Prime Evil

 



Director - Roberta Findlay (Blood Sisters, Banned)
Starring - William Beckwith (Tromeo and Juliette, Thrilled to Death), Christine Moore (Superboy, Lurkers), and Mavis Harris (Suffering Bastards, Video Violence 2)
Release Date - 1988
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "A terrifying force that cannot be resisted is here..."
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     I absolutely love horror films centered around Satanic cults.  These films were huge in the 70s with a few random films popping up here and there in the 80s.  I've been lucky enough to review a few of these films over the years but there just isn't enough of them if you ask me.  Sometime ago the fine folks over at Vinegar Syndrome released the Roberta Findlay double feature with the two films Prime Evil and Lurkers.  The first in this set is the 1988 Satanic cult film Prime Evil.  When I discovered what this film was about I knew it was going to fucking enjoy it.  Thank you Vin Syn for sending this one my way. 

     The film follows a young woman whose wealthy grandfather plans on using her as a sacrifice in a Satanic ritual with a group of rogue catholic priests who now worship the devil.  Along for the ride is a catholic priest who suspects that there is a dark coven in his city killing women.  He enlists the help of a nun who was almost a member of the coven to help stop them before more innocent lives are lost. 

     I wasn't expecting Prime Evil to be the best Satanic cult film I had ever seen but I was expecting to have fun with it...and I did.  Sure, there was plenty of room for improvement but it was fun for what it was worth.  The acting in this one just wasn't for me.  The cast spit their dialogue out like it was a Skinemax late night special but it lacked the abundance of softcore sex scenes to make it fun.  The cast isn't bad but they did lack the conviction to make the scenes believable.  That can't be said for every scene but a majority of them were very lackluster in regards to the acting.  The story for this one is fun but not that original especially by 1988.  Satanic cults in New York is nothing new to film but this one does make it fun.  It has some sleaze and a solid amount of action to carry the viewer to the end game.  Finally, this one does have some kills but they are rather quick and done so in a way that the viewer doesn't get to see great practical effects.  In fact, the kills are just part of the story and not the enjoyment.  Overall, Prime Evil is far from perfect but it is a fun late night watch.  I recommend checking this one out.