The lovely Marianna Hill ("The Godfather: Part II") stars as Arletty, a young woman who's been corresponding with her artist father Joseph (Royal Dano, "Killer Klowns from Outer Space") long distance. When his letters become increasingly bizarre and ominous, she goes in search of him. She arrives in the remote coastal California town of Point Dune, and hooks up with three strangers who've come to town to document local folklore, including that of a "blood moon".

It does not take long for strange and violent things to begin happening, in this little film that is a marvel of weirdness and atmosphere. "Messiah of Evil" strives for both of those elements, and does a fantastic job. At first, it seems as if the filmmakers won't bother to explain too much, but then some back story is provided around the 71 minute mark. After that, things do become a lot clearer.

The husband and wife filmmaking team of Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz may have unfortunately torpedoed their career in the 1980s with the debacle that was "Howard the Duck", but they really have never gotten quite enough credit for this enjoyable, twisted independent horror film. It manages to get pretty violent without going over the top in terms of gore. It is really the offbeat ambiance of this film that makes it work as well as it does. It can boast two standout, memorable horror sequences: one in a supermarket, and one in a movie theatre.

Hills' performance may be a matter of taste, as she's clearly on the verge of hysteria throughout (and that extends to her frequent narration). Her co-stars do decent work: Michael Greer ("Fortune and Men's Eyes") as the low-key Thom, Joy Bang ("Night of the Cobra Woman") as the childish Toni, Anitra Ford ("Invasion of the Bee Girls") as the fed-up Laura, and Charles Dierkop ('Police Woman') as a service station attendant. The beloved Old Hollywood character actor Elisha Cook, Jr. ("The Maltese Falcon", etc.) has a great cameo as a drunken local with stories to tell. Non-actor Bennie Robinson has a memorable, creepy presence as a rat-munching albino. At first, Dano's contribution consists mostly of voice-over, until his equally memorable on-screen appearance late in the game. That's filmmaker Walter Hill as the desperate man in the opening minute and a half of the film.

Excellent visuals (those murals in the fathers' abode are wonderful) and superb widescreen photography are two more assets in an interesting, off-the-beaten-path horror film that die hard fans of the genre are advised to check out.

Eight out of 10.

Unsettling... surreal... otherworldly... those are just a few words one can use to describe this picture. Engrossing... unforgettable... a few more. This movie is worth a thousand words only because no one word will suffice.

Messiah of Evil is the story of a woman who goes looking for her father after he mysteriously stops correspondence with her. When she arrives at his seaside home, she finds that the whole town has gone quite batty. She is joined by a far out new-age couple who were curiously attracted to the strange town. Together, the trio find out that the town has become one big, evil, flesh and blood craving, moon worshiping zombie cult.

This movie is filled to the brim with creepy atmosphere, chilling scenes, very strange and memorable characters, and plenty of genuine w.t.f. moments. Watching this film it, at times, felt like it was shot in another dimension. A world of its own creation.

Don't hesitate to seek out this hidden piece of 70s surrealism and fright. Just sit back and let it catch you off guard.

A girl arrives in a strange town on the California coast to see her father and learns that he's vanished. When she meets up with a swinging drifter the two soon discover that the weird locals are hiding a horrific secret, they're also quite hungry...

Dead People (also known by the title Messiah of Evil) is an obscure gem among the numerous low-budget drive-in horror flicks of the 70's. It's a gritty film that brims with creative energy and remains intriguingly off-beat throughout. This isn't your standard horror tale at all. There's a great atmospheric dread that runs through the film, along with an amazingly nightmarish moodiness. The compelling plot sports a number of truly chilling scenes and escalates to an intense, if somewhat surreal, finale that's perfectly haunting. It also uses very little violence or gore to reach its effective creepiness.

Director Willard Huyck does a splendid job creating a dream-like vibe for this film and does well with crafting some suspenseful scenes. The cast is good as well. Star Marianna Hill is confident in her portrayal of mystified Arletty and Michael Greer brings something genuine to the character of wondering Thom. Veteran actors Elisha Cook Jr. and Royal Dano are both excellent and truly spooky in their brief but memorable roles in the film.

Is it a perfect film? Not quite, there's some rough editing and a wistful love song theme that seems out of place here, but these issues are dwarfed by the strong points. There's plenty to admire about this chilling, unique horror film. It's definitely worth tracking down for horror fans that enjoy their films a bit on the existential side.

*** 1/2 out of ****