- Welcome to THE FRINGE - The Exciting New Cinematic Universe Coming from the Makers of PROSPECT
- Welcome to THE FRINGE - The Exciting New Cinematic Universe Coming from the Makers of PROSPECT
- Welcome to THE FRINGE - The Exciting New Cinematic Universe Coming from the Makers of PROSPECT
- Welcome to THE FRINGE - The Exciting New Cinematic Universe Coming from the Makers of PROSPECT
- Welcome to THE FRINGE - The Exciting New Cinematic Universe Coming from the Makers of PROSPECT
- A Man is Trapped in a Porta-Potty in HOLY SHIT! Trailer
- Teaser Trailer for PREY, Latest Predator Movie
- Teaser Trailer for Netflix's RESIDENT EVIL Series
- A tale of disappearance and horror in YELLOWBRICKROAD
- A tale of disappearance and horror in YELLOWBRICKROAD
- Re: Occupation, Australian Sci Fi movie
- Slice of Life, Blade Runner inspired short
- Is Snowpeircer a sequel to Willy Wonka?
- Re: Yesterday
- Re: Yesterday
- Yesterday
- Re: White Night (or where do I get my 30 + from now?)
- Re: White Night (or where do I get my 30 + from now?)
- Re: White Night (or where do I get my 30 + from now?)
- Re: White Night (or where do I get my 30 + from now?)
- First Poster for Anticipated Apocalyptic Thriller VESPER
- Teaser Trailer for Netflix's RESIDENT EVIL Series
- Here's What's On Blu-ray and 4K This Week! [May 10, 2022]
- THE BOOK OF THE NEW SUN Series Blends Post-Apocalypse with Epic Fantasy
- Turbo Kid Directors Apating THE ZOMBIES THAT ATE THE WORLD Comic Series
- Proto-Cyberpunk & Post-Apocalypse Meet in MONDOCANE [Trailer]
- Here's the WYRMWOOD: APOCALYPSE Trailer!
- Watch Richard Stanley's Rare Super 8 Version of Hardware called
- Epic Destruction in RESTART THE EARTH Trailer
- Carriers Directors David Pastor and Àlex Pastor Are Filming a BIRD BOX Spin-Off
- Richard Stanley's HARDWARE Continues as a Comic!
- VIFF 2021: THE IN-LAWS, MIRACLE, SALOUM, SECRETS FROM PUTUMAYO [Capsule Reviews]
- TIFF 2021: SILENT NIGHT Review
- VIFF 2021: Documentary Preview [Capsule Reviews]
- TIFF 2021: THE PINK CLOUD, THE HOLE IN THE FENCE [Capsule Reviews]
- TIFF 2021: JAGGED Review
- TIFF 2021: SUNDOWN Review
- VIFF 2021: Animation Preview [Capsule Reviews]
- SAINT-NARCISSE is Bruce LaBruce at His Most Accomplished [Review]
- TIFF 2021: DASHCAM Review
- TIFF 2021: THE DAUGHTER Review
- New Red Band Trailer Gives First Look at HEAVY METAL SteelBook Edition 4K Blu-ray
- Trailer for Sci-Fi Prison Thriller CORRECTIVE MEASURES
- This Week on Blu-ray and DVD! [April 19, 2022]
- Disturbing Teaser for David Cronenberg's CRIMES OF THE FUTURE
- CHILDREN OF SIN Spooks up Amazon April 22
- Proto-Cyberpunk & Post-Apocalypse Meet in MONDOCANE [Trailer]
- This Week on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD! [April 12, 2022]
- Paul Schrader Penned THERE ARE NO SAINTS Trailer
- Full STRANGER THINGS Season 4 Trailer
- 3-Disc TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD Coming from Synapse Films
- This Week on Blu-ray & DVD [April 5, 2022]
- DOG SOLDIERS Collector's Edition 4K Blu-ray on the Way from Scream Factory
- Famous First Films: Robert Eggers' HANSEL AND GRETEL
- ‘Squid Game’ Director's Next is KLLING OLD PEOPLE CLUB
- Choose or Die: Netflix Movie Features a Killer Text Adventure Game
- New this week on Blu-ray and DVD! [March 29, 2022]
- Trailer for Horror Maestro Gustavo Hernandez's VIRUS:32
- V/H/S/94 Blu-ray Details Unearthed from RLJ
- Trailer for Atmospheric SHEPHERD
- Here's the WYRMWOOD: APOCALYPSE Trailer!
