Fear No Evil

Another childhood favourite, does it still hold up.

For a made for TV film, hell yes!

There is: no big budget sets no big budget special effects no blood or splatter

but it works as the cast & story just work so well: A cast of excelent actors. Atmosphere and cheap 70s TV chroma key.

I think this film worked because of its limits. Yes some of the film looks a bit cheep when the scene isnt at night or in shadow but hell it works.

I hope this comes on bluray someday.

The story opens with a seemingly groggy and disoriented Paul Varney banging on the door of closed antique shop. Varney flashes a wad of cash at the shop owner and once inside, purchases a beautiful full length antique mirror and arranges to have it delivered to his apartment. Hosting an all night party at his apartment, psychiatrist David Sorell meets Varney and his fiancé Barbara Anholt through his friend Miles Donovan. During a discussion about evil spirits and demons, Varney brings up the demon Rakashi. When Sorell questions Varney about it he gets a a bit touchy and leaves with Barbara to race in a vintage car road rally. Looking in his rear view mirror during the course of rally, Varney seems overcome by a reflection in the mirror and wreaks the car killing himself and injuring Barbara.

A grief stricken and depressed Barbara moves in with Paul's affluent mother, but instead of recovering, Barbara seems to be drifting deeper into a suicidal state and is becoming obsessed with idea of joining Paul in the afterlife via the antique mirror where she believes Paul's spirit dwells.

To save Barbara's life, David Sorell must investigate the circumstances leading up to Pauls death, including the reasons for his purchase of the antique mirror, his knowledge of Rakashi,and his participation in a demon raising ceremony conducted by a convocation of demonologists immediately prior to his purchasing the mirror.During the course of his investigation, Sorell with the help of his friend and mentor Harry Snowden,and despite the attempted obstructions of Miles Donovan,learns there is much more to the Rakashi legend the he could have possibly imagined and that some people he thought he knew, are not what they seem to be. Every piece of evidence he follows leads him back to the mirror and it's hold on Barbara and in the end he finds himself in a fantastic and horrifying neither world struggling for Barbara's very soul.

Paul Wendkos knew how to direct television drama and he does a top notch job with Fear No Evil. The film boast a wonderful cast with Louis Jourdan,Carroll O'Connor,and Bradford Dillman and they give excellent performances. Beautiful Lynda Day George is sexy and vulnerable as Barbara. Wilfred Hyde-White, Marsha Hunt, and Katherine Woodville are top notch in key supporting roles. If William Goldenburgs eerie musical score doesn't give you goosebumps then nothing will. This is a very hard movie to locate, but it's truly a little treasure if you do.

FEAR NO EVIL is a sophisticated blend of suggested horror and surprising sexual content for its time ('69) and place (tv). I haven't seen this movie since it was first broadcast, and I wish it were available on video so I could reconfirm my impressions about it. The opening scene, at a party, in which Louis Jourdan intrigues and frightens his friends about the contents of a box in his possession, sets the tone for the film and is a masterfully edited sequence of the unknown and unseen that scares the viewer without resorting to gore or cheap shocks.

The plot of the picture, dealing with passion from beyond the grave, is exceptionally well done and quite daring and bold for a late-sixties tv movie. Again, I wish I had the opportunity to re-view the movie to re-experience the pleasure it gave me, so that the story would be fresher in my mind and I could do it more justice here.

When first aired in 1969, this TV production was a ratings powerhouse for NBC. Starring the infrequently used Louis Jourdan as David Sorell, an L.A. psychiatrist with an interest in the occult, the film tells the story of a mirror that holds a demon that possesses the soul of newlywed Bradford Dillman. Lynda Day (the future wife of actor Christopher George) plays Dillman's hapless wife who herself is to be the next victim of the mirror's machinations. A pre-Archie Bunker Carroll O'Connor is on hand as Dillman's friend that's hiding a sinister secret. Veteran actress Marsha Hunt is very good as Dillman's adoring and devoted mother. English stalwart Wilfred Hyde-White plays Jourdan's apparent mentor in things that go bump in the night.

The film has a nicely creepy feel, befitting the studio (Universal) that brought the world so many classic horror films during the 30's.

Also, the score by Billy Goldenberg is effectively spooky, especially the scene wherein the entranced George descends from the stairs to be "rejoined" with her deceased husband.

"Fear No Evil" yielded a sequel a year later, the somewhat weaker "Ritual of Evil" with Jourdan returning in the lead role.

I remember seeing this as a kid and NEVER forgetting it. I found it haunting and also hauntingly beautiful in its way. I have tried to track down a copy but have never been able to find much at all about this movie. I remembered Lynda George and Bradford Dillman and through a bunch of searching finally located info. I am surprised it is so hard to locate unless I am only imagining how good it was. The film was poignant and I especially liked Lynda George's performance. If anyone knows how I can get a copy, please email me. It was one of my favorite movies long ago. I also liked the Borgia Stick and had these two confused in my mind. That movie is also nearly as obscure and hard