A woman arrives in a sleepy seaside town after receiving unsettling letters from her father, only to discover the town is under the influence of a strange cult that weeps tears of blood and hunger for human flesh. From Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, the writers of American Grafitti, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Howard the Duck, this dreamy and atmospheric film transposes the post-Night of the Living Dead zombie movie to a surreal small-town American setting, presented through gorgeous Techniscope visuals that echo the stylish European horror of Mario Bava and Hammer. A true cult film, Messiah of Evil, which was also released as Dead People, has overcome distribution challenges to enjoy growing awareness and high acclaim after decades of word-of-mouth enthusiasm among horror cinema fans and critics around the world.
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Supplements
- Audio commentary by critics and horror experts Kim Newman and Stephen Thrower
- Archival interview with co-writer-director Willard Huyck by Mike White from the Projection Booth Podcast
- A new documentary on the film with more information to be revealed
- Visual essay on the American Gothic by critic Kat Ellinger
- Trailer
- Limited edition booklet featuring new and archival writing