Evil Night

Director - Todd Jason Cook (Demon Dolls, Zombified)

Starring - Holly Aeck, Joseph Fautinos, and Spencer Trask 

Release Date - 1992

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "A good host never leaves his part...ALIVE!"

Format - DVD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been writing for Horror Society for almost ten years now.  Before I was brought on to write for them I had spent the better part of 15 years obsessed with horror.  No one can question my love for the genre and I've spent a good portion, if not all of it, constantly digging for more horror movies to watch.  Over the years I've met a lot of talented filmmakers with some that have career that span decades.  One of those filmmakers is Todd Jason Cook.  Cook has been making movies for almost 30 years now.  One of his most notable films is the slasher Evil Night which he made in 1992.  This S.O.V. classic is almost always brought up among S.O.V. fans.  I've owned a copy of this for sometime now but never gave it a spin.  I decided this October's horror binge was the perfect time to finally check it out.  

     The film follows a group of douchebags that get off by bullying the local nerd.  However, one night they go too far when they leave him unconscience on the ground so they can go party.  However, when he awakens he snaps.  Donning an evil clown mask, he goes on a rampage killing everyone that has ever bullied him.  

     S.O.V. horror flicks are usually cheap and fun but extremely rough around the edges.  I've seen a few that I really loved and I've seen some that made me want to bash my head off a metal table.  Evil Night is rough but I had a lot of fun with it.  The slasher story mixed with the early 90s asthetics and S.O.V. quality was a great late night watch especially during this Halloween season.  The acting in this one is very amateur and it offers up a lot of unintentional laughs but I enjoyed how serious the cast took their roles.  They were very dedicated to their roles but I found myself laughing at their performances more than anything.  I don't mean any disrespect but it did add some enjoyment to the more slower scenes.  The story for this one follows the traditional slasher story where someone is wronged and comes back witha mask to kill those responsible.  It works but does feel a little goofy at times.  I really enjoyed the little twists here and there that Cook tossed it.  It is a slasher at heart and doesn't try to hide that but sets itself apart from the others.  It doesn't reinvent the sub-genre but contributes its own to it.  With that being said, some of the scenes are rather boring.  The unintentional humor helps some of them move along but others are a bit dry.  Finally, the film has several kills but they are rather forgettable.  Due to the films budget we get some cheaply applied effects and quick death scenes that rely heavily on the viewer's imagination.  Overall, Evil Night is the true definition of S.O.V. indie horror.  It's cheap, probably rushed, but still delivers some cheap thrills.  I loved the story and the laughs we get.  I highly recommend this one for fans of slashers and S.O.V. alike.