SOMETHING EVIL (1972)
Following in the footsteps of The Lawnmower Man and Circuitry Man, Hologram Man is a cautionary tale about the dangers of transferring one's soul into holographic stasis. And that, dear reader, was going to be the first sentence of today's review until I sleepily slid into watching Something Evil. This was a treat. I didn't know it going in, but this made-for-TV sternum-stroker (it was either that or "spine-chiller") was shepherded by a young, hungry Steven Spielberg. Coming hot off the heels of Duel, he was still finding himself on the set of this project. Personally, I was sold as soon as I saw a pre-Night Stalker* Darren McGavin's name in the opening credits. He plays Paul, the concerned husband of a beleaguered woman (a fraught Sandy Dennis). What's beleaguering her? Find out in the next paragraph...same time, same channel!
There is something bedeviling their home, something a little more malevolent than a mere ghost. It has been said that Evil served as a dry run for Poltergeist, and I can back that sentiment. The latter film is superior, but Spielberg's direction is sharp here. The first half is slow-going, almost too slow. Almost. Patience is rewarded in a significant way, however. Stevie expertly uses the acoustics of a room to his advantage in building tension. It's funny; according to the man himself, CBS hacked his budget and hobbled his creative impulses. I couldn't tell. By the way, I did pop Hologram Man into my VCR. It's a tepid, noisy sci-fi/actioner. I bet you weren't banking on reading two reviews in one, were you? No one asked, but my favorite Spielberg joint has always been Subspecies.
*So apparently, both Something Evil and The Night Stalker premiered in early 1972. 'Twas a good year for small-screen spooks.
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