IDOL OF EVIL

(A.k.a. IDOL OF EVIL: HELL IS FOREVER)

The action opens in Western Ireland, where a group of archaeologists discover an ancient relic – the fabled Eye of Kali – buried in a remote field.

Then we meet David (Richard Cambridge), a promising scientist at a London-based research centre, riding high on the success of his debut book "The Myth Of Mythology". But that doesn’t help his short fuse, or the trouble it gets him into with his bosses. Effectively suspended from his post, David prepares to leave the centre but is confronted by a senior member of staff who directs him to two "important" people who have come to pay him a visit.

It transpires that the two men are from the Vatican and they need David’s help to retrieve the mythical Eye of Kali. We learn that it was created by Satan and that, if it should ever be joined up with its counterpart relic, an ancient idol that was buried in another secret location, then darkness will take over the world.

David is sceptical about the Eye’s existence, but begins to take the story more seriously when he learns that his mentor, Professor Kixley, is said to have discovered its origins – and then disappeared promptly afterwards. Coincidentally, this jogs David’s memory back to the mysterious map that Kixley sent to him a fortnight earlier ...

Accepting the task of tracking down the Eye, if only for the promise of finding out what fate befell his old friend, David sets off to Kixley’s home in Birmingham. It’s here that he meets the professor’s pretty young assistant Lucy (Stephanie Elliott), who offers to join him on his quest.

Their next stop is the North of England, where David’s Geordie pal Jack (Neil Forrester) is sure to be able to point them in the right direction. He is, after all, a dear pal of Kixley’s - and well versed in all matters "weird".

With Jack’s help, David and Lucy set off to a nearby forest where they’re reliably informed the idol is buried. But they’d best be quick, because the archaeologist team from the film’ prologue – led by David’s rival Nixon (Adrian Bouchet) and employed by the sinister, devil-worshipping Calvert (Eley Furrell) – are hot on their trail.

Clearly influenced by RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and nodding on occasion to THE DA VINCI CODE, IDOL OF EVIL is victim of a potentially misleading title and certainly non-representative DVD cover art which, combined, will entice those looking for low budget gore.

The film is certainly low budget. The estimated budget per the IMDb was £9,000.00 and this is easily conceivable. The cast are amateur, most lighting is natural and locations are used in seemingly guerrilla style.

More tellingly, the stock music sounds like clips you used to hear at the cinema during Saturday matinee shows, and the editing style is at times so rudimentary that it feels like you’re watching a television drama that has just abruptly gone to "End of part one", then instantly into "Part two".

Speaking of television dramas, IDOL OF EVIL had a feeling akin to ‘Midsomer Murders’ at times. Perhaps it was a combination of the rural settings, gentle music and distinct lack of anything offensive. There is no sex, nudity, gore (aside from an extremely tame take on ARK’s finale) or even bad language.

If it sounds like I’m bemoaning the film’s lack of contentious content, I’m really not. It was quite refreshing to find a no-budget home-grown film that doesn’t rely on sick gags or clumsy gore to prove its worth. Despite allusions to the supernatural, this is very much a ‘boy’s own’ type adventure – and highly engaging as a result.

My concern is more that the only audiences who will tolerate films of such a low budget with acting as willing but brazenly unmannered as it here (check out Furrell’s evil interrogator, who reminded me of ‘Allo Allo’s Herr Flick), tend to be those who can excuse such shortcomings so long as the exploitation elements are sufficiently extreme. And, to director/co-writer Kevin McDonagh’s credit, they’re not.

This screener disc from Chemical Burn Entertainment is region-free (it’s an American release), and may not necessarily be indicative of the retail version available to order through Amazon etc.

The film is presented uncut in a non-anamorphic 2.35:1 ratio, in what is a relatively soft but clean transfer. Colours and flesh-tones are accurate, blacks hold up well during the infrequent night scenes and while digital noise may appear, it’s only rarely.

English 2.0 audio is generally okay, but dialogue goes a little quiet occasionally. This is most likely due to the manner in which the film was shot, rather than a flaw in the disc’s mastering.

Unfortunately the screener disc provided dipped into a blank screen for a couple of minutes towards the end. When the images returned to the screen, the next minute or so played without audio. I haven’t been able to find mention of this in other online reviews, so I’m assuming this flaw was unique to my test disc.

There were no extra features on the screener disc, just a static main menu page and an animated scene-selection menu allowing access to the film via 12 chapters.

IDOL OF EVIL is perhaps too tame for those most likely to embrace a film of such low budget. But it’s ambitious and engaging, despite the aforementioned shortcomings.

Review by Stuart Willis