The Devil's Rain (1975) #455

"The Devil's Rain" trailer

It sometimes feels like that horror movies in the 1970's were either extremely campy or scary as hell, usually depending on the age appropriate rating it received. This seems to indicate that the PG rated ones were overly campy while the R rated stood a chance at having some real scares and treated as a seriously treated film. "The Devil's Rain" can be considered campy by today's standards but I think it did a great in trying to be a real horror film despite being rated PG when compared to other movies from that time.

"The Devil's Rain" boasts a stellar cast of big name stars from the mid-seventies. Ernest Borgnine stars as Jonathan Corbis, the Satanic Priest of a ancient cult of devil worshipers. William Shatner plays Mark Preston, a young man who is attempting to keep a dangerous book that his family has hidden away from Corbis who needs it to complete his rituals. Tom Skerritt ("Alien" and "The Dead Zone") plays Tom Preston, Mark's older brother who comes back home after hearing that his brother was in trouble. John Travolta, in one of his first feature films, makes a brief appearance as a faceless cult member. 

While the the main cast members were established actors at this time, this film isn't the best performance for any of them. Some may look back at this film as a slight embarrassment on their resume, but I hope they had a fun time making this film. Not everyone movie is a blockbuster or a career defining moment; sometimes they need to be made for the audience that they hope to find.

Although "The Devil's Rain" had a great cast, it doesn't have much of a story line. The plot is basic and could have been expanded upon in several areas. With a running time of 85 minutes, it feels what story it has feels stretched thin. Had it been a part of an anthology, perhaps as the main segment with a runtime of 50 or 60 minutes, the overall effort may have been more effective. 

The make up effects in "The Devil's Rain" is another point where the film may feel campy. Compared to today's standards, the effects are outdated and sloppy. But back then, on a PG rated film, I feel that it works. The Goat-like appearance that Corbis has is practical and effective. The cheap looking expressionless masks that the cultists wear become makes sense when their faces begin to melt in the film's climax. The cultists appearance also adds to the dread that they've lost their souls and that they are nothing but pawns for the Satanic Priest.

The bottle known as The Devil's Rain!

The Dead Zone (1983)

“The Dead Zone” is another excellent film where a Stephen King story is given to an accomplished director to bring to the screen. In this case it was David Cronenberg, who was already well known as a director of horror movies after having such recent hits as “Scanners” and “Videodrome”. Unlike Kubrick and his version of “The Shining”, Cronenberg followed the original text closely enough to not avoid getting on Stephen King’s bad side…as far as I know. The movie had a talented cast that consisted of Martin Sheen, a young Christopher Walken as the main character Johnny Smith, and it was co-produced by Debra Hill. The original novel was published in 1979.

The film opens in Stephen King’s favorite town of Castle Rock, Maine. Johnny White, a school teacher, is madly in love with his girlfriend Sarah. One night while driving home, Johnny has a terrible car accident and falls into a coma for five years. When he awakes he discovers that he has developed a psychic ability to learn details about someone by touching them. He also learns that Sarah has gotten married and has a child. After word gets around about Johnny’s power, he’s approached by a sheriff of a small town to help solve a rash of serial murders. Johnny eventually agrees and learns that the killer is the sheriff’s own deputy. The deputy commits suicide but his mother shoots and wounds Johnny, who then moves away and becomes a hermit who makes a living tutoring a few children. He is approached for his powers once again and agrees to help, but in the process he learns that he can change the outcome of the future visions that he sees. This ultimately leads him to having a vision of death and destruction that involves a politician and thus sets the course for Johnny’s eventual final conflict. 

Johnny is having a vision

Johnny is hunting a candidate for the US Senate