Title: 976-EVILDirector: Robert Englund
Starring: Robert Picardo, Stephen Geoffreys, Patrick O'Bryan
Runtime: 92 minutes
Year: 1989
Source: Scream Television
When I saw this was directed by Robert Englund [Freddy!] I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't even know he directed anything at all [he's actually working on a new title].
976-EVIL is supposedly the number to a horrorscope hotline that is actually the product of Satan. He uses the line to get regular mortals to do some dirty deeds for him. The two main characters would be cousins Spike [Patrick O'Bryan] and and Hoax [Stephen Geoffreys]. Spike being the bad boy next door and Hoax being your typical pocket protecter nerd. Hoax can never get the girl, accomplish anything or seem to get out of the spotlight of the local bullies- while Spile is the exact opposite. Luckily for Hoax, Spike is a nice guy and saves his ass a few times.
The boys get a number that originally just gives them some creepy fortunes, but soon Hoax discovers it's the line to Satan. Lucky for him, he soon gets some supernatural powers as a result of calling it and use his new strenght to get revenge on all of the bullies that tormented him. The build up, transformation, and story in general are all slow moving.
Unfortuantly, after taking so long to get to the goods, it falls flat in delivering. The ending has no big finale. And when the beginning, middle, and ending have nothing all that noteworthy... no real point in sitting it out.
Not recommended.
j.
3 comments:
I've never seen this, but back in the ancient days of video store rentaling I remember walking passed the box a million times as it sat there on the shelf collecting dust.
You know, aside from the very first Nightmare on Elm Street movie, I've never really been convinced that Robert Englund is actually worth a shit in any horror capacity, in front of, or behind the camera. I find him to be about as frightening as Michael Berryman, which means not frightening at all.
I'm pretty much on the same page as you in regards to Englund. He scared the crap out of me in the first Nightmare, but aside from that, not so much.
In my city we have a super awesome speciality video rental shop, as 'old school' as it is, I love going in. Makes up for about half of my movie watching, the other half being online rentals.
I actually saw this when it came out in the theater. Very forgettable. Fortunately, it only cost me $6 back then.
The Vault of Horror
Post a Comment