Ernest Borgnine proves he is the GOAT in ‘star-studded’ B-movie horror The Devil’s Rain

Borgnine! Shatner! Skerritt! Er…Travolta? “The Devil’s Rain” is a real curate’s egg of a movie, if the curate is a goat-worshipping Satanist with a penchant for cheesy, overwrought and overacted B-movies.

When satanist cult leader Corbis (Borgnine) is burnt alive by the local church he vows to come back to hunt down and enslave every descendant of his congregation using a Satanic book in the possession of the Preston family. Steve Preston, the family patriarch, manages to escape to warn his wife and younger son Mark (Shatner) about Corbis’ wrath but during a supernatural rainstorm, he melts away into a waxy goo. Mark sets out to confront Corbis, using the book as bait but disappears, leaving his older brother Tom (Skerritt) to come looking for him.

If you’ve ever wanted to see Ernest Borgnine in goat make-up, then this is the movie for you. The storyline is utterly incoherent and feels like it was only assembled in the editing room from the available footage rather than plotted out in any way, shape or form. For a supposed horror movie, it’s astonishingly light on scares and, as if that wasn’t bad enough, isn’t even silly enough to be entertaining. Who knew devil worship could be this dull?

While it may not have enough about it to be considered a genuine cult favourite, it’s not through lack of trying given its about a cult, it had input from an actual real-life cult leader (Anton LaVey) and features the theatrical debut of John Travolta who would go on to become a high-profile member of a real-life cult himself.

Ironically for such a boring film, it actually holds a deep and abiding place in the horror movie hall of fame: “Halloween” wouldn’t have been the same without this film. It’s for “The Devil’s Rain” that the cast of William Shatner’s face was made. A cast that would go on to be used to create a Captain Kirk mask and eventually be turned inside out and painted white to bring John Carpenter’s shape to chillingly impassive life.

It’s a tedious 90 minutes to sit through for that little nugget of movie history, although it does at least reward your tolerance with a face-meltingly spectacular finale that puts the ‘goo’ in ‘good god, that’s a lot of practical effects work’!

the devil's rain review
score 4/10


Hi there! If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up to get new posts sent straight to your inbox?

Sign up to receive a weekly digest of The Craggus' latest posts.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

logo

Related posts

The BFG (2016) Review

The BFG (2016) Review

The BFG is a scrumdiddlyumptious too-good-for-summer treat. Shining like the most gloriumptious bottled dream, “The BFG” bestrides the lacklustre summer blockbuster season like a magical Colossus of Rhodes. A welcome big-screen return for the wonderful imagination of Roald Dahl and...

The Rhythm Section (2020) Review

The Rhythm Section (2020) Review

The Rhythm Section…is not my tempo I have to hope that when Barbara Broccoli (who produced “The Rhythm Section” along with brother and long-time producing partner Michael G Wilson) advised that she didn’t want to make the character of Bond a woman because she believes she ‘should...

Sand Sharks (2012) Review

Sand Sharks (2012) Review

I didn't much like Sand Sharks. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets it wrong nearly everywhere. Well, would you look at this, a faint vestige of production values and technical ability! We even have a star name attached (Corin Nemec, “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose”...

Godzilla (2014) Review

Godzilla (2014) Review

Up from the depths rises a new heir to Spielberg alongside a new Godzilla Hey, look! Spielberg’s back – late 70’s/ early 80’s Spielberg. I thought he was gone forever! Wait, what? You mean he’s not? Well, call him and tell him we don’t need him anymore. Director Gareth Edwards’...

American Made (2017) Review

American Made (2017) Review

The CIA activates Cruise control. If you thought off-the-books, quasi-legal internecine government shenanigans were a practice brought to the White House by a tangerine reality TV buffoon, wait until you get a load of AMERICAN MADE and find out what was going on the last time a former...

Craggus’ Trek Trek Phase II Vol 17

Craggus' Trek Trek Phase II Vol 17

Craggus' Trek Trek Phase II Vol 17 comes with unlimited data. Craggus' Trek Trek Phase II Vol 17 gathers together a collection of season six's finest episodes as well as the episode Quality Of Life. Star Trek The Next Generation S6E04: Relics Great...

Bumblebee (2018) Review

Bumblebee (2018) Review

Bumblebee is a once in a Gen-1 event: a good Transformers movie. It may seem something of an oxymoron, but “Bumblebee” is a genuinely good “Transformers” film. Now, I’m happy to admit I’m heavily biased, having grown up loving and watching and reading the Gen 1 toys, cartoon and Marvel...

Mary Poppins Returns (2018) Review

Mary Poppins Returns (2018) Review

Mary Poppins Returns is an exercise in Lucasian poetry. Assembled more like one of Disney’s current ‘live action’ adaptations of their animated back catalogue than a genuine sequel to the 1964 original, “Mary Poppins Returns” brings back cinema’s premiere Nanny to answer another Banks...