Equinox Review by Bobby LePire. Edited by Courtney McAllister.

 

This could very well be one of the only movies I’ll ever review for the site to have a Criterion Collection release (# 338). It also has a pretty crazy backstory- it was originally an independently shot, student made movie titled “The Equinox… A Journey Into The Supernatural”, and then it was bought by a  distributor that added fifteen minutes worth of new material and different music. Neither version of the story makes any sense, so why is it on Criterion? Because they don’t just do classics, but also movies that are important to the history of film. Is it still any fun? You bet!

The plot is shoddy, shaky, riddled with holes, and original as hell:

A group of friends- David (Edward Connell), Vicki (Robin Christopher), Jim (Frank Bonner), and Susan (Barbara Hewitt)- go up to Dr. Waterman’s cabin (Fritz Leiber). While stopping for a picnic lunch they discover an old tome, weird footprints, and an invisible barrier to another dimension. After getting to what’s left of Waterman’s place, they discover he’s missing, and decide to search for him. All the while, the ancient demon Asmodeus (Jack Woods) tries to reclaim the book, and take over the world.

 

The filmmakers seemed to not be bothered with things like logic- why don’t the kids get back in the car at the first sign of trouble (or when they see the cabin in ruins?)?- or things like continuity, as shirts are buttoned and unbuttoned inconsistently from one shot to the next, and Vicki’s hair is constantly changing style and length throughout. However, Dennis Muren, director of the student film, has quite the eye for staging, so the action beats are always excitingly choreographed and filmed well- a sequence that sees a ten foot tall troglodyte attacking our heroes is shot in a way that obscures it from them, but not from the audience, so there’s some good dramatic tension at work. Also, the forced perspective shots to make the monsters appear taller are well mounted. And yes, we are discussing that Dennis Muren, without whose visual effects work we’d not have “Jurassic Park”, “Casper”, the “Terminator” movies, the “Ghostbusters” films, and of course, the “Star Wars” saga! So, yes, that does mean his pioneering work in special effects started inauspiciously here.

 

The special effects work is great (for the kind of movie it is), and fairly competent with an old school charm to it. The creatures- troglodyte, squid-esque thing (where was the water source it came from?), a giant imp, and the more traditional kaiju monster ape-lizard creature (featured prominently on most marketing materials)- are all very well detailed, and move in realistic enough manner. They are all well integrated to their respective scenes, with the ape-lizard’s death sequence being a standout. The invisible barrier, while a simple in-camera trick is executed with aplomb. These impressive aspects are the reason the movie was chosen for the Criterion Collection- to see the start of such an accomplished visual effects master is stunning.

 

I just wish his editing skills were as good, but the edits are routinely sloppy, and clunky- some scenes seem to go on far too long and others end abruptly. Jack Woods’ (the man who bought and distributed the movie) budget upgrades are most noticeable here, as the new material not only looks cleaner, but has smoother transitions. It was shot to match, so its not too distracting, but still obvious.

 

Woods’ additions to the story make one scratch his/ her head. He cast himself in the role of Asmodeus, the ruler of the strange castle beyond the barrier’s boundaries in our world, and it is he who sends out the various baddies. I don’t think “magical evil creatures who attack our protagonists” really needed much in the way of backstory. But, alas, this is what we got.

 

The actors’ and actresses’ skill veer wildly. As David, a survivor that winds up in a mental institution, Edward Connell is very good. His crazy persona, which is how we’re introduced to him (most of the movie is a flashback from a recording he made to his doctor about the incident), is immediately sympathetic, and his can do, take charge attitude throughout the bulk of the runtime turns him into a compelling leader the way the hammy dialogue just couldn’t muster. He’s also quite believable as a truly caring friend. He gives the best performance in the movie. On the complete opposite side of that is Robin Christopher, as Vicki. She sounds shrill throughout the entire movie, even before the bad things begin. Sounding shocked, surprised, sad, or relieved don’t happen for her, as she states every line like she’s annoyed that the waiter brought her the wrong dish.

 

Barbara Hewitt is much better as the other main female. There are moments where it sounds as if she’s reading lines, but at least the craziness of the situation and mounting terror of what’s happening is realized, and acted out well enough. Rounding out the foursome, Frank Bonner made absolutely no impact on me. I honestly can’t recall a damn thing about his character. As for Mr. Woods, it’s a weird performance, but no weirder than the rest of the movie, what with its magical books, disappearing monsters, and generally crazy tone. So I guess it fits?

 

This movie is weird, and has a number of production issues, but getting to enjoy its insanity for yourself is very fun (thus, the vagueness on a lot of plot points). And it is earnest, to a fault perhaps, original, full of Lovecraftian nods, and very unlike most other kaiju-esque movies. Cautiously recommended.