'Andrew Williams is a shy, awkward high school student with a straight ‘A’ average and a horrifying secret: He was born the Antichrist, the profane incarnation of Lucifer himself.'
As if High School wasn't hard enough! My love of horror films has narrowed in scope over the years. I haven't found many recent movies that have the same feel and creativity of films made before the 1990's. Over the last couple of years 70's and 80's films in the genre have been my favorite. For me, a great horror film has to have a few elements for me to enjoy. First, it can't take itself too seriously. Although not all films that I end up liking intend to, a little camp doesn't hurt.
Stefan Arngrim
Secondly, I like a story. Simply a series of people being hacked up does little to nothing to me. Thirdly, I need decent acting. I know this can be difficult, as most horror flicks feature new actors on their way up, but to show actual fear requires more than just screeching and running for your life. Lastly, given this is FH, a little male skin is always a welcome bonus!
Writer and director Frank LaLoggia brings everything on my list together in his 1981 directorial debut, Fear No Evil. FNO was LaLoggia's passion project and he raised most of the money needed to bring the film to the screen. The films campy content to me comes from it's lead, former child star Stefan Arngrim, who plays Andrew/Lucifer. Although Arngrim is the films star, he doesn't actually drive the plot so much as react to it. He has fewer lines than most of his co-stars, but certainly more terrorizing facial expressions.
LaLoggia does a great job setting up Andrew's motivations, especially as Andrew, giving enough back story on his family to have us understand his rage. Although Arngrim is good in the role, the great acting mostly stems from actress Elizabeth Hoffman. Like me, you may not know her name, but most will immediately recognize her face as soon as she hits the screen.
The male nudity stems from a rather long, strange, but enjoyable shower scene about third way into the film. Arngrim, co-stars Daniel Eden and Paul Haber join a few extras for the scene and all appear to have filmed the scene totally naked. Except for Arngrim, you get brief frontals from all the other actors. The scene involves an extended supernatural kiss between the jock and the geek, two roles at the opposite ends of high school's most well known archetypes.
Paul Haber
The late Paul Haber is great in the film as the annoying and hyper student who drives everyone nuts. Haber didn't really ping my 'hunk' radar until seeing his great bubble butt during the shower scene.
Haber and his great butt (far left)
Eden has the most exposure, and sadly doesn't have many other credits on his resume. Eden seems to have been told to channel John Travolta's Welcome Back Kotter character in the film in both appearance an mannerisms. Although the caps cover most of the nudity, if you want to watch the scene, I have uploaded it on SENDSPACE HERE:
Arngrim and Daniel Eden
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