UNSEEN EVIL is a laughably poor straight-to-video Z-grade horror movie about college students hunting for an Indian burial mound said to possess ancient treasure. We kick off with a laughable flashback scene to ancient Indian rituals and it goes downhill from there, quickly turning into a sub-BLAIR WITCH copy except without the found footage angle. A down-on-his-luck Richard Hatch, of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA fame, plays the college professor, while Tim Thomerson has a cameo appearance. The rest is a mix of cheese and unintentional laughter.
13 Reviews
Unseen Silliness...
Doctoro4422 January 2005
Man...what can I say about this film? When I saw the cast included Richard Hatch, and the King Of B-Movies Tim Thomerson, I thought it had potential. I was wrong. Almost immediately, from the look of the film, I could see it was low-budget. Still I held out hope. Then I saw how cheesy the prop "artifacts" looked, I smelled trouble. Upon seeing how weak the monster effects were, I KNEW I was in trouble. Only some classic B-movie gratuitous nudity could redeem this film (hopefully from Cindy Pena, who plays a Native-American guide), but once again I was disappointed. If you see this film on the shelf at your local store, RUN. It has poor production, a weak plot, and generally poor acting performances...
the predator on the cheap and nasty
lagputt6922 January 2005
i gave it two star because i actually couldn t wait to see what bad acting would come next. or what corny effects would come next.
The acting was brutal and the plot so unbelievable I think the actors couldn t wait to finish shooting this movie and it showed on screen
Richard Hatch seemed out of place in the woods as opposed to his rocket ships anyway.
The props were poor and i have made better cg effects on my old 486
It makes you wonder what the people were thinking the whole time they made this film. Maybe this will be a future cult film ....who knows,
The ending brought you to your knees as well because you couldn't get up to actually watch the credits.
The acting was brutal and the plot so unbelievable I think the actors couldn t wait to finish shooting this movie and it showed on screen
Richard Hatch seemed out of place in the woods as opposed to his rocket ships anyway.
The props were poor and i have made better cg effects on my old 486
It makes you wonder what the people were thinking the whole time they made this film. Maybe this will be a future cult film ....who knows,
The ending brought you to your knees as well because you couldn't get up to actually watch the credits.
Oh no!
Sharknut1 January 2004
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is SO unbelievably poor! I have lost faith in the Human Race if this film gets a rating of over 5! I wont put any spoilers... but to be honest it would make no difference: We have the token villain who cares about treasure more than anything. His trigger-happy stooge. The Stereotypical hero, who didn't have a clue about whats going on... his love interest who is there for no other reason, and of course who could forget the Law enforcement official who believes nothing told him... a la every other creature Feature... ever.
The "Plot" follows the group searching for an ancient Indian burial ground... But it is protected... dun dun dun.
Awful Dialogue, Acting, Inept structure and Poor effects... as well as an ending that is so pointless and tacked on that it made the previous 90 minutes seem ever more pointless. Avoid at all costs... in fact burn any copies found... on no accounts waste one and a half hours of your life on this thing!
0 out of 10!
The "Plot" follows the group searching for an ancient Indian burial ground... But it is protected... dun dun dun.
Awful Dialogue, Acting, Inept structure and Poor effects... as well as an ending that is so pointless and tacked on that it made the previous 90 minutes seem ever more pointless. Avoid at all costs... in fact burn any copies found... on no accounts waste one and a half hours of your life on this thing!
0 out of 10!
Curiosity killed my cat, and satisfaction DIDN'T bring him back!!!
NoFleshShallBeSpared20 August 2004
I don't think there is any kind of constructive criticism I could offer to a movie who's star actor is Tim Thomerson (not that I don't like him, I'm fond of his rather over-looked talents.) Everyone else has pretty much covered what a waste of a movie this is, I'll just have to add that save for Tim Thomerson, the acting is downright horrible!!! Not to mention a weak plot, undeveloped characters and just plain bad production. I think the 10 min. beginning sequence and eye-sore CGI effects sucked up most of this movie's budget and that left the production of this movie to be slapped together with whoever and whatever they could find.
