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MARCH 5 VHS MOVIE REVIEW : ABBY (1974)
While in Africa on an archaeological dig, Dr. Garnet Williams (William Marshall) finds a wooden vessel in a cave and opens it, unleashing the ancient demon Eshu, the demon god of sexuality (among other nasty things). Meanwhile, in Louisville, Kentucky, Williams' preacher son Emmett (Terry Carter), his wife Abby (Carol Speed) and Abby's mother Miranda (Juanita Moore) are seen moving into a new house. It's not long before the ultra-religious Abby begins experiencing floating objects, moving furniture and other supernatural doings in the new house. She is raped in the shower by Eshu (we see subliminal flashes of Eshu [actually Carol Speed in demon makeup]) and it's not long afterward that Abby is possessed by the demon, slicing her arm up with a butcher knife and freaking out at one of her husband's sermons at church (she throws one church member through a door and drools all over him). Abby begins to physically and mentally deteriorate (she begins talking foul language in a deep voice and punches Emmett in the nuts) and Emmett, at first, fears Abby is on drugs, but her brother, police detective Cass Potter (Austin Stoker), doesn't believe that is the problem. When Abby rips her clothes off in front of two church members (Emmett says to her, "Whatever possessed you to do a thing like that?"), rapes Emmett in their own bed and kills the church organist, Mrs. Wiggins (Nancy Lee Owens), by giving her a heart attack, Emmett calls his father in Africa and begs him to come home. Dr. Williams, you see, is also a priest and has performed exorcisms in the past. Emmett puts his wife in the hospital, but all the tests find nothing wrong with her, so the doctors recommend she see a psychiatrist (they never get the chance to go). When Dr. Williams arrives in Louisville and attempts to help Abby, she runs out of the house and Emmett steals a car (!) to go looking for her. Abby ends up at a bar, where she kills a series of men while fucking them (she fucks one guy to death in his Cadillac and it fills up with smoke as she begins talking in her possessed voice). Emmett and Cass catch up with her at the bar (she tosses everyone around like a ragdoll) and then Dr. Williams arrives (Abby/Ushu says to him, "Hello motherfucker!"), performs an exorcism ("The light of God binds you!") and gets Eshu to go back into his wooden vessel. Abby wakes up with no memory of what has happened. Praise the Lord! Warner Bros. successfully sued to stop ABBY from being screened shortly after it was released because they believed it followed the plot to their hit from the previous year, THE EXORCIST, a little too closely. While that may have been true (the subliminal flashes, the possession theme, trip to the hospital for tests, etc.), this film contains enough original touches to be an entertaining film on it's own right (American International Pictures, who released this film theatrically, pulled it from release without putting up any fight at all). There have been more blatant rip-offs of THE EXORCIST than this (BEYOND THE DOOR, anyone?), so it seemed a little harsh when this film was pulled and hasn't had a legitimate release in any form for over thirty years (It should be noted that when Warner Bros. tried to stop the release of BEYOND, the courts decided that Warner Bros. didn't hold the rights to the possession or exorcist themes). Director William Girdler (ASYLUM OF SATAN - 1971; GRIZZLY - 1976, and many others until his unfortunate death in a helicopter crash while scouting locations in the Philippines in 1978) has fashioned a film, while exploitative (I never liked the term "blaxploitation"), still maintains it's religious convictions and is believably acted by all. William Marshall, fresh off his starring turns in BLACULA (1972) and SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM (1973), does a marvelous job in the exorcist role, his booming baritone voice shaking the rafters as he attempts to exorcise Eshu out of Abby's body. The exorcism at the bar is a sight to behold, as Marshall spouts religious mumbo-jumbo, while Abby screams out obscenities and acute observations (My favorites being, "Loyalty! All crap!", "Violence! That's your nature! and "Don't play games with me, you simple-minded shit!") while the bar explodes around everyone. This is good, mindless fun that, unfortunately, got railroaded into obscurity. The gray market DVD by Cinefear Video looks to have been sourced from a beat-up 16mm print, but it is watchable and contains the trailer, a radio spot, stills, lobby cards, pressbook, posters and an informative background article as DVD extras. Definitely worth an investment. Also starring Charles Kissinger (a regular Girdler player), Elliott Moffitt, Nathan Cook, Don Henderson and Bob Holt as the voice of the demon Eshu. American International Pictures wanted to change the name to THE BLACKORCIST before it's release, but saner heads prevailed. A Cinefear Home Video Release. Rated R. { text from critcononline.com }
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