MESSIAH OF EVIL is another kooky and engaging slice of small-town horror from America in the 1970s. From the first scene with the weird Albino in the gas station to the nightmarish, zombie-fuelled climax, this is a film that emphasis slow-burning atmosphere and visual chaos over linear plotting. As such it fits into the same sub-genre of movie-making as other minor classics like CARNIVAL OF SOULS and LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH, as well as harking back to the nightmarish fiction of H.P. Lovecraft. Anitra Ford gives a strong central turn as the young woman trying to find out what happened to her missing father; the diary extracts that are read out on the screen give this a literary feel. Michael Greer's quirky turn as the ally who befriends her adds to the experience, while the film never resorts to bloodshed to make an impact. The end result is one of the more interesting and imaginative zombie movies of the decade and a film that's well worth a watch for modern viewers jaded by the latest explicit slice of torture porn.
Review of Messiah of Evil