It's sad when rabid horror-movie fans give up on a movie and hope for sex on screen to save it. Potential as MST3K fodder is the best light this movie will ever see...... 1/2
P.S. However did this movie even get the rating is has?!!! 18% voted a 10 as of this date?!! May all who positively view this movie disintegrate under the laws of artistic ability!!!!!!!
It's sad when rabid horror-movie fans give up on a movie and hope for sex on screen to save it. Potential as MST3K fodder is the best light this movie will ever see...... 1/2
P.S. However did this movie even get the rating is has?!!! 18% voted a 10 as of this date?!! May all who positively view this movie disintegrate under the laws of artistic ability!!!!!!!
Very enjoyable!
Brianweimer7319 May 2002
This is a very surprisingly enjoyable film for a low-budget horror movie. It stars Richard Hatch (Battlestar Galactica) as the leader of a young archeological team who travels deep into the woods to search some caves for artifacts. Unknown to them, an ancient evil is awakening , guarding the secrets of the burial site. Betrayal also threatens to destroy them from inside the group. I bought this movie on DVD, and was totally hooked after the first ten minutes. The director Jay Woelfel has definitely improved since his last film, Iron Thunder, also starring Hatch. The best way to describe Unseen Evil is to say that it's The Blair Witch Project meets Predator. It has some very suspenseful and entertaining moments, and some pretty good performances. It is a very decent horror movie, and one that I recommend to horror fans, and fans of Richard Hatch. The special effects aren't on the level of say, Star Wars, but are enjoyable. My advice, give it a chance.
I'll tell you why it is I had to see this one...
Vomitron_G9 February 2009
Okay, I simply had to see this since I saw it's "sequel" first (about two years ago), UNSEEN EVIL 2 (aka ALIEN 3000), and I immensely enjoyed it because it was truly one of the worst movies I had seen in a very long time. From it, I also learned that Tim Thomerson apparently starred in the "original". All this was reason enough for me to sit my a§§ down with this "original" epic tale of Alien Terror & Indian Mysticism.
So how did it go down this time? On a bad movie-scale, this "original" is about twice less fun than the "sequel". Does that actually make it a better movie...? I have absolutely no idea...
It's not even fun writing a user-comment for it (while the sequel was). We got annoying people running around in some woods, being chased and ripped to shreds by crappy CGI (make no mistake; it's not as fun as it sounds). But if that's your thing, then sure, go ahead and watch it. I'll always be willing to give retarded rubbish like this a peek, but I can only take so much of it.
I'll be generous and give it one point for what happens to Tim Thomerson. Didn't see that one coming. I guess the producers realized they were spending too much money hiring him, so they just decided on the spot to write him out of the script.
By the way, if you happen to love UNSEEN EVIL, then go watch DEMONICUS (2001). You'll have a blast. It's even from the same director (Jay Woelfel) and its more or less the same movie, only this time with a possessed idiot running around in a plastic Roman-times inspired body-armour, slashing people in the woods. Have fun.
So how did it go down this time? On a bad movie-scale, this "original" is about twice less fun than the "sequel". Does that actually make it a better movie...? I have absolutely no idea...
It's not even fun writing a user-comment for it (while the sequel was). We got annoying people running around in some woods, being chased and ripped to shreds by crappy CGI (make no mistake; it's not as fun as it sounds). But if that's your thing, then sure, go ahead and watch it. I'll always be willing to give retarded rubbish like this a peek, but I can only take so much of it.
I'll be generous and give it one point for what happens to Tim Thomerson. Didn't see that one coming. I guess the producers realized they were spending too much money hiring him, so they just decided on the spot to write him out of the script.
By the way, if you happen to love UNSEEN EVIL, then go watch DEMONICUS (2001). You'll have a blast. It's even from the same director (Jay Woelfel) and its more or less the same movie, only this time with a possessed idiot running around in a plastic Roman-times inspired body-armour, slashing people in the woods. Have fun.
Speechless!
Termi2129 July 2007
I don't have to say much. Everything is already told by the other users. All i have to say is that this "movie" gave me those rare moments in life when you literally stay with your mouth open. Especially at its ending. It was THAT bad. And thankfully and i didn't watch it from the beginning. I put 2 stars instead of 1 just because i didn't change the channel and made me stay and watch how bad a movie can be. The acting was laughable, the cgi effects are ridiculous (i mean, why didn't just use animatronics or something cheaper if they didn't have money? it would be more real than this!). I can't believe that people actually put money on this (no matter how low the amount), there are much better and more "professional" movies on youtube.