Jack In
Latest Comments
Latest Forum Posts
PA News
Latest Reviews
Older News
Crew
Marina Antunes
Editor in Chief
Vancouver, British Columbia
Christopher Webster
Managing Editor
Edmonton, Alberta
DN aka quietearth
Founder / Asst. Managing Editor
Denver, Colorado
Simon Read
UK Correspondent
Edinburgh, Scotland
Rick McGrath
Toronto Correspondent
Toronto, Ontario
Manuel de Layet
France Correspondent
Paris, France
rochefort
Austin Correspondent
Austin, Texas
Daniel Olmos
Corrispondente in Italia
Italy
Griffith Maloney aka Griffith Maloney
New York Correspondent
New York, NY
Stephanie O
Floating Correspondent
Quiet Earth Bunker
Jason Widgington
Montreal Correspondent
Montreal, Quebec
Carlos Prime
Austin Correspondent
Austin, TX
Latest news








Year: 2009
Directors: Reginald Harkema
Writers: Reginald Harkema
IMDB: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Marina Antunes
Rating: 8 out of 10
[Editor's note: Special thanks to our friend Marina from Row Three for the following review!]
While introducing the first screening of his film at VIFF, director Reginald Harkema commented that Leslie, My Name is Evil was a very divisive film. He wasn’t kidding.
Taken from real accounts and transcripts of the Charles Manson trial, using archival footage and intermingling the entire thing with a wicked sense of humour, this is the type of film that would, by any other director, end as a total disaster. The fact that it not only ends well but that it starts off with a bang is a great credit to director Reg Harkema who manages to create a sometimes serious and sometimes hysterical but always entertaining film which pokes a finger at everything from war to religion.
The story interweaves Leslie’s experience with cult life with that of Perry, an up-and-coming chemist who always seems on the verge of sin. Highly religious, Perry is fighting the urge to sleep with his girlfriend (an urge she reciprocates & even encourages; she is the definition of a tease) while also avoiding war by avoiding the draft, something which is not sitting well with his father. Though the film may feature Leslie’s name, the film feels much more like Perry’s story than Leslie’s. Perhaps it’s the fact that he, his actions and troubles are more accessible and easier to associate with than Leslie’s and so Leslie’s story seems that much more outlandish.
Though it may take place in the 70s, Harkema’s film is timely, tackling issues that were important then and are important in today’s world. Issues of war (what are we doing in Vietnam?), religion and family are explored with great success through both the stories being told and the archival footage that Harkema occasionally uses to great effect.
It may start off based on real events but Harkema does a fantastic job of integrating fact with fiction to create a surreal sort of world where the history we know is mixed and inseparable from the imagined. It’s this removal from reality that keeps the film accessible and which will leave the viewer wondering just how much of it really did happen and how much of it was simply created. It’s the blurring of lines that makes Leslie, My Name is Evil a true joy and it’s the blurring which is likely to upset some viewers that are more interested in fact. I believe the director’s intent was never to sell his story as purely factual (he would have made a documentary if he wanted to state fact) but to shock the viewer into realizing the absurdity of events and how they unfolded and in the process, shining a light on the absurdity of what is happening in the world today.
The film is supported by a talented group of up-and-coming actors including Ryan Robbins as Charlie, Kristen Hager as Leslie (a true discovery), Gregory Smith as Perry (the young juror who himself is sucked into Leslie’s story) and the fabulous Don McKellar who should really step in front of the camera more often.
Accompanied by fantastic archival footage and brilliantly selected music (we’re talking Quentin Tarantino level genius at work here), Leslie, My Name is Evil is one to see. It’s bound to piss some viewers off while others will laugh but without fail, it will make you think and question what you’ve seen and perhaps even what you believe.
You might also like








rybo (12 years ago) Reply
i'm sorry but this movie and this director are shit. why are you encouraging this kind of crap bland ridiculous canadian filmmaking.