976-EVIL (1988)

User Rating:

4.2/10   

Director:

Robert Englund

Writers:

Brian Helgeland (writer)
Rhet Topham (writer)

Release Date:

22 March 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Now, horror has a brand new number.

Plot:

People who dial 976-EVIL receive supernatural powers and turn into satanic killers. |

Plot Keywords:

Teenkill | Hand Cut Off | Fish | Disembodied Hand | Cat

Cast

Robert Picardo	...	Mark Dark
Stephen Geoffreys	...	Hoax
Patrick O'Bryan	...	Spike
Sandy Dennis	...	Aunt Lucy
Jim Metzler	...	Marty
María Rubell	...	Angela (as Maria Rubell)
Lezlie Deane	...	Suzie
J.J. Cohen	...	Marcus
Paul Willson	...	Mr. Michaels
Darren E. Burrows	...	Jeff (as Darren Burrows)
Greg Collins	...	Mr. Selby
Joanna Keyes	...	Suzie's Mother
Gunther Jenson	...	Airhead (as Gunther Jensen)
J.J. Johnston	...	Virgil
John Slade	...	John Doe (as Jon Slade)
Demetre Phillips	...	Sergeant Bell
Don Bajema	...	Deputy
Wendy J. Cooke	...	Gang Girl (as Wendy Cooke)
Jim Thiebaud	...	Rags
Tom McFadden	...	Minister
Larry Turk	...	Operator #1
Cynthia Szigeti	...	Female Operator
Christopher Metas	...	Cashier
Roxanne Rogers	...	Waitress
Bert Hinchman	...	Coroner
Nay K. Dorsey	...	Paramedic #1 (as Nay Dorsey)
Jim Landis	...	Paramedic #2
Ed Corbett	...	Santa Claus
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Boutin	...	Wife (uncredited)
Nick Dongarra	...	Husband (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Englund

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Brian Helgeland		writer
Rhet Topham		writer

Produced by
Lisa M. Hansen	....	producer
Paul Hertzberg	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Thomas Chase
Steve Rucker

Cinematography by
Paul Elliott

Film Editing by
Stephen R. Myers

Production Design by
David Brian Miller

Set Decoration by
Nancy Booth

Makeup Department
Grant Arndt	....	special makeup effects assistant: Kevin Yagher Production, Inc.
Howard Berger	....	shop supervisor: Kevin Yagher Production, Inc.
Gino Crognale	....	special makeup effects assistant: Kevin Yagher Production, Inc.
Robert Kurtzman	....	on-set makeup applicator: Kevin Yagher Production, Inc.
Rick Lalonde	....	special makeup effects assistant: Kevin Yagher Production, Inc.
Larry Odien	....	special makeup effects assistant: Kevin Yagher Production, Inc.
Zandra Platzek	....	special makeup effects assistant: Kevin Yagher Production, Inc.
Christopher Swift	....	special makeup effects assistant: Kevin Yagher Production, Inc.
Kevin Yagher	....	make-up effects creator: Kevin Yagher Production, Inc.

Production Management
Rick Blumenthal	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Oswald	....	second assistant director
Jeff Shiffman	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Chris Buchinsky	....	storyboard artist
Michael A. Clark	....	construction coordinator
Robyn Jacobs	....	propmaker
Jim Landis	....	assistant property master
Lyndell Wolff	....	construction coordinator
Peter Flynn	....	propmaker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Patrick Bietz	....	sound editor
Jeffrey J. Haboush	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Post	....	supervising sound editor
Greg P. Russell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Cathy McKelvey	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Hal Miles	....	animatronic supervisor
James M. Navarra	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Tim Donahue	....	visual effects art director: Introvision
William Mesa	....	visual effects supervisor
Marcus Tate	....	visual effects cameraman

Stunts
Kenny Bates	....	stunts
Lynn Salvatori	....	stunt double
Jack West	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Chris Buchinsky	....	still photographer
Kenny S. Christiansen	....	best boy electric
Doug Weinmann	....	electrician

Music Department
Kennard Ramsey	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Patrick Avedissian	....	production assistant
Michael Curtis	....	production assistant
Helen Pinkston	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Cinetel Films
• Horrorscope Productions

Distributors

• New Line Cinema (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cineplex-Odeon Films (1989) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Medusa Pictures (1993) (UK) (VHS)
• PolyGram Video (1993) (UK) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (Argentina) (video)

Special Effects

• Introvision International
• Kevin Yagher Productions (make-up effects)

Also Known As:

Dial the Devil (USA) (working title)
Horrorscope (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

USA:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Norway:18 (video premiere) | Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | UK:18 | USA:R

Company:

Cinetel Films

Trivia:

When Hoax casts the spell that makes spiders come out of Suzie's TV dinner, there's a box of snack cakes behind the TV dinner called "Devil Twins".

Goofs:

Continuity: When the girlfriend of the lead actor and his cousin are sitting eating pizza in a diner, his hair goes changes how messy it is through the scene.

Quotes:

Hoax: [possessed Hoax produces two ripped-out hearts] Would it be...possible...to open with a pair of hearts?

Movie Connections:

References A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Soundtrack:

I Want You Tonight

This average, supernatural horror film has its moments.

Hoax (Stephen Geofferys) is a painfully shy teenager, who gets harassed by a group of thugs (led by J.J. Cohen) in High School and suffers at home with his overly religious mother (Sandy Dennis). The only thing that Hoax looks up to his good-hearted punk cousin Spike (Patrick O'Bryan), who lives next-door to him. When Spike finds an phone number in a card from the magazine, he was reading. Which it's a horror-scope that predicts horrible things in the near future. When Spike finds himself saved by a undercover police detective (Jim Metzler). Which a car nearly run Spike over but no one was driving the car. Which this detective is trying the investigate the bizarre deaths that involves the mysterious phone number from the horror-scope. Which these unfortunate victims called that number. When Hoax decides to call the number for the hell of it, he comes intriguing with the black magic and he finds himself seduced by the unimaginative powers from the horror-scope he calls. Now Hoax uses the power from the phone number he called giving him and he uses it for revenge.

Directed by Robert Englund made an fairly entertaining horror/thriller with elements of fantasy. Which the premise is somewhat familiar, especially for those who seen "Brian De Palma's Carrie" and "Evilspeak". I have to admit, this movie starts out very badly. I almost lose interest in the story but it slowly improves. Especially when it's focuses on Hoax's character. Englund shows some unexpected flair behind the camera with some decent imaginative special effects and good make-up effects work, despite it's low-budget showing. The performances are better than average. The script by Oscar-Winning:Brain Helgeland (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4:The Dream Master, L.A. Confidential, Payback) and Rhet Topham (Trick or Treat) is confusing at times and the odd-ball dark humour doesn't always work. Still, horror fans will enjoy it. The directorial debut by Englund is not bad (Who best known playing Freddy Krueger in the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" series). Robert Picardo (Who always has scene-stealing performances in Joe Dante movies) is memorable in his cameo as Mark Dark. Followed by a Sequel. (** ½/*****).