Rooting for the monster
knsevy13 December 2003
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS IN CLEARCOAT***
This is a forgettable 'cursed treasure guarded by ancient monster' film that breaks no new ground and shows its lack of budget rather obviously. Near as I could tell, the plot involved an archaeologist gone bad who decides to loot a sacred site, and thereby awakens the ancient evil there.
It's a good thing there were so many characters; since none of them had more than one dimension, it would have been hard for them to stand upright without each other for support. Hatch was incredibly annoying as the treasure-mad professor, though it's hard to say who was the MOST annoying. When you hate every character in a monster movie, it's hard not to hope the monster wins.
The monster itself was rather disappointing; the CG effects weren't very good, so it was hard to tell just what shape it had. It seemed to bear a fair resemblance to the warrior bugs from Starship Troopers. Apparently, it was just some kind of animal, not a mystical guardian, since all it took to kill it was standard weapons - though it did manage to die and come back.
Major continuity gap with the 'gold' they were carting around from the looted site. A good rule for any movie in which quantities of gold are being moved around by the characters is to assume that gold weighs as much as lead. A duffel bag full of lead items is NOT going to be something you can carry three of, let alone RUN with.
The 'gold' artifacts themselves were cheesy, and their placement in the 'ancient' site downright insulting to a viewer's intelligence - unless we're to believe somebody's come down to shine them once a week for the last 10,000 years.
Just proves that low-budget monster movies never die - they just go straight to video.
This is a forgettable 'cursed treasure guarded by ancient monster' film that breaks no new ground and shows its lack of budget rather obviously. Near as I could tell, the plot involved an archaeologist gone bad who decides to loot a sacred site, and thereby awakens the ancient evil there.
It's a good thing there were so many characters; since none of them had more than one dimension, it would have been hard for them to stand upright without each other for support. Hatch was incredibly annoying as the treasure-mad professor, though it's hard to say who was the MOST annoying. When you hate every character in a monster movie, it's hard not to hope the monster wins.
The monster itself was rather disappointing; the CG effects weren't very good, so it was hard to tell just what shape it had. It seemed to bear a fair resemblance to the warrior bugs from Starship Troopers. Apparently, it was just some kind of animal, not a mystical guardian, since all it took to kill it was standard weapons - though it did manage to die and come back.
Major continuity gap with the 'gold' they were carting around from the looted site. A good rule for any movie in which quantities of gold are being moved around by the characters is to assume that gold weighs as much as lead. A duffel bag full of lead items is NOT going to be something you can carry three of, let alone RUN with.
The 'gold' artifacts themselves were cheesy, and their placement in the 'ancient' site downright insulting to a viewer's intelligence - unless we're to believe somebody's come down to shine them once a week for the last 10,000 years.
Just proves that low-budget monster movies never die - they just go straight to video.
Know What You're Getting Going In
thomandybish-1511416 May 2023
This movie is not a big budget feature. It's a low budget example of what used to be called "exploitation". Knowing this, the viewer can adjust their expectations accordingly. All the usual things are here; continuity errors, bad or ham-fisted acting, low quality special effects, and on and on. These flubs don't preclude enjoying the movie. "Unseen Evil" (or "Unseen" or "The Unbelievable") actually functions pretty well. The somewhat hackneyed plot device of a college professor and some students/guides going to explore a Native American artifact site gets turned on its head when we learn the professor and some of his associates are mercenaries planning to plunder the artifacts and sell them. In one fell swoop, this turns into a thriller, as the unknowing members of the group are tied up and forced to participate. Of course, there is an evil entity protecting the site, and the looters/kidnap victims run afoul of it. What pleased me about the movie was the effort that went into building backstories for some of the characters, as well as their interactions once they're put upon by the entity. Greed, regret, and betrayal all come into play; these characters seem like real people, making decisions and taking action based on understandable motives. The acting is, for the most part, passable. This was filmed in the late 90s/early 2000s, so the special effects aren't so special across the expanse of 20 years, but the filmmakers do a decent job with some of the practical effects, holding to the old idea of showing the monster as little as possible. Still, if you can adjust those expectations, it can be an enjoyable ride.
