felixlegions Some films are the stuff of legend because they are beastly gory, others because of the impact they have on the scene. And one film is a legend because it has been under the radar for far too long.'Devil delivers almost-epic horror. But when it first hit video stores in '93 it was barely noticed. Although heavily butchered by the Weinsteins, there has always been something deeply special about 'Devil. Underground horror circles were the first to celebrate it, and it was only a matter of time before it started building its number of loyal aficionados. Various versions came and went, however, it wasn't until '07 that the quest for Richard Stanley's true version has come finally to an end. The difference between the messy '92-deconstruction (US-Cut) and the '07-reconstruction (Final Cut) is night and day – it almost feels like two different movies. Maybe not in terms of quantity, but in terms of quality.Horror is supposed to thrill, and 'Devil does it fantastically. But if Guts & Gore is what you want – then this isn't the type of movie you're looking for. Oozing psychedelic Sergio Leone vibes from every pore, 'Devil hijacks horror for 108 minutes and breaks out in a flamboyant direction bordering on mythical existentialism. A fuzzy menace hanging over the Namibian desert like an oppressive cloud gives Devil its own unique flavor.By the way, it's also a political testament to the dark past of South Africa's apartheid. A world crumbling down during the filming of 'Devil, and a world that thankfully no longer exists.Fair warning here: This one gets trippy. Guess a lot of people find it too vague, too fluffy, too spacy. And I can understand that. Personally, I love spiraling into this Nietzschean and symbolically overloaded world. I have always admired the catchy noirish touch. In marked contrast to pretty much every David Lynch labyrinth, Devil is both clearly and darkly, epic and ambiguous, unorthodox but familiar.In an age where everything seems like it's been done 100-times before, 'Devil arguably has no equal. The imagery, the music, the attitude – this film still is magic. Hell yeah, this is the Blade Runner of mystery. Watch accordingly!

Leofwine_draca Richard Stanley's second film after his android-on-the-loose debut HARDWARE is a disturbing, over-long tale of a magical serial killer on the loose in Namibia. To be fair, it's an original concept, and Africa isn't exactly the place you think of when it comes to horror films. The use of the isolated desert landscapes (just like in WALKABOUT) is good, and the artistic nature of the film is also a major plus.However, once again Stanley gives us a bunch of uninteresting, unlikable characters, and we don't really have too many feelings about them. The film is also far too long, and there's not a lot going on to retain interest, apart from repeated artistic scenes and images, which to be fair are nice to look at but there's not much depth. There is a lot of mumbo-jumbo involving witch doctors and the like. Robert Burke brings a certain level of complexity to his character, but the final revelation is somewhat disappointing. Chelsea Field is a tough heroine but never makes us feel for her character, while Zakes Mokae is rather good as the policeman investigating.There are a number of gory shocks along the way, such as a dream where the policeman has his internal organs pulled out by a burnt skeleton, or the severed fingers, or the moment where the hitch-hiker's head literally explodes, in a scene worthy of Cronenberg's SCANNERS. If you're into arty films like this then you'll probably enjoy DUST DEVIL, but I'm afraid they're not really my cup of tea. There can be no understating the disturbing nature of the film, however, and it played on my mind afterwards.

