The Evil | 1978 | USA | Gus Trikonis

An underrated and charming supernatural endeavor, Gus Trikonis’ haunted house feature injects some much-needed dynamism into the expected slower pace within the genre. Dr Arnold and her husband CJ take ownership of an old mansion in order to establish a rehabilitation centre, taking some of their recovering patients with them to begin the renovations. The project never quite gets off the ground when Dr Arnold keeps seeing glimpses of a ghostly presence roaming the rooms, while frequent explosions of paranormal activity result in the deaths of the people now trapped in the sprawling mansion. As CJ and his wife close in on the mystery of the house, they find the source of the evil to be something otherworldly indeed. The literal appearance of the Devil, a scene of a ghost tearing off a woman’s clothing and the frequent bloodshed ensured the DPP took issue with the film.