Spoilers ahead, perhaps. A moderate horror fan, I had never heard of `Equinox' at the time I popped it in (nor had I read any IMDB user-comments). But until Sam Raimi personally tells me he did not see this film prior to making the `Evil Dead' flicks, I'm going to assume he has paid loving homage to this forgotten gem. If you think `Evil Dead II' is a re-make of `The Evil Dead,' then you haven't seen this film yet (though it has a lot in common with John Newland's 1973 film, `The Legend Of Hillbilly John' too).
I liked this film a lot - like the `Evil Dead' films and `The Return of the Aliens: The Deadly Spawn,' this is pioneering film-making that must be seen to be believed. From the opening sequence where the credits are rolling (a nice parade of mechanical images moving around mysteriously) to the rather abrupt start, this is a film that keeps things interesting! In the beginning, a man running from an explosion (Edward Connell playing David Fielding) is hit by a phantom car. He later winds up in a psychiatric ward as a psychotic vegetable of sorts, staring at his cross for countless hours. He's visited by a newsman named Sloan (James Phillips looking like Bruno Sammartino), who hears the original tape of Connell's affirmations.
Now, note the familiarities here. His story recounts the day he and three friends cross a strangely recognizable bridge, hoping to meet up with a professor named Doctor Waterman who's holed up in an almost inaccessible cabin. The professor has gotten his hands on a 1,000 year old book written in many different languages that he calls 'The Bible of Evil,' which makes reference to the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Persian Gulf, the Lord's Prayer written backwards, the forces of good and evil, demonology, the natural methodology of symbols, and demon resurrection. The doctor has, as expected, become as amateur demonologist and tried a few of the experiments for the manifestation of certain creatures. His notes, found in the book itself, claim that his knowledge was premature and that he was unable to control what he created. When Dave reads the doctor's notes, the scene is uncannily similar to a another from some other film that involves a doctor's notes on a tape-recorder. Later, we see Dr. Waterman possessed by something as he runs through the woods. Oddly enough, there's also reference to a spiraling vortex and a fluctuating dimension where we see a medieval castle and an evil flying stop-motion demon - hmmmn. In addition, several of the cast-members get possessed, and Jim Hudson (played by WKRP's Frank Bonner) even gets an evil doppleganger (can you say `Evil Ash'?). And, at one point, Dave yells, `Into the woods,' which automatically brings Raimi's `Within the Woods' to mind in a weird de-ja-vu sense when you actually hear it said. Nevertheless, `Evil Dead 2' is still a much better film and tons more entertaining, but this is a nice reference point for any fan of the Raimi movies. Purchase this at any cost!
Lots of other weird stuff here too: 1) Susan is almost raped by Asmodeus (Satan as a park-ranger), who apes Billy Idol's sneer in a very weird scene. Luckily, her crucifix (y'know, the one that swings down by her near-perfect ass throughout the film) saves her. 2) The Ray Harryhausen-like stop-motion animation, created by future Oscar-winner Dennis Muren (of later `Star Wars' fame), is amazing! Everything from his Cthulhu-looking octopus, to his flying demon, to his 30 foot Aztec Gorilla with the furry forearms, to his big aborigine/caveman are spectacular! 3) The group of students is the most matter-of-factly group of kids since Scooby-Doo and the gang. They're not a bit scared when they hear maniacal laughing from a dark cave and see weird prehistoric footprints. Instead, they make torches and investigate! 4) Ed Begley Jr was an assistant cameraman on this film, and he ended up doing voices on `Scooby-Doo.' 5) There's a wonderful cameo from legendary sci-fi author Fritz Leiber in a small role. Leiber once wrote a short-story in 1950 called `The Enchanted Forest'). 6) Satan is a park-ranger!
I liked this film a lot - like the `Evil Dead' films and `The Return of the Aliens: The Deadly Spawn,' this is pioneering film-making that must be seen to be believed. From the opening sequence where the credits are rolling (a nice parade of mechanical images moving around mysteriously) to the rather abrupt start, this is a film that keeps things interesting! In the beginning, a man running from an explosion (Edward Connell playing David Fielding) is hit by a phantom car. He later winds up in a psychiatric ward as a psychotic vegetable of sorts, staring at his cross for countless hours. He's visited by a newsman named Sloan (James Phillips looking like Bruno Sammartino), who hears the original tape of Connell's affirmations.
Now, note the familiarities here. His story recounts the day he and three friends cross a strangely recognizable bridge, hoping to meet up with a professor named Doctor Waterman who's holed up in an almost inaccessible cabin. The professor has gotten his hands on a 1,000 year old book written in many different languages that he calls 'The Bible of Evil,' which makes reference to the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Persian Gulf, the Lord's Prayer written backwards, the forces of good and evil, demonology, the natural methodology of symbols, and demon resurrection. The doctor has, as expected, become as amateur demonologist and tried a few of the experiments for the manifestation of certain creatures. His notes, found in the book itself, claim that his knowledge was premature and that he was unable to control what he created. When Dave reads the doctor's notes, the scene is uncannily similar to a another from some other film that involves a doctor's notes on a tape-recorder. Later, we see Dr. Waterman possessed by something as he runs through the woods. Oddly enough, there's also reference to a spiraling vortex and a fluctuating dimension where we see a medieval castle and an evil flying stop-motion demon - hmmmn. In addition, several of the cast-members get possessed, and Jim Hudson (played by WKRP's Frank Bonner) even gets an evil doppleganger (can you say `Evil Ash'?). And, at one point, Dave yells, `Into the woods,' which automatically brings Raimi's `Within the Woods' to mind in a weird de-ja-vu sense when you actually hear it said. Nevertheless, `Evil Dead 2' is still a much better film and tons more entertaining, but this is a nice reference point for any fan of the Raimi movies. Purchase this at any cost!
Lots of other weird stuff here too: 1) Susan is almost raped by Asmodeus (Satan as a park-ranger), who apes Billy Idol's sneer in a very weird scene. Luckily, her crucifix (y'know, the one that swings down by her near-perfect ass throughout the film) saves her. 2) The Ray Harryhausen-like stop-motion animation, created by future Oscar-winner Dennis Muren (of later `Star Wars' fame), is amazing! Everything from his Cthulhu-looking octopus, to his flying demon, to his 30 foot Aztec Gorilla with the furry forearms, to his big aborigine/caveman are spectacular! 3) The group of students is the most matter-of-factly group of kids since Scooby-Doo and the gang. They're not a bit scared when they hear maniacal laughing from a dark cave and see weird prehistoric footprints. Instead, they make torches and investigate! 4) Ed Begley Jr was an assistant cameraman on this film, and he ended up doing voices on `Scooby-Doo.' 5) There's a wonderful cameo from legendary sci-fi author Fritz Leiber in a small role. Leiber once wrote a short-story in 1950 called `The Enchanted Forest'). 6) Satan is a park-ranger!