| Evilspeak | |
|---|---|
 Cover of Evilspeak UK DVD |
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| Directed by | Eric Weston |
| Produced by | Eric Weston Sylvio Tabet Gerald Hopman |
| Written by | Eric Weston Joseph Garofalo |
| Starring | Clint Howard |
| Distributed by | Moreno Films |
| Release date(s) | 1981 |
| Running time | 89 Mins |
| Country |  US |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,000,000 |
Evilspeak (also known as Evilspeaks and Computer Murders) is a 1981 horror film written by Eric Weston and Joseph Garofalo, and directed by Weston.
Contents |
Stanley Coopersmith (Clint Howard), a young cadet at an American military academy, is a social outcast bullied by his fellow classmates. After discovering the Book of Satan and establishing communication with the Devil through his computer at a catacomb below the academy church, he plots his revenge on them using black magic.
The story was originally titled The Foundling - a script written by Joseph Garofalo. Garofalo later reworked it in conjunction with actor Eric Weston who tightened up the storylines and added the computer elements.
A budget of $1,000,000 was raised, half from Lebanese producer Sylvio Tabet (who had made the Beastmaster series of films) and half from a group of doctors looking to invest some money.
The film was shot in three weeks, using locations in Santa Barbara and a condemned church in South Central Los Angeles.[1]. According to DVD commentary the dilapidated church was superficially renovated for the movie shoot, confusing a priest who previously worked there and causing him to get on his knees and pray to God. The church was burned to the ground some 3 days later.
The movie was once cited as a video nasty in the UK following its release on the Videospace label. It remained banned for a number of years as part of the Video Recordings Act 1984, thanks to its gory climax and themes of satanism.
The film was reclassified and re-released in 1999 but with over three minutes of cuts which included the removal of most of the gore from the climax. It was then subsequently passed complete by the BBFC in 2004 and is now available in both an uncut form and a version re-edited by the distributors to tighten up the dialogue.[2]
Anton LaVey, the late founder and High Priest of the Church of Satan, was a great fan of the film and considered it to be very Satanic.[3]
Actor Clint Howard said that director Eric Weston's original version of the film that was submitted to the MPAA was longer, and contained more blood, gore, and nudity then the unrated version of the film. Especially during the shower/pig attack scene, and the final confrontation. To date this version of the film has never been released on Blu-Ray, DVD, or VHS.
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