It's interesting to watch the early films of great directors like Steven Spielberg so see if they demonstrated any unique flair that would help them out later in their careers. Something Evil isn't overflowing with classic Spielberg touches, but there are a few moments that show some promise of what was to come.
Something Evil plays everything very safe and by the numbers throughout and that's to its detriment. You have a wonderful, capable director at the start of his career and wonderful actors such as Sandy Dennis, Darren McGavin, and Ralph Bellamy, but the script simply isn't up to their talents and they can only do so much to try and rise above it.
Dennis and McGavin play a married couple with two children who move to a secluded farm where the previous owner died. Soon, the locals are telling them all sorts of horror stories and Dennis is left alone there most days to witness strange phantom noises, intense gusts of wind that come out of nowhere, and demon eyes appearing on jam jars. She comes to the conclusion that the house is either trying to drive her mad or possess her, but her husband won't budge.
Almost all of the thrills Something Evil has to offer are of the silly kind. A few intense gusts of wind, a couple of ghostly baby cries in the night, and some glowing red eyes just aren't going to cut it, but to everyone's credit, they take it seriously.
Something Evil isn't a very good movie, but it's interesting to see a young director still trying to hone his craft.
Something Evil plays everything very safe and by the numbers throughout and that's to its detriment. You have a wonderful, capable director at the start of his career and wonderful actors such as Sandy Dennis, Darren McGavin, and Ralph Bellamy, but the script simply isn't up to their talents and they can only do so much to try and rise above it.
Dennis and McGavin play a married couple with two children who move to a secluded farm where the previous owner died. Soon, the locals are telling them all sorts of horror stories and Dennis is left alone there most days to witness strange phantom noises, intense gusts of wind that come out of nowhere, and demon eyes appearing on jam jars. She comes to the conclusion that the house is either trying to drive her mad or possess her, but her husband won't budge.
Almost all of the thrills Something Evil has to offer are of the silly kind. A few intense gusts of wind, a couple of ghostly baby cries in the night, and some glowing red eyes just aren't going to cut it, but to everyone's credit, they take it seriously.
Something Evil isn't a very good movie, but it's interesting to see a young director still trying to hone his craft.