Could be better, Richard Hatch is no villain.
lordzedd-37 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This movie has many flaws, but compared to ALIEN 3000 or UNSEEN EVIL 2 it's bloody Oscar material. The acting seemed force, despite the fact of Tim Thomerson of DOLLMAN fame. But there isn't all bad news, the creature design and the CGI effects are very well done for a low budget movie, if you ask me RICHARD HATCH is a major sell out, first this then the remake of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA which true fans will say is Galactica in name alone. But that's a different story. He just can't do the villain role. Richard's villain is forced and labored. There are a few things other the creature effects. An alien experiment dumped on the Earth in a cave makes sense and is pretty cool. But I give it...7 STARS.
This movie is not even worth watching as the joke I hope it is.
Ahnion25 July 2002
If this movie had a large budget, it would just be another silly horror movie with a bad script and bad directing. It is not a big money movie, however, and the results are tragically tacky.
I could not hope to encompass all of the bad things about this movie in a comment as short as this one, and I would not want to - the movie is not worth it. Suffice to say that the script is horrible, the directing is worse, the camera work seems to be irrevertibly stuck in the early eighties and the "special effects" (which are repeated ad infinitum, ad nauseam) are so bad they would shame those of early Star Trek - if those had been created today!
The greatest horror of the whole thing, however, is trying to set yourself in the role of the actors, who do a fantastical job, despite everything else, as they labour to make something believable out of this utter crap of a movie. Sadly, the actors, despite their efforts, can hardly make their characters, badly written as they are, come to any life beyond pulp magazine stereotypes.
This movie is not even worth watching as the joke I hope it is.
I could not hope to encompass all of the bad things about this movie in a comment as short as this one, and I would not want to - the movie is not worth it. Suffice to say that the script is horrible, the directing is worse, the camera work seems to be irrevertibly stuck in the early eighties and the "special effects" (which are repeated ad infinitum, ad nauseam) are so bad they would shame those of early Star Trek - if those had been created today!
The greatest horror of the whole thing, however, is trying to set yourself in the role of the actors, who do a fantastical job, despite everything else, as they labour to make something believable out of this utter crap of a movie. Sadly, the actors, despite their efforts, can hardly make their characters, badly written as they are, come to any life beyond pulp magazine stereotypes.
This movie is not even worth watching as the joke I hope it is.
"Do I Look Like A Nurse?!"...
azathothpwiggins3 May 2021
UNSEEN EVIL opens with some hokey Native American lore about the title entity. Once glimpsed in its cave lair, we know for sure we're in bad-bad CGI country! After about ten years of opening credits, we're introduced to the disposable humans who are on their way to the selfsame cave.
Enter Ranger Chuck MacNeil (Tim Thomerson) who is the only likeable character, as well as the only one with a functioning brain. Horror -sort of- erupts when the group's true motives are revealed, pi$$ing off the cave monster to no end! Yep, there's a treasure involved.
At first it's okay, since the beast is invisible. Alas, it soon materializes, revealing the full extent of the computer generated ineptitude. If it hadn't been for the pitiful presentation, this could have been a low-low budget version of PREDATOR. Instead, it's terrible.
REMEMBER THIS ADDAGE: If the budget is super-low, do we show the monster? No!
BONUS: This movie does contain one of the most rib-tickling decapitations ever filmed!
PLUS: The "gold" treasure is obviously painted balsa wood!...
Enter Ranger Chuck MacNeil (Tim Thomerson) who is the only likeable character, as well as the only one with a functioning brain. Horror -sort of- erupts when the group's true motives are revealed, pi$$ing off the cave monster to no end! Yep, there's a treasure involved.
At first it's okay, since the beast is invisible. Alas, it soon materializes, revealing the full extent of the computer generated ineptitude. If it hadn't been for the pitiful presentation, this could have been a low-low budget version of PREDATOR. Instead, it's terrible.
REMEMBER THIS ADDAGE: If the budget is super-low, do we show the monster? No!
BONUS: This movie does contain one of the most rib-tickling decapitations ever filmed!
PLUS: The "gold" treasure is obviously painted balsa wood!...
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