Not even bad in a good way

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The movie starts out with a woman and child being killed and eaten by shape-shifting hyenas. The first thing you will notice is that the faces of the hyenas move about as much as a rubber mask with red lights in the eye sockets. There is a first person narration by Briggs (Maxie J. Santillan Jr.) sitting by a camp fire talking in the past tense to fill in plot points they didn't have time to film. His narration seems to have been written for Tony Todd, which they most likely couldn't afford. Crazy Briggs is able to convince Gannon (the man's who family was killed) that it was shape-shifting hyenas who did it. (In this movie we find out snipes don't really exist.) The sound track was awful as it seems to have been taken from a TV movie.Within a few movie time minutes they have become seasoned veterans who are now being hunted by the hyenas and they have a partner who has a BMW that won't start. (My friend had one like that. Hit the starter with a hammer, the bendix is stuck.). It seems the "alpha female" is dying which is why they are coming after the hunters, a connection I didn't grasp."B" movie queen and silicon lover Christa Campbell plays a shape-shifter. She is the one that has to remove her skimpy top before changing.There is a subplot of townies vs. Mexicans, involving a blond girl and her brother. They manage to bark out dialouge and acting usually reserved for an Asylum film production.Amanda Aardsma with a gaunt Susan Dey face plays Valerie, a woman saved by Briggs and Gannon who parades around in undies and a tank top, thanks.The movie has its predictable twist and ending.No f-bombs that I recall. The nudity which the box claims exists, looks more like body suits designed to make one look naked, i.e. CG nudity. The movie was poorly written and directed thanks to Eric Weston.

This is a take off on the old werewolf theme except I guess the bite of one doesn't turn the bitee. Plus they can be killed by regular bullets not needing silver ones. Everything is pretty lame, the acting is borderline, the plot actually is not bad just poorly executed. There are two gangs, one white and one Mexican, that are fighting for dominance. One hyena bitch is unknowingly saved by the good guy's when the pack tries to kill her. Gannon is man who lost his wife and one year old to the hyenas and now hunts them along with Meschach Taylor. Taylor has hunted the packs for years. The two gang leaders meet inside a mine to settle their differences once and for all. The pack also shows up for the show down between the two bitches who fight for the clan lead. Gee guess what? so do the good guys. Going deep in to the mine and followed by the pack Gannon sets off a huge amount of dynamite. Killing the pack and himself. Taylor survives and the two gang leaders plus a girlfriend join him after seeing the entire thing. Not that bad but could have been a lot better.

How do you say something good about a film that has been universally panned?Well, Christa Campbell (The Wicker Man, Day of the Dead) is in it. That is always a positive comment. There was definitely more than one skintastic moment before she changed into a hyena.For the ladies, there is Costas Mandylor (SAW IV, V, VI).Remember Meshach Taylor from Designing Women? He does a good crazy person who knows all about the creatures.If nothing else, Amanda Aardsma will make you want to find out about Frisians. Her brother David is a Yankee pitcher, by the way.A few surprises at the end as Crazy Briggs replaces his recruits.All in all, it kept my interest and is worth another watch.

For creating a movie so Godawful that it truly defies description! I first discovered this movie's title when I was browsing through John Carl Beuchler's list of credits here on IMDb, naturally seeing such a title listed captured my imagination and why wouldn't it.Now I did harbour ideas of purchasing the movie, based upon Buechler's participation and of course that of Eric Weston as director, although it had been many a year since I had last sat down to watch Evilspeak, favourable memories of that movie still lingered in my mind! Trying to find a release date or even a website that was selling the movie proved impossible, but luckily for me(however dread was to follow) here in the U.K. we have the horror channel, who from time to time do show the odd decent little horror movie, so without hesitation I sat down to watch it.From the opening beats of the movie, my initial thoughts of yeah turned quickly to Holy crap! You would think that the presence of headline star Costas Mandylor would at least elevate the movie, but having witnessed Mandylor sacrifice his dignity in the movie Dr Chopper I should have known better, if it wasn't for the Saw franchise the man wouldn't have a career! As for Eric Weston, what happened in the intervening years between Evilspeak and Hyenas? did he forget how to be creative? In this instance the artwork for the movie offers more than the actual movie delivers! 1/10