Customer Reviews

976-Evil [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Directed by Robert `Freddy Krueger' Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Phantom of the Opera), 976-EVIL (1989)...interestingly enough I once dated a woman who had the same phone number...stars Stephen Geoffreys (Fright Night, At Close Range) as a nebbish mama's boy who becomes entangled with satanic forces through a 976 phone number after becoming weary of suffering the torments of his nerdly existence. Also appearing is Patrick O'Bryan (No Holds Barred), Oscar winner Sandy Dennis (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), Lezlie Deane (Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare), J.J. Cohen (Secret Admirer), Robert Picardo ("Star Trek: Voyager"), and Jim Metzler (River's Edge).

Stephen Geoffreys plays an annoying, smarmy, little doofus (i.e. his standard role) named Hoax Arthur Wilmoth, a high school student who lives with his mother Lucy (Dennis), a holier than thou, pestering, overbearing, unpleasant woman whose home is full of cats, religious icons, and furniture wrapped in plastic. Living in the apartment above the garage is Spike (O'Bryan), Hoax's cousin and part time student/professional juvenile delinquent, and, subsequently, Hoax's idol. After losing the pink slip to his motorcycle during a poker game with some other greasy delinquents, Spike comes across a magazine insert featuring a 976 phone number, one that give you your `horrorscope', whatever the heck that is...anyway, Spike calls, and soon his fortunes change, but he has sort of a falling out with his skeevy girlfriend named Suzie (Deane). After Hoax suffers various embarrassing situations at the hands of Marcus and his goon squad (including, but not withstanding a toilet shampoo in the boys' bathroom at school), he also comes across the flyer and begins calling, but where his cousin Spike got turned off on the experience (after a mysterious near death incident), Hoax becomes hooked calling regularly, so much so he begins to go through various physiological changes, along with attaining some interesting new powers. This newfound power allows Hoax to do something which he hadn't be able to do before in terms of standing up for himself, and even returning some of the pain and suffering on those who've abused him over the years. Things get out of hand, though (big surprise), as a demonic force begins to take control of Hoax resulting in a number of deaths. As Spike finally realizes what's going on, it may be too late as Hoax is no longer Hoax, but a demonic entity intent on bring about the Armageddon...

I remember seeing a film similar to this, one released back in 1981 called Evilspeak, featuring Clint Howard as a military school who invokes satanic forces in order to help him overcome various, abusive elements within the school. Given the similarities I found Evilspeak to be much more entertaining, mainly because it had a solid story, which really isn't the case with 976-EVIL, but also due to the fact I like Clint Howard a lot more than I like Stephen Geoffreys, the latter whose character elicited no sympathies whatsoever due to his inherent creepy and skeevy nature (and that was before he became possessed). There was some potential here, but the follow through falters seriously resulting a relatively tepid horror film with demonic overtones. I actually thought Robert Englund did very well in directing as he obviously knows how to set up shots but real weakness here is in the material. The plot is terribly anemic, and suffers from a lack of positive, forward flow. The film feels a lot like just a series of sequences strung together, some not matching up entirely with that which followed. Can anyone who's seen this film tell me the point of Jim Metzler's character? He plays a private investigator snooping about, apparently interested in the various goings on, but it's never detailed what exactly he's looking for or who actually hired him. Seems like his character was tossed into the mix as a means to a bit of expository crud in terms of the guy who operates the Horrorscope number, played by Robert Picardo. The story skimps on details throughout, and while I've seen this in other films, in terms of the filmmakers giving the audience the credit of having the intelligence to fill in the blanks, that's definitely not the case here given the overall shoddy nature of the story. If you can get past this aspect there are some fun bits, including Hoax developing a lizard like appearance and his voice dropping a few octaves (he finally became a man, albeit one possessed by a demon). There was a really odd part for me in the movie, one that features Marcus and his meager gang (four, including Marcus), all of whom hung out in the projection room of a local movie house (apparently one of them had a job in the theater as a projectionist). At one point, near the end, as evil Hoax arrives to confront them, we see them playing strip poker. Okay, fine...except there's only one, skaggy girl in the room, and she's fully dressed whereas Marcus' friends are in their boxers. Would you really want to engage in such a game where the majority of the players are male, and the one female involved is better at cards (as indicated from her fully dressed form) than said males? Another strange aspect, given Robert `Freddy Krueger' Englund's direction I was half expecting a decent amount of blood, but there's really not that much as the goriest bits took place off screen. Lezlie Deane provides a nice topless shot, if you're into that kind of thing. All in all 976-EVIL was mildly entertaining but I'd not something I'd recommend someone to go out of his or her way to see unless it was a really cheap rental or playing on cable. A sequel, of which I haven't seen, titled 976-EVIL 2: The Astral Factor (1992) was released, with only Patrick O'Bryan returning in the role as Spike.

