Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Tower of Evil Blu-ray Movie Review

Fog = Viagra

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 19, 2013

Produced two years before 1974’s “Black Christmas,” “Tower of Evil” has built a reputation in recent years as one of the forefathers of the slasher subgenre, which would go on to mainstream success in iconic pictures such as “Halloween” and “Friday the 13th.” While the effort doesn’t have much creative gas in its tank, it remains an interesting sit due to its historical placement, detailing a reign of terror that picks off victims in a most gruesome manner, often catching these poor folks following sexual relations, thus making their exit from the film all the more cruel. “Tower of Evil” is rough on patience levels, but there’s undeniable craftsmanship to study, displaying interesting atmosphere that emphasizes oncoming doom, while the friskiness of the characters is remarkable. In fact, there’s so much attention paid toward the sexual proclivities of the personalities, it’s easy to forget the stillborn fright feature antics that rarely add up to genuine chills.

Traveling to the remote Snape Island with his father, seaman Hamp (Jack Watson) is horrified to discover the remains of three teenagers, brutally killed on vacation. A fourth, Penelope (Candace Glendenning), is alive but lost in catatonic shock, taken to a hospital for experimental therapy that uses flashing colored lights to trigger an outpouring of memories. As Penelope strives to recall the creature that destroyed friends Mae (Seretta Wilson) and Des (Robin Askwith), and boyfriend Gary (John Hamill), a team of archaeologists swoops in, intrigued by the presence of an ancient Phoenician gold sword found at the crime scene. Deducing that treasure is located in the bowels of the island, the squad, including leader Evan (Bryant Holiday), Adam (Mark Edwards), bickering married couple Dan (Derek Fowlds) and Nora (Anna Palk), and horndog teen Brom (Gary Hamilton), head out to inspect the grounds, while a reluctant Hamp tags along for help. Unable to find the goods, the amorous visitors are soon greeted by a beastly force that prowls around in the darkness, picking off the gang one by one.

“Tower of Evil” gets off on the right foot, following Hamp and his sea dog of a father as they inspect the island, looking for the teenagers. What they actually discover are three bodies, each gruesomely killed by an unknown force, with the pair stepping carefully through the murder scene. Writer/director Jim O’Connolly (“The Valley of Gwangi”) delivers the essentials right at the start of the show, providing an ample amount of gore and nudity before the story has a chance to kick in, promising that “Tower of Evil” isn’t going to mess around with genre highlights. However, it’s only a fleeting rush of excitement, as the rest of the effort quickly slows to a crawl for mysterious reasons.

Perhaps the budget was too low for a consistent run of thrills, or maybe the production figured there was enough bang for the buck already with the few gruesome encounters included, but “Tower of Evil” is a lethargic movie, not always interested in developing suspense as the characters march around the island. There’s considerable exposition employed to arrange the personalities, with the screenplay initially taking two directions, tracking Penelope’s light therapy and the effort to extract haunting memories of her friends, and the archaeologists, on the hunt for the gold of pagan god Baal. O’Connolly quietly abandons Penelope’s subplot early on, leaving the heavy lifting to the professional types and their assorted difficulties and doubts, finding the quest for treasure interfering with their squabbling. The performances are dry but certainly convincing, with clear professional conviction from the ensemble, out to make a good impression despite the B-movie disposability of the job. Unfortunately, there isn’t much for them to do here, as the writing consists of stillborn elements of suspicion, observing the group try to comprehend the threat facing them, eventually working to pinpoint its origin. Without the benefit of music (scoring is weirdly sparse), tension never develop to satisfaction, leaving “Tower of Evil” more chatty than chilling, taking its time to arrive nowhere in particular.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the screenplay is its forthright attitude towards sex, keeping the island invaders more interested in the dance of the pants than their own mortality. “Tower of Evil” is a saucy movie, with Palk’s Nora a seductress straight out of a Penthouse Letter, while Brom’s a young stud who’s wandered off an adult film set, creating a curious viewing experience where the amorous particulars of the doomed are more interesting than the actual deaths. To be fair, O’Connolly misses the mark with his slasher scenes, finding one screamy encounter with Penelope and Gary a blizzard of edits and screeching sounds that doesn’t carry the intended swell of terror. However, when one pops in a picture titled “Tower of Evil,” there’s a certain expectation for nightmare material. The feature is actually more confident with flirtations and intimacy than anything horrific.

Tower of Evil Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is quite agreeable for such a fringe horror picture. There's real freshness to the viewing experience, with crispness that assists in the exposure of fine detail, offering textured close-up and a satisfying view of gore shots, adding a little snap to an otherwise snoozy movie. Skintones run a little hot at times but, overall, color is quite healthy and vivid, capturing the intended forbidding quality of island architecture, while costuming emits decorative hues that enhance the viewing experience. Stable reds are also present for scenes of bloodletting. The print has its problems, with debris viewed throughout the feature, but it's not distracting, while grain is managed effectively. Shadow detail is rarely clouded, providing satisfying depth and darkness to reinforce the suspense.

Tower of Evil Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix shows some considerable wear and tear. It's sludgy track with a slightly muffled quality that requires a generous boost in volume to make for a satisfying listen. Hiss and pops are also detected throughout the presentation. The film's liberal use of dubbing aids dialogue comprehension, and genre touches, such as screams and shocks of violence, are easily understood, giving a slight kick to the mix that accentuates the horror. Scoring selections are sharp, on the tinny side, but adequately support, never stepping on the performances. Atmospherics are limited but effective.

Tower of Evil Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Katarina's Nightmare Theater" (4:44, HD) returns host Katarina Leigh Waters to the Scorpion Releasing Blu-ray line, acting as a guide for the "Tower of Evil" viewing experience. This time around, there's a short skit parodying the color light therapy sequence found in the movie. However, the fun is fleeting, soon returning to the routine of Waters speeding through cast and crew filmographies, noting genre accomplishments.

• "Outro" (1:44, HD) welcomes Waters back for a little post-movie wrap-up, though it's surprising to hear the host refer to "Tower of Evil" as "slow." Developing this type of honest critique could really make these strange bookend endeavors worthwhile.

• Interview (13:14, HD) with genre historian David Del Valle essentially extends the work Waters submits for the supplements, poring over the careers of the cast and crew, detailing the peculiarities of their professional histories. What Del Valle brings to the table are anecdotes and a breathless presentation, recalling a few run-ins with those involved with "Tower of Evil," gleefully sharing tales of B-movie recognition. A few pauses would've been nice (Waters kicks off the segment, and then appears frozen by her inability to ask questions), yet Del Valle knows his stuff, supplying authority and insight.

• Theatrical Trailers for both "Tower of Evil" (2:15, SD) and its alternate title, "Horror on Snape Island" (1:50, HD), are provided.

Tower of Evil Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Despite its glacial pace, there's plenty to enjoy in "Tower of Evil," including an inventive set design that works its way into underground caves, and the final act picks up the pace to a certain degree, finally unleashing a monster out to take down the few who remain. The picture has atmosphere and a few bright spots, only in need of some cinematic caffeine to get the blood pumping, working to provide robust scares genre admirers deserve.