mikemignola allstarvideo blogspot Dust Devil is that rare movie that is both art film and genre piece. It is beautifully shot and wonderfully put together. And yet, it is in that strange unmarketable space of being strange and creepy, but doesn't have the scares or gore needed to draw a horror audience. Not surprisingly, the distributor (Miramax) hated it. Stanley originally brought in the film at 120 minutes, and Miramax cut it to 87 minutes without his permission or cooperation. The version they cut removed all supernatural elements of the film and cut out nearly all of Zakes Mokae's scenes, as he was a non-traditional hero, ie: African Zulu. The studio, Palace Pictures, went broke and the film disappeared, never finding any kind of wide release. Stanley hunted down the negative, which was being held by the investors, and he personally paid for his own cut of the film. Subversive Cinema has now released Stanley's final cut of the film. The film centers on three major characters: Ben Mukurob (Zakes Mokae), who is a Zulu policeman who has been hunting the Dust Devil (Robert John Burke) and Wendy (played by Chelsea Field, who you might know better as the flight attendant in Commando "Don't wake my friend, he's dead tired" or Teela in Masters of the Universe -Dolph Lundgren!). The Dust Devil is a supernatural evil, called a Nagtloper. He is a drifter who kills and feeds off the life-force of those who have lost the will to live. As the narrator tells us, he can smell towns and people that are dying. He ritualistically cuts people apart and then keeps their fingers, as we are later told, "there is a whole lot of power in fingers." Mukurob has dedicated 15 years of his life to the hunting of this man, this serial killer, this Nagtloper. His room is plastered in newspaper stories linked to this devil. Wendy walks out on her abusive husband and decides to just drive, with no sense of hope. Wendy ends up picking up the drifter and giving him a ride. Mukurob continues to hunt, but is caught in the politics and mire of South Africa, which is in the midst of civil unrest and racial tensions are high. Wendy gets involved with the Devil, and becomes his next target. She escapes and he chases her into the desert. Mukurob follows them into the wasteland, where there is surreal showdown in a deserted city sunken in the sand. At one point, Mukurob tells Wendy to wait, saying: "I know what I'm doing. I'm a cop." Wendy replies, "That Won't Help." Mukurob, "I know." Exactly right. The film was shot in Namibia, and sand dominates every inch of it. It can be seen in the hair and teeth of every actor. It blows constantly and seems to cover every surface. The color temperature and film stock give the film an almost Aussie exploitation look. It feels all the more epic with the giant sweeping helicopter shots and long wide takes. Simon Boswell's Morricone-ish soundtrack adds another dimension to the moody, atmospheric feeling of the film. All the elements of a Western seem to come to the fore after the soundtrack really finds it's place near the end of the film. I originally heard about Richard Stanley when I read his wonderful essay, "Dying Light: an obituary for the great British horror movie," in a book a friend loaned me (thanks Tom!), British Horror Cinema. In it, he discussed The Scala cinema in the King's Cross neighborhood of London. The cinema had originally been London's first Primatarium (an ape house). His love for the theatre and his description of the programmers and projectionists at the theatre made a deep connection. Unfortunately, the Scala is now closed, and I feel a bit mournful for a place I will never know. But, it is from there that he met the people from Palace Pictures and how we now have Dust Devil.Set Yourself Up: The film's pacing is slow and moody, so set the lights correctly. Don't have the fluorescent overheads on. Get some Tyson Chicken Fingers and a few cans of Castel, put them in your basement and let a small layer of dust form over them.-J. Moret, www.allstarvideo.blogspot.com

mfnmbessert-224-279128 Very unknown and definitely very under appreciated early 90's horror film, revolving around a particularly unique idea, and a particularly unique villain at that. The film is definitely a slow-burner, Richard Stanley's final cut clocking in at around two hours long. Not saying that is an entirely bad thing, but there are moments when the film drags its feet.The film is slightly sparse on the dialogue, giving way to let the haunting musical score do most of the talking. The visuals speak on their own terms as well, the African sunset to an abandoned movie theater in the middle of the desert filled with sand, the film comes off as some kind of bizarre western. The acting isn't anything to brag about, but it is definitely of a very high caliber for horror movies, although 'Dust Devil' is so ripe with slow-moving action, I would almost not even consider it horror at all. Inspired probably by 'El Topo' and probably did inspire films like Larry Fessenden's 'Wendigo' just a little bit, 'Dust Devil' has a very unique story behind it, which is probably the film's strongest point.Zekes Mokae is probably most notable as the detective, and he definitely outshines Chelsea Field, and Robert John Burke as the 'Dust Devil' himself. All in all, recommended for the horror buff who can tolerate slow-moving melodrama and a good story to back up their thrills.DUST DEVIL -----7/10.