Equinox.

Review #1004: Equinox.

Cast: 
Edward Connell (David Fielding), Barbara Hewitt (Susan Turner), Frank Bonner (Jim Hudson), Robin Christopher (Vicki), Jack Woods (Asmodeus), Fritz Leiber (Dr. Arthur Waterman), James Philips (Reporter Sloan), Patrick Burke (Branson), Jim Duron (Orderly and Green Giant), Norvelle Brooks (Detective Harrison), and Irving L. Lichtenstein (Old Man) Directed by Jack Woods and Dennis Muren.

Review: 
Equinox is certainly an intriguing standout, in that not only was it made for a budget of $6,500, it featured stop-motion effects and cel animation, with Dennis Muren (eight time winner of the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects) providing (along with David W. Allen and Jim Danforth) the effects that make what would've been just an ultra low-budget movie stick out among other horror "midnight movie" flicks. The film (known as The Equinox... A Journey into the Supernatural) was originally a short film made over the span of over two years by Muren, Allen and Danforth that the former made while attending college, with the result being liked enough by Tonylyn Productions to distribute it. Jack Woods was hired to direct additional footage by producer Jack H. Harris (producer of #418 - The Blob) in order to make it feature-length, with the final run-time being 80 minutes long, which certainly seems efficient.

The main four characters aren't really anything you wouldn't see in in a monster film, although they are at least somewhat competent.  Woods does a decent job in a role as odd as the one he plays, which is certainly strange. Famed fantasy and horror writer Fritz Leiber appears in the film in a brief but crucial role, despite having no spoken lines. Famed magazine editor and literary agent Forrest J Ackerman also appears in the film as one of the voices heard on the tape recorder in the film. Neither have starring roles, but it is interesting to note their appearances due to their roles in literature and fandom. As for the main four, they do relatively decent jobs, but the real star of the show is the special effects, which are fairly impressive for the time. There's just something about how they move and how they gel with the human actors to make this is an interesting watch. The plot is certainly a bit erratic (along with odd to follow at times), but it keeps itself going on the basis of its energetic spirit. The film gets more interesting (along with more odd) in the second half, but it is worth it due to the effects along with a fairly cohesive horror setup, with a climax that while weird is certainly fitting for something like this. It isn't a classic, but it is at the very least an interesting curiosity that merits at least one watch.

Happy Halloween folks.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.