You know, when you're trying to make a scary movie about Satanists and the like it's probably best that you don't make your villains cartoony faceless entities who are always enshrouded in dark robes because they're really hard to take seriously (especially Ernest Borgnine, who plays main baddie "Corbis" and spends the movie with a shit-eating grin on his face while constantly saying, 'In the name of Satan...'). But since The Devil's Rain plays out like it was intended mostly for the drive-in crowd of the 70's, I guess we can forgive it a tiny bit for that - on the other hand, when the movie boasts that "Church of Satan" founder Anton LaVey as an advisor, you'd expect a bit more realism to your demon worship (not that anybody has ever really felt threatened by LaVey and his obvious attempts at publicity - check out the newsreel on the DVD special features for proof of how ridiculous he really is).

Things get off to an alright start as members of the Preston family are at home during a bad rainstorm worrying and waiting for the arrival of their patriarch. Soon enough, he shows-up only for his eyes to be missing while he babbles on about a book and a man named "Corbis" who wants it. Not long after that he melts down right before their eyes and his wife (screen veteran Ida Lupino) is kidnapped by Corbis' minions. Talk about loading up the first ten minutes of your movie.

After this interest perking start, things start to go downhill as the movie shifts into a rather dull pace when younger son Mark (William Shatner) heads off to a meeting with Corbis at a distant ghost town. Unable to resist his host's odd charms, Mark and Corbis have a religious showdown in a church that ends with Mark's weakness causing him to become an enslaved servant just like his mother has (too bad Lupino is wasted here as by the early point in the movie she's already lost her eyes to Corbis and spends most of her scenes from here in the background).

That's where older son Tom (Tom Skerritt) comes in. A scientist working on dream research with wife Julie (Joan Prather), Tom finds himself in a battle with Corbis for the book, his own will, and his family before Hell finds its way to reign on Earth.

About as melodramatic as they come, The Devil's Rain is one hokey movie. There's nary an iota of suspense here as Abominable Dr. Phibes director Robert Fuest can do absolutely nothing with the poor script he's been given. The movie is loaded with overdone dialogue, laughable scuffles (let's just say all the wrestling between Skerritt and robed baddies gets tiring) and a meltdown loaded finale that just doesn't work. Borgnine hams it up way too much, Skerritt is a bland hero and Prather is giving many a chance to over-act horribly with plenty "reaction shots". And in case you're wondering: yes, that is a younger John Travolta in a bit role as one of Corbis' followers (and, yes, he does also meltdown into a pile of gooey wax in the finale).

Perhaps meant as a response by producer Sandy Howard to the success of The Exorcist, I can't picture The Devil's Rain getting any sort of reaction from even the most religious person. It marks yet another poorly done horror flick trying to put a fear of Lucifer into the masses, a goal that would be accomplished much better a year later with Richard Donner's The Omen. (Chris Hartley, 12/7/06)

Directed By: Robert Fuest.
Written By: Gabe Essoe, James Ashton, Gerald Hopman.

Starring: Ernest Borgnine, Eddie Albert, William Shatner, Keenan Wynn.

Picture Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen.

Picture Quality: I seriously doubt this movie even looked this good on its original theatrical run. Continuing the high quality standard set on their earlier releases, Dark Sky brings this to us with a pristine transfer that's pretty clean of any print flaws while sporting nice, bright colour.

Extras: It's not exactly a loaded disc, but I'm sure what's here will be enough for fans of the movie (I'm sure there's some of you out there).

We get a trailer, three radio spots, a still gallery, the aforementioned (and quite amusing) Anton LaVey newsreel and a somewhat passable commentary track with director Fuest that's moderated by Marcus Hern.

Visit Dark Sky for more info.