Beautiful, moving film.

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

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

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

There are two versions to Equinox, one more coherent than the other. Unfortunately both have several issues. Both, do have a certain charm however. For such a low budget production the effects are okay, there's some early stop motion effects by David Allen (Laserblast). These effects are decent but jittery and at times a little sloppy. Allen's later work is certainly better. There are several creatures on display-all from Allen's wonderful imagination. There's a King Kong-like demon ape (seen on the film's poster), a Cthulhu-like squid creature, and a devil-like demon. Presented in all its weak and terrible glory is a man painted green in an animal pelt who resembles the Jolly Green Giant. The stop motion creatures are serious and diabolical, clicking with the film's tone-then along comes that eye sore which comes and then goes. The characters are bland but occasionally likable but the acting ranges from moderately decent to awful. The story is actually pretty interesting and inspired Sam Raimi's Evil Dead (1981). Basically there's two versions to the film (hurray for confusion) there's the 1967 film and the 1970 film.67 Plot- David receives a call from his teacher (who resides in a cabin in the woods). David sets out to visit his friend with 3 other friends. They find the place in shambles and all begin to explore. Vickie finds a castle and gathers the others. Once inside they wind up in a cave with an odd old man. He gives them a book and tells them to leave. David skims through the book and reads a note left by his teacher. The book is a gateway between the realms of shadow and light. His teacher snatches the book away as they're attacked by a monster, then the Jolly Green Giant appears, as does a demon...70 Plot- Best friends Jim, David, and their girl friends go on a picnic. They have a run in with Asmodeus the park ranger (cool name), find a book, and monsters.The 1967 film is highly recommended, it has a dull driving sequence but has a fluent flow. The 1970 film is a real chore to get through with sloppy editing, odd/uneventful pacing, and is overall awful. Sadly people are most familiar with the 1970 version, which is why so many people hate it. I say give the 67 film a watch, it's no Evil Dead but for a low budget horror film from the 60s (a time when sci-fi was all the rage) it's pretty entertaining and imaginative with a campy charm.

The Criterion Collection is a very artsy line of DVDs. Most of their films are foreign or occasionally independent films--the sort of stuff the average person probably would never watch. Because of this artsy-fartsy image, I was shocked when I watched "Equinox" because there is absolutely NOTHING artsy or sophisticated about this film--in fact, it's horrible. While not quite as horrible as "Robot Monster" or "Plan 9 From Outer Space", it is very close! Four young idiots (one of which is Frank Bonner who played Herb on "WKRP in Cincinnati") go off into the hills for a picnic. The wander into a cave and meet a crazy old man who gives them a book--a book containing evil demonic secrets! However, Mr. Asmodeus (dressed as a ranger) wants the book and he can create monsters to attack them! Can these four idiots manage to survive or will they succumb to the forces of evil? And, will anyone watching this horror film even care?! This story was apparently originally a school project and was eventually expanded into movie format. Unfortunately, in doing so, hair lengths, belts and clothing change back and forth A LOT--and you could watch the film repeatedly just to see this and laugh at it. However, my vote for dumbest thing about the movie are the stop-motion clay monsters. Never have I seen stop-motion integrated so poorly and sloppily or characters so clay-like!! I also loved the driver-less car at the end--especially since in long shots you can CLEARLY see that there IS a driver!! All in all, very silly, sloppy and dumb--and a lot like a YouTube horror film made by 14 year-olds. If I was this guy's professor, I would have given him a D minus! Which leads me to wonder HOW this became a Criterion release. Were they playing a joke on us?!

This movie could almost be considered a best-of compilation of previously-discovered visual effects, cult film conceits, and camp. The story itself is reminiscent of old movies from Attack of the Gila Monster to Haxan, the imagery covers the world from Godzilla and King Kong to Vertigo, the themes include creepy castles, desert wastelands, and Satanism, and the characters run from one situation to another with careless abandon as they commentate on the very things that are happening to them with a weirdly analytical mindset. The movie precedes the career of its visual effects creator (who went on to work on Star Wars and Jurassic Park, to lend Equinox some credibility) and its plot foretells the later Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2 of Sam Raimi. That said, it's not all that interesting.Basically, a group of four kids go out to visit a professor friend of theirs, only to meet with horrors involving a Satanic book, a creepy park ranger, a kooky old geezer, and spectacular (and mostly claymation) monsters. By today's standards, it's a pretty slow movie as it pretty much doesn't mind taking the time to let the camera linger on the special effects or, worse, on the dialog. There's an interesting sub-theme about religious symbols as a sort of metaphysical chemistry, and for what it's worth the characters are a lot more aware and intelligent than most horror film fodder. Unfortunately, that only gets the movie so far, as its creativity still serves a ridiculous premise that is, to most b-horror film buffs, all too familiar. In that way, it really is like listening to a best-of CD of a certain era or sensibility: you've heard it all too often before and the real joys are more often on the lesser known works.--PolarisDiB

Upperclassmen Edward Connell (as Dave) and Frank Bonner (as Jim) take blonde dates Barbara Hewitt (as Susan) and Robin Christopher (as Vicki) out for a visit to a favorite professor's cabin; and, hopefully, some romance. Instead, they find demons. Dennis Muren's original 1967 version of this movie, entitled "The Equinox: A Journey Into the Supernatural", is, relatively speaking, the superior film. New director Jack Woods deserves credit for bringing the original work to a greater audience. Obviously, too much time has passed between versions; the performers, and film, do not match. The "non-professional" acting is a strength, in the older footage. The newer additions to the storyline are laughable.*** Equinox (1970) Jack Woods, Dennis Muren ~ Edward Connell, Frank Bonner