The picture on this Columbia/Tristar DVD release, presented in fullscreen (1.33:1) pan and scan, looks decent enough, but I don't understand why the studio couldn't have released this in its original aspect ratio. Sure the film isn't all that great, but I find it annoying not to be able to see the film in its original aspect ratio. As far as the audio it's presented in Dolby Digital stereo, and comes across well enough. There aren't any extras included, other than a couple of trailers for the films Hollow Man (2000) and Fright Night (1985), both of which are better than this feature (of the pair I'd recommend Fright Night). There are subtitles available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, and Korean, for what it's worth.

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A strange note on Stephen Geoffreys, a few years after this film, specifically after appearing in Roland Emmerich's excremental feature Moon 44 (1990), Geoffreys began appearing in a number of hard core homoerotic features under the pseudonym Sam Ritter, apparently after developing a serious issue with drugs, according to information available on the Internet Movie Database.

Given a boost from the delightfully manic performance of Stephen Geoffreys (Fright Night), 976-EVIL is a tidy little thriller served up by screenwriter Brian Helgeland (Mystic River) and director Robert "Freddy Krueger" Englund. Geoffreys plays a nerdish teenager who gets picked on all the time, a la Carrie White. He finds a vengeance via a telephone service called 976-EVIL which gives him satanic powers to wreak vengeance on those who have wronged him. While there are some weaknesses in the plot (just who is Jim Metzler anyway, who comes on the scene as some kind of private investigator, but without any previous indication as to his involvement in the plot), 976-EVIL has some chilling moments and Geoffreys (who left mainstream movies to make soft porn flicks) is effectively cast. Sandy Dennis also makes an impression as his somewhat eccentric mama.

This DVD is well below the decent quality standard mark. Short scenes and shots are missing or have been omitted for some strange reason and the aspect ratio is completely incorrect. I hope someday someone fix these problems with a correct re-release. The version I'm reviewing is the Sony Pictures release.

Nerdy kid in town (Stephen Geoffreys of "Fright Night") gets revenge on everyone who ever wronged him when he hooks up with Satan, via horror hot-line "976-EVIL." Directed by Robert Englund of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" fame, the film is obviously very low budget but not completely without charm. As an actor turned director, Englund obviously cares about his characters first and foremost, and in turn, his film gives them ample time to breathe. Also, the man obviously paid attention during his tenure as Freddy, as his film takes many visual cues from the "Elm Street" series and tries its best to rise above its meager budget. There's also an underlying sense of humor (again, a byproduct of being Krueger) that helps make the whole easier to swallow.

A shame, though, that aside from some decent characters and solid cinematography from Paul Elliott which attempts to establish a foreboding mood, the film barely has enough juice to reach its lame conclusion. While the first half sets our characters up nicely, the second more or less tears down any progress made by dispatching of decent characters too quickly and wrapping things up in what feels like a very rushed and hap-hazard sort of way. The film's main weakness is in its script which stretches its premise far too thin and requires its audience to fill in the blanks a few too many times. Also, the gore and make-up effects from the usually consistent Kevin Yagher are surprisingly substandard and, at times, laughable. What should be an undeniably enjoyable 80's cheese-fest is instead a frustrating and uneven dud that could have and should have been much more. Stephen Geoffreys aside, horror fans will recognize Lezlie Deane from "Freddy's Dead - The Final Nightmare" - another actor whose career went absolutely nowhere in the following decade.

The DVD is about as bare-bones as they come. Trailers for "Hollow Man" and "Fright Night" -- but nothing for the film itself -- make up the special features, while the film itself is presented in abysmal full screen. Yet, one can't help but be grateful that it got any DVD release at all.

I wanted to get this because of Stephen Geoffrey's from Fright Night, and because it's directed by Robert Englund.
Seems like it would be a great combination but it's not.
First of all, many people seem to think this movie is a continuation of The Evil character from Fright Night, it is not.
It has nothing to do with that character!!
It's basically about this complete reject kid who decides to start calling a hotline for advice, turns all crazy/evil, and finally gets revenge on the people who treated him like crap.
Lots of random parts, many what the F**k moments, and fish falling from the sky at one point.
I'm still glad I watched it though, it's good for a laugh if you're into the old school 80's horror flicks. Still, not something I would buy again if I had to.

