The Messiah of Evil

Has anyone seen the Film from 1973 entitled "The Messiah of Evil" later known as "Dead People" and/or "The Second Coming"?  Written and Directed by Willard Huych & Gloria Katz.

In a nut-shell without spoiling...  What happened a hundred years ago is happening again...  The point of reference is unknown and throughout the film you have a vague sense of what is really happening and why.  Pod-like zombies roaming the streets and how did they become that way?  An unseen force or spirit I imagine...

I avoided this film only because the few people I knew who saw it trashed it telling me not to waist my time.  I received this film on DVD from my wife several months ago when she found it on a bargain shelf for $4.99.  Having it sealed in it's original cellophane wrap for quite some time, I decided to indulge myself one late night at 1:00AM after coming home from work.

First off, the atmosphere hovers on one plane with little highs and lows.  The acting is less than perfect and extremely monotone.  If you anticipate seeing lots of blood or being spooked, it'll never happen.  The audio slowly gets out of sync as the movie progresses.  A few seconds out near the end.

With that all being said, I thought the film with little budget that they had was done wonderfully and to me it was totally hypnotic.  It held my attention throughout.  The calm with no sense of urgency enhanced the film.  The lack of gore and the pod-like zombies were entertaining and almost humorous.  The camera angles and depth of field is very nicely done.

I encourage you to spend 90 minutes of your time one late evening or early morning to view the film.  There are several scenes that are quite good and stand out.  To mention two, the grocery store and theater...  What goes on, you'll have to watch and find out.  The climactic ending isn't very climactic, but works nicely with the pace of the film.  Oh, the artwork in the house that the film was filmed in is exquisite.  Gloria Katz one of the Writers created the murals which integrates wonderfully with the ending.  To add to this, the film has an unmentioned sub-plot that could have placed the movie into a different genre making it controversial. Again, I'm not giving details.  See the film and you'll know what I mean.

Love to know what others opinions are if you saw this rare forgotten gem.

"The Messiah of Evil" can also be viewed on the internet.  Being I'm very new here and not sure about rules on posting links...  I've withheld the website, but If it is allowed I can post it later if interested.

Be Well!