Eternal Evil (1985) User Reviews

Not bad!....But not all that good, either....

[mirwax69 · 5/10 · 7 May 2007]

I saw this little bootlegged DVD at the local mom and pop discount store for $1.99 and was attracted by the title. It was released under the title "Eternal Evil" and the distribution company that released this feature isn't even on the box, if that means anything (the back of the DVD only reads, "(c) 2005 Mircale Pictures a division of PMC Corp. De.") I read the synopsis and thought it would be rather interesting ... then i read the credits and find that this film was directed by none other than George Mihalka - - the director behind the cult fave & horror classic "My Bloody Valentine" (which is in my top five of all time, by the way). Well, the premise is great, but it doesn't quite deliver the way it should. There are loops in the plot and the story tends to d-r-a-g in places. Not to mention the forty minutes in the film where I was completely lost as to where the story was going. There are scenes that don't make sense and don't cohere with the story line, also. The final "twist" of the film was satisfying, if I can use the term loosely. I guessed it wrong though, even during the exact moment in the film where you can pretty much tell how it will end...lol. The opening sequence is very effective, and it's one of the few highlights of the film itself. I read somewhere that this was a made-for-TV movie, which would explain the lack of gore and the absence of any type of foul language for a film of this nature. Oh yes, the soundtrack wasn't all that great for the film, but there are one or two scenes where the music shifts in the direction that masters Goblin did with "Suspiria" back in '77 to get your attention. I was sorry that didn't last any longer than it did.

All in all, this isn't a bad film, but it's not as great as I was hoping from the director of a great classic like MBV.

Ha ha ha ha....cough cough cough cough....Astral Projection!

[ty4000 · 5/10 · 7 October 2006]

A television commercial director is loosing his 'artistic juice' as he calls it. He's also discontent with his wife and complains of her cooking, and with his son who seems to have insomnia. Seems a good prospect for giving his life over to Astral Projection! The main character's been experimenting as of late with astral projection and is finding the time he spends developing this new hobby of his is starting to be much more fulfilling than his actual creative life and career.

Within the first few minutes of the film we see the first of one of his projections. We fly around with him from his perspective and view people and places. There is a sense of foreboding to these travels we witness as we begin to think that he may be able to transcend the physical as he follows people who run, terrified, from something unseen but they can sense.

And then there are some slight horrific moments. Where some of the people in his projections are harmed, well, let's just say there is a subplot of sorts where an investigator is trying to find the reason behind many killings of late where the victims implode or die without any evidence of assailants. When he awakes...he wonders if he was dreaming instead. Or perhaps the projection is not his? As I'm watching the film, though, I am trying to figure out just what I'm supposed to be thinking about. Some films are for simple enjoyment, some have something to say, but this one is just kinda...bland. Ah, then I look and notice it was a made for TV movie, which explains a lot. As the film winds down I still don't know anything more about the subject of astral projection apart from Professor Xavier doing it in comic books and everyone can see a ghost-like form of him, or it being something usually associated as 'hippie' or new age and something about meditating and traveling and all that. Here there is something about taking over another's body in a sort of spiritual vampirism. Is THAT what projection is? Not sure, I don't think it is, but they're trying to sell this as a horror movie and there really is not much horror related in it...more thriller or psychological mystery.

The music is a bit distracting and seems out of place in mood quite a lot. I guess the pan flute and tabla is of course what comes to mind with new age things such as astral projection, huh? It's a little pandering. The acting isn't bad, it's just a bit soap opera quality in it's delivery. Karen Black is here and she always seems to get into her roles, as the spiritual guide who's teaching our main character the art of projection. Yet, in her teachings, nothing is conveyed to us the viewer to have any idea of what exactly it is except closing ones eyes and floating around POV style. The rest of the cast are not as recognizable, except for seeing Lois Maxwell, James Bond's "Ms. Moneypenny" ('62-'85) for a minute.

The title on the DVD I got, which came in a huge 50 pack collection of similar grade films from Mill Creek Entertainment, is "Eternal Evil," but that's the Australian title, for some reason. In Canada, where the film was made, it is aptly titled, "The Blue Man." Ah, yes, you see when the main character is floating around...he IS somehow seen by others as a 'blue man.' We, the lucky viewers, don't get that wonderful opportunity. That would cost more for special effects. But, as the film ends, and with a slight twist in a few spots, you will see that "Eternal Evil" is a bit fitting.

Not too many horror films about astral projection out there...

[Vomitron_G · 5/10 · 15 October 2011]

A Canadian production brought to us by the man who previously gave us the '80s slasher favorite "My Bloody Valentine". As a director, George Mihalka is an interesting fellow, especially when you take a look at his choice of projects during the '80s. He really caught my interest some years ago after having seen his offbeat & eerie hostage thriller/drama "Hostile Takeover" aka "Office Party" (1988). "Eternal Evil" - which may not be the best of aka-titles possible to slap on this production, although "The Blue Man" just sounds too silly - is yet again an interested effort not at all lacking a sense of originality. It deals with a burned-out TV-director who, after having met the mysterious dancer Janus (Karen Black), learns to control the powers of astral projection. 'To control' might be a bit overstating things, as events turn for the worse and people from his circle of acquaintances start dying unnatural deaths. A detective starts puzzling the pieces together. Granted, the film has a hard time to keep the viewer excited, as the pace is a little slow and it's not exactly a spectacular thrill ride. But the story does try to provide a bit of mystery, and that's basically what keeps the viewer going. The film's decently made and Mihalka has some impressive camera-tricks up his sleeve (especially during the astral projection sequences). And the story does have some original elements and a satisfying conclusion (don't expect a terrifying climax, though). So it receives a whole extra point for that. If you want to see another horror film revolving around the concept of astral projection, you might want to check out Brian Trenchard-Smith's "Out Of The Body" (1989). It's also half-way decent.

Sleepwalker...

[azathothpwiggins · 12 May 2022]

Paul Sharpe (Winston Rekert) believes that he can use astral projection to leave his body while he sleeps. Coincidentally, Paul's friends and relatives start dropping like flies. Somehow, their hearts are exploding in their chest cavities.

Meanwhile, Detective Kauffman (John Novak) tries to make sense of it all. He's led to a strange woman named Janus (Karen Black), who harbors a deadly secret.

ETERNAL EVIL (aka: THE BLUE MAN) holds up well for its vintage, in spite of the silly 1980's fashions. There's some actual suspense and the paranormal instances are effective...

It won't hold your attention

[dbborroughs · 3/10 · 15 September 2009]

TV director uses astral projection to kill people taking the form of the blue man.

Dull uninvolving horror film that kind of just sits there before your eyes and makes you wonder why you are watching it. I sat through the film to the end and I really can't give you more than a cursory account of what the film was about because I kept finding my attention diverted by other things.

I can't really recommend this. I think my feelings are best summed up by the fact that I paid a dollar for the DVD as a double feature and I feel kind of ripped off.

Good plot concept, terrible film.

[Tophee · 4/10 · 28 February 1999]

This is a good plot concept, so why-o-why is it such a poor film. The acting is terrible and every shock is signposted so far in advance that it is almost laughable by the time it reaches you. Spend your time and money elsewhere, this is not worth watching.

Oh, I Thought It Was the Blue Man Group

[Hitchcoc · 3/10 · 15 March 2007]

I never figured out what the attraction of Karen Black was. She always had those beady eyes and kind of an odd look about her. She seemed to often be eccentric or cast as the "other" woman. In this one, she is the psychic adviser and expert on the occult to a crummy producer of bad commercials as he learns astral projection. He is a mean sucker, even without the new baggage. Apparently this is the avenue to immortality, because if you get good at it, you can inhabit the bodies of future generations. I believe Star Trek had a plot like this with Jack the Ripper hanging on for several centuries. Anyway, this guy is really dangerous. He has a nice family and makes them miserable. He begins to murder friends, just because they have an unkind comment for them, or he doesn't like them. You can see the ending coming from the back row in left field. It's a very harsh, humorless movie. Most of it must be taken as truth. Why are some called but few chosen? I found it long and not very satisfying.

For those who like this sort of thing, those are the sort of things they like.

[mark.waltz · 2/10 · 29 October 2023]

Who better than Miss Jean Brodie to describe a film that has a plot concept so convoluted that many viewers will quickly tune out and nod off because it makes no sense to them. That's okay, and doesn't make them idiotic because the concept of astral projection is bizarre, and like the concepts of androids and artificial intelligence, many realists ground completely in the laws of a natural order will find it ridiculous.

Using Astral projection in his dreams psychosomatically, commercial director Winston Rekert learns of the power he now has that he can't stop. Karen Black turns up in this one too which gives it instant cult status. But it seems to be a cheaply made film, and I found it generally boring and tedious to watch. Even Montreal locations didn't interest me. Quite passable.

Weird and good!

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 30 November 2022]

Hungarian-born Canadian director George Mihalka is probably better known for My Bloody Valentine than this movie, which also has the title The Blue Man.

Paul Sharpe (Winston Rekert) is a TV producer who meets the mysterious Amelia Lambro (Karen Black and wow, what a mysterious woman to meet) who teaches him how to astral project. The only problem is that when he does that, horrible things happen to other people, like his therapist, whose bones and organs are crushed by psychic power.

Meanwhile, Helen (Joanne Cole) is somehow able to convert Paul's business partner from homosexuality to heterosexuality because she too is an eternal blue-formed ghost being and her centuries-long partner is Amelia, also known as Janus, and they exist beyond simple things like gender identity and sexual preference. The entire goal has been to destroy Paul's life by having him kill his therapist, his father-in-law and wife through the powers shown to him so that Janus can take over his body.

Writer Robert Geoffrion also was the man who wrote the equally strange The Surrogate. This one is just as daffy and I say that in the nicest way possible.

Despite its many, many flaws, I think this one is still worth seeing...

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 21 June 2013]

"Eternal Evil" is an incredibly strange film. I think I liked it overall, but it was such a strange and uneven experience, I still am a bit at a loss as to what to say about this film. It is obviously a very low-budget film with mostly non-stars (apart from Karen Black), a very cheap and cheesy sound track and some dialog that seemed weird and unreal. There also is an annoying use of skipped frames during key scenes—making the film look almost like it's being done in stop-motion! Yet, on the other hand, the film was awfully original and creepy.

The film begins with a man (Winston Rekert) attempting to do astral projection—to leave his body and travel with his mind! It's pretty weird and his wife and friends think it's pretty weird. But what is weirder is that despite having a great life, he is a bit unsatisfied with it. Additionally, soon folks near and dear to him begin dying—and a dogged cop is determined to investigate (he's a bit annoying and poorly written). For a while, I felt a bit disengaged about the film until there is a strange tie-in. One of the man's films he made some time ago seems to be a key—that there are some spiritual vampires who can change bodies with others—essentially stealing them. However, to do so, the donor must be willing—and to make them willing, these 'beings' make their lives horrible—so horrible they want to die. What happens next in this creepy thriller? See for yourself.

As I mentioned, the film is pretty cheesy in spots—especially the soundtrack. But, the idea is so original that I cannot help but think the film is worth seeing.

Eternal Evil (1985)

[jonahstewartvaughan · 5/10 · 26 November 2023]

NOctoberween #18 (The Week of Gutter Trash 9): Eternal Evil (1985)

(5/10): So I think everyone can agree on this statement, the worst thing a bad movie can be is boring, that pretty much fits the description here.

Eternal Evil, honestly I don't remember much other than that cause of the events of the film has to do with a man being dissatisfied with his life and taught how to astral project but when he is asleep he accidentally astral projects himself uncontrollably and then it causes mysterious deaths to occur.

So first and foremost the main issue that caused this to be just bland was that my copy had some terrible picture quality as the opening credits were incredibly blurry and hard to make out, which was an instant turn off for me.

Secondly, despite it having a unique concept, the execution was very poor and I found many characters flat and uninteresting.

The film had some moments where it managed to get my attention but they were few and far between as a combination of the flaws above made it eventually become background noise, which I know isn't what you want to hear from a review, but here it is.

Eternal Evil may have a unique idea and famous Cult Actress Karen Black but it doesn't really utilize them well enough, I may give this a more proper watch sometime down the line but as of right now it's just dull and boring.

It Scared The Hell Out Of Me!!! Don't watch it alone at night. You have been warned.

[Vivekmaru45 · 10/10 · 20 October 2010]

My god! The Horror! Don't have the guts to see this twice.

Where to begin....

Now it begins with a man (Paul Sharpe played by Vincent Rekert) having an astral projection (a.k.a. an out of body experience like a disembodied soul). He is hovering over the farm of his father in law.

He is woken up by his young son just as he was being observed and recognized by his father in law.

Paul is a director, directing commercials. Previously he directed a documentary film about Australian Aboriginal long distance communication by astral projection. He interviews an elderly couple who have been using this process to find younger bodies for themselves as they grow old and wear out their existing bodies. The explain this process to the man in detail. They say that they have lived for thousands of years hence the alternate title of the film Eternal Evil.

What Paul doesn't realize is the elderly couple's secret agenda.

Very good plot. Very well acted and directed. This film wisely avoids over the top special effects.

In short: an eye-opening film. You will never look at people the same way again.

10 out of 10. You're lucky if you own it on DVD.

Other recommendations: 1. Out of the Body (1989). 2. The Astral Factor (1976). 3. Fallen (1998) starring Denzel Washington.

Thank you for reading!

Astral Projection Room

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 20 June 2008]

"A bored television director is introduced to the black arts and astral projection by his girlfriend. Learning the ability to separate his spirit from his body, the man finds a renewed interest in his life and a sense of wellbeing. Unfortunately, the man discovers while he is sleeping, his spirit leaves his body and his uncontrolled body roams the streets in a murderous rampage," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

The synopsis isn't entirely correct, as it turns out.

Anyway, the movie opens with a dizzying "out-of-body" example of handsome director Winston Rekert (as Paul Sharpe)'s newly discovered "astral body" experience; it also foreshadows an upcoming dogfight. Young Andrew Bednarski (as Matthew Sharpe), being a kid, draws pictures of "The Blue Man", as his murder spree begins. Handsome detective John Novak (as Stewart Kaufman) discovers the victims are connected to Mr. Rekert. Mr. Novak's investigation leads to the supernatural; a prime example of which is Karen Black (as Janus), with whom Rekert fears he is falling in love.

Several in the cast perform well; but, "The Blue Man" winds up tying itself up in a knot. Aka "Eternal Evil", its unsatisfying story tries to be far too clever for its own good.

Eternal Evil

[Scarecrow-88 · 3/10 · 5 July 2009]

The use of "astral projection"(wandering soul), to exist outside of body, with the result inflicting horrible death(..crushing the insides of victims leading to broken spine and ruptured organs)on those close to the one with such ability, is the threat of ETERNAL EVIL, providing Karen Black(..as Janus) with another "unique" character to fool around with as a woman who influences a commercial director, Paul Sharpe(Winston Rekert) tired of his waning marriage and dull career. In actuality, she's dying and needs his body, her spirit potentially harmful to his wife and son(..his son has a "special friend" who talks him into things, even poisoning himself at one point). A detective, Kauffman(John Novak) investigating the unusual homicides concerning those killed by the benevolent spirit, links Paul to the deaths and through him uncovers Janus. Soon both realize that Janus must be stopped or she'll simply move to another human host. What Paul doesn't know is that his new secretary is Janus' lover, both were actually older intellectuals featured in his documentary of astral projection called WANDERING SOUL.

Director George Mihalka(My Bloody Valentine)certainly creates a weird atmosphere with this movie which contains a rather bizarre premise. It seems that Paul's boy can see the spirit moving in the shape of a "blue man", manipulating the kid into disorderly conduct. Black, despite the star treatment, rarely is shot close up taking advantage of her face which can produce the type of malevolent evil her character warrants. Instead, she's shot from afar, her voice dubbed, and she never quite establishes herself with the proper menace which is an opportunity lost, in my opinion. For some reason, despite the intriguing(..if oddball)idea of astral projection causing a spirit to kill folks from within, the film just never takes off. The soundtrack is very "Yanni-ish" and the lighting(..and sound), while at times moody and effective, often is quite murky. The pacing is a problem, also, as the story mules along. The cast is rather limp, especially Rekert in the lead, his performance erratic, at best. It doesn't help that there are few characters(..except Paul's wife)we could care less about, and what really hurts is that Paul himself isn't exactly the most lovable person in the world..he can be quite difficult and moody, his unfulfilled career a reason for such behavior. Black should've been a more prominent figure in the film, yet remains mostly in the background, talked about in dialogue between Paul and Kauffman, but rarely does she get a chance to amuse us with her histrionics, which is a shame.

Eternal boredom

[rdoyle29 · 3/10 · 24 August 2022]

Winston Rekert is a fairly successful, but unsatisfied director of television commercials who learns the art of astral projection (letting his spirit travel around without his body) from Karen Black. This all seems cool until people around him start dying mysteriously. Cop John Novak investigates and the film crawls towards it's utterly predictable conclusion.

Hungarian born Canadian director George Mihalka directed this, his 2nd horror outing after the pretty nifty slasher flick "My Bloody Valentine". That film suffered from some pretty serious cuts to avoid an X rating. This film was clearly never in any such danger.

It was made as "The Blue Man". That title refers to how someone is supposed to appear when they are astrally projecting ... a shimmering blue phantasm of themselves. This effect was clearly beyond the budgetary means of the film, so instead they're invisible, even though the dialogue still describes them as the missing effect. We do see blurry POV footage of the travelling spirits, but basically, there's no effects in this film.

There's not much of anything else either. It's an interminably slow and uneventful film. It's hard to imagine any viewer that won't be miles ahead of this plot and wildly impatient for the film to catch up.

Don't believe the ratings

[Izzy_Z · 9/10 · 6 December 2018]

A surprisingly good, high quality (1980's - you must remember that part) movie, nice production, very gothic in nature. Having Karen Black in it doesn't hurt, either. I especially loved the opening/closing music too, which is easily 10-15 years before its time.

Weak Canadian horror

[lor_ · 28 April 2023]

My review was written in April 1988 after watching the film on Lightning video cassette.

"Eternal Evil", originally entitled "The Blue Man" is a 1985 Canadian-made horror pic that makes little use of an interesting supernatural premise. Pic was briefly released last year ahead of current home video availability.

Winston Rekert portrays a tv commercials helmer whose studies of astral production (i.e., leaving one's body on psychic trips) get him into trouble as the main suspect in a series of brutal killings he's seemingly witnessed in his sleep. As the police, led by ineffectual Det. Kaufman (John Novak), plod along miles behind the audience in solving the case, it turns out that an ancient couple is mystically inhabiting a succession of other people's bodies and responsible for the killings.

Director George Mihalka emphasizes swooping, wide-angle, first-person camera for the astral traveling sequences but otherwise fails to make the necessary plot connections. Rekert is an earnest antihero and co-star Karen Black is convincingly strange in a lesbian role that turns out to be more complicated than that. Erstwhile Miss Moneypenny of the James Bond films Lois Maxwell shows up in a brief cameo.