The Daily Dig: The Power (1984)

Christopher Young’s score and a bag full of genre tropes make the hidden 80s gem “The Power” a fun and easy, yet scattered, watch.

An evil spirit, trapped inside an ancient doll, possesses teenagers and journalists. Let’s dig into 1984’s THE POWER, directed by Stephen Carpenter and Jeffrey Obrow!

As I See It

Did you know that Dick Clark produced horror movies? Neither did I. Besides being the face of Dick Clark’s New Years Rocking Eve for what seemed like a millennia, Clark produced a bunch of feature films. There aren’t many horror films on his roster. The Dark (1979), a film Tobe Hooper was initially directing before dropping out mid-production, and Mutant are the other two, but this was the first.

I would call this film easily accessible. It relies heavily on familiar movements from days of horror past.

A seance with a Ouija board is a trick as old as time, or so it seems. A simple idol in the form of a little carved deity acts as the vessel that carries our evil spirit from the ancient past into modern-day (1980s) high school.

Structure-wise, it’s lacking. A lack of focus has us jumping from a group of teens to a couple of rag reporters. Although I would say there isn’t much character building, there is some relatable, realistic dialogue between the “adults” of the story, the reporters.

For all its faults and shortcomings, there is nothing that made me want to turn it off or fantasize about the days of VHS and fast forwarding the film at 2x so it would be over sooner. It was a fun watch and a perfectly pleasant way to kill some time.

Famous Faces

Suzy Stokey (Sandy) was a semi-regular in Fred Olen Ray films, including The Tomb, Deep Space, and The Phantom Empire.

Of Gratuitous Nature

I would call it fit for TV. There was nothing to sneer at.

Heartthrob

There is a track that is played a few times throughout the film and finally over the credits that unlocked a box of lost memories for me. Chris Young is the composer of the score, and he most famously scored Clive Barker’s Hellraiser (as well as its sequel). At first, I thought it was a rendition of “Claire de Lune,” but then it was a perfectly nostalgic moment for me, realizing that no, it was indeed Young.

He has a discernible sound and wonder to his compositions that could be equal to that of the brilliant John Williams. It leaves a fingerprint on a film and an indelible mark on the viewer/listener.

Young also scored A Nightmare on Elm Street 2, Trick or Treat (1986), Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell, Scott Derrickson’s Sinister, as well as many other recognizable titles. He could be the most slept-on composer in modern (and Golden Age) horror.

Ripe for a Remake

The Power never goes away!

Spawns

No progeny to report.

Where to Watch

Code Red Releasing put out a Blu-ray in 2017. You can stream it on Tubi or check it out on YouTube.