Messiah of Evil

I see "Dead People"

A woman (Marianna Hill) goes to the California coastal town of Point Dune to visit her artist father, but can't find him and runs into a guy (Michael Greer) and his two female companions (Anitra Ford & Joy Bang). They discover that there are mysterious and peculiar things going on in town, which eventually take a deadly turn.

"Messiah of Evil" (1973) is an American film with a misleading title; it was originally called "Dead People," which is more fitting. The flick has a haunting ambiance, effectively combining elements of "Carnival of Souls" (1962), "Night of the Living Dead" (1968) and "Let's Scare Jessica to Death." It's on par with the first two, but not great like "Night," a classic horror masterpiece.

If you don't remember Marianna Hill, the doe-eyed protagonist, she was one of the most beautiful women to appear on the Original Series of Star Trek, specifically the episode "Dagger of the the Mind" as Dr. Helen Noel. The movie is a must for fans of her since she is prominently featured.

The title "Messiah of Evil" is too generic and gives the impression that the story prominently features a weirdo dark Christ-figure, but this is hardly the case. The dark messiah is ambiguous and barely featured. A more fitting title would be "Village of the Dead" or something to this effect.

In any case, many hail it as a moody horror masterpiece from the early 70s. It has a few highlights and is mandatory viewing for 60s-70s mystery/horror aficionados and admirers of the lovely Marianna Hill. Unfortunately, it's actually kind of boring and the whole "dark messiah" side of the story is insubstantial.

It runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot in SoCal in Malibu, Burbank, Anaheim, Melrose, Venice and Echo Park.

GRADE: C+/B-