Michael_Elliott Evilspeak (1981) * 1/2 (out of 4) The orphaned Stanley Coopersmith (Clint Howard) gets sent to a military academy where he's picked on by everyone from his classmates to his soccer coach to various teachers. One day while cleaning the basement he comes across a book, which belonged to a priest who sold his soul to the devil. Soon Coopersmith begins entering these devilish words into a computer and soon those who picked on him are murdered.EVILSPEAK apparently has a cult following among some horror fans but to me this was a pretty bad film from the word go. There are countless issues with this movie but for the most part it's just another weak attempt to copy CARRIE. That film was a true masterpiece for the genre but this film here is just a watered down version that has a few memorable moments but overall it's pretty bad.I think the biggest problem is the actual screenplay, which just never makes too much sense and at times it just seemed rushed. What really kills the movie is the fact that nothing really happens for the first two-thirds of the movie. We basically just see Coopersmith cleaning up various things and getting picked on. At nearly the hour mark we finally get our first kill, which is an impressive one and the remaining death scenes are quite memorable but none of them make up for the boring nature of the rest of the film.Howard gives a good performance in the lead and I'd argue that the supporting players are decent for the most part as well. As I said, some of the special effects are quite bloody and they're certainly the best thing about the film. EVILSPEAK was released during the Golden Era of the slasher so it's easy to see why it was overlooked. At the same time, it's pretty weak as far as CARRIE rip-offs go as well as anything dealing with the devil.

Scott LeBrun Even if "Evilspeak" is reminiscent of earlier, and better, films, most significantly "Carrie", it's still an entertaining "loser strikes back" story done in an appreciably trashy and cheesy manner.The incomparable Clint Howard scores in his first big leading role, that of Stanley Coopersmith, orphaned cadet at a military school whom almost everybody else hates, for no really good reason. When as part of his frequent punishment details he's required to start cleaning the cellar / dungeon of the chapel, he finds a treasure trove of Satanic artifacts and, with the help of a handy school computer, tries to put together his own Black Mass and get some good and very bloody revenge.First things first: I can understand how some viewers may become impatient by the time the revenge finally rolls around; the movie doesn't really begin to kick ass until its final dozen or so minutes. THEN people willing to stick it out will be rewarded with a lot of fire, a lot of screaming, and some delicious gore gags. Oh, and pigs. "Evilspeak" definitely does not come up short in the pig imagery department. We get that, and we also get to see computers used at a time when they hadn't yet become a common part of everyday human life. Back then, it was still a lot more intriguing to have these machines figure so prominently. The art direction and moody cinematography are quite competent, especially in those dungeon sets. This is one very good looking movie. And speaking of good looks, there are enough attractive young women on hand to keep some people happy. Co-star Lynn Hancock (whose character clearly is turned on by corporal punishment) appreciably fulfils a nudity requirement. Roger Kellaway's music ain't exactly subtle, but it serves its purpose. A top notch cast full of familiar faces add to the enjoyment: R.G. Armstrong as cranky drunk "Sarge", Joseph Cortese as the reverend, Claude Earl Jones as the coach, Haywood Nelson as Kowalski (one of only two people at the academy who show Coopersmith any kindness), Don Stark as head bully "Bubba", Charles Tyner (playing a part not unlike the one he played in "Harold and Maude" 10 years previous) as the colonel in charge, the hilarious Hamilton Camp as an instructor, and Lenny Montana from "The Godfather" as the cook. Even Richard "Bull" Moll turns up as a demented Satan worshipping priest.Most importantly, Howard excels in the main role - a movie like this does need its protagonist to be sympathetic, and Howard makes Coopersmith an effective character in this regard. Some of the dialogue is highly quotable; one could play a drinking game every time the name Coopersmith, or a certain variation on it, is uttered in the movie. It doesn't matter if the theme is familiar, or if the movie isn't particularly "good"; personally, I think it's a great deal of fun, and remains amusing even on repeated viewings.Eight out of 10.

MovieGuy01 I found Evilspeak to be quite a weird sort of horror film but also a good film. A clumsy military cadet called Stanley Coopersmith who happens to be socially outcast at the West Andover Academy, and is an orphan. He is always abused and humiliated by four despicable friends, and even has bad treatment from his teachers, the coach, the colonel and even the local reverend. When Coopersmith finds a book of black mass that belonged to the evil medieval Father Esteban, he uses a computer to conjure Satan and revenge his harassers. He finds a way to tap into a computer to summon demons and cast spells on his tormentors. that involves man eating pigs and Satanism. this ended up being a very good horror movie towards the end. 5/10

crazychurchill This is one of those guilty pleasures. The budget is low, effects are outdated, story is cheesy, and the acting... well actually the acting isn't so bad in this. Clint Howard does a great job as the out of shape abused nerd that just happens to be in a Military School. Don't ask me why he of all people would be there in the first place, it's best it you don't try and poke at the plot holes, or things come apart pretty quickly.So this movie follows a simple basic formula, people abuse nerd, nerd finds satanic book, nerd becomes possessed, nerd slaughters those who did him wrong. It's that straight forward.The most enjoyable scene in the film for a variety of reasons is when the greedy secretary Miss Friedemeyer who stole Stanley's book because she wanted the jewel pentagram from the cover goes home and tries to pry it off but can't. So when she runs into a dead end with that she then strips and has a nice shower scene for the audience(I didn't complain). While she's showering she hears a noise, the first time she shakes it off as if it was nothing, the second time she gets out of the shower to investigate. When she opens the bathroom door to see what the noise is she's attacked but a pack of wild bores(pigs). She desperately flees to the bathtub with no avail. The bores attack her, ripping her apart, and thus eat her alive. The final shot of Miss Friedemeyer is when the bores flip her dead body out of the tub, and tear out her intestines.This movie is a cheap, campy, cheesy horror flick. It's good to watch on a B-Horror film night, or when your bored and you have nothing better to do. Normally I'd give this film a 5/10, but the Miss Friedemeyer death sequence made me take it up a notch to 6/10.