RITUAL OF EVIL (1970)
TV-Movie
Article 3913 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 4-21-2012
Posting Date: 5-1-2012
Directed by Robert Day
Featuring Louis Jourdan, Anne Baxter, Diana Hyland
Country: USA
What it is: Tale of the supernatural

The suicide of a rich young woman brings about an investigation by a psychiatrist who dabbles in the supernatural. He begins to suspect that a black mass has occurred involving the sacrifice of a young man, and that a demon may have been summoned from hell…

This is the sequel to FEAR NO EVIL, and features once again psychiatrist David Sorell. When I saw the earlier movie, I thought his concept would have made for a nifty series, and I still do. I also think this movie would have made a decent first episode for that series; it would have certainly worked better had it been condensed down quite a bit, as in this current form, it takes way too long for things to get going. And that’s my primary problem with this one; it feels padded and unfocused. I also think Wilfred Hyde-White’s mentor character is used a little too sparingly, and that he’s kept too much on the outskirts of the story; I’d like it more if he was on hand for the main action. As it is, I was disappointed by this sequel, though it’s a shame that it marked the end of the series.