I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Wonderful character development!

Such a frustrating disappointment

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Dr. Yale Carrington (Lloyd Bridges), his wife Maggie (Pat Crowley), and their daughter, Cindy (Eve Plumb) begin being stalked by chronic gum-chewing Rapist / murderer, Teddy Jakes (William Watson). After seven years, Jakes has gotten out of prison, where Dr. Carrington helped to put him. Jakes is now hellbent to avenge this delay in his pursuit of the criminal lifestyle. Of course, the law can't touch him, and the Carrington's must find a way to survive. Ominous acts start right away, making it all too clear that Jakes is serious. He also makes sure to do little things that are creepy, but not illegal. As Jakes' attacks escalate, can anything be done to stop this madman? A made-for-TV remake of CAPE FEAR (w/ some added twists and turns), THE FORCE OF EVIL has loads of suspense, along w/ an effective atmosphere of lurking dread. It always feels like Jakes could strike at any moment! Jakes himself is pretty scary, in a ruthless, unpredictable way. Watson plays him w/ gleeful menace. Bridges plays the regular person, pushed to do whatever it takes to protect his family and himself. Originally a part of TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED, this movie fits right in w/ that series. EXTRA POINTS FOR: The "special delivery" scene! Eve Plumb fans rejoice! She's in more than a few scenes, and she's good!...

***SPOILERS*** Re-make of the 1962 thriller "Cape Fear" that goes so far as inserting into it a houseboat, like in the 1962 version, docked in the middle of the Arizona Desert for authenticity!It's when convicted murderer and rapist, unlike the just plain rapist in the original, Teddy Jakes, played by the wide eyed and crazed looking William Watson, is released after serving seven years behind bars, he must have had a real good lawyer, he heads straight for hospital administrator Dr.Yale Carrington's, Lloyd Bridges, home to settle a score he has with him.Working in the hospital morgue before his arrest conviction and sentence Jakes now wants his old job back which under the circumstances there's no chance of him, being a convicted murderer & rapist among other things, getting it. Not only that Jakes has in in for Dr. Carrington in him not providing an alibi for him in that that the two at that time of Jakes' crime were shooting craps at a Reno casino when he was on trial. Now in Jakes deranged mind it's payback time and it's not only Dr. Carrington but his entire family who are going to do the paying!***SPOILERS*** It seems that while behind bars Jakes, in educating himself in the rule of law, has not only passed the bar but has become an expert in guerrilla & psychological warfare as well survival tactics and is going to use them against Dr. Carrington in destroying him and his entire family! After driving the Carrington family out of their house and into a locked and secure boathouse Jake, with Dr. Carrington out to buy groceries, makes his move on his unprotected wife Maggie, Pat Crowley, and 14 year old daughter Cindy, Eve Plumb. Who in order to hurt Dr. Carrington where it hurts most plans to drive his wife insane and brutally rape his daughter.***MAJOR SPOILER***The conclusion of the movie has a somewhat twist ending that in how indestructible Jakes is you could see coming from a mile away. In him not only being swept away at sea while in a puddle of mud no more then two feet deep but somehow despite his criminal record, they seem to hire anyone now a days, ending up with a job at UPS the United Parcel Service!

This was actually a pilot for the short lived, but very effective "Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected." It's sad that no one seems to rebroadcast this series. William Conrad provided the narration for the movie pilot and the series. The series had one of the creepiest and visually scary introductions that I ever have seen. It puts you in mind of the intro for the 80s version of the Twilight Zone series.You could pretty much sum this movie up as a supernatural version of Cape Fear. The actor who played the angry ex-con was an effective character actor who did a lot of work during the 70s. He showed up a lot on shows such as Cannon as a heavy. Bridges and the rest of the cast do good jobs as the family living in fear of this man with a serious grudge. I hope Sci-Fi or someone will reshow both this movie and the series.

I remember this movie 27 years later so that should do justice to its staying power! Without giving away anything, suffice to say I recall the movie being thrilling, in a 1970's sort of way (those were more innocent days for everyone). William Watson turns in a really good performance as the scary guy too!What I also find interesting is the cast: Lloyd Bridges is good in anything he does and Eve Plumb, for those who may not remember, was Jan Brady and later tried (more or less unsuccessfully) to branch out into TV. If I recall she was in a movie about a girl who had multiple personality syndrome.The ending of this film, if I recall was especially scary, again, for the time.