Something Evil (1971)

29% of users liked it
(375 ratings)

A young Steven Spielberg helmed the made-for-TV Something Evil. Johnny Whitaker (Family Affair) is cast as Stevie Worden, an angelic child whose parents move into a foreboding Pennsylvania mansion. It isn't long before Stevie is possessed with the house's resident demonic spirit. In anticipation of… More A young Steven Spielberg helmed the made-for-TV Something Evil. Johnny Whitaker (Family Affair) is cast as Stevie Worden, an angelic child whose parents move into a foreboding Pennsylvania mansion. It isn't long before Stevie is possessed with the house's resident demonic spirit. In anticipation of The Exorcist and The Omen, the spirit within Stevie never lets anyone know when it's going to strike -- but everyone knows full well when it does. Spielberg evokes horror throughout by contrasting the most terrifying events with the plodding commonplace of day-to-day life. Something Evil was Spielberg's last TV-movie assignment. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 13 min.
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
Genres: Horror, Kids & Family, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Jan 21, 1972 Wide

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Dr Blood

I'd forgotten all about this until I was looking up a list of made-for-TV horror movies on another website. This was apparently Steven Spielberg's last TV movie before he went on to direct "Jaws" and in many ways is a scarier prototype for his later… More
I'd forgotten all about this until I was looking up a list of made-for-TV horror movies on another website. This was apparently Steven Spielberg's last TV movie before he went on to direct "Jaws" and in many ways is a scarier prototype for his later "Poltergeist". It seemed to get shown on ITV in the UK at least twice a year in the 1980s. Now that I've discovered the Steven Spielberg connection, I can understand its longevity. Sandy Dennis looks gorgeous in it. It's a shame she died before making a bigger impact on the film world. Darren McGavin of "Kolchak, the Nightstalker" fame is in it too but mercifully he doesn't get that much time on screen. The plot description on Flixster is slightly wrong. All the action really centres around the barn and the couple's little boy. It's all very supernatural; not quite a ghost story and not quite just a witchcraft story either. It's something different... it's "Something Evil"! Unlike modern horrors, it's actually scary too! If you haven't ever seen it, this is something you should track down. I think there is a special edition DVD out there somewhere but it must be quite rare as I've never seen one for sale ever.
Anthony V

One of Steven Spielberg's first attempts is nothing special.