Horror Aplenty Lurks Behind ‘Face Of Evil’
“Face of Evil,” CBS at 9, is an aptly titled thriller starring Tracey Gold as a seductive psychopath.
Yes, this TV-movie has it all - two murders, a vicious act of violence so revolting that it has to take place off-screen, and the ol’ one-two punch of seduction and deceit.
Gold plays a vagabond scam artist going by the name of Darcy Palmer who, after fleecing her fiance (Don Harvey), encounters a college student in an airport.
Palmer bops her on the head, stuffs her - half dead - in a suitcase, assumes her identity as Brianne Dwyer and flies off to a private college in New Hampshire.
Trust me, it gets worse. In fact, it gets horrible, especially when she takes care of the admissions counselor who is the only person on campus who knows Brianne by sight - key word here being “sight.”
When her roommate’s extremely rich and recently widowed father (played by a sleepwalking Perry King) shows up, you can easily guess her next move.
“Face of Evil” is one of those TV movies that is so conspicuous in its intent that it becomes something of an R-rated soap opera. It has no pretense other than to entertain, and that’s OK.
Just don’t expect much more. Gold provides only superficial depth when it comes to understanding her monstrous character.
But hey, we’re obviously not talking “The Silence of the Lambs” here, are we?
Highlights
“Roseanne,” ABC at 8: Roseanne is offered a job on a Chicago morning TV show as a new commentator with a “blue-collar outlook.”
“Nova,” KSPS at 7: “Warriors of the Amazon” reveals the lifestyles and rituals of a primitive South American rain-forest tribe threatened by extinction. PBS will warn that the film contains nudity.
“Wings,” NBC at 8: George Kennedy (guest-starring as himself) vacations in Nantucket, but he gets no peace from his biggest fan, Brian (Steven Weber). The flier is comically fixated on Kennedy’s role as flight mechanic Joe Petroni in the “Airport” movies.
“The Good Son” (1993), FOX at 8: Casting Macaulay Culkin (“Home Alone”) as a villain was a risk that didn’t pay off at the box office. Elijah Wood plays a young boy sent to live with relatives after his mother’s death. His angelic cousin (Culkin) turns out to be a “bad seed.”
The movie turns out to be turgid melodrama.
“Frontline,” KSPS at 8: If you’ve seen “Dead Man Walking,” don’t miss this outstanding hour that profiles Sister Helen Prejean, the Louisiana nun whose book and death-row good deeds inspired the making of the movie.
The broadcast addresses capital punishment from both sides and shows that Prejean’s recent fame doesn’t sit well with the families of some crime victims.
“Turning Point,” ABC at 10: “Fugitive Son: The Hunt for Alex Kelly” is the story of a Connecticut youth charged with rape who, with help from his parents, jumped bail and hid out in Europe for nine years.
Cable Calls
“Silverchair: Up Close and On Stage,” MTV at 8: Interviews and performance footage power this look at the Newcastle, Australia, band. It’s followed by repeats of MTV specials on The presidents of the United States at 8:30 and Nirvana at 9.
At 10, spend a concert day with Red Hot Chili Peppers in a new edition of “Bootleg.”
“Titanic” (1953), AMC at 5 and 8: Clifton Webb stars in what remains the definitive movie about the 1912 ocean tragedy. The characters are fictional composites, but the minute-to-minute details of the sinking are regarded as largely authentic.
You may recognize some of the footage, found in numerous documentaries.
“The Riders Radio Theater: The Television Show,” TNN at 5 and 9: Ray Stevens joins the Riders in a fun hour. Among the highlights is a love-song parody based on television’s “Gunsmoke” titled “You’ve Worn Out Your Welcome, Matt.”
Talk Time
“Tonight,” NBC at 11:35: Dave Foley (“NewsRadio”).
“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Tony Danza (“Hudson Street”), actress Lucy Lawless and singer R. Kelly.
“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: Actress-comedian Lily Tomlin and comedian Lewis Black.