Released by the Cannon Group in December of 1980 NEW YEAR'S EVIL is 90 minutes of pure Bad-Movie-Loving-WTF bliss! Written & directed by Emmett Alston (Demonwarp, and many ninja flicks) it chronicles the New Year's Eve of punk rock maven Blaze aka Diane Sullivan (Roz Kelly aka Happy Days' Pinky Tuscadero) in what could easily be her career swan song. Blaze is hosting a Los Angeles New Year's Eve telecast (or should I say simulcast because somehow she's on the radio as well as the TV) and gets a call that will change her evening ... perhaps her life.
The call comes in from a man who simply calls himself EVIL, and promises to deliver her a death at every strike of midnight in every time zone. The final one will be "someone very close to her."
This film is filled with many many wonderful WTF moments, especially as the story unravels. Kelly's character becomes so annoying that the viewer may find themselves rooting for the murderer, hoping the whole time that Blaze will meet her demise at midnight, therefore starting all of our New Year off fresh. It doesn't amaze me that Kelly really didn't go on to do much acting after 1983. Her most recent claim to fame an is alleged probation violation. She was arrested in Los Angeles after her ex-boyfriend told police that she hit him on the back with a cane. Prior to that, she touts a 1998 arrest for allegedly going all "Ma Kettle" on a car alarm with a shotgun.
The film begins with the introduction of Blaze as well as Blaze's troubled son. The storyline with the son (Grant Cramer) unwinds until you're just wondering WhyTF is the character in there in the first place? At first ignored by his mother, we discover he's mentally ill. He pops pills, proceeds to 'deflower' one of his mother's nylon pantie hoses, and crushes a bouquet of roses he couldn't even give her. Plot lines suggest that perhaps he had an Oedipus complex with the mother or perhaps was being molested by his mom. WTF?
The New Wave rock show was complete with seemingly zombie-esque dancing extras who seemed never to really understand as actors that the goal is to NOT look into the camera. Their special snazzy 80's wardrobe, provided by LET IT ROCK in Hollywood (I'm not making that up. It's in the credits) couldn't really distract us from recognizing that about 75% of the songs suggested were not even New Wave, and the band was playing a Blues songs too. WTF?
Kip Niven stands out as giving an entertaining performance as EVIL, the killer. However, while calling Blaze, his voice is transformed into what sounds like a British diplomat speaking into an oscillating fan. As he kills his victims he records his targets on an archaic tape recorder which hangs off his shoulder like a Luis Vitton hand bang. His actions seem effortless, mostly because he's being tracked by some of the worst bumbling police officers in the San Fernando Valley. His mostly blond bimbo-like victims don't necessary end up in a huge bloody mess. Somehow I can't help that they should've seen it coming. I was most taken by the fact that when an overweight cop was bludgeoned by Niven, his XL cop's uniform magically fit the pencil thin attacker after a clever "switch" by Mr. Evil.
Had this film had a casting director assigned to it, it may have ended up with a lot less WTF acting moments. It does however showcase some great Los Angeles locations that aren't here anymore. One in particular is the old Van Nuys drive-in movie theatre. (15040 Roscoe Boulevard) What a jem!
What this film also has is a concrete plot (sans a real motive) that promises a calculated demise to its victims. A "death every midnight" is a little more reminicent of a pre-80's plot line, though I would hardly call it a modern day Hitchcock thriller. At least it doesn't seem as gratuitous as some of its sister films of its time. I can only hope that I will get the chance to see this film again in a packed theatre with people cheering on the killer.
If you'd like to get ahold of some of the songs from NYE check out the band SHADOW at http://68.99.226.85:5803/Shadow/download.html
You can go to the Downloads section and pick up the two tracks from their 45rpm. (A full soundtrack was never actually released.)
