A Trio of Investigators Search for True "Evil"

Mike Colter in Evil

Does true supernatural evil exist in the world, and if it does, what form does it take? What can be done to combat it? These are some of the questions and themes explored in Evil, a thought-provoking, chilling and entertaining series from Robert and Michelle King, who also created The Good Wife. The series stars Mike Colter (aka Marvel's Luke Cage) as David Acosta, a man who's studying to be a priest. David is trying to reconcile his belief in God with some doubts he has about his faith based on his personal experiences. He's been assigned by the Vatican to investigate supernatural occurrences, such as possible cases of demonic possession, to determine if they are real, and can be verified.

Helping David in his task are Ben Shakir, portrayed by Aasif Mandvi, an avowed atheist who's the team's technical and scientific expert, and their newest member, Dr. Kristen Bouchard, a forensic psychologist who's testified as an expert witness at a number of high profile murder trials. David initially asks Kristen to help out with the case of Orson LeRoux, a man who's committed several brutal murders. His wife claims he's possessed by a demon, but the prosecution believes he's a serial killer.

The LeRoux case brings the team into conflict with Dr. Leland Townsend, a clever psychologist who seems to know more about the LeRoux case than he's telling. The sinister Townsend appears to possess otherworldly powers, and definitely has malicious intent. He undermines Kristen's professional standing, and sabotages her testimony. Meanwhile, the team tries to determine if LeRoux actually is possessed, or faking the symptoms as part of an insanity plea. It's just the first of many cases that the team will study together, many of them bringing them into conflict with the manipulative Dr. Townsend.

Evil has a bit of an X-Files vibe, combined with the horror content of films like The Exorcist and The Omen. David is the Mulder-esque believer of the group, while Ben and Kristen are the more skeptical, Scully style members of the trio. What's refreshing about the series is that while there's a lot of eerie content, and some truly terrifying scenes, there are no easy or concrete answers to the mysteries the group investigates. The conclusions about what really happened are often left up to the viewer. 

Mike Colter is terrific as the troubled David, and Katja Herbers is fantastic as Kristen, who's propelled into a world she doesn't understand, and haunted by forces that threaten her life, and the safety of her family. Aasif Mandvi is wonderful as Ben, imbuing the tech expert with a sly wit that belies the character's own doubts regarding the veracity of the team's odd experiences. Michael Emerson is superb as the diabolical Dr. Townsend, who just might be something more than just a wicked human being. The talented supporting cast includes Christine Lahti, Boris Ingster and Peter Scolari, as well as many other familiar faces.

The direction and cinematography for Evil are excellent, and the writing is superb. The series features some truly frightening moments, but also takes time to get into the hearts and minds of the characters, and offer some thoughtful examinations on the nature of faith, and the notions of good and evil. If you're looking for something a little different in your horror television diet, Evil is worth seeking out. In fact, Stephen King, the Master of Horror himself, recommended the series in a recent interview. Evil just completed its fourth and final season on Paramount +, where it's currently streaming. You can also find the first two seasons on Netflix. Here's a trailer for the first season of the series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpB5t1ku--4.

Spelling Blogathon: Satan's School For Girls

Pamela Franklin and Kate Jackson

If you were a television viewer from the mid 1960s and on through into the1970s, 1980s and 1990s, chances are you watched weekly series such as The Mod Squad, The Rookies, Starsky & Hutch and The Love Boat, or checked out made for TV movies like The Ballad of Andy Crocker, Murder on Flight 502 and The Boy In The Plastic Bubble. All of these projects (and many, many more) were produced by the one and only Aaron Spelling, who had a long, prolific, and much celebrated career in the entertainment business.

Spelling produced series and films that sprawled across many genres, including comedies, romance, action-adventure tales, thrillers, detective stories, and science-fiction and horror. One of his most fondly remembered telefilms is the 1973 terror tale Satan’s School For Girls, which first aired on ABC in 1973. When her sister Martha’s mysterious death is ruled a suicide, Elizabeth Sayers enrolls in the exclusive Salem Academy For Women, where Martha was a student. She’s determined to find out what really happened to her sibling. Elizabeth is befriended by several of the students, but as she settles into her surroundings, it becomes crystal clear there are a lot of odd things going on at this very private school. 

As Elizabeth’s investigation continues, eerie occurrences and further deaths occur. Who’s behind it all? Is it Mrs. Williams, the quirky and ineffectual headmistress? Perhaps it’s the acerbic Professor Delacroix, who verbally torments the students in his classes? Surely it can’t be the handsome Dr. Joseph Campbell, the well-liked teacher who regularly holds all the students in his class spellbound? Well, this is of course, the Salem Academy For Women, so it’s just possible that that some of the students and the staff know a lot more more than they’re telling. When Elizabeth discovers the frightening truth lurking behind the doors of the school, it all leads to a hellish finale.

