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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: Dark Sky Films
Salesrank: 50074
Released: October 31, 2006 |
| Our Price: $7.48 |
| Used Price: $7.99 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Heaven Help Us When the Devil’s Rain! Patriarch Steve Preston goes missing and worried mom Emma (Ida Lupino) sends eldest son Mark (William Shatner) in search for his father. Suddenly, a dying, eyeless Steve returns and demands that the family: "Give Corbis what belongs to him!" before dissolving into a gelatinous meltdown. Corbis (Ernest Borgnine) is a Satanic priest hell-bent on recovering a valuable book listing the names of those who sold their souls to the devil…a book that resides with the Preston family. Mark refuses to hand it over and puts up a brave fight, only to wind up an unwilling sacrifice. Occult expert, Dr. Richards (Eddie Albert) and Mark’s younger brother, Tom (Tom Skerritt) plot to free the Prestons and destroy The Devil's Rain, a bottle containing the souls of those already damned. The battle rages as the elixir is released and a bloody rain of devilry and malevolence is loosed upon a screaming, melting world.
Description of The Devil's Rain:
In the wake of Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist, the devil and his disciples became prime subject for independent filmmakers. The Devil's Rain is one of the better films that came from the flood. Corbis (Ernest Borgnine) hunts a Midwest family as he searches for "The Book," an ancient tome stolen centuries ago containing the names of the devil cult's disciples written in their own blood. As he turns the family one by one into dead-eyed soldiers for Satan, surviving son Tom Skerrit struggles to free them and keep the tome out of Corbis's hands. Robert Fuest, who directed the offbeat cult classics The Abominable Dr. Phibes and Dr. Phibes Rises Again, cranks up the ghoul factor with arresting images of the black-eyed zombies wandering through a desert ghost town. The cast (including a stiff William Shatner and a tired Ida Lupino) is more solemn than spirited. Only Borgnine sinks his teeth into his role, preaching the word of the devil with gusto and theatrical flourish and transforming into a horned demon in a blood ceremony. It's an inconsistent picture but Fuest creates moments of gripping horror and builds to a dynamic climax that delivers the promised devil's rain with sizzling results. The film has garnered some fame as John Travolta's film debut, but he's practically unrecognizable as a hooded cult follower. --Sean Axmaker
The Devil's Rain Reviews:
HILARIOUS DEVIL MESS A GREAT PARTY FLICK 
2009-08-29 - This one has to be thrown in with the "so bad it's good" DVD stockpile that we ALL have at home. Here we have a conglomerate of respected veteran [and THEN not so veteran] actors [+ one actress] in a contrived, pretentious and lugubrious movie about Devil worshipers in the Southwest. The list of vets who are so hard up that they basically make fools out of themselves includes a Best Actor Oscar winner [Ernest Borgnine, MARTY 1956], the great underrated actress and directress Ida Lupino [with Bogey in HIGH SIERRA, 1941], William Shatner [Captain James T. Kirk of the original STAR TREK, 1966-69] Tom Skerrett [ALIEN, 1979], John Travolta [PULP FICTION, 1994], Eddie Albert [60's TV sit-com GREEN ACRES] and everywhere character actor Keenan Wynn. Everybody except Borgnine seems to be in a coma in this one. All about the leader of a satanic cult [Ernie] who is after a book concealed by Shatner's family. Borgnine seems to be the dev's " #1 sales rep on earth and "the book" seems to have the names of all those who have sold their you-know-what to the "prince of the abyss" in return for eternal life. Or something like that. To procure the book Borgnine begins to demonize each member of Kirk's, I mean Shatner's, family---an act that gives each victim a 'cut-out', black, no-eyes appearance and a catatonic countenance that is a trifle scary but also a bit comical when seen on an iconic protagonist's face. Though pretty bad, the flick is yet moderately creepy, lurid and unsettling. The opening credits feature a soundtrack consisting of the distant pleas of the eternally damned [hey, might as well get in the mood for this stuff] with a background of unusual and disturbing paintings by the 15th century Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch who was into depictions of Hell and stuff like that. The credits also inform the viewer that the actual founder of the 'Church of Satan' has a bit role here. At least they tried. Shatner looks pretty silly throughout with his farm hat and his uninvolved and intermittently rote and forced acting. The scene where Borgnine turns his protective anti-devil necklace into a snake and Shatner yells " Daaaugh! " is hilarious. Tom Skerritt, who plays Shatner's brother, is in a daze throughout and is practically useless. Eddie Albert is loud, pretentious and annoying. Travolta is an almost unrecognizable mute. The purportedly memorable ending with the black-hooded satanists literally melting as the devil's rain comes pouring down is incessant and messy [don't be caught chowing down when watching this part]. When shot or melting the demons seem to ooze this slimy stuff that looks like different-flavor Slurpy, different-color pudding and heavens knows what else. Nifty ending scene as Skerritt hugs wife and viewer sees that presumed dead Borgnine is doing the hugging. Nice seeing the template for Jason's mask [FRIDAY THE 13th, 1980] in Shatner's demonized face. Add this one to THE WICKER MAN [2006] as an essential so-bad-that-it's-good party must-see especially on Halloween night. Sit back and enjoy.
Sucks, don't bother. 
2009-06-28 - I understand it's an older movie but the acting is bad, special effects are bad and it's not well written at all. Don't waste your time.
A Classic - The Citizen Kane of 1970s Satanic Horror Films! 
2008-10-06 - Where to begin? My, oh my! Shatner (after Star Trek TOS but many years before the era of the TJ Hooker Toupee) is a member of a rustic rural family out west that must keep a book hidden from the devil played by Ernie Borgnine. This book, you see, is sort of like a check register of all the souls that the devil had signed deals with back in the day...Tom Skerrit plays the Shat's brother and a scientist that's studying ESP or whatever was hip back in the 70s. Eddie Albert from Green Acres works with Skerritt and...now my hair hurts...John Travolta plays one of the cult members. The atmosphere is total 1970s horror. This movie would make a perfect double feature with Touch of Satan. You must watch this movie. You must, I say! Watch this movie for the cool melting effects that occur when the Devil's Rain, er, rains down...Watch this movie...watch this movie...That's right, I give this movie 5 stars.
So bad you can't hate it!!! 
2008-08-27 - There is nothing redeeming about this movie... it's pure cheese. But I like cheese. I like cheese sticks fried and dipped in melted cheese. A huge collection of stars getting paid for the worst performances ever. If you aren't rolling on the floor while watching this, you have no sense of fun whatsoever!
Heaven don't help us............
2008-04-22 - Many thanks for dark sky's rerelease. Great quality! This film has great actors for a 70's cult classic. It even has Anton Lavey the high preist of the church of satan. Also the dark sky print has a clip of the satanic wedding. Great classic film to own if you into classic devil films!
