Alicia I love this movie so much

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Toronto85 A Taste of Evil is a very interesting movie that tackles a pretty big issue for it's time. It involves the sexual assault of a young girl, and for 1971 I'm sure the topic was not as talked about as it is today. Anyways, the film starts with the young girl who is alone in her playhouse when a man (who we don't see) enters and attacks her off-screen. Fast forwards years later to when she is an adult. After spending years in a psychiatric institution, Susan travels home with her mother Miriam to tackle her demons. We meet some potential suspects of the rape; the mother's boyfriend Harold and a long time groundskeeper John. While at the family home, strange things start to happen. Susan sees someone lurking in the shadows, she feels someone following her in the woods, and a very dead looking Harold keeps popping up around the house. The imagery of this movie is amazing. The usage of dark shadows in the house adds a very spooky feeling to it all. About halfway through the film we discover what/who is causing these strange occurrences, and I must say I was surprised by what it was and who assaulted Susan years ago. We then get another twist that leads us to a satisfying ending. It's a typical 1970's made for television thriller which I love, but this one adds a lot more such as the shocking storyline of the rape. The acting was alright, Barbara Stanwyck was the best part about it. Overall a very satisfying TV movie that is impossible to purchase on DVD or VHS. Best thing to do is search it out online or hope for it to pop up on TV one day.8/10

MARIO GAUCI This is basically a reworking of the classic Hammer thriller TASTE OF FEAR aka SCREAM OF FEAR (1961; a re-acquaintance with which will follow presently) – from the same scriptwriter, the late Jimmy Sangster – with the setting changed from the French Riviera to a San Francisco estate. Apart from the fact that the same plot had been done to death – by Hammer and Sangster themselves – in the intervening decade and its being a TV-movie, the results here are still mediocre when compared to the classy original (even if that had owed a good deal to the French suspense masterpiece DIABOLIQUE {1954} to begin with), largely because the frissons appear entirely telegraphed in this case!This is somewhat surprising given that many of the people behind it were cinema veterans and, what is more, hardly new to the genre: director Moxey had made the splendid occult horror THE CITY OF THE DEAD aka HORROR HOTEL (1960), leading lady Barbara Parkins would do THE MEPHISTO WALTZ in the same year as this, star Barbara Stanwyck had been in William Castle's superior THE NIGHT WALKER (1964) and Roddy McDowall was a staple of the PLANET OF THE APES franchise; incidentally, Moxey and Stanwyck previously collaborated on THE HOUSE THAT WOULDN'T DIE (1970; also made for TV, and which I own as well but have yet to watch). Anyway, the narrative centers around a girl who is raped at age 13 during a family party by an unknown assailant; this episode sends her to an 8 year spell in an institution but, when she returns home, begins to display alarming signs of being far from cured! She continually sees her alcoholic stepfather's corpse all over the place when he is actually supposed to be away on business – her mother (Stanwyck) is obviously concerned and calls in doctor McDowall to review her condition; also involved in all of this is simpleton handy-man Arthur O'Connell.However, while the original kept piling on the twists at the climax so that one had little time to ask himself whether they were plausible or not, this one demonstrates only mild ingenuity throughout. Incidentally, since the shadowy figure of the rapist keeps turning up to haunt and generally frighten her, there are really only two suspects who it could have been. That said, the ultimate reason behind the whole attempt to drive the girl mad anew and the choice of conspirators does not ring true…while the alliance to uncover the culprits between the victim herself, the Police and another unlikely associate is virtually ported over wholesale from TASTE OF FEAR!

perryvalentino A Taste of Evil is an unintentional funny movie. As mentioned before, story revolves around a daughter who comes home to an estate on the outskirts of San Francisco. Movie has an excellent lovely Barbara Parkins, underrated legend Barbara Stanwyck, Roddy McDowell, and Arthur O'Connell, most notably for "Bus Stop" with Marilyn Monroe. It is interesting because the first half of the movie is focused on Barbara Parkins and then the 2nd half is focused on Barbara Stanwyck. Movie has unintentional funny moments. Here are some of them. Barbaba Parkins calls the caretaker to see what is for dinner because the mother is out all night shopping, cold cuts and salad. However, the camp award goes to Barbara Stanwyck. The funniest scene, which my friend and I keep laughing at, is when Barbara Stanwyck is cooking. Barbara acts so bi-polar with a manic look on her face, she yells at Barbara Parkins as they leave to hunt, "Work up a healthy appetite, I'll have hamburgers piled right up to the ceiling." You have to see the scene to see what I am referring too. As the movie progresses, you see funny scenes as a Raggedy Ann doll floating in the bathtub. All the humor is on Barbara Stanwyck's facial expressions in the 2nd half. There is a surprise twist but guidelines won't allow me to tell you what it is. Enjoy and this is a must to keep your video collection. I am glad I taped this off t.v. 15 years ago.

Phantom Moonhead I was finally lucky enough to find an excellent copy of this film. I fell asleep watching this movie late one night and woke up assuming I would one day get the opportunity to see it again. Sure,they will show it again,it was a great movie. Eleven years later I found it. Very few people seem to know about this film,it is indeed one of the hardest to find. It was produced by Aaron Spelling,back when he was young and still had some good ideas. Barbra Stanwyck and Roddy McDowell star in this chilling sleeper about a woman who return home to a country estate after spending years in a mental institution after being abducted there as a child. Some truly scary scenes with some great plot twists that always keep you guessing. Atmospheric and very strong for television in those days,maybe thats why it has been forgotten but that's exactly why it should have a strong cult following but as you can see by the reviews(or lack thereof)it seems pretty lost. I'm pretty picky when it comes to movies and I would highly recommend it to any horror/suspense/mystery buff. Two scenes that stuck with me all those years were the shadowy figure entering the child's playhouse and the main character looking out a second story window and seeing someone standing on the lawn watching her on a dark and windy night. That's what it's all about! They were still as I remembered them all those years ago. Alot like a Kubrick image,these never left. GET A COPY IF YOU CAN!