When shifting through the sheer number of cruddy 80's horror flicks, every now and then you'll find a forgotten gem or two. 976-Evil is not one of them to be sure, but it does have one honorable mention that makes it worth seeing on its own. That honorable mention is that the film is directed by none other than Robert "Freddy Kruger" Englund, who does manage to inject a little bit of creativity into this otherwise forgettable horror flick. Fright Night's Stephen Geoffreys stars as a nerd who calls up a hotline said to give out a "horrorscope", and soon enough finds himself taking on a demonic form and striking back at everyone he can, including the high school bullies and his uber-Christian mother. It's up to his cool biker cousin Spike (Patrick O'Bryan) and a private detective (Jim Metzler) to take him down, which results in some fairly anticlimactic moments of bloody violence. There are some decent makeup effects to be found, and the script is from future Oscar winning screenwriter Brian Helgeland, but as a whole, 976-Evil fails thanks to some horrible acting and overall cheesy effects. All in all, 976-Evil is an otherwise forgettable 80's horror flick that is only worth seeing based on the fact that Robert Englund directed it. Other than that though, there isn't much that you're missing here.

This isn't a great film but mildly interesting. The best thing about it is the reporter from the religion magazine investigating the goings on. Also a highlight is the amusing cousin Spike. The film goes on a bit too long though and might be dull for discerning horror fans. I felt rather grossed out by this one.

One of the best "fun" horror movies of the 80's. Perfect atmosphere, great acting, nostalgic for those of us in our 30's. I think most people writing the reviews before me summed up the movie nicely. But I'm here to talk about the DVD itself, since you might buy it and think it's going to be top quality. We all expect top quality when we buy DVDs, so we're always disappointed when we buy a great movie like this and find that it's presented in FULL SCREEN. Also, no features. It's a cheap production, and the movie isn't as sharp and clear as should be. But it's not bad, it's serviceable. I don't think it's worth the price they're asking, but it's a hell of a lot better than the VHS copy I have.

I love this movie. I remember watching it back in the day when it was shown on Up All Night hosted by Rhonda Shearer (remember that show?) But I haven't seen the movie in ages. The other day I was looking for something to watch on the old b00b tube and found "976-EVIL" available on-demand. There was a sequel to the movie that came out a few years after this one (that Patrick O'Bryan was in) and there is talk of an all-new remake, as well.

The movie is directed by everyone's favorite keeper of sweet dreams, none other than Mr. Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund. And surprisingly the movie wasn't nearly as gorey as one might think with a talented director like this. Instead there were many sensitive and reflective scenes that are almost never in horror pictures. But truth be told "976-EVIL" is hardly a classic horror film. This isn't a movie that's gonna cause you to piss your pants, unless you piss from laughing too hard. But that's OK too because sometimes a good laugh is just as important as a good scare.

The first half of the movie centered around rebel without a cause Spike (portrayed by '80s b-movie actor Patrick O'Bryan). We see Spike loose a hand of poker to his scummy friends. We see Spike threaten his kooky born-again Christian aunt Lucy (played by the late Academy Award winner, Sandy Dennis). We see Spike defend the honor of his nerdy cousin Hoax (you gotta love that name played by Stephen Geoffreys) when the boys in the bathroom try to flush his head down the commode. And we even get treated to a brief sex-session between Spike and his blonde nymph girlfriend Suzie (Lezlie Deane) who thinks nothing of putting on Spike's tighty wighties. Spike also calls some ludicrous horoscope hotline but since he's not a total geek doesn't have much interest in it.

During the second half of the movie we see a lot more of the progressively less geeky Hoax. When he starts calling the hotline his luck starts to change, he even starts to grow hair on his chest too! I love the part when Hoax took revenge on the guys who effed with him when he was just a lowly nerd. I suppose if they'd known who they were messing with they wouldn't have roughed him up so hard. Then he gets revenge on his crazy mom who spends all her time watching the PTL and stroking her playful pussie.

The movie also includes many great lines, such as when Hoax said to Spike, "hell finally froze over cousin." I also like the complete and total b-movie feel of the entire movie. It was like a throwback to the great pictures of the '60s because all of the special effects were so fake-looking. I suppose that had more to do with the budget but it was still funny.

I really like the transformation that both of the cousins went through because it was a total 3-60. It wasn't just Hoax. Spike wasn't the same person because it was almost like their roles were reversed. Although Hoax kinda resembled Marty McFly he was certainly the more brazen of the 2 because he had the balls to make all of his dreams come true (hell really did freeze over). The moral of the movie is not to call too many pay phone lines, unless you're some geeky kid from the '80s who doesn't have anything better to do.

976-EVIL, a 1988 film that marked the directorial debut of actor Robert(Freddy Krueger)Englund, is yet another one of the most underrated films of the 1980's. It also blends the elements of horror and comedy and like the urban slang term would suggest, it is a horromedy. It is a satirical homage to the horror genre that works on many levels.

The whole film starts with Hoax Wilmouth(Stephen Geoffreys)being the scapegoat of all the bullies at his high school. He is a gifted student who is very bright and admired by his teachers, but Hoax is unhappy and feels alone as a result of the abuse that he receives from all the so called "cool kids" in his high school. He communicates with his cousin Spike(Patrick O'Bryan)via an old fashioned pipe line connection system, though Spike really doesn't like nor favor talking with Hoax. Aside from the bullies, Hoax also puts up with his very overbearing religious fundamentalist Christian fanatic mother(Sandy Dennis, may she rest in peace)constantly and as a result, Hoax resents her. Hoax seems to be your average nerd who is smart and well read and is also the constant target of taunts by all of the so called "cool kids" in school, which leaves Hoax very resentful. Despite all of this, Hoax still likes girls and is hoping to make it with an older woman who lives in a trailer park(Leslie Deane). With all of his anger and resentment, Hoax has feelings of one day nailing all of his tormentors someway or somehow.

One day, Hoax discovers a phone number on a slip of paper, which is 976-EVIL, that promises to give him his daily horrorscope. He discovers that his cousin Spike calls this number often to get his horrorscope and Hoax decides to give it a try. Unbeknown to Hoax, it is simply a phone line connected with the spirits of Hell and promises him to give the power to avenge his tormentors, which he does as the film's story starts to really unfold. He gets even with every tormentor, including his own mother. As usual, I am not going to give very much away as I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen this film as of yet.

Robert Englund is very impressive in his feature film directorial debut. He shows that he is not only a great actor, but also, a very good director. The cast all play their roles with a lot of charisma and finesse and all of that does indeed keep the film afloat and the result is a very entertaining romp that not only provides the goods for horror movie lovers everywhere, but also provides some very amusing moments that will make you laugh. Stephen Geoffreys steals the show as Hoax as he is the movie's star. Of course, Sandy Dennis also aids and abets in stealing the show as Hoax's overbearing religious fanatic mother. Kudos also goes to Robert Picard who plays the evil but somewhat likeable Mark Dark, who runs the 976-EVIL phone line that is connected with the evil spirits of Hell. Patrick O'Bryan also delivers a wonderful performance as Hoax's cousin Spike.

The film has some terrific, if not enough, special effects. But the film does indeed hold the viewers attention as it keeps going along until the end. It doesn't bore nor does it waste anyone's time. 976-EVIL will keep you glued to the TV screen until it is all over. Englund does wonders behind the camera for the first time and he delivers a wonderful, fun and entertaining movie that can be enjoyed again and again repeatedly as it isn't boring nor is it unsatisfactory. For horror film lovers, it delivers the goods that you would expect. For comedy lovers, you will have some laughs along the way. If you love both types of films, you will get your fill here in more ways than one.

I bought this on VHS for the heck of it back in the mid 1990's. It was an uncut version of the film that had footage that was edited out before it's theatrical release. I would later buy the DVD, but the DVD was a big disappointment. The DVD had the movie in FullScreen and also, it was the theatrical cut rather than the uncut version that was released on VHS and LaserDisc. The DVD is also bare bones as it had no special features. It only had a theatrical trailer gallery of other films that were available by Sony Home Entertainment. I also don't have any recollection of this film being released back in the day in theaters. I also didn't recollect any TV spots nor anything in my local newspaper concerning this. I bought it mainly because of Stephen Geoffreys(who played "Evil Ed" Thompson in Fright Night{another fave of mine} a few years prior to this film and also appeared in the film Fraternity Vacation. Since then, he has appeared in several Gay porn videos according to his IMDB page and his article on Wikipedia)and for the fact that Robert Englund was the director. When I did pop this in my VCR, I enjoyed the film as it really made me laugh and also did scare me a little, but still, it is fun to watch and it is also one of my favorites.

The DVD of this film still leaves a lot to be desired. As stated, it is in FullScreen and also has no special features of any kind. Also, as stated, it has a theatrical trailer gallery, but 976-EVIL's theatrical trailer isn't one of them. There are also no TV spots for the film(if any) on here and there are no featurettes nor any commentaries by the director or even by the cast. As stated, it is also the theatrical release and not the uncut version that was released on VHS and LaserDisc. The sound is possibly Dolby 2.0 audio, but it doesn't sound too bad and it does look pretty good despite the shortcomings.

Despite the disappointments, the movie is on DVD and that is good. My review is strictly for the movie itself anyway, not the DVD.

A few years later, there was a direct to video sequel called 976-EVIL 2: The Astral Factor. Patrick O'Bryan was the only actor from this movie to reprise his role of Spike for the direct to video sequel.

Overall, 976-EVIL is a fun and entertaining romp for both lovers of the horror and comedy genres, including those who love both. Robert Englund shines in his directorial debut and I am going to be on the lookout of more of his directorial efforts in the near and distant future. The film is very well worth renting or owning. It is fun for horror fans with a sense of humor and also for comedy fans who love a little horror now and then, or for those who love both of the genres. No fan of horror, comedy or both or even Robert Englund fans should be without this one.