By 2004, the end of the post-Scream slasher
resurgence was finally coming to an end. Although that is a heavily debated era
of horror by fans and critics alike, its end spelled some good things to come
for horror. Namely, it allowed the slasher genre to take a step back from the
limelight and go back underground where it could find some creative forces.
When the first Malevolence film premiered at the end of 2004 (although
it did not receive a home video release until the next year – which is where I
discovered the film) it was one of the films that marked that shift in style.
It found enough of a cult audience that director/writer/producer Stevan Mena
was able to finish off his trilogy of films, even against some horrific
circumstances that had the third film postponed almost indefinitely. The
trilogy has now found its way onto Blu Ray and it’s a welcome addition to any
horror fan’s collection. This piece will cover all three films – a weird gap in
our catalog admittedly since I sang the praises of the films since 2005 and
hopefully, it will spur a few people to take a chance on this remarkably
fascinating franchise.