Satan’s School For Girls features a superb cast, filled to the brim with faces that are quite familiar to fans of classic television and film. Horror veteran Pamela Franklin (The Legend of Hell House) is excellent as Elizabeth and Roy Thinnes (best known as David Vincent on The Invaders) is fantastic as Dr. Campbell. Lloyd Bochner (who was often cast as a villain on 1960s and 70s TV series) is delightfully over the top as the ill-fated Delacroix. The cast also includes Kate Jackson (The Rookies) and Cheryl Stopplemoor (aka Cheryl Ladd) who would later team up on Aaron Spelling’s hit series, Charlie’s Angels. 

The atmospheric direction by David Lowell Rich, the enjoyably creepy script by Arthur Ross, and the top notch cast explain why Satan’s School For Girls is fondly remembered by many of us who saw it on its first run, or subsequent rebroadcasts during afternoon and late movie showcases later in the decade. Lowell Rich was also behind the camera for another classic small screen tale of of the supernatural, The Horror at 37,000 Feet, which featured William Shatner, Tammy Grimes and Salem Academy's favorite teacher, Roy Thinnes.

Satan’s School for Girls was remade (also as a TV movie) in 2000. This version of the story starred Shannon Doherty in the central role and featured Kate Jackson in the role of the headmistress, played by Jo Van Fleet in the 1973 version. The cast also includes Taraji P. Henson and Julie Benz. Executive produced by Spelling, the remake lacks some of the retro charm and old school fun of the original, but is still worth a look for fans of the macabre. You might might be a fan of his glitzy series like Dynasty and Melrose Place, but when Aaron Spelling set out to scare us, he did a really good job. Other spooky tales of Spelling-branded television terror include The House That Would Not Die, Crowhaven Farm and Home For The Holidays.

This post is part of the (Aaron) Spellingverse Blogathon, hosted by Gil over at his blog, Reelweegiemidget reviews. I’d like to thank him inviting me to participate! Follow this link for more info: https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/blogathons/blogathons-2024/news-whos-doing-what-in-aaron-spellingverse-blogathon-2024/.

Join Dillard & Clark on a "Fantastic Expedition"

Country rock flourished in the late 1960s and on into the mid 1970s, thanks to the work of artists such as Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, Poco, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, The Eagles and even ex-Monkee Mike Nesmith, all of contributed to the success of the genre. One of the best albums to come out of this era is Dillard & Clark’s 1968 release The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark. The group was founded by Gene Clark, a former member of The Byrds (no strangers themselves to the country rock sound) and Doug Dillard, who had just left his family’s bluegrass outfit, The Dillards. They recorded the album with some talented collaborators, including guitarist Bernie Leadon, who later went on to join The Eagles, and bassist Chris Hillman, who had also been a member of The Byrds. Hillman and Leadon would help to form The Flying Burrito Brothers, another well regarded and highly influential country rock band.

The album is awash with the sounds of banjo, fiddle and organ, and includes some incredible songs, such as the opening track “Out On The Side,” and “Train Leaves Here This Morning,” which was later covered by The Eagles during Leadon's stint with that group. Other notable tunes include the haunting “She Darked The Sun,” and Clark's melancholy “Why Not Your Baby?” (later covered by Velvet Crush)
included as a bonus track on the CD edition. The inspired songwriting by Clark, Dillard and Leadon, their stellar playing and those achingly beautiful harmonies combine to make this album a high watermark for the genre. 

 

The group recorded just one more record together, 1969's Through The Morning, Through The Night. That sophomore release leans even more towards the country and bluegrass side of the road. It wasn’t as well-received as their debut, but there are still some great songs to be found, including the title track and outstanding covers of The Everly Brothers classic “So Sad” and The Beatles “Don’t Let Me Down.” On both of these albums, you can hear the lasting influences these incredible musicians would have on modern artists who have visited these wide-ranging soundscapes in their own careers.

Gene Clark died in 1991, and Doug Dillard passed away in 2012. But they left behind a musical legacy that still enchants listeners and fans to this day. I first discovered The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark in the 1990s when I was going through a major Byrds phase, and it has remained a favorite of mine. If you’re a fan of country-flavored rock, which has seen a resurgence in recent years with the success of groups like The Avett Brothers, Fleet Foxes, Mumford & Sons and The Nude Party, you owe it to yourself to check out this terrific record. It’s truly an aural journey worth taking. Both Dillard & Clark albums are available on a "two-fer" CD which can be found on Amazon and other online sites. Here are links to the songs “Why Not Your Baby?” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JqEuUEHxCk and "She Darked The Sun" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O9QENNNPwQ.