Now here's an interesting yarn. Charles Band, before he founded the Puppet Master fueled Full Moon Pictures, had another company. Empire Pictures may not have changed the industry, but it did release such classics as Zone Troopers and Terrorvision. As far as Lovecraft adaptations go, he already had a hit with the Re-Animator, so why not a follow up?
Well, he did, but around 1988 or so Empire Pictures hit hard times, compounded by the disappearance of the film's negatives. Yes, the whole thing was considered lost until 2011 or so, when the film was released in 2012.
The film itself is an anthology, but only one segment deals with Lovecraft. The other two parts are a sequel to Dungeonmaster and Trancers, but its the last part is what we'll focus on.
The Evil Clergyman is one of Lovecraft's later stories, published in 1939. The film opens with Said Brandy (Barbara Crampton) rushing to a remote castle. Her lover Jonathan (Jeffery Combs) recently died under odd circumstances and all she wants to do is grab his belongings and leave.
That's when Jonathan appears, hale and whole. After frantic love-making, Said is left alone. The Bishop (David Warner) appears and warns her that "he wants your soul!"
Jonathan reappears, but is it really him?
Jeffery Combs, David Warner, Barbara Crampton, and a surprise appearance of David Gale, hell, this would be worth it just for the cast alone.
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