Data incomplete… Human blood required. Thus spake the computer.
Directed by Eric Weston
Reviewed by Deep Red
Aka Computer Murder aka Evilspeaks
I have to admit that when I watched the trailer for this it didn’t appeal to me at all. It looked like an 80s horror romp sure but it wasn’t something I was interested in seeing, seemed a bit daft. It seemed a little out of place on the ‘video nasty’ list too but there it was. Anyway, I thought I’d give it a shot so I found an uncut copy and here’s my review.
It’s about this guy called Stanley Coopersmith, played by Clint Howard, who’s a cadet at a military academy. Stanley’s bullied by some of the other cadets who call him “Cooper-dick”. Anyway, he uses a computer to translate a book he finds in the church cellar belonging to a Father Estaban (Richard Moll), a long-dead Satanist who has promised to return. He learns how to perform a Black Mass and unleashes dark forces on his tormentors….
It was alright. It still feels a bit out of the place on the ‘video nasties’ list although there is gore. The plot’s OK but nothing special. A basic-looking computer demanding a blood sacrifice? I mean, what’s with that? It’s also got a bit of a mean streak involving a cute puppy which adds nothing at all to the film, just an unnessary stab at building tension/explaining motivation that just falls flat. I got a bit bored to be honest and only found Clint Howard as the protagonist mildly entertaining at best. The performances all round were OK but again nothing that made me pay attention. I feel it drags a little on its way to what turns out to be a fairly decent set-piece conclusion to be fair where it all kicks off so to speak; most of the gore is towards the end.
Look, I’ve read some great reviews of this one so it’s probably just not to my own personal tastes but it’s obviously, from what I’ve read, to other horror fans’ tastes. I didn’t dislike it, alright maybe a little bit. Overall, I wasn’t that impressed with the film itself and the quality of the copy I watched wasn’t that big a contributing factor, I just didn’t get anything from the film so what gore there was just amounted to a handful of interesting moments but little else.
Sorry.
Also stars R.G. Armstrong as Sarge, Joe Cortese as Reverend Jameson, Claude Earl Jones as Coach, Charles Tyner as Colonel Kincaid, Don Stark as Bubba, Kathy McCullen as Kelly and Sue Casey as Mrs. Caldwell.
