“It is evil beyond time and imagination... Forever watching... Waiting... Killing!” Promises, promises... From the DVD advertising copy for “Forever Evil.”

Aspiring filmmakers, especially those considering shooting on a video format, would be wise to watch this obscure low-budget production from 1987. Made for a paltry fifty thousand and shot on tape, “Forever Evil” may not be a lost classic but it’s a solid, if flawed, attempt at story driven exploitation.

As stated many times on this site before, it seems everyone with a digital video camera and an iMac is an instant filmmaker. Today’s technology is such that it’s possible to shoot a feature length production in a week (or less) and have the DVD ready for distribution in about as much time. The main problem with these entertainments is that very little thought is ever given to the script. But who needs a coherent story when you have a few bored friends and an abandon house just down the street? “Forever Evil,” for whatever it’s worth, is one of the few direct-to-video horror films where somebody actually bothered to write a script. It’s naive and often clumsy, but it’s a fully realized screenplay with all those silly things like character development, nuanced dialogue and a fairly complicated story.

“Forever Evil” begins with a set-up very reminiscent of “Evil Dead.” Marc (Red Mitchell) is planning one last weekend at his family’s lake house before he and his brother put it up for sale. (They’ve invented this snazzy grappling-hook-like gadget and need the money to get it off the ground.) Marc is joined by his brother, pregnant girlfriend and three other guests just ripe for horror shenanigans. That night, during the ubiquitous rainstorm, most of the guests are systematically killed by an unseen force. A malevolent tree branch, giant red “spook-house” eyes and a person in serviceable zombie make-up all figure into the action. Only Marc manages to survive the massacre, ironically ending up in the hospital after being hit by a car. And this is only the beginning of the movie! Marc befriends Leo (Charles L. Trotter) a detective on the case and Reggie (Tracey Huffman) a survivor of a similar massacre. The three of them attempt to figure out the reason for the bizarre events; unfortunate real estate decisions and the demon Yog Kothag figure into the drama. (As does the absurd grappling hook gadget, a story device that should have been excised way before shooting.) What essentially begins as an “Evil Dead” rehash slowly evolves into a more complex story; heavy on the mystery/detective angle, low on the horror.

VCI Entertainment was gracious (or maybe the word here is bold) enough to provide two versions of “Forever Evil,” the 2 hour (!) director’s cut and the “home video premiere.” The longer version is, not surprisingly, pretty slow and difficult to view in one sitting. It does contain several elements that help to flesh out the story - but little gore was trimmed for the “video premiere.” The original cut, also long at 111 minutes, is sometimes incoherent but avoids some of the pacing problems of the 2 hour epic. (It’s a shame that while they were creating an alternate version, no one felt obliged to remove or re-work the tacky, dated computer generated credit sequence. It casts an ugly shadow over the entire production.) Neither version of “Forever” is great, but there are several elements that work in spite of the low budget and video origin.

Screenwriter Freeman Williams (who plays the part of fortune teller Magnus in the film) created an intriguing premise in “Forever” and though his execution is flawed there does exist a very literate and maybe even scary movie somewhere inside. His basic premise: ‘what happens to the survivor of a horror movie once the film is over?’ is novel. And the ancient demon/god plotline works well enough, especially considering we never actually get to see it. The main problem with the supernatural antagonists onscreen (a hooded figure seen briefly and the aforementioned zombie) is that they materialize at whim and seem virtually indestructible. It’s difficult to generate suspense when logic is eschewed in favor of a scary set-piece. (Even the demons of “Evil Dead” had a logic to their menace.) The strength of his script is in his well-executed storyline and dimensional characters. The low budget, however, often belies his writing ability. Williams has an ear for nuanced dialogue, but there’s a fine line between nuanced and, well, bad. An experienced cast might be able to turn the query for the last piece of pizza into a genuine slice-of-life moment but “Forever” doesn’t have such a cast. Williams also makes the mistake of many novice screenwriters by telling much of the story through needless exposition instead of revealing information visually. But how often in a Monster’s review (especially of the direct-to-video variety) does one mention the screenplay at all - let alone use words such as “intriguing” and “nuanced” to describe it? Hardly ever.

Director Roger P. Evans and cinematographer Horacio Fernandez understand the visual language of film and make the most from the limited (1.33:1) aspect ratio of videotape circa ’87. They manage to successfully transcend the medium more often than not with some nice establishing shots, solid composition and smart lighting choices. (In the world of direct-to-video, these are aspects that should not be taken lightly.) The make-up effects are also superior; especially the entrance of a demon baby and a plethora of “old school” prosthetic gore. This doesn’t change the fact that “Forever Evil” is not particularly shocking or suspenseful. Evans might be a competent technical director, but he has no sense of pacing (kind of important in this genre) and his constant use of POV is distracting. His handling of the inexperienced cast is also uninspired. The late Red Mitchell (sort of a stocky John Ashley) isn’t bad as the protagonist Marc, but he’s not helped much by his awkward co-star Tracey Huffman. Charles Trotter lends an air of credibility to his role as the detective and Kayce Glasse gives a spirited if all-too-brief appearance as the doomed Mrs. Weinberger.

This special-edition 2-Disc set is truly exceptional, given the relative obscurity of the title. Both cuts of this shot-on-video feature are in surprisingly good condition. The picture is sharp and the color is bright with little contrast. There are no obvious video glitches (or film artifacts from the transfer). The soundtrack (pieced together during post-production) has been enhanced with 5.1 Dolby Digital stereo and it’s a superior mix that greatly adds to the experience. The extras feature an energetic commentary with both director Evans and writer Williams. It’s rather telling that Evans does not seem to be much of a horror fan. Both men seem to have enjoyed the experience though, if not the final product. Also included is a lengthy photo gallery, a promotional trailer and a cool (and unexpected) animated menu.

This title was originally financed by the same video company responsible for the infamous “Terror at Tenkiller.” Those familiar with that particular release will appreciate the low expectations surrounding “Forever” and the shock of finding it not-terrible. A good deal of the enjoyment factor came after viewing the “director’s cut” and researching the title online. Most of the reviews were from fanboy sites complete with scene-for-scene descriptions and requisite ‘I’m so clever, see how I can trash this piece of crap with my amazing usage of colorful adjectives’ pan. (In independent horror there are degrees of quality folks; it’s all too easy dismiss something low-budget in favor of a snappy review.) However, there was one site that proved essential before watching the “video” cut of “Evil.” Screenwriter Freeman Williams runs a site called, ironically enough, The Bad Movie Report where he reviews… bad movies (http://www.stomptokyo.com/badmoviereport/) There he’s posted a comprehensive diary on the entire production, “Making a Bad Movie,” that is both funny and heart-wrenching (especially if you’re a writer). I urge all low-budget filmmakers out there to read his thoughts on the experience. Then, if you’re feeling adventurous, rent “Forever Evil” a surprisingly competent entry in ‘80’s direct-to-video exploitation.