with screenwriter/director Willard Huyck by Mike White from the Projection Booth Podcast (37 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a visual essay on American Gothic and Female Hysteria by film critic Kat Ellinger (21 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a documentary titled What the Blood Moon Brings: Messiah of Evil, A New American Nightmare which explores Messiah of Evil in the context of American independent cinema of the 70s, as well as examining the film's allegiance to several subgenres of horror film through its underlying themes. Co-directed by Dima Ballin and Kat Ellinger; featuring film scholars Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Maitland McDonagh, Guy Adams, Mikel Koven and David Huckvale (56 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film critics and horror experts Kim Newman and Stephen Thrower, reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and a 80-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled Some People Do Like His Brand of Art written by Bill Ackerman, an essay titled A Model Actress: A Tribute to Anitra Ford written by Amanda Reyes, an essay titled The Neon Stucco Towns of California Gothic written by Joseph Dwyer, an essay titled KIss Tomorrow Goodbye: Lovecraft, Cults, and the Uncanny in Messiah of Evil written by Larissa Glasser, an essay titled Eyes Are the Windows of the Soul: Gateways to American Despair in Messiah of Evil written by Andy Marshall-Roberts, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Co-written and directed by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, who are best known for writing screenplays for American Graffiti, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Howard the Duck.

The narrative revolves around a woman looking for her missing father who stumbles upon a cult that feeds off of human blood and flesh.

It's not surprising that the occult plays a role in the story that unfolds since occult-themed films were at their height of popularity in the 1970s. And yet to simply lump Messiah of Evil with other occult films from that era would be doing it a great disservice since it is a truly unique cinematic experience that is unlike that which came before or after it.

Besides the occult, other clear influences are gothic horror and the literary works of H.P. Lovecraft. In the case of the latter, the events that unfold in Messiah of Evil have many similarities to H.P. Lovecraft’s novella The Shadow over Innsmouth. Also, when it comes to ‘the dark stranger, who is returning after 100 years, this character is another nod to H.P. Lovecraft.

A strong, vivid opening sequence can go a long way in setting the stage for what follows. And Messiah of Evil opens with a solid, ambiguous scene where a man frantically flees an unseen pursuer. From there, a young woman offers him sanctuary, only to slit his throat. From there, the narrative does a great job of laying the foundation for the events that unfold. In the scene that precedes the opening credits, there is some voice-over narration from the protagonist, who provides some backstory. This scene is repeated in the ending, with everything coming full circle.

Visually, one can easily see the influence that filmmakers like Jean-Luc Godard and Michelangelo Antonioni had on the look of the Messiah of Evil. When it comes to the visuals, they have a ridiculous amount of atmosphere, and they do a superb job heightening the mood. Another strength of the visuals is how effectively they use landscapes. Also, Messiah of Evil has four standout visual set pieces that take place at a gas station, a supermarket, a movie theater, and the finale, where cult members burst through windows as they attack Arletty and Thom. That said, despite being made with a horror film audience in mind, the filmmakers never fully abandon their artistic ambitions.

The most surprising aspect of Messiah of Evil is its two leads’ performances: Marianna Hill (High Plains Drifter) in the role of Arletty, the woman looking for her missing father, and Michael Greer (Fortune and Men’s Eyes) in the role of Thom, a playboy who's interested in the blood moon and the dark stranger. Two other performances of note are Elisha Cook Jr. (Rosemary’s Baby) in the role of a drunk named Charlie and Bennie Robinson in his one and only film appearance in the role of the Albino trucker. Ultimately, Messiah of Evil is an eerie tale that owes just as much to the literature of H.P. Lovecraft as it does to the European filmmakers whose films served as inspiration for Messiah of Evil's visual style.

Messiah of Evil gets an exceptional release from Radiance Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Note: Radiance Films has rereleased Messiah of Evil in a standard edition.

Written by Michael Den Boer