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Edward Connell,
Edward Connell,
Barbara Hewitt,
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Dennis Muren,
Jack Woods,
Dennis Muren,
more...
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: Criterion
: Horror, Suspense/Thriller, Supernatural/Occult, Criterion Collection
: English
: English
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Four teens head into a forest in search of a long-lost scientist (played by science fiction novelist Fritz Leiber). Monitoring the kids' every move is a forest ranger (Jack Woods), who is in reality the ancient demon god Asmodeus. When the kids come across a precious book of incantations, the ranger conjures up an intimidating variety of horrible monsters and nightmarish visions, the better to retrieve the volume. The man responsible for the special effects in Equinox is Dennis Muren, who began the film as a nonprofessional 16-millimeter project in 1967. The picture was completed by director Edward Connell, using the same cast throughout (the actors' ages noticeably fluctuate from scene to scene). Long a Late Late Show staple, Equinox in time garnered a cult following, and later appeared on video under the title The Beast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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| Equinox (Criterion Collection) (Bonus Disc) (1970) |
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| Is Somebody Greasing Criterion's Palm?
by talltale
August 6, 2006 - 11:49 AM PDT
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1 out of 4 members found this review helpful
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In our Bush-league era of lobbying, payoffs and general sleaze, I must admit that the following thought crossed my suspicious mind: What could have prompted the folks at The Criterion Collection--who have given us the finest group of DVD transfers thus far--to include the bizarrely dreadful EQUINOX among their titles? Did they perhaps reap enough monetary benefit from some hush-slush big-wig to bankroll another hundred DVD transfers of their usual high quality? If so, then I'm all for bribery. If not, I guess we must chalk this up to "Whatever Were They Thinking?"
Oddly enough, even the transfer here is pretty awful: Certain scenes are grainy beyond belief. Aside from this, the movie is so juvenile and silly, full of poor special effects (that must have looked dismal even back in 1970), and acted, written & directed in mediocre fashion. I watched the original student version first (71 minutes), then turned to the theatrically-released version: ten minutes longer, certain scenes and/or character added or redone and some nitwit sex included (has saliva EVER looked this delicious?). The disc also features an interview with the retired editor of a famous "movie monster" magazine, in which he praises the (then) young filmmakers, at least one of whom went on to greater glory. I am thoroughly flummoxed by all of this, but good luck to you.
Wait, wait--I just got a brilliant idea, which I hereby submit to The Criterion Collection absolutely free of charge. Remember how, when Miramax began releasing some not-exactly-art-films like "The Crow," the company decided to create a new shingle called Dimension Films for its more downscale output? Why doesn't Criterion create the same kind of thing for DVD releases such as "Equinox." I'll even suggest a name for it: "Nadir